Page 242 of The Re-Proposal

Clarissa spins a laptop around and shows it to me. “These are your cell phone records from ten years ago.”

“And this,” Liandra drops an old phone on the desk, “is the phone you were using back then.”

My jaw drops. “How did you get this?”

“Like I said, Clay is very thorough.”

I’m not sure if I should thank him or punch him the next time we meet.

“Ten years ago, you sent me a text saying your mother was in the hospital.” Ris’s eyes turn sad. “I’m sorry, Cody. That must have been hard.”

My chest squeezes tight.

“Unfortunately, Rissa never got that message.” Liandra taps on the spacebar and another image comes up. It’s a grainy video of me sneaking into Ris’s old dorm building. “This was taken the day after your wedding. The day after your mother…” She hesitates. “My condolences, Cody.”

I blink, still reeling from being double-crossed by them.

“We have evidence that you did, indeed, come back to see my daughter.”

“I told my mom about what you overheard.” Clarissa’s smile is gentle. “And you made the call that you thought was best for me.”

“That one, I can’t forgive you for.” Liandra gives me a side-eye.

“Mom.”

“What? He heard you were struggling and thought it was best to leave you? What are you? Romeo and Juliet?”

Clarissa approaches me. “Are you mad we looked into you?”

“No. I’m just shocked.” My eyebrows pull together. “Is this why you wanted your mom’s blessing? So you could reveal the result of your investigation?”

“No. I really do want her blessing.”

“But the investigation was my idea. I wanted to see what you were really made of,” Liandra says. “I wanted to see how you react when you get angry because the way you treat me is a reflection of how you’ll treat my daughter. I also wanted to know if you’d make excuses for the past.”

“You passed, Cody,” Ris whispers.

“With flying colors.” Liandra offers her hand to me. “Welcome to the family, Cody. I wouldn’t entrust my daughter to anyone else.”

* * *

Ris sitsin the passenger seat, her eyes on me as I drive. Her thumb gently strokes the back of my hand. The wheels of the car hum on the highway. The stench of my sweat is lessened by the sweet smell of her natural hair products.

“I’m not mad.”

“I know when you’re mad. This isn’t it.” She tilts her head. “But I don’t understand this look either.”

I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss each of her fingers. “I’m thinking of how my mom would have reacted if she met you.”

“You never talk about her. Back then and now.”

“Mom wasn’t… the easiest person to get along with.”

“Why?”

I stare at the road ahead of me. “When I was seven, my parents divorced. Dad was a soldier and mom was a stay-at-home wife. She’d built her entire existence around him. When they split, she took me and Clay stayed with my father.”

“You mentioned that once. When we were dating.” She nods.

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