Page 83 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

They thought they should tell the family about it at last.Troy didn’t hide his disdain for Robin, while Henry tried to smile.Camille and I looked at each other often; it helped us get away from the tension in the room.Robin nodded after the introduction. I commended him; he was quite confident for a man who knew that Troy and Henry didn't like him.

I dipped into the rice bowl at the table’s center, rubbing my tummy as I put a scoop on my plate, “I’m so famished,” I chuckled, hoping the mood would lighten up a bit.

However, it only got worse. Camille followed suit, but Troy poured himself another glass of wine. Camille and I exchanged a glance. Troy gulped the wine, but she held Troy’s hand when he was about to pour himself a third.Troy was drinking himself blind because he thought being drunk while listening to his mother’s new lover was better than being sober.

“Have you told your kids about this?” Henry tried to take control of the talk around the table.

“Yes,” Robin answered. “They will come around once they get back to Richmond.”

Robin was a sixty-five-year-old divorcee whose children lived in New York City and Atlanta, respectively.His children headed their father’s company in New York. I was sure they wouldn’t mind seeing their father get married again after years of being divorced.

“When is this wedding,” Henry finally spoke just to get the tension out of the way. “Is it going to be a small or a grand one?”

“We thought this topic should come up after Troy’s wedding,” Mrs. Robinson responded, stretching her hand to take Robin’s.

Then, Troy lost it completely; he stood up, throwing the napkins on the table. "I've had enough, Mom."

He bolted out of the dining room. Camille had no choice but to follow her fiancé.Henry sighed, and also excused himself from the table. Camille came back a few minutes later. I could tell that Henry was talking some sense into his brother.

"Maymont Park…" I started. "please don't reform it; that place means a lot to my parents."

“It was my favorite place as a kid.” Camille added. “It always felt like our ancestors breathed life into it. Troy and I want our children to experience what we did there.”

Camille was right. Maymont Park was one of the most peaceful places in Richmond. The place always felt like it carried the souls of our dear ancestors.

“Heather’s favorite place in Richmond is Maymont Park,” Robin added. “She’s going to be mad if she came back to see that it had been converted.”

Robin told stories of when he had worked as the manager at Maymont Park. He'd just gotten out of high school and became the youngest manager in history.Camille and I smiled as he spoke. I realized there was no way one could hate this smart-mouth older man.He wasn’t only smart, but he had a great sense of humor as well.

Henry and Troy walked back into the dining room, and the silence at the table returned. Camille and I looked guilty for having laughed at Robin’s jokes, but Troy looked sober now.

He turned to Robin. “I’m sorry I acted that way to you,” Troy said. “I shouldn’t have. I’m so sorry, Robin.”

Troy spoke as if he was reading a script. However, what mattered was that he’d apologized to his mother’s boyfriend.

"I will review my decision about the conversion." Mrs. Robinson smiled as she looked at Camille and me, and then back to Robin.

I thought Robin was a bigger influence on her decision than Camille and I were. We were glad either way.There was a refreshing peace in the room again, and we started the meal. Mrs. Robinson spoke to Camille about her wedding, but Camille and Troy had plans to make theirs less elaborate than ours.They just wanted to share their vows with their families and friends alone.However, Mrs. Robinson still thought she had to get the most expensive of everything.

Henry and I left the table when dinner finished and retired to our home for the night.It had been quite an emotional day for all of us not to mention the past weeks. However, Henry was no longer worried about his mother’s relationship.I hoped that after tonight, Troy could also see past it. Maybe giving Mrs. Robinson another chance to love will make her less vile to her children.Tonight, I felt my emotions become heightened; but even more, Henry had questions he couldn't answer himself.

“I thought about it at dinner,” Henry started while we took off our clothes to get ready for bed, “Maybe Mom deserves another chance at love.”

I climbed into bed and held him. He looked tired.

"Cut your mom some slack and grow some balls, Henry. She is a woman with needs. Her children are married, and she has to live in that house all by herself."

I continued, “It’s what your father would have wanted for her, isn’t it?”

Henry nodded, “You’re right. Father would have wanted his queen to be happy.”

Henry kissed my forehead and muttered, “Thank you.”

I spent the night telling him about how cool Robin Waters was. However, Henry still seemed indifferent about his mother’s boyfriend.He told me not to refer to Robin as her boyfriend because it painted a gross picture in his head. Instead, I should refer to Robin Waters as Robin.

“I’m going to have a stepfather?” Henry laughed. No one would believe that a man of Henry’s age would see his mother get married again.

He was a forty-two-year-old man who would have a new stepfather.I was about to switch off the light when my phone buzzed.Just when I thought I didn’t have another reason to be surprised tonight, Mother asked if we’d heard about Helen Robinson’s decision to leave Richmond.

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