Page 77 of From Ice to Grace
“Is that your brother?” she asks. “Put it on speaker phone.”
“Mom—”
“I never see you,” she says. “Now let me talk to my babies together.”
I put the phone on speaker before sitting down on the couch, glad my brother has no choice but to help me get through this conversation now.
“Hi mom,” EJ says, cheerful as ever. “How’s dad?”
“Your father is fine,” she says. “He’s gone out to the reserve, he misses you a lot my boy. When can you come home for a proper visit?”
“I was just there two months ago, Mom,” EJ says, flashing me a smug grin. “Don’t you rather want to hear Avah’s good news?”
I glare at EJ, and he sticks out his tongue.
“Yes, of course. Tell me all about it,” she says, excitement filling her voice.
I swallow, not sure how to start. “Well, I kind of have been keeping something from you mom, and I know you don’t condone secrets, but this is one I had to keep.”
There’s a stretch of silence before she asks, “What is it, Avah?”
EJ frowns at me, possibly wondering where I’m going with this.
“There’s this guy here in New York.” When she doesn’t immediately respond, the rest of the words tumble out fast. “At first we didn’t really get along, but the more time we spent together—the more something kind of clicked.”
I’m trying my best to stay truthful about most of the situation with Declan. But it’s not easy…especially with EJ sitting across from me, his eyebrow arched in silent judgment.
“Oh?” she asks. “Why didn’t you tell me? EJ did you know?”
“Sort of, mom.” He shrugs, frowning at me.
“Sort of?” she asks him.
“It’s complicated,” I answer for him. “So, he didn’t know until recently.”
“Why?” she asks, sounding more and more suspicious with each passing second.
“He plays with EJ on the team. We didn’t want anything to mess with their friendship or their dynamic on the ice, so we kept it quiet until we knew what this is.”
There’s silence on the other end, before. “And what is this?”
“Well, we’re getting married.”
The air shifts and there’s a sharp inhale. “I’m sorry, say that again?” my mom says, her voice cautious.
“I’m marrying him,” I repeat, silently wincing. “Today. At city hall.”
“Avah Linnea Johansson, are you getting married to stay in that country? If so, I’ll be the first to set the department of homeland security on you. You haven’t even dealt with your previous relationship, not even spoken to the man you would’ve been married to today! You’re my only daughter. How can you get married in a different country, without either of your parents there? And what about your father? He’s always wanted to walk you down the aisle and now you’re getting married to a stranger across the ocean.”
Her voice cracks and I know she’s fighting back tears.
EJ is rubbing at his temples, looking like he’s trying to stave off a migraine. Leaning back on the couch, I hope I can somehow find the words to make her accept this.
“Mom—”
“Marriage is not about running away—” she starts.
“This is not me running away,” I say, defensively. “This is me building something new. We’ve thought this through. Declan and I want the same thing and that’s why this makes so much sense right now. Going to city hall might not be what you or dad wants for me, but it’s what I need to do. This marriage will give me peace of mind.”
