“Let me see?” Sofia says.
I hold my hand up excitedly, admiring my own nails.
“They did a great job,” she says, and I nod. I can’t even remember the last time I was this pampered. Sofia arranged an entire spa day for the two of us. We got massages together, followed by hair and nail appointments. It’s been incredibly nice, but more than that, I’ve missed this feeling—the feeling of spending an entire day with a mother figure. There’s nothing like it.
“Thank you,” I tell her.
She smiles at me and shakes her head, her hand in mine. “Darling, you’re my daughter-in-law now. It’s my job to spoil you.”
She brushes my hair behind my ear, a huge grin on her face. I’ve noticed that more often than not, she’s lost in thought at home, a sad expression on her face. But not today. She’s enjoyed today as much as I have.
“Alec explained that you two will be staging your relationship for my father and the press? You know that won’t be easy, right?”
I nod nervously. “I know,” I murmur. “But we don’t really have another choice. He and I… we got together too suddenly. Alexander is worried his grandfather won’t buy it.”
Sofia nods. “He wouldn’t be wrong. I love my father, but he’s a sly fox. Best to tread carefully. If he so much as suspects that you two aren’t in love with each other, he’ll give his position as chairman to Alec’s cousin. Alec has worked far too hard for that to happen.”
I nod thoughtfully. “Don’t worry,” I tell her. “We’ll be fine.”
Sofia smiles at me, her eyes twinkling. “Yes, I think you will be.”
Our bodyguard opens the door to the restaurant for us, and Sofia sighs as we walk in. “I hate these charity lunches,” she tells me. “I’d much rather just donate some money and leave. But unfortunately, we need to show our faces. I do believe it’s a good opportunity for you to get reacquainted with some of the people you lost touch with. Connections are a Kennedy’s most valuable asset, and you’ll need to start making some of your own.”
I nod at her nervously. Sofia smiles at me reassuringly and grabs my hand, squeezing tightly. “I’m here,” she tells me. “You’re no longer alone, Elena.”
I sit down next to Sofia, feeling out of place. There’s a blonde sitting next to me that I’ve never seen before, and I smile at her, trying my best to portray confidence and failing badly.
She grins and sticks her hand out. The gesture is so different from the air kisses I’m used to that I’m startled, in the best way.
“Emilia,” she says, her smile genuine and friendly, unlike the ones I’m used to in these circles.
I shake her hand and nod politely. “Elena.”
Sofia smiles and leans in. “Emilia is Carter Clarke’s wife. They don’t live here, but when Emilia is in town, she usually joins us for lunch. Emilia and Carter have founded many charitable organizations, and Emilia is always trying to make a difference. I think you’ll really like her.”
Emilia winks at me. “Carter is the Fintech guy,” she says, referring to her husband.
I look at her with wide eyes. “Oh! His company recently branched out into medical research, and the findings have been astounding. I looked into it for my mother, but I…”
My heart sinks. There was no way I could even get in touch with Carter Clarke, much less gain access to some of his technology.
Emilia looks into my eyes, her gaze searching, and then she smiles. She reaches into her purse and slides a card my way. “This is my husband’s direct line. Call him and tell him I told you to get in touch with him. Whatever you need, he’ll get to you.”
I stare at the card, hope filling my heart. Alexander is already trying to fly in some of the best doctors in the world, but this might help too. This might help my mother. I clutch the card tightly, my heart racing.
The room suddenly falls silent and I look up in surprise to find Jennifer walking in. She frowns when she sees me sitting here and walks over, tensing when she realizes Sofia is seated next to me. Everyone all at once starts to congratulate Jennifer on her engagement, and she blushes. “Oh,” she says. “We were trying to keep that a secret.”
I just about keep from rolling my eyes. From what I understand, she’s been telling anyone that would listen.
I sit back as she answers questions about her upcoming wedding, and about what married life might be like. She glances at Sofia and grins.
“No one knows more about happy marriages than Sofia Kennedy,” she says, nodding at my mother-in-law. “Tell us, how do you stay happy throughout so many years? It’s been what? Over thirty years?”
Sofia tenses, and Jennifer doesn’t give her a chance to reply.
“That reminds me, where is Mr. Kennedy, anyway? Another business trip?”
The room falls silent, and my heart aches for Sofia. I long suspected it, but having been away from everyone for so long, I couldn’t be sure. It looks like Mr. Kennedy straying is an open secret, though.
“Forget marriage,” I say. “I want to hear more about the engagement. You know, my brother never even told me how you two met. Tell us all about it. When did you fall for my brother?” I say, knowing full well that she cheated on Alexander, and everyone else knows it too.
Jennifer blushes, her eyes flashing angrily. She starts to reply, but I turn away from her, not interested in her story.
Sofia grabs my hand underneath the table and squeezes in gratitude. When I look at her, the same lost expression I’ve gotten used to is back on her face, and it breaks my heart.
She wears that same sad smile throughout the rest of lunch, and by the time we walk out, she’s absentminded and resigned. We walk in silence, our bodyguard trailing behind us.
“You’re my daughter-in-law now, Elena,” she says. “So it’s only fair that you know—everyone else does. It’s only my two sons that think I’m unaware. They try to protect me from the truth as best as they can, but there’s no escaping this.”
She sits down on one of the benches by the road, and I sit down next to her.
“I married for love, much like your mother did,” she tells me. “But Anthony was different. My father didn’t approve, not initially. You see, Anthony was from a very poor family, and his parents were divorced. Two things my father frowns upon.”
She sighs and runs a hand through her hair, ruining her ever perfect hair-do.
“But I was in love, so all of my father’s arguments fell on deaf ears. Eventually, I wore him down. It took me close to a year, but my father allowed me to marry Anthony—provided that he take the Kennedy name, and that our children do, too.”
She inhales shakily, and I grab her hand.
“When I think back to it, I can’t remember us ever being happy once we got married. Anthony felt emasculated and indebted, and he resented me for it. Our marriage went downhill very quickly. The money, the pressure, the glitz and glamour. Anthony reveled in it, but our marriage suffered for it.”
I take her hand, my heart breaking for her. “So why do you stay?”
The look in her eyes tears me apart. “Kennedys don’t divorce,” she tells me. “Asking for one means getting disowned. But sometimes… sometimes I wonder if it might be better. I see the damage that witnessing my marriage did to Alec. He tries so hard to protect me, but in doing so, he’s hurting himself. His father’s affairs combined with what Jennifer did to him… it’s made him lose faith in love. He doesn’t think it can last. He’s come to view it as a weakness, and that’s largely my fault.”