Page 61 of Things We Fake
“Yes, Papa. This is Cam. My… fiancé.” My voice was as tight as my stomach.
Dad studied Cam, his brows drawn low, eyes narrowing with silent calculation.
“So, Cameron.” My dad’s voice was deep, smooth, with that familiar Tuscan lilt. He put a grave accent on the ‘a’, as he did on the first syllables of most words. “You want to marry my daughter?”
“Yes, sir.” Cam’s tone was respectful but steady. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission to marry Sue, but I needed the element of surprise on my side. I hope I have your blessing. I love her and can’t imagine another day without her in my life.”
I felt my jaw drop. Cam was laying it on way too thick. I shot him a glare and mimed slitting my throat to get him to stop.
“You’d better make mybambinahappy,” Dad said.
Cam’s face was dead serious. “I promise you that, sir.”
Hollowness filled my stomach. How could I do this to my family? What was I doing? How weak a person was I that I had to build this whole charade instead ofjust telling my mom to butt out of my business? I remembered the countless videos I’d saved about setting boundaries and cursed myself for not watching a single one of them. I vowed I’d listen to the entire playlist that night. Although it seemed a bit too late for that. The crazy wheels were in motion.
“Bene.” Dad nodded approvingly. He was Italian after all, so romance ran through his veins. “You hurt her, and you’ll have to deal with me. Understand?”
“Understood,” Cam said seriously.
Paul burst out laughing. “Oh man, Dad’s already pulling the Italian tough guy routine. Next, he’ll offer to introduce you to his shovel collection.”
Dad gave him a cold stare. “Think your old man is harmless,figlio mio? Think again. I can still take you on and win.”
“Bring it on, old man.”
“Stop it, you two,” Mom intervened. “I am not letting you turn this into another backyard target shooting competition.”
Cam glanced at me, grinning, completely unfazed by the chaos unfolding on the screen. “I love your family.”
“I’ll remind you of that in a minute when they ask about a wedding date,” I muttered.
Michelle rubbed her belly, chiming in. “So, Cam, how did you win Sue over? She’s not an easy one to impress.”
“Chocolate and jewelry,” Cam replied promptly. “Worked like a charm.”
Michele sighed dramatically. “Did you hear that, Paul?”
Paul was conspicuously silent.
“Cameron, will you be joining us for Easter dinner?” Dad asked.
“If you’ll have me, I’ll be delighted.”
Mom leaned closer again. “Susanne, did you find a hat for the parade?”
“I did,” I said quickly, desperate to change the subject. “Cam picked it out for me. It was a gift.”
“A gift?” Dad’s tone was laced with approval. “Now that’s the mark of a thoughtful man. But be careful, shopping with a woman can lead you down a path paved with trouble.”
Cam laughed. “I’m happy to take my chances with Sue. She keeps telling me to stop buying her things, but I love seeing the light in her eyes when I do. Now, I need to excuse myself. I have a conference call with Australia in about an hour, and I have to look over some documents first.”
This part was true. He did have a call coming in, and I knew my family would have a lot more embarrassing questions, so I was glad to talk to them alone. I wanted to ease Cam into the family. One couldn’t just go all in, one needed to build up tolerance to deal with us Morellis.
I met his eyes gratefully, mouthingTHANK YOUas he smiled at me.
“It was great talking to all of you, and I look forward to meeting everyone in person soon,” Cam added.
After saying goodbye, Cam stood, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me, ending it with a resounding smack.
