For Alice, With Love

Chapter 2 - Gillian

Three Years Later

Chris waved as he approached the sand ring, and his mother waved back from her spot on the plastic mounting block, looking entirely at home in her breeches, boots, and beat-up straw hat. He loved it. It was nice to see his mom happy. It had taken a long time for her to get that back. A giant European warmblood horse circled around her, the rider working too hard to sit to the trot, and failing miserably. Chris winced, remembering how much that could hurt.

"Chris! What a surprise! I wasn't expecting you!" she exclaimed, holding a finger up to the rider who had slowed to a walk. "Give me a moment, Thom. Why don't you work on some changes of bend, using that outside leg better in the turns?"

As the horse and rider lumbered off to the far side of the ring, he met his mother with a polite peck on the cheek, and she smiled.

"What brings you home, dear?" she asked, leaning on the fence, flapping her leather gloves to ward off flies. "I would've thought you'd be ears-deep up North! That was where your father sent you, right?"

He groaned. "No. I'm back from there, thank God. He has me ears-deep in reports at head office now."

His mother laughed out loud, her eyes sparkling. He had to admit, he loved hearing his mother laugh. It was rare, and it meant she was in a good mood. It would have to be, for what he was going to tell her next.

"Mom, I'm home because I want you to officially meet someone. She'll be here at four."

His mother's eyes sharpened, studying him. "I see. This is the serious someone you've that I had to learn about from your father?"

"Yeah," he replied sheepishly, and decided to just blurt it out. "I'm going to ask her to marry me, Mom. I've already asked her parents. Do you remember Victor and Rita Werth?"

His mother, taking that news in stride, thought for a moment, then brightened as it dawned on her.

"Oh! Yes, I do! Lovely people. Which daughter is it, then?"

"Gillian. Her sister is in New York now, remember?"

His mother's face fell as she nodded, even though she tried to hide it. "Ahh. Yes, the younger one. Didn't you go to Yale with her?" she asked politely, but he caught it. There was the reaction he was expecting. The disapproval.

"Yeah. She lived in the co-ed dorm with me Freshman year, and then we were roommates for awhile off-campus with a bunch of people in the business program."

"You've been seeing her on and off for a long time. I think we met her at a charity event last year? I didn't realize she was the same girl from school."

"Yeah. And before you get on my case, she has cleaned herself up rather well. You'll see when she gets here."

His mother pursed her lips, gave him that stare that always unnerved him, and made that noise that meant she didn't quite believe him. That meant she would reserve judgement for herself.

"I want you to play nice, mother. I've already talked to dad and he approves," he said tersely.

His mother sighed, and motioned towards the centre of the ring. "Of course he does. Now, I need to get back to this, dear. Go get freshened up and do what you have to do."

His nerves bounced as he walked towards the house. It was no secret the issues the Werth's had with Gillian. Drugs, partying, rescues from insane situations. Hell, he'd been there for more than one implosion during college. But once they had started dating, she'd cleaned up her act. She was fun, successful so far in her career-path, and she was really dominant in bed, which was a perk. Once he'd decided Gill was the one, he'd told his Dad. His father had agreed it would be a good merger, both of them coming into the marriage with good portfolios and potential. Plus, the families linking networks couldn't hurt.