the most exciting, Aunt Scar,” Anna says.
“Does everybody like the food?” Sarah asks. Of course. She would gladly change the topic from me. She doesn’t think my life is interesting. She just thinks I’m evil for marrying her son.
“It’s delicious,” a few people answer.
The food is amazing. Sarah is an amazing cook. Maybe one day she can teach me … The thought stops almost as quickly as it starts. I picture myself in the kitchen with Sarah. And then I picture her stabbing me.
Yeah. So not going to happen .
An awkward silence falls on the table. Like, seriously? There ten people sitting at this table, and not one can think of something to say?
“So, Sarah, were you surprised to hear that Stephan and Scarlett got married?” Alec asks.
Now it’s my turn to choke. “Alec!”
“Of course I was surprised to hear it. I knew he liked Scarlett, but I didn’t think he would… Well, I thought she was just a short term thing…” I can tell by the tone in her voice that she still thinks it is a short term thing .
“Well, I’m definitely here to stay.” I put my hand on Stephan’s leg and narrow my eyes at her. Seriously, if she’s not going to play nice, neither am I. It’s on.
“I can see that,” she says, then turns her attention to Stephan. “So the whole family is coming here for Christmas. I’m sure your grandparents will want to meet your… wife .”
“We can’t come,” I tell her. “We are going to have Christmas with my dad.”
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t completely decided, but I feel like this is some kind of competition. And I’m so not spending my Christmas with this woman if she acts like this. It’s ridiculous.
“Stephan?” She looks at him.
“It’s only fair. We’re here for Thanksgiving.” Stephan shrugs.
“Well, you can’t, Stephan. You have to come here. You will just have to have Christmas with Scarlett’s family later.” She takes a bite of her food and pretends like what she just said was completely normal.
“Mom, I’m spending Christmas with my wife,” Stephan tells her sternly.
Sarah gets up from the table and leaves the room. Mr. James follows after her.
“She hates you, Scar,” Bridgett tells me. “Seriously, could that have been anymore awkward?”
“She doesn’t hate her,” Stephan argues. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s starting to doubt himself.
“No, she really does,” Ethan says. “She was okay with you dating her. I mean, obviously Scarlett is like the star of every teenage guy’s fantasy. But she didn’t think you’d actually marry her. She thought you would just have lots of sex with her and get it out of your system.”
“No, she didn’t,” Stephan tells me.
“Yes. She said so. I asked her when you first started dating if she was okay with it, and she told me that,” Ethan says.
“Why would my mom tell you that?”
“Because she was drunk.”
“I told you!” I tell Stephan. “Your mom totally hates me.”
“Anna, why don’t you go play on the X-Box?” Stacy tells her.
“But it’s just getting good!” Anna protests.
Stacy gives Anna a stern look.
“I’ll go play with you,” Mona says.
“Me too!” Ethan jumps up, and the three of them leave the room together.
“What are we going to do?” I ask Stephan.
“I don’t know…” He runs his fingers through his hair, which I’ve noticed is something he does when he’s upset. “I mean, on one hand, she is my mom. But you’re my wife. And if she can’t accept you, then it’s her loss.”
“You can’t just abandon your mom,” I say. “There has to be something we can do to make her hate me less.”
“I’m not abandoning her. I love her, but I love you more. If she can’t accept you then I can’t be a part of her life — simple as that.”
“It’s not that simple,” I protest.
“Wow,” I hear Alec say. He turns to Bridgett. “Is your family going to be like this once they find out we’re
“Does everybody like the food?” Sarah asks. Of course. She would gladly change the topic from me. She doesn’t think my life is interesting. She just thinks I’m evil for marrying her son.
“It’s delicious,” a few people answer.
The food is amazing. Sarah is an amazing cook. Maybe one day she can teach me … The thought stops almost as quickly as it starts. I picture myself in the kitchen with Sarah. And then I picture her stabbing me.
Yeah. So not going to happen .
An awkward silence falls on the table. Like, seriously? There ten people sitting at this table, and not one can think of something to say?
“So, Sarah, were you surprised to hear that Stephan and Scarlett got married?” Alec asks.
Now it’s my turn to choke. “Alec!”
“Of course I was surprised to hear it. I knew he liked Scarlett, but I didn’t think he would… Well, I thought she was just a short term thing…” I can tell by the tone in her voice that she still thinks it is a short term thing .
“Well, I’m definitely here to stay.” I put my hand on Stephan’s leg and narrow my eyes at her. Seriously, if she’s not going to play nice, neither am I. It’s on.
“I can see that,” she says, then turns her attention to Stephan. “So the whole family is coming here for Christmas. I’m sure your grandparents will want to meet your… wife .”
“We can’t come,” I tell her. “We are going to have Christmas with my dad.”
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t completely decided, but I feel like this is some kind of competition. And I’m so not spending my Christmas with this woman if she acts like this. It’s ridiculous.
“Stephan?” She looks at him.
“It’s only fair. We’re here for Thanksgiving.” Stephan shrugs.
“Well, you can’t, Stephan. You have to come here. You will just have to have Christmas with Scarlett’s family later.” She takes a bite of her food and pretends like what she just said was completely normal.
“Mom, I’m spending Christmas with my wife,” Stephan tells her sternly.
Sarah gets up from the table and leaves the room. Mr. James follows after her.
“She hates you, Scar,” Bridgett tells me. “Seriously, could that have been anymore awkward?”
“She doesn’t hate her,” Stephan argues. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s starting to doubt himself.
“No, she really does,” Ethan says. “She was okay with you dating her. I mean, obviously Scarlett is like the star of every teenage guy’s fantasy. But she didn’t think you’d actually marry her. She thought you would just have lots of sex with her and get it out of your system.”
“No, she didn’t,” Stephan tells me.
“Yes. She said so. I asked her when you first started dating if she was okay with it, and she told me that,” Ethan says.
“Why would my mom tell you that?”
“Because she was drunk.”
“I told you!” I tell Stephan. “Your mom totally hates me.”
“Anna, why don’t you go play on the X-Box?” Stacy tells her.
“But it’s just getting good!” Anna protests.
Stacy gives Anna a stern look.
“I’ll go play with you,” Mona says.
“Me too!” Ethan jumps up, and the three of them leave the room together.
“What are we going to do?” I ask Stephan.
“I don’t know…” He runs his fingers through his hair, which I’ve noticed is something he does when he’s upset. “I mean, on one hand, she is my mom. But you’re my wife. And if she can’t accept you, then it’s her loss.”
“You can’t just abandon your mom,” I say. “There has to be something we can do to make her hate me less.”
“I’m not abandoning her. I love her, but I love you more. If she can’t accept you then I can’t be a part of her life — simple as that.”
“It’s not that simple,” I protest.
“Wow,” I hear Alec say. He turns to Bridgett. “Is your family going to be like this once they find out we’re
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