Conveniently Inspired

Chapter Twenty Two

"Should I say 'Hi, Mr. Brooks?' Or what about, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. Brooks!!' Is that too informal?"

"Skylar, you'll be fine. Either way, he's going to love you."

"But my dress.....do you think it's too immature?" She glanced down at the puffy sleeved cream coloured minidress she found at her local thrift store.

"What? No, of course not. You look beautiful."

"But my dress doesn't match your tie."

"Relax, Lin. It's not like this is prom."

"But what if-"

Kaden reached over the gearshift and clutched her hand, squeezing it twice. Gentle yet firm. "Don't overthink this. It's just a wedding. You're meeting my father, not the president of the United States."

Skylar swallowed the bulge in her throat. "But I want him to like me."

The corner of his lips tugged at this comment. "He'd be crazy not to."

"I don't know, Kaden. There's a lot of people who don't like me."

"Like who?"

"Probably anyone who's ever talked to me."

Kaden twisted the key and the engine died down. "Write me their names and I'll create a hit list later."

Skylar rolled her eyes at this but couldn't fight the smile. "OK, are you ready to head in now?" he asked. She nodded.

They were parked in front of the venue. Kaden's father's wedding ceremony was being held outdoors where gardens and fancy gazebos littered the yard. It was hiked right in the center of nature. Surprisingly, Ms. Lin allowed her daughter this one exemption. Skylar assumed it was because she already made a commitment to be Kaden's plus-one. Ms. Lin, just like her daughter, hated breaking promises. She even made a homemade batch of Banh Baos, wrapped it, and told Skylar to give it to Mr. Brooks as a 'wedding gift.'

As they walked down the cobblestone path, following the trail of family members in tuxes and little girls running around in dresses, Skylar's hands were progressively more sweaty. "Relax," Kaden whispered in her ear. "It's just my family." But that was the thing, though. Skylar was more nervous now than when she took her exams. She wanted his family to like her. She cared about it more than she cared about her grades or her short story. And she couldn't place why.

It was hard for Skylar to just pretend like everything was normal. The bruise on Kaden's eye was slowly lessening as the days went by, but it all still felt fresh in Skylar's mind. The urge to tell an authority figure grew stronger everyday, like an itch that wouldn't go away. But there was a changing presence in Kaden's demeanor. He didn't seem like his usual self. He was more on edge. Tense. And because of that, she knew she had to pretend like things were fine. If not for her own sake, then for his.

A few kids came up to them just then, jumping up into Kaden's arms. She assumed those were his cousins. She was frozen in place a couple steps behind them, watching in admiration as Kaden picked them up 'Grease' style. She loved watching Kaden interact with her siblings, and just kids in general. He was good with kids.

A couple of the younger ones asked about his bruise, and Kaden faked a convincing smile as he said with all intent seriousness, "I ran into Superman's enemy and had to fight him with my bare hands. Took a couple hits along the way, though."

They collectively made "Woaahhhhh!" sounds before running back to their parents to share the news. Kaden grabbed Skylar's hand, the one that wasn't holding the wrapped gift, and led her through the archway. Gold and silver balloons dotted the archway, and a tiny bridge took them to the dining area. Circular tables with white tablecloths were already occupied by numerous gifts. Kaden was an only child, yet his family was huge. There were enough people to fill a small concert hall. "Geez," Skylar whispered. "How many cousins do you have?"