A little face snuggled close, and over her girl’s shoulder, Esme saw her mom and grandma walk into the room.
They’d just arrived from Vi?t Nam yesterday and had to be exhausted and jet-lagged, but they’d both dressed in their fanciest áo dài and were grinning from ear to ear with excitement. Her mom even wore makeup. Esme had never seen her so beautiful, and suddenly, she was glad Quan had decided to have such an extravagant wedding. Weddings were as much for families as they were for the bride and groom, maybe more.
“Already, let your mom go. You’ll ruin her dress,” her mom said as she urged Jade to climb down. Then she hugged Esme tight, and Esme couldn’t help catching the light smell of fish sauce from her mother’s clothes and hair and grinning. Esme had to be half Americanized now if she detected that scent. She didn’t mind it, though.
Her mom pulled away and sighed with maternal pride as she looked at Esme in her gown. “Girl is sublimely beautiful.”
“Truly beautiful.” Her grandma hugged her briefly, an extraordinary display of affection since older generations didn’t generally hug, and Esme caught the smell of more fish sauce. Instead of worrying about venting out the room, she breathed the smell deep into her lungs. It reminded her of home. She was a country girl, after all. Her origins didn’t define her, but they were a part of her. She refused to be ashamed of them.
“Má looks like a fairy,” Jade said in awe before her forehead wrinkled. “Will C?u Quan be my dad after this?”
Esme sighed and brushed her fingers over her girl’s soft cheek. “I don’t know. Maybe. But don’t get your hopes up, okay? C?u Quan is just marrying me to help us. It’s not a real marriage. Do you understand?”
Jade’s expression turned solemn. “I understand.”
“This place is too nice for it not to be a real marriage,” her mom insisted, looking at the fancy crown molding and furniture. “So clean, so big, air conditioning. He has good intentions, M? à.”
Esme didn’t have the energy to explain, so she sighed and lifted her shoulders. The four of them settled onto the couches, Jade right next to her mommy, and caught up on the gossip from home as the minutes ticked by on the clock.
Esme grew antsier with each passing second until finally she hugged Jade close and shut her eyes, too distracted to concentrate on the talking.
A knock sounded, and Quan cracked the door open, walked inside, and shut the door behind him. He nodded at her grandma and mom and winked at Jade before focusing on Esme, looking dangerously handsome in his suit and tattoos. Maybe he appeared a little dazed, too. Esme had never looked so stunning, and she knew it.
Recovering, he said, “It’s time.” He shrugged his shoulders to adjust his suit coat. “He’s not here, so let’s do this.”
“Are you sure?” Esme asked.
“Absolutely. Are you?”
Esme stood up, brushed her skirts off, took a big breath, and nodded. “Yes. Thank you. For everything.”
His eyes met hers and crinkled at the edges as he smiled. “Of course.” He opened the door and led Esme and her family into the hallway, where an older man in a suit waited with an elaborate bouquet of white roses in his hands. “This is my uncle. He’s going to walk you down the aisle.”
The man smiled and bowed his head at everyone, murmuring polite greetings.
“No, I’ll walk her down,” her mom said before she grabbed Esme’s hand and squeezed. “I’ve been both her mom and her dad since she was little. I should do it.”
Quan smiled in surprise. “Okay, then. Bác will let you know when it’s time to walk. See you there.” He nodded at her once and ushered her grandma and Jade toward the ceremony location, leaving Esme and her mom there in the hallway with his uncle.