My heart and stomach were doing backflips simultaneously as I watched him walk back to the group of adults. Adele smiled as she watched the hopeless look emerge on my face. "Mum? Are you alright?"
I kneeled down next to her, "Never better." She obviously could see what was going on, she left me to go sit with Stephanie. She cuddled Adele tightly and picked her up to sit on her lap. The two were conversing over the latest Dora the Explorer episode while Katherine rolled her eyes at them. I shook my head and walked back toward the group where I overheard Dad, Harold, Peter and Wade talking about the current American Football situation on one side of the living room; well I presume that's what it was about. Molly and Stephanie were talking with each other on the other side, just as they would normally anytime they met but Katherine was of course making the two restrain from throwing something hard on her head. "So finally after years of wretched relationships you finally found Lea's father."
Stephanie sighed; she was exhausted of the disapproving and insignificant stings that Katherine was darting at her. "Yes, then I found Paul."
"How lucky is my Dad to have found her" I said butting in before Katherine could say anything else, "I'm just as lucky." Stephanie shot me a smile. I nodded to her and then to Molly, "I feel like I have two mothers."
"How nice?" mumbled Katherine as she sipped her glass of wine. She then turned to Molly, "Shouldn't dinner be done, you've been in the kitchen for hours."
I felt outraged by Katherine's way of speaking to people. I saw how Molly felt so irrelevant. "Actually, dinner is ready we were just waiting on our guests" I said.
Katherine sent a cruel glare at Stephanie, which she had no idea how to respond. "Well I think your guests have kept us waiting long enough" spoke Katherine still not keeping her eyes off Stephanie.
"I'll go set the table" said Molly as she stood up. Stephanie followed after her.
"I'll come and help you." Stephanie placed Adele who had been sitting with us on the couch, in between me and Katherine. I really couldn't take another second of being near her and wanted to see that Molly and Stephanie weren't too hurt by my mother in law's remarks.
"I'm going to help them, please excuse me" I spoke as I stood to leave. Katherine had her eyes set on Adele.
"Come sit with Grandma, darling" she spoke sweetly. Adele sulked and shook her head. She left Katherine and followed behind me. I felt her tug at my shirt. I turned around and saw the disappointed look on her face. I could understand how she felt because I was feeling the same disappointment. I really didn't want how my relationship with Katherine to affect my daughter's relationship with her biological grandmother. Normally I would have told her to go back and try to bond with her because I did know that Katherine did love Adele genuinely. But from seeing Katherine's behaviour toward people that I and my daughter both loved be so disrespectful, I was fine with letting her not want to be around her grandmother tonight.
I placed my fingers under her chin, tilted her head up and smiled, "Hey, do you want to help me set the table while Molly and Stephanie heat up the food for us?"
Adele nodded slowly. I glanced back at Katherine who was watching us from a far and didn't give it a second thought before grabbing my daughter's hand and taking her toward her toward the kitchen.
…..
I walked over to Wade, who unlike me was having a very enjoyable time tonight. All of the men were getting along fine as the stood outside. Harold and Wade weren't talking to each other abundantly but still Dad couldn't tell that they two actually had a very strained relationship. He had a bottle of beer in his hand and looked to be very happy. I interrupted the group and stood close to Wade. The men all turned their attention to me. Harold grinned, "Your father is quite a character."
I could tell that all of them had consumed quite some alcohol from the collective smell that surrounded them. I chuckled lightly, "Never a dull moment with him around."
Dad smiled, "Well I try my best."
Wade placed his arm around the small of my back, "Is everything alright?" It looked as if his green eyes were adjusting their focus on me as he moved closer.
"I just wanted to let you know that dinner was ready" I spoke in his ear.
He nodded, "Just give us 10 minutes; we'll be there soon my Lea." I grinned upon hearing the last two words; he hadn't said that to me in ages. My cheeks were rosy and it wasn't because of the frosted cold night that we were having. I went back inside and saw the women and Adele hovering over the table, all waiting for the men to join us.
"Wade said they'll be 10 minutes" I said as I joined them.
Stephanie shook her head, "Men and their drinks." I had to agree with her, we could never get our partners to ever join us for dinner together without having to wait for them to finish their last drink.
Katherine rolled her eyes, "You're just going to let him tell you what to do? Dear god, don't you have any control of the house."
I let myself breath in and out before I spoke, "It's only a few minutes and they'll be here soon."
"There's a lot I need to teach you" said Katherine. I ignored her, like I really wanted to be anything like Katherine. The men finally came through and joined us at the table.
"Finally" sighed Stephanie as she spotted Dad, "You know we're hungry here as well." Dad smiled and gave her a kiss on the lips. As much as seeing your Dad maul his girlfriend's face was supposed to gross me out, I found it sweet. But of course Katherine disapproved of this; I could see the sour and disgusted look on her face as she watched them. Stephanie pulled away her face turning almost as sour as Katherine's.
"I just got drunk off that kiss" she said as she put her hands to her mouth, "How much have you had to drink?"
Dad took a seat, "Just a few that Wade gave me." Wade and Dad exchanged similar grins.
Harold chuckled, "I had a few too." I couldn't help but laugh at how cute Harold looked. His hair was slightly messed and he had unbuttoned the top collar of his usually buttoned shirt. You could tell that he was enjoying himself.
Katherine shook her head and sighed, "Great, my husband is drunk".
"That's alright, after he has something to eat he'll be better" I said giving Harold a wink. Harold smiled back. Katherine sneered at the two of us.
Everyone began taking food out and started eating. Wade, who was sitting at the head of the table, held up a bottle of beer. "I just wanted to say something…" he spoke loudly as he tried to get everyone's attention. Everyone put down their forks and knives and listened.
"I just wanted to say thank you to my parents for coming here to visit me and my family. We are very pleased to have you here" Wade said as he looked at Katherine and Harold. "I'm very happy that you are here with me."
Katherine looked at him proudly while Harold looked somewhat saddened. Wade then turned Dad and Stephanie. "I want to thank my in laws Paul and Stephanie for coming tonight and having this inaugural meeting of my parents. I'm very proud to have you two as in laws."
"We're proud to have you as our son in law" spoke Dad, Stephanie nodded in agreement.
"I also want to thank Molly for cooking this delicious food and Peter for… just being here" Wade laughed. "But you two have given me so much support over the years, almost like well… being my parents away from home."
Molly eyes glossed, "That's alright dear." I noticed Katherine freeze up after hearing Wade's last statement.
She raised her glass of wine, "Cheers then, dear." She wanted this toast and dinner to be over already.
"Wait" spoke Wade as he shot her a glare. Katherine rolled her eyes, she knew that her son had one too many drinks and was simply slurring along.
Wade looked down the table at me, "I just want to tell my wife that I love her." Everyone stared down at me in unison as they felt touched by what he had said, except Katherine of course. "I'm crazy in love with her and I always will be until I die" he spoke.
How long I'd been waiting to just hear him say that. I tried to restrain from myself from any pathetic tears, "I love you too."
We became lost in each other before Wade spoke again, "By the way, my daughter is much smarter than I am. She's beaten her Dad in every intelligence test I think I could be given" Adele giggled as Wade sent her a wink.
….
Dinner had ended and after a few more drinks, Dad and Stephanie decided on leaving. Dad shook Harold's hand profusely, "It was very nice to finally meet you, Harold. Tell Wade to bring you over one day."
"Sounds marvellous Paul" said Harold as he stumbled through. Katherine was feeling utterly embarrassed of Harold. I grabbed hold of his arm to stabilise him. Harold glanced at me and smiled, "Katherine? Is that you? You look prettier than usual." Everyone howled in laughter, even Wade found it funny.
"HAROLD!" Katherine scolded.
"It's me, Lea" I said, "I think you've got to get your glasses cleaned."
Harold blushed, "Oh I'm sorry Lea. I thought I wasn't wearing any glasses."
"I think he should get to bed" said Stephanie. She then glanced at her own stumbling partner, "I think your father needs to go to bed too."
I could agree with that I turned around and saw Peter crashed on the couch. "Thank you so much for coming, it really meant a lot to me" I said to Stephanie who was holding up Dad.
"We love you, gorgeous" she said as they left to sit in their car. I gave Dad a kiss on the cheek as he poked his head out the window.
"Bye Dad." He smiled and waved in my direction. I felt a little sad to see them go. When I turned around I had to go back to having my horrible mother in law thrown down my throat. She was probably going to go wild at me about how my family were not good enough for her. As I watched them drive away I lowered my head and spun around to walk back inside the house. But before I could I met with my husband standing right in front of me.
He gazed at me as he rubbed his hands against my arms then rubbed my jaw with his fingertips. "Lea… I…" he spoke. I listened intently waiting to hear what he had to say.
"I'm sorry for how I've behaved the last couple of days, I've put you through hell" he spoke as he moved the strands away from my face. "I'm really sorry. I've acted like an absolute idiot." He placed his hands in mine and pulled me into his warm embrace. It felt so good to be in his loving arms again. I felt him resting his chin on the top of my head.
"It's alright Wade, I get that you were upset at Randy and you wanted some space. I should have understood that" I spoke.
Wade grabbed hold of my shoulders and pulled away from me, "That didn't give me any right to speak or act the way I did. I just get very crazy sometimes."
"It's alright to go a little crazy."
"No matter what I do, don't ever think that I don't love you. I will always love you Lea" he said as he held on to my hands tightly.
I gazed up at his gentle face. "I never doubted you."
He smiled that signature smile that he would do, that had my heart melted. His hands were planted on the small of my back where he pulled me closer toward him. His arms grew tighter around me and my hands were placed on his chest. I felt his lips crash against mine as I closed my eyes. The cold winds were blowing and the frost was freezing my skin but the weather was completely forgotten as the two of us reconnected.