Page 25 of The Marriage Narrative
“Yeah. I got you.” Holding his hand as they walked across the lawn made the moment feel intensely bright. Once again, that could’ve been the sun. It beamed down like it was running out of time to help make those May flowers.
A harried-looking woman with black hair pulled into a messy bun broke away from the group and met them on the top step. “Alfie.”
“Mabel.”
“Welcome home.”
The remaining green jumpsuits descended upon them like a swarm. Zinnia was flanked by two people explaining the microphone she now had to wear anytime she was outside the bungalow and instructions for taking it off at night. There was a small black box on the porch to place it in for safekeeping. They’d make sure it stayed charged and ready for her.
They asked, “Any questions?”
“Just one. What are your names?”
“That doesn’t matter. Do you have questions about the microphone setup?”
She shook her head.
“Good. We’re not here unless there’s an emergency. Don’t look at us. Don’t talk to us. We’re literal flies on the wall.”
“Then why are you wearing bright green?”
“Easier to edit us out if we accidentally get in the shot.”
Mabel clapped her hands twice. “First storyline is in position. Delta resume. Gamma on Z. Epsilon on Hermes.”
“What’s all that mean?” Zinnia asked Jordan.
“Oh…Uh…” He blinked a few times, hesitating. “Basically, production uses code names, my family knows we’re here, and they’re waiting for us.”
The first floor of the house had a shocking number of sliding glass doors on the side they approached. At least one led to a bedroom, another to what looked like a game room, and they entered through a picturesque kitchen straight out of a department store.
Jordan continued leading the way, making a left turn at the first corner. The walls were stark white and accented with a striking deep blue. She caught a quick glimpse of herself in a large gold hallway mirror—pants not too wrinkled, makeup okay, hair good.
Grace had stayed up with her almost all night, helping her braid her hair. She’d said, “Like I’d let you look raggedy on camera. Don’t piss me off.”
Zinnia had settled on micro twists for the versatility. Easy to wash, dry, and pull back into a ponytail to hide when she started redoing them one section at a time over the course of a week.
“You look great,” Jordan reassured her softly. “Ready?”
She smiled at him. “Ready.”
They entered a sizeable living room and Lulie spotted Jordan first. She screeched and jumped over the back of the couch. Zinnia moved out of the way in time for him to catch his sister in midair, and then stepped back again while his family greeted him with hugs, slaps on the back, kisses on cheeks, and inside jokes.
No one noticed her except for her camera pod steadfastly filming.
Watching their reunion was like browsing in an antique store and being bewitched by the big happy family forever smiling inside a snow globe. Zinnia patiently waited with her hands clasped in front of her. It didn’t feel right to think of his family as hers too. They were married but not merged. Not yet. She didn’t belong to them the way he did.
“Everyone.” Jordan stepped away from his family and wrapped an arm around Zinnia’s waist—she managed not to yelp as he gently pulled her close. “This is Zinnia, my wife. Surprise! We got married today.”
Wifeby itself had a little pizzazz. Left a gentle sizzle behind.
My wifeexploded like an overturned tanker truck full of gas. Knocked her off her axis so bad, she wasn’t sure how she was still standing.
But what the hell did that man mean bysurprise? As in his family didn’t know who she was? Judging by the looks on their faces, the answer was a threateningno.
Lulie glared at her as if she’d stolen something. His dad, Damon, clutched his chest. His mom, Amber, looked ready to fight her. Only his brother, Wylie, seemed more entertained than upset. He was grinning like a treacherous house cat who’d just found the helpless canary in the coal mine.
“I know this seems sudden, but when you know, you know, right? I met Zinnia and I knew.” Jordan began recapping their supposed “whirlwind love story.” Some key details like how they’d met had been changed—through friends at a party instead of a dating app. Others, like why they agreed to marry in the first place, were wholesale omitted.
