Alien in the Family

paparazzi?” I wasn’t putting anything past Reader or Chuckie right now. And Mister Joel Oliver certainly seemed capable of getting out of the clutches of the law with ease.
    I got the cover-boy grin. “You do understand the definition of ‘might,’ don’t you? Now get out of that great outfit I picked for you and into the designer dresses I ordered for you.”
    He zipped out of the room, taking my cider, and shut the door behind him. I stared at the dresses. I stared some more. I contemplated where to start. Had no idea.
    Heard some more squealing and shouting. They were all having a lot more fun than I was. I was, I realized, intimidated by the array of designer beauty in front of me.
    There was a soft knock, and the door opened. “Ah, what a surprise.” My mother came in and closed the door. “Charles called to let us know you were finally here.”
    “Who?”
    “Me, your grandmothers, and Lucinda. I told the other girls they’d have to wait for later.”
    “Wait for what for later?”
    “Your bachelorette party.” She said it like it was obvious. Then she sighed. “Kitten, just one question.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Do you love Jeff enough to live with him the rest of your life, deal with problems, worry about him, have his child or children, go through good times and bad, sickness and health, prosperity and poverty, times when you’ll hate each other, be bored with each other, wonder if you should have married one of those other options, and yet still stay with him, happily, both over time and in the end?”
    I thought about it, about everything I’d been through with him since I’d met him a year ago. The great sex. All the times I’d harpooned him or he’d caught me. The fights. The making up from the fights. What I’d learned from him, and about him, and about myself because of him. The great sex. The way he never treated me as less than his equal. How he could protect me without making me feel helpless. How I couldn’t have any real secrets from him. How, when I got right down to it, I didn’t want secrets, in fact, loved that he not only could but would adapt to make me happy, help me feel secure, calm my fears. And, of course, the great sex. It was great because he was a god in bed, but he was a god in bed because he loved me and went out of his way to make sure it was great, every time.
    “Yes.”
    “Good. Then stop standing there panicking, get out of that Super Slut outfit all the men love, and start trying on dresses.” She took my purse and put it on the bed along with hers. “James wants us to start with the cocktail length ones. I think because he has his favorites already picked out but doesn’t want you guessing and being contrary.”
    “That’s it? No hug? No atta girl? No other marriage talk?”
    She grinned at me. “Awwww.” She came back and gave me her breath-stopping bear hug. “Atta girl,” she whispered. “That was my entire marriage talk. The rest is up to the two of you.”
    I hugged her back. “I love you, Mom.”
    She kissed my head. “Good. You know the saying—your son is your son until he takes a wife, but your daughter’s your daughter for the rest of your life. Your father and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And we love Jeff, too, just in case you were worried we were going to suggest you marry Charles or Christopher, like every other relative.”
    I laughed as we separated. “You mean you’re finally off the ‘check out your options’ bandwagon?”
    Mom shrugged as she went back to the clothing rack, and I started to get out of my clothes. “You checked, and your decision seems made. While we love Charles and Christopher and Brian, too, they aren’t your choice. We’d love any decent man you were in love with, kitten, but your grandfather’s right. You do need a big tomcat to take care of you and keep you in line—and Jeff seems to be the best there is at that job. Besides,” she added as she tossed me a grin over her shoulder, “Jeff seems to want lots of children.”
    “Why is it always about the babies with our family?”
    She shrugged as she brought Option 1 over. “It’s natural. You always want to see your children get children they deserve.”
    “Thanks ever.” Tried on the dress. It fit and looked really good. “Wow.”
    “James insists you show him everything, whether you like it or not.”
    “I like this a lot.”
    “Yes, I’m sure.” She led me out.
    Got a ton of squeals from the various females. Reader