A Love Like Ours

Chapter 3

It was only after I'd arrived at the cocktail hour that I realized I probably should've waited to come inside. But there was no going back once I'd already entered, and Jim was already long gone. So, I waited in the bathroom for as long as I could, and poked my head out to see that many of the place cards had been removed from the table at the front of the restaurant.

It was uniquely suited for weddings, despite the fact that it seated regular walk-in diners on a daily basis as well. The front was the main restaurant—a classic, but somehow modern set-up with black wood tables, cream colored walls, and low lighting—but down a long hallway to the back of the building, there were another couple of rooms. One for smaller occasions, and another, the banquet, hall for occasions such as these with a large number of guests.

Emily and I had agreed upon a name for my place card: Mick Greenberg. It was one I sometimes used for hotels when I didn't want to cause a commotion in a particular city, though I was pretty sure the fans were onto me anyway. Still, it was a name that hopefully wouldn't attract too much attention here.

Sure enough, there were only a few cards left, and Mick Greenberg was one of them, written in an elegant script—Emily's hand, I was certain. I plucked it from the small bunch left, and tucked it into my pocket after reading my table number. Then, nervous and (I'll admit) pretty scared of what might happen, I made my way down the long hallway leading to the back of the restaurant and eased myself inside the room where the cocktail hour was being held. Eyes scanning the guests, I played it safe and skirted around the perimeter.

I knew she wouldn't be here. The wedding party was at a separate location for the time being to have their photos taken. But that didn't mean I wouldn't see her family. Jenny, I wasn't worried about any longer, but Michelle... I didn't know how I was going to manage to avoid her.

But I was pretty sure I'd made my peace with it during the car ride over. Madelyn had already seen me anyway, and Michelle was going to notice my presence sooner or later. Still, the last thing I wanted to do was cause a commotion. And Michelle noticing me this early on would surely throw off her day. So, I stayed at the edges, keeping a wary eye on her as she mingled with other guests.

"Hey," a voice said only a minute or so later. Jenny. And she held a full glass of champagne up to me. "How's it going?"

"It's going," I said, and took the champagne from her. "Thanks."

"You look like you could use it," she said, leaning back on the wall beside me, but keeping her attention on the room in front of us.

"It's a bit more stressful than I'd anticipated, I'll admit." I took a sip. It was salty-sweet on my tongue. "Where are the girls?"

"With Michelle's sister in the other room, running around like crazy, I'm sure," Jenny said with a quick smile. "Look, I was thinking, maybe you should just say hello to her—Michelle. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you."

I sighed, glancing at Madelyn's mother again, and watched as she smiled and nodded while speaking to an older couple.

It was strange, I thought, to look at the woman I'd gotten to know three years ago and realize that now, she would be happy to see me.

She'd hated me at first. Everything I stood for—all that I meant for her daughter. Rationally, I'd always known it was because of the life I led, the way she fully understood what being in the public eye meant, and that she didn't want it for Madelyn. I couldn't blame her for that. And there were many times during the course of our relationship where I wished I could give Madelyn normalcy. Where I wished I could walk outside with her, holding her hand without it making the news the next day.