Page 30 of Little Gray Dress
“This ring…” Amelia grabs my hand and inspects it like she’s doing an appraisal, “was Jack’s grandmother's ring. Of course, he added a bit of his own touch to it before giving it to you, but still it’s just beautiful and so sentimental. One day you can pass it down to your son.”
“Son?” I choke on my champagne. I’ve only been engaged for three weeks and now his family has me already popping out kids. “I don’t know if a son is in the works for quite some time.”
“Well of course not immediately, let’s get through the wedding first, but I’m sure you will be blessed with the most beautiful of children, don’t you think dear?”
Robert nods his head, chatting with Jack about whatever grown men talk about at engagement parties. I’m not exactly listening because the idea of me being responsible for a child is still swirling through my brain like a tornado.
“Come, dear,” Amelia says. “Introduce me to your family.”
“There’s only a few I’m afraid.” With my parents being gone, only a couple of aunts and uncles and my brother could make it. I don’t know if that makes me look as pathetic as an orphan or not, but it doesn’t raise me up to the Cabot status in life. “Evan…” I say his name before reaching the table he and Hannah are still sharing, hoping that they aren’t already doing the dirty things they are both so known for. “Evan, this is Jack’s mother, Amelia.”
“Evan, look how handsome you are. And you’ve already met my Hannah.” She pats Hannah’s shoulder with a questioning stare before turning her attention back to Evan. “What are your feelings on these upcoming nuptials?”
Evan quickly stands up, following the instructions our father once gave him of standing when a woman approaches your table. He doesn’t hide giving Hannah a somewhat guilty side-eye. “I think Jack and Emi are absolutely perfect for one another, don’t you?”
“I do, actually, they make a rather lovely couple.”
“I’ve no doubt they’ll be very happy together.” Evan smiles with a nod and a glance in my direction for approval. I might have told him to keep things more classy than he normally would, and so far so good. Amelia looks impressed.
“Who else is here that I should meet?” She scans the room, probably looking for faces she’s never seen on her side of town.
“Our aunt Maggie is here, and her brother Melvin is with her.” Evan points in their direction. They are both standing in front of a table of food, probably looking for something not too fancy.
“Let’s go have a meet.” Amelia pulls me along with her like a schoolgirl in trouble. “This is just so exciting, soon we’ll all be family.” She speaks excitedly, which surprises me. Amelia has always treated me like a daughter, but I’ve always felt a tad like she thought Jack could do so much better than normal me, a commoner.
“Aunt Maggie, I’m so glad you came.”
Maggie sets her plate on the table and immediately wraps her arms around me for a hug. Aunt Maggie has always been that eccentric aunt who means the best but sometimes can throw crazy into a completely normal situation. Sometimes I wonder if Aunt Maggie had a hand in naming us. She used to tell us stories about a young Romanian woman coming to live in America after escaping a family who didn’t believe in her connection with the afterlife. Maggie would point to a crystal ball that always sat on a high shelf in her home and tell us stories of their friendship as young girls, and how easily they still chat even though her friend passed on years ago.
“My sweet little Esmeralda. Your mother is so pleased with all this. I’m so sad she’s not here to tell you herself.”
I glance at Amelia, whose eyes are now wide.
“Me too. I’m so glad you’re here, though. I do wish I could tell mom about the proposal. He did it in true Jack style.” I laugh, knowing my mom would know exactly what I was talking about. It was something we used to joke about with Jack’s elaborate ideas and surprises and it was the way he’d first won my parents over. Me too, for that matter. “I’d like to introduce you to Amelia, Jack’s mother. She’s really taken me in like her own.”
“Nonsense, I’ve just done what any mother would do. I’m so sorry about Molly’s passing.”
“Thank you, so are we. I just can’t believe she’s missing all this in person. You’re getting a great girl in Esmeralda, she’s a real sweetheart, a beauty too. She’s got great things ahead of her in life, let me tell you.”
“That she is.” Amelia pats my hand.
“Oh my! Look at this stone.” Uncle Melvin inspects the sparkling rock on my finger, his eyes growing wider by the second. “I wonder what something like that costs?” he asks Aunt Maggie.
“Priceless, it’s a family heirloom.” Amelia corrects him, her face shocked at his question.
“Jack is just a lovely boy, you’ve done a fine job on that one. I’ve no doubt these kids will get past the rough patch.” Maggie compliments Amelia and quickly notices the look of dismay on my face. “I mean… they will get through whatever life throws their way. They’re both such strong-headed kids, they’ll make the right choices in life.”
Amelia nods. “I’m sure they will go far in life. Tell me, though, about the rough patch you mentioned?”
“Oh…” Maggie looks to me momentarily. “It’s just an old saying, every marriage has rough patches, they’re inevitable. I just know these kids will make it through with the right choices.”
Amelia nods in agreement before they start discussing the food.
Leave it to Maggie to throw an accidental psychic reading into the conversation, even though before the party I begged her not to. The last thing I need is her proving to Amelia that I’m far from the normal girl she thinks she knows.
“Have you seen the pile of gifts?” Lily saves me from having to chat about babies with Amelia and Maggie. “It’s insane. I didn’t even know people got these kinds of things at engagement parties.”
“I’ve already had at least five people, whose names I couldn’t even tell you, hand me envelopes with checks in them. It’s crazy!”
