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Magnolia
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I STIR MY COFFEE, STARING into my mug as if the hazelnut blend we always buy were the most enrapturing thing I’ve ever seen.
Humiliation doesn’t even begin to cover the way I feel after the reunion I just had with my parents.
I mean, my dad probably hasn’t seen me naked since I was about five. My mom definitely not since I started middle school.
Now they have a pretty good idea of how I look sans-clothes but if that in itself is humiliating, seeing me on all fours with Porter pounding into me from behind is definitely not what I was planning.
And I know my mother is in shock because she hasn’t said a word since we all reconvened at the dining table. And for good measure, her eyes were glued to Porter’s dick. Not that I even blame her, Porter is absolutely impressive when it comes to size. His nickname of Dr. P. after that supply closet incident was definitely well earned.
I ran to Porter’s room with the excuse to change and shower but in reality I just needed to put as much distance as humanly possible between me and my parents. But obviously I couldn’t avoid Mom and Dad forever, so now we’re sitting awkwardly at the dining table pretending to eat the pastries Max brought in after I texted him a 911.
“Well, I suppose that if Dad and I were wondering how your relationship was going, we got our answer, didn’t we?”
I close my eyes. Breathe, Magnolia, breathe.
Fortunately Porter comes to my rescue. “I love your daughter with all my heart, Mrs. Kinsella.”
Mom smiles. “Oh, I saw that. Even though your heart wasn’t the part that was doing the loving,” she observes and I begin praying that the floor will open and swallow me whole. If she starts her tirade about the cow and the milk, I swear to God—
But that’s not where my mom’s going. “I’d be lying to you, young man, if I told you that Richard and I weren’t taken aback by what we just witnessed. We’d been worried about your intentions toward Magnolia but I guess my baby did something right.” Her gaze descends on the table, settling on my ring finger. “I see that congratulations are in order.”
I had completely forgotten that after last night’s proposal I’d never taken off my engagement ring.
“I have to say that an amber is a very strange choice, despite the fact that you chose a big stone.”
I groan under Mom’s appraising look. She’s probably playing The Price Is Right in her head right now, trying to guess if Porter spent three months worth of his gross salary on my engagement ring.
“Mom.” I shoot her a warning glare but she doesn’t seem deterred. Fortunately thought, she changes course and I’m relieved by the excitement that I detect in her voice.
“So, when’s the big day? And you’re getting married in Marietta, right? And I’m a little hurt that you never mentioned being engaged, Mags.”
I sigh, playing with the ring on my finger and lifting my gaze to meet Max’s grateful for the steadying hand he places on my knee under the table. I know I have to tell my parents, especially now that they know about the engagement. But can you blame me if I’d rather wait for tomorrow? Let’s give them at least twenty-four hours after walking in on me and Porter to let them know that he isn’t the only one who’s having “relations” with their daughter.
“Mom, hold your horses. They ... hmm, I mean the proposal is still very new. I’ve had this ring for about twelve hours and nothing has been decided yet. We haven’t even talked about a date.” I can’t tell her that the only things we know for sure is that we’ll let fate decide whose name is going to be in the marriage certificate because there’s no way I’m going to choose one guy over the others.
But as I’m trying to calm my mom-ricane’s excitement, a decision forms in my mind with stark clarity. “All I know is that I want to get married here in Silver Springs.”
“What? But, Magnolia! The family and all our friends, all the people who saw you grow up—”
I extend one hand, palm facing her to stop the onslaught of protests Mom is unleashing on me. “That’s non-negotiable, Mom.”
“But—”
“Mom, Marietta hasn’t been home to me for a long time. Silver Springs is my home and aside from you and Dad all the people who matter the most in my life are here.”
I get my stubbornness from Mom and I shouldn’t be surprised when she doesn’t let go. “But honey, I was looking forward to rubbing it in Tripp’s face. You marrying a hot doctor ... you have no idea how his parents flaunted his getting married and welcoming a child. As if that were a failure on your side—”
“Mom, you need to move on. I have a long time ago. I wish Tripp all the happiness in this world and I hope he’ll do right by his family. God knows he didn’t do right by me when we were together. I’m sorry if that causes any disappointment to you but my wedding is going to be here in Silver Springs.”
She has one final objection. “But you’re an only child.”
“So is Porter.” And Blake, but obviously I’m not going to tell her that just yet. “And one last thing, Mom. You’re not to say a word to anyone about my engagement later at the party.”
Her facial expression stiffens. “Why? Debbie is going to be there and we should start deciding on a date and make plans, since you’re tying the knot here.”
“Because,” I explain firmly, “today’s Jen and Gemma’s day. I don’t want to steal the spotlight from them. I promise we’ll have Debbie here for dinner tomorrow night and you can talk to her about the wedding then.”
***
Blake
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THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY is a lot of fun. It’s still only early spring so the buffet has been set up inside just in case the weather decided to be uncooperative but everyone has taken their plates outside.
The afternoon sun is shining, there’s music and laughter, and my mind can’t help but go back to the graduation party Debbie threw for me and Magnolia about six months ago.
That day was somewhat tense because of Debbie’s attempt to embarrass Magnolia about dating all three of us.
This time I can see the tension in my fiancée’s shoulders and in the way she keeps smoothing her skirt. I know having her parents here is hard for her and I’ve mostly kept my distance, letting Porter be by her side to avoid worsening her stress.
After some delicious food, the DJ hired by the happy couple puts on some slow songs and invites everyone to dance. I’d love to ask Magnolia for a dance but I notice how her mom’s eyes are constantly on her and Porter, so I remain on the side of the makeshift dance floor.
I wince when I see Max tap Porter on the shoulder asking for a dance with our fiancée. It’s not jealousy, I swear. It’s just that it’s impossible not to notice the possessive quality of Max’s touch and how relaxed Magnolia is in his arms. The nature of their relationship would be obvious even to the most distracted observer.
As Porter asks his own mother for a dance, I decide to approach the happy couple. If I dance with Jen and Gemma, I could probably direct the conversation to last night and discreetly inquire about the missing figurine.
That’s another thought that’s been on my mind since we arrived but I have to tread very carefully because this definitely isn’t the right venue to play whodunnit.
And truth be told, I’m convinced that the Buddha must’ve been unwittingly misplaced and it’ll turn up at some point. I couldn’t tell Hiroshi because he sounded really upset about it, but I know that none of us would take something like that. So my inquiries are mostly aimed at tracking the figurine that I’m convinced must still be in the restaurant.
The song ends and I step toward Gemma and Jen when the latter asks Magnolia for a dance. I’m about to ask Gemma, when the DJ announces a break and the photographer approaches the newly engaged couple for some photos now that the light’s perfect.
“Sure. But I need to refresh my lipstick.”
Magnolia offers to fetch the lipstick for her bestie while the photographer takes some longer distance snaps of the couple.
“Gotta earn my keep as a bridesmaid, right?” She winks as she steps into the house, directed up the stairs and into Porter’s old bedroom that Debbie turned into a guest room when my best friend moved out.
I follow Magnolia as the guests are distracted by the photos. I’ve been keeping my distance since her parents arrived and I’m dying for a kiss.
“Hey,” she says softly as I sneak into Porter’s room and close the door behind me.
“Hey Trouble. Have I told you that you look spectacular today?” my hands stop on her waist as my lips glide on her neck. “And you smell so fucking good.”
She giggles, stepping fully into my embrace and placing her head on my shoulder as I keep kissing her neck, holding her tighter to me. “I’ve missed you today.”
“I know, I’m sorry. If I weren’t a coward and I’d had the guts to tell my parents about you and Max, we could just be ourselves. But I decided to tell them as soon as they get home. I know it’s the easy way out and that I should just sit them down before they go and fess up about who I love. I promise I’m not ashamed of it, it’s just—”
I cup her delicate jaw with my hand, encouraging her to look into my eyes. “No, I don’t blame you. Not after what happened earlier, when your parents arrived. It’s my fault too, I got distracted by Hiroshi’s phone call and I didn’t think that you and Porter might’ve been ...”
She brushes her lips against mine and I have to remind myself that there’s a party in full swing downstairs, so while I do kiss her back, I keep my kiss soft and shallow. “It’s not your fault, Blake. If my parents had told us that they were going to get here much earlier than expected ... regardless, I’ve decided I’ll tell them next time we talk on the phone. I heard Gemma invite them to the wedding and I don’t want to spend that whole weekend pretending that you and Max are just our roommates. Plus, that’ll give my parents time to come to terms with everything before the end of July.”
She must notice the perplexity in my look because she asks, “How would you feel about a July wedding? It would be around the anniversary of the three of us meeting and beginning to date. I thought it’d be romantic but if you think it’s too soon—”
“It’s perfect. If it was up to me, I’d marry you right now. After all we have a chaplain downstairs.”
At my mention of Peaches, Magnolia shakes her head. “Oh, talking of which. You made me forget why I came up here in first place. Jen asked me to get her lipstick from her purse.”
Magnolia opens a large, black leather purse that’s sitting on the queen size bed in Debbie’s guest room and begins rummaging through it.
“I’ll never understand how women can carry such large purses when it’s impossible to find anything,” I observe, amused. “You do the same thing, every time you need to find something it’s like a scavenger hunt.”
She glares at me but there’s no heat in her gaze. “So funny. But you guys like it when we go somewhere and you give me all your things to carry.”
“Touché,” I concede, ready to tease her some more as she begins pulling out item after item from Jen’s bag. But I stop in my tracks when Magnolia pulls out a small, green figurine representing the Buddha.
“What the fuck?” I reach the bed with one short stride and grab the statuette that has been missing from the Katsura’s Gardens since last night.
“What’s up? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Magnolia says, obviously completely unaware of what just happened.
I explain about Hiroshi’s family heirloom and how distraught Kyoko-San has been since it went missing last night.
“There must be an explanation for this.” It’s Magnolia’s predictable reaction. “Jennie would never steal anything. She even goes back into a store if she gets given more change than she’s owed by accident. I swear.”
I nod. “I believe you, Trouble. I’ve known Jen as long as I’ve known you and I agree that she’s not the type to steal anything.”
“I also haven’t found the dang lipstick yet.” Magnolia huffs, tipping the purse on the bed and freezing as the whole contents spill on the comforter. “This isn’t Jen’s purse, Blake. That isn’t her wallet.”
She opens the black leather wallet with trembling hands. “Peaches and cream!” she blurts out showing me the driving license hanging from a clear card slot.