Page 118 of The Marriage Narrative
Zinnia snickered. “Dad, chill.”
“All right.” He raised his hands in defeat. “As long as you know—”
“You’d fight a bear for me,” she finished. “I like him. He’s okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Secretly got married okay. Marrying him again okay.”
“Ah, that okay.”
Jordan’s eyes were screaming with confusion. She took pity on him and said, “We’re just joking. It’s okay to catch on.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Okay, got it?”
“There you go.” Her dad slapped him on the back—maybe a little too hard. “Did you have an okay drive?”
“Okay enough. Where’s Mom?”
“Bedroom. Dang.”
“He lost,” she whispered to Jordan and then called out, “Mom, come on! I’m withering away out here.”
From deep in the back of the house, her mom yelled, “Don’t come in here!”
“Then can you come out here and meet him?”
“Him who?”
“Who is the worst!” Zinnia cackled. “Him my husband!”
“Listen to that,” her dad muttered.
“Give me five minutes!” her mom shouted.
Eight minutes later, Michaela Sims fluttered down the hall.
Mabel liked to call Zinnia a Disney Princess, but really, she was an uncanny knockoff compared to her mom.
Now, her mom was the real deal, heavenly singing voice and all. Brown-eyed and brown-haired with brown skin, and no one was lovelier. When she looked at someone, it made their world stop. She was a celestial force, drawing people into her orbit and never letting them go.
Zinnia got up from the couch where they’d been sitting for a hug. Her favorite smell was her mom’s perfume. All her best childhood memories were directly tied to it. “Hi, Mom.”
“My baby,” her mom whispered. She pulled back and grabbed Zinnia’s cheeks with one hand. “Have you been eating?”
“Yes.” Her mom’s love language was food—Zinnia was never eating enough in her eyes.
“Don’t make me call Grace.”
“Please do. She’d love that, actually, but I live with Jordan now.”
“Jordan.”
She laughed again and reached out a hand behind her. He got up immediately, threading his fingers through hers. “Hello, Mrs.Sims.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. Micheala is fine. So, what made you think it was okay to marry my daughter without my permission?”
Zinniatsked softly and frowned. She’d told her mom all about Amber. That question was her idea of a little jokey joke. However, Jordan didn’t answer, seemingly unable to do anything except stare like a guilty kid who got caught sneaking cookies after dinner.
