“Oh wow, tell me about the gift.” My mom coos through the phone.
“Woman, stop that. Aren’t you worried about our daughter getting married at twenty-two to the only boy she has ever dated?” My dad barks at her.
“Number one, James Hayes, don’t call me ‘woman’ in a derogatory tone. Number two, our Baby Girl is engaged to be married to a man she loves. I married you when I was twenty-one and I’ve never looked back. Don’t make me start now.”
Boom! My mom just set him in his place. He mumbles something about Scotch and sports. I can hear his dragging feet as he walks away.
“Love you, daddy!” I scream so he can hear me. My mom laughs.
“Okay guys, so when are you getting married?”
I look at Declan with wide eyes; we hadn’t talked about it. I decide to sling it out there.
“Probably the summer after I finish school.” He looks at me and shakes his head.
“Next month, Jenna.” He tells my mom and she gasps.
“Summer, Mama. Don’t listen to him; he’s going for shock factor tonight.”
“Thank goodness. If you got married next month, everyone would wonder if this was a shotgun wedding.”
Declan breaks out laughing at the idea, but I feel nauseated.
“Do you think people will assume I’m pregnant when they find out I’m getting married?”
“Not really, but be prepared for nasty comments. I got engaged to your dad a few months after meeting him and people around town liked to gossip. Keep your head held high.”
“Thanks, Mom. Listen, we haven’t told Robbie or anyone else besides David, so please don’t say anything yet. Give me a little time.”
“Okay, but you need to call Harper soon. She was here yesterday to drop off a small present and said if you didn’t call her back soon, she was going to bust up your quote ‘love nest’ unquote.”
I blush, thinking that Harper outed me to my mom, but I also know my mom isn’t stupid.
She interrupts my thoughts, “So tell me everything.”
Declan kisses my neck and heads to the living room to watch TV, while I tell my mom about the rest of our Christmas and the proposal minus the sex. After an hour, I agree to help her with a charity event in February and we hang up.
I finally get the courage to call Robbie. I tell Declan I’m going to do it and he shrugs and says I’m solidifying his beat down next time were all together. Robbie’s at the gym, but takes some time to talk to me anyways. He tells me he’s happy for me. He promises to come over to my house early on New Year’s Eve so we can celebrate.
Declan’s band has had the last week off for Christmas. Unfortunately, it means the band will be playing three days straight including New Year’s Eve. After that, I have another five days until school starts. I feel like this whole break has flown by and is almost over.
I join Declan on the sofa.
“Baby, I know you want to finish school and I understand that, but do we really want to have a year and a half engagement?”
“It’s practical to wait. We can take our time figuring out what we want, and I can concentrate on finishing school. Besides, we have to work out so many details like budget, size, location, and everything else.”
“Baby, whatever you want, I’ll pay for it.”
“No way! I have money, Declan.”
“I know your parents have money, baby, but what I meant is whatever you want.”
“No, Dec, I have money. Robbie and I have a trust similar to what your dad had done for you. My grandparents left us money when they died and we got some when we hit eighteen. We get the rest at twenty-five. My parents are paying for my school and housing, but the rest is mine. I’ve also been working on and off for my dad since I was seventeen and I’ve put everything into savings. You don’t have to worry about taking care of anything.”
“I’m not worried; I want you to have what you want. If this band thing doesn’t go anywhere, I will quit so that I can provide you with the lifestyle you deserve.”
I’m pissed! “Excuse me- this band thing? You guys are awesome and I fell in love with ‘THIS BAND THING’! You guys will succeed and you’ll never ever quit because of me. Do you understand?”