Charming by Haig Moses (1st Draft)

Chapter Nineteen

MARITAL BLISS

In typical He fashion, the reception was even more lavish than anything I'd ever experienced (and that included all of the Cooper's wedding anniversaries and their vow renewals). Three large tents were erected on the beach and beneath them we sat, ate, danced and drank in celebration to Mister and Missus Cyrus He.

I had switched dancing partners from Elliot, to Gamon, Tatiana, Cyrus, Madison, and even Alexander. The time was joyous and there was no thoughts of comfortability, or old feuds. Everything was smiles and happy time I wanted to remember.

"You look really nice today," Alexander said bashfully.

"Because I don't look nice every other day?"

"No-no that not—"

"Relax," I laughed. "I'm just pulling your strings."

Though, when my feet began to ache I secluded myself to a far away table. I sat alone feeding myself a piece of the wedding cake as I watched Elliot swing Tatiana around on the dance floor.

They did make quite a pair, I smiled setting the cake against my tongue. If only he would open his eyes and see how much she liked him. Maybe he'd be able to stop all his playboy tendencies and make some type of commitment. In my mind I tried to imagine what kind of life Tatiana and Elliot would live together, but not much came to mind other than beautiful children and stylish clothes.

"And why aren't you on that dance floor?" I looked up to see one of Tatiana's aunties smiling down at me.

Swallowing the thick cake, I pressed on a smile. "Dancing really isn't my thing."

She waved me off and sat beside me. "I used to say the same thing, that is until I turned twenty-five... seven times," she laughed. "There's comes a point in your life where you look back and realize how many opportunities you missed. Mine was all the dancing I said no to." I took the woman's words with a grain of salt and finished off my cake.

"They look good out there don't they," Tatiana's aunt said her chin jutting in the direction of Elliot and Tatiana. "I couldn't help but notice how when he didn't know it, he was spending so much time looking at you."

Chagrin washed over my face. "Boys."

She purred, her eyes narrowing with devilish knowledge. "You know when Tatiana told me who you were I recognized you instantly," she said. "Spitting image of your mother, Carolyn."

My eyes widened and my heart stopped slightly. "You knew my mother?"

"Knew her!" Auntie pulled a small photo album from her purse and set it on the table. "We were practically inseparable during college. Roommates during freshman year, rushed Kappa Kappa Theta back in the eighties."

With her permission, I opened the album and smiled at the photos of my mother and Auntie doing normal things: Unpack their dorm room freshman year, Rushing, doing charity work, first day of class. My mother seemed luminescent, exactly the woman I tried to remember. Her smile lit up every photo and despite her questionable fashion choices in one photo or two, I tried to engrain every single thing to memory. "What was she like?"

Auntie stopped for a moment. "Beautiful, of course and smart and very witty," she said. "I mean your mother had a comeback for everything, but only when she was provoked other than that she was like a snake. Just waiting." I smiled thinking how maybe we had this in common. "She also had this dark side. I really only saw it during recruitment... See in those daze the hazing process was ten fold what you girls are going through today. There were serious prices to pay if one didn't complete a round, it wasn't just ex-communication.