When Emily entered the house, only her parents were seated at the festively decorated table.
— Where are the guests? — Emily asked casually, as if nothing was amiss.
— Don’t you know? — her father snapped, pausing his chewing. — What a disgrace you’ve brought upon us… What a disgrace…
— Yeah, it’s a shame everyone left… — Emily smiled. — Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet someone…
A brief silence hung in the room, broken when her mother spoke:
— Here we go again?
— Yup, — Emily nodded.
— And who’s this one? — her father asked. — Another deadbeat?
— I don’t know. But this time, I didn’t find him—he found me. Picked me up…
Just then, James entered the room, offering a modest nod in greeting.
— This guy? — Her mother tried to gauge if Emily was joking. — He looks… decent enough…
— Yeah, — Emily shrugged. — I think so too…
— And who is he? — her father asked gruffly, pretending not to notice the guest.
— He’s just some guy I met, — Emily smiled.
— What? — her father didn’t follow.
— Mom, Dad, haven’t you ever read a book? — Emily took James by the hand, led him to the table, and sat him across from her parents. She began rummaging through cabinets for a travel bag. — After my fiancé ran off, I decided to marry the first guy I met. His name’s James, by the way. — She glanced at James, who was already scooping salad onto his plate. — Did I get that right? Not too offensive?
— Mmph… — James mumbled, digging into the salad.
— Interesting… — Her father eyed James suspiciously and smirked. — Marrying the first guy you meet? Wise… I’d love to know when the wedding is. Not today, I hope?
James shrugged silently.
— We don’t know yet. But we’re leaving today, — Emily answered for him, packing her things. — In his car.
— Leaving?! — Her mother spun around, watching her daughter. — Leaving where?
— Wherever the road takes us. I’ll pack, have a quick lunch with you, and we’re off.
— Wherever the road takes you? — Her mother stared at her husband. — Where’s that?
— We’re heading to Anchorage with your daughter, — James finally spoke. — To Alaska.
— Anchorage? — Emily sounded surprised. — That far?
— Yeah. I’ve got an assignment there.
— I love Alaska, — Emily said hesitantly. — Though I’ve never been…
— But that’s impossible! — her mother exclaimed. — Our Emily won’t survive those Alaskan winters. She’s delicate. Very delicate! Do you know, James, what illnesses she had as a child? You need to know this! It’s a serious condition!
— Brace yourself, they’re about to list all my flaws, — Emily chuckled, continuing to pack. — How I had meningitis, how late I learned to walk and talk, how many C’s I got in school, and why I almost got kicked out of college. They tell everyone. But maybe this time it’s for the best. It’ll make you change your mind faster…
— Hold on! — Her father studied his daughter. — Why are you calling him ‘you’ so formally?
— Because he’s just some guy I met. And because he’s a good person. There aren’t many good people out there, so you have to treat them with care.
— So you’re seriously just some random guy? — Her father turned back to James.
— Yeah. We’ve known each other for two hours.
— That’s absurd! — her father nearly shouted. — Two hours… and she’s ready to run off to the ends of the earth with him… She’s lost her mind!
— Why not? — James looked sternly at Emily’s father. — We did meet, after all. Emily, come sit at the table. Eat something before the long trip.
— My God! And he’s calling her ‘you’ formally too! — her father clutched his head. — I feel like we’re all in a dream…
— Yeah… — Emily dropped her bag on the floor and sat at the table. — Maybe it is a dream, but it’s a happy one. So I’m not waking up. Here’s the deal, Dad—I’m giving you back your car. Now you can’t hold it over my head. — She placed the car keys on the table in front of him. — And Mom, I’m leaving you my parrot. Please feed him on time. That’s it. I’ll call you, text you too. What else? What do kids say when they leave their parents?
— Sweetheart, please tell us this is a joke… — her mother pleaded. — We know you’re furious about Michael. We understand. We even forgive you for all the trouble this failed wedding caused. But throwing us aside for some random guy…
— Trouble? — Emily looked at her mother, puzzled. — What trouble did I cause?
— Well… we warned you your fiancé wasn’t reliable. Think of all the nerves we spent trying to talk you out of it. And we paid for this table, for your wedding dress. That dress cost a fortune! Speaking of, why are you still wearing it? And where’s the veil?
— Oh, right… — Emily laughed. — I’m still in the dress you bought me. Should I leave it as a keepsake? As for the trouble… Don’t they say you can earn good money in Alaska? Is that true, James?
— Well, not as much as they used to, or so I hear, — James finally smiled. — But I think we’ll settle up with your parents for the table and dress in no time.
For some reason, the table fell silent…
After a pause, Emily looked at James and cautiously asked:
— James, can I start calling you ‘you’ informally?
— Of course, — James smiled. — Don’t worry, I’m reliable. Responsible. And responsibility, they say, matters more than love…
— I’m not worried. I’m just a little sad.
— Why?
— I don’t know. I’m saying goodbye to my parents, so I should feel sad about that. But I’m sad because I’m not sad about it. So, you done eating?
— Yeah. You?
— I’ve lost my appetite… Shall we go?
— Let’s go… — James nodded.
Emily got up from the table, grabbed her travel bag, and, still in her wedding dress, headed for the door. She glanced back, looking at her parents with a hint of sadness:
— Mom, Dad, I do love you. I’ll call you… Soon… When we get there…
No comments