Page 26 of Husband of the Year
“Babe. Alcoholics and addicts are never better. Recovery is a process. Folks go in and out all the time. Sometimes, we slip up, and it’s easy to get back on track. You miss a meeting or two, and you come back. But sometimes, it’s more of a major fall. The meetings become memories. Liam keeps falling off. Hard.”
“And your mom is upset?”
“Yes. The burden is substantial for them…” Olan’s voice trails off, and then he perks up. “There’s a spot. Monumental spot.”
“Yeah,” I say as Olan parallel parks only a house down from our destination. My stomach turns with my head, wondering if there’s anything I can do to support Olan more. I’m grateful he’s opened up to me more about his family, but I can see how it’s troubling him.
As we approach their front door, Olan takes my hand, and I stop him before we reach the buzzer.
“Olan.” As the chilly March air nips at our skin, I pull him into a hug, squeezing him tightly, desperate to establish a connection. “You know, I’m always here for you. If you ever need anything. Or to talk. About your family. Your brother. Anything. I’m here.”
Olan pulls back and kisses my chin, my nose, and finally my mouth. He’s used extra ChapStick, and the scent lingers even after he pulls back.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I love you.” The need for him to know just how deeply I care consumes me. Despite Olan’s stoic nature, I yearn for him to open up and show more of his vulnerable side to me.
“I love you too.”
We step up, hand in hand, and press the buzzer.
CHAPTER TEN
“Snacks. I’m surrounded by snacks.”
Ruth grabs Regina’s shoulder and takes a quick bite through her purple sweater as her braids click and clack, adding a rhythmic sound to the room. Regina seems unfazed by her girlfriend’s temporary transformation into a vampire.
“First, this one comes into the picture.” Ruth nods toward Vincent. “And now you bring me these two?” Her focus lands on Olan and me. “There are only twelve Black folks in Maine, and you found one of them.”
Olan allows a crinkle of a smile and I’m not sure how he feels about the enthusiasm of Ruth Parrish, but he seems to take her in stride.
“Of course I’m joking. There are more than twelve of us in the entire state. Maybe fifteen?” A loud laugh escapes her lips. “No, no, I just like teasing.” Ruth winks at Olan, and the small lines around his eyes reveal he’s a Ruth fan.
Vincent has been trying to make this dinner party happen for almost a year, but with all our schedules and commitments, it took some time. Sweetums, Kent’s enormous Maine Coon cat, lies on the back of the sofa, tail flicking, seemingly happy to be watching the action from a distance.
The spread on the dining room table would be at home in a lifestyle magazine. Vincent doesn’t cook, so I’m assuming Kent handled the roasted chicken and various side dishes.
“Kosher snack,” I say as I spoon some fresh coleslaw onto my plate. “Me. Not him.”
“Oh, you’re part of the mishpocha. Nice job, Kent. You brought me another mensch.”
“You’ll have to excuse Ruth,” Kent says. “She wants so badly to be one of us.”
“Hey, conversion isn’t off the table.” Ruth nibbles Regina’s shoulder. “If we get married, it would make things easier.”
“My mother would love that,” Regina says. Just like Vincent, her bald head gleams under the soft glow of the paper pendant hanging above the table. Her lack of hair accentuates Regina’s beautiful face—the entire focus on her striking features and olive skin.
“But it’s not required. I mean, Olan’s not converting.” I squeeze his hand under the table.
“Have you considered it?” Vincent asks. He takes a small scoop of mashed potatoes and carefully places them on his plate, making sure not to touch the chicken or Ruth’s bean casserole.
“I haven’t. Wait, it’s not imperative, is it?” Olan turns to me, his beautiful eyes searching.
“Olan. No. No. No.” I shake my head. “My mother is fully aware you’re not Jewish. She stopped asking after about six months.” I pull his hand up and kiss his knuckles. “Trust me, she’s thrilled I’m getting married. There are zero expectations about you converting.”
I give Olan’s cheek a quick peck, doing my best to reassure him.
“Well, you two are utterly adorable,” Regina says.
