“You’ll be his family now,” she assures me. “And so will we.”
“I appreciate you and dad supporting me in this marriage,” I say, tears stinging my eyes. “I know you don’t approve.”
“It’s not so much we don’t approve. It just all seemed to happen so fast. Your father and I don’t understand what the rush is. You’re so young.”
I purse my lips and try to explain, because truthfully, I don’t understand what the rush is either. All I do know is that Daniel is my future and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
“I’m really happy, Mom,” I say, trying to divert the attention to something positive. I give her a tight hug. “Isn’t that what you always said you wanted for me?”
“Of course, it is,” she says and hugs me back. “But I also want you to remember that no matter what, your father and I love you and are here for you. You always have a place to come to if things don’t work out.”
I’m not going to lie, that last part stings a little, because I cannot imagine things not working out with Daniel. He is the perfect man for me and I love him more than I ever thought I would or could love anyone.
“It’s going to be fine, mom,” I tell her.
“Well, take your time and don’t be in a rush to start a family.”
“Now there’s a switch,” I smile. “Aren’t the moms usually the ones screaming about when are they going to get some grandkids?”
“Not this one. You’re only nineteen. Take your time, enroll at SMU, it’s an excellent school and with your grades you shouldn’t have a problem getting transferred. Finish your degree. There’s plenty of time to start that family.”
“I will take my time,” I promise. “I want to finish school and have a career before starting a family too. I plan on being a working mom, just like you!”
My mother is a nurse and has been working ever since she and my father got married. She loves her career.
We weren’t rich by Rothschild standards, but the additional income allowed us to live in a nicer neighborhood, have fun family vacations and got me a brand-new car when I turned sixteen.
“Everything’s going to be fine, Mom,” I assure her again. “You’ll see.”
We all sit down to dinner, but I still can’t help worrying about Julianna. She’s unusually quiet, not interacting with anyone else at the table and she’s barely touched her food.
“Is Julianna okay?” my mother asks, following my gaze. “I don’t think she’s touched a morsel and this food is delicious! She’s lost a lot of weight since your father and I dropped you off for school in August. She was so thin she didn’t have any to lose. She’s not her usual bubbly self either.”
“She’s not been herself for a couple of weeks,” I confide. “I keep asking her if everything is okay, but she just nods and says she’s fine. But she’s not fine, mom. You can look at her and tell that she’s just not the same life-of-the-party Julianna we all know and love.”
“I keep telling Sarah that Julianna is probably jealous,” Daniel breaks into our conversation.
“Jealous? Of you and Sarah?” My mother scowls at the prospect.
“She did seem surprised that he asked me out that first day and how inseparable we’ve been ever since. Maybe she’s upset because Kaitlyn and I have serious boyfriends and she doesn’t?”
“Fiancé,” Daniel corrects me. “Soon to be husband.” He reaches over and gives my hand a gentle squeeze as he kisses me on the cheek.
“That doesn’t sound like the Julianna I know,” my mother says, taking a sip of her iced tea. “Julianna has always had a move-on-to-the-next-thing attitude if something doesn’t work out. She’s always been positive and upbeat about life. At least as long as I’ve known her. Something has happened and before the night is over, I’m going to find out what it is.”
Daniel’s hand tightens on mine until it’s almost painful.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, withdrawing my hand from his. “Your grip got a little too tight there for a minute.”
“Sorry,” he apologizes and kisses me. “I think I’m just a nervous groom and didn’t realize what I was doing.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him, rubbing the feeling back into my hand. “Tomorrow is going to be wonderful.”
“It will be the first of many wonderful days for us,” he smiles. “I cannot wait to make you my wife.”
We all finish our meal and head out the door. Daniel grabs me for one final, lingering kiss.
“The next time I kiss you, you will be my wife,” he whispers. “You’ll be all mine.”
Daniel
Everything is turning out exactly as I planned it months ago. I stare at my reflection in the mirror as I’m about to leave for the wedding rehearsal. Tomorrow I am marrying the woman who will complete the perfect picture I have for my future.
Eight weeks ago, I put this plan in action and like clockwork, ticked off each box as it became a reality. Sarah is everything I want in a wife. She is my soulmate.
Confidently, I adjust my tie and note how handsome I look in my new suit. It cost an arm and a leg to purchase, but once I start my new finance job in Dallas, purchases like this will seem like spending pennies.
I smile at my reflection. I’ll have Sarah all to myself by then. No more dealing with her obnoxious friends and her meddling parents. I’m getting tired of always having to put on a friendly deferential face every time I’m around her father. He doesn’t like me. Probably because he knows that once she’s married to me, his influence over her will be non-existent.
Tomorrow night I’ll finally get to fuck her, and I intend to fuck her well. He probably doesn’t like the idea of that either. Sarah told me that her parents think we’re getting married too soon. I calmed her down and made her realize that they just didn’t want to see their baby girl grow up so fast, but that if they understood how in love we are, they wouldn’t question it.
Once we’re married, they’d better not question my authority over their daughter. Sarah will be mine to do with as I wish.
Just last night her father was questioning me as we had dinner together.
“Why are you getting married so quickly? Why not wait a year or better yet, wait until Sarah graduates? What’s the rush?”
I smiled at him and told him that we couldn’t stand to be separated for a single day and once I relocate to Texas, it would be unbearable to be apart from each other for weeks until we could see one another.
“You don’t have to get married. She could relocate to a school down there and the two of you could just live together. Why the rush to make things so permanent?”
Sarah believes they’re coming around. That’s a lie. They are not happy about this marriage. Well too bad. Sarah is mine and she will always be mine. They’ll be lucky if I allow her to see them at all once we’ve relocated to Texas. I will not put up with any interference in my marriage.
I didn’t spend all of this time finding the perfect wife only to have her parents step in and ruin everything. I knew the second I saw her on campus that I would possess her. I decided just how I would draw her in, make her fall in love with me and when and how I would propose, though I had to make a few adjustments in that regard. No one will come between us. Not her parents, not her friends, no one. I will not allow it.
I tried to get her to elope with me. Unfortunately, she balked at that suggestion. At least she agreed to a fast wedding. I can see how eager she is to be Mrs. Daniel Rothschild. And why wouldn’t she be? After I graduate, we’ll move to Texas, far away from her parents, Kaitlyn and Julianna.