The Billionaire's Wife

“Where you live in Georgia son?”

“Atlanta.”

“The south, ain’t that where they lynch black people, boy is you crazy?”

“They don’t do that anymore.” I played along because I knew she was just being ornery.

“Says who? Just because they don’t broadcast it anymore? A leopard don’t and can’t change his spots, out a sight out a mind.”

“Well I’ve lived there all my life and I’ve never seen or heard of one.”

“You live in an all white neighborhood don’t you?”

“No, it’s mixed.” She cackled at that and slapped her knee.

“And you wanna take me down there? Lawd love a duck.” She hopped up from her chair while my new wife was watching her indulgently.

It was as though she’d long come to accept her mother and her…quirks, and made no excuses for them. I liked that.

“You two got married, did you have cake?”

“No mom, there wasn’t any time.”

“I’ll call Mabel right now and get a cake, you need the top layer to save for your first anniversary.”

Damn I guess that was some kind of tradition. At least she seemed to be taking the news well. I’d expected at least some yelling or even maybe suspicion on her part.

“Here I’ll pay.” I reached for my wallet.

“Boy put that away, it’s the bride’s parents supposed to pay for the wedding ain’t it? Hell if I know, I don’t think anyone in my family’s ever been married before. We’re not exactly hos but we like to keep our options open.”

“Mom quit right now. Don’t listen to her Chance she was married to my dad.”

“Oh hush the boy knows I’m playing.” Actually the boy didn’t know shit at this point.

“See what I told ya? She’s an old fuddy- duddy, maybe I ought to come down there with you after all; save you from this one beating you over the head with her moral yardstick. Mabel hey, it’s me Elise, listen I need a cake for a wedding. What I don’t need is your nose in my business old woman. You run your mouth more than St. Neggah backside.”

“MOM…” I couldn’t help it I started to laugh. I walked up to her mother while she was on the phone and kissed her temple. My wife may not see it, but if this whole deal wasn’t acceptance I don’t know what is.

It was obvious she trusted her daughter’s judgment and though I didn’t kid myself that there wasn’t going to be a question and answer quiz somewhere in the women’s near future, I got the sense that she was okay if not yet happy, with the situation.

We left not long after that with the promise to call her as soon as we landed. The two of them were going to make plans in the next week to move her mom out to Georgia.

Apparently the deal was that she was going to go back home after she graduated, but since that wasn’t going to happen, she wanted her mom near us. The cottage could either go on the market or become a rental. Since she said it was her childhood home I figured we’d keep it in the family.

“You know your mom could stay with us. We don’t have to find her a place right away.”

“Are you serious? After meeting that hot mess you really want her around twenty-four seven?”

“Why not? I think she’s adorable, just like her daughter. I see where you get your mouth.” I had to shake my head at some of the things her mom had said back there. The woman sure did speak her mind.

“Hah, that’s only because we weren’t there that long.”

“She’ll be fine. I told you she was gonna love me.” She’d asked me a million and one questions after she got off the phone with her friend and though she’d kept it light and fun, I knew she was serious as a judge.

She’d grilled me better than a detective until she was satisfied that her daughter was safe with me. I got the sense too that my money didn’t mean shit to her. All she cared about was her child’s happiness.

I couldn’t help thinking about my own mom and how she was going to handle the news. I wasn’t worried for the simple fact that it didn’t matter one way or the other. Of course I want her to love the woman I’d chosen to spend my life with, but if she wasn’t accepting it wasn’t going to change a thing.

I’ve always tried to please my mother, which wasn’t hard once she got her own way in most things. But this was one place where she had no say even though she’d tried.

“My mom isn’t going to be as easy as yours princess, but you can handle it and I’ll be there.” She looked at me like ‘yeah whatever’ and I dropped it. Better to wait and see what happens instead of speculating. Who knows, mom just might surprise me and be happy for me.