#Chapter 88 – Meeting the Family

When we arrive over an hour later, the boys are thrilled, but everyone else is, I think, feeling the strain. The boys spent the rest of the ride continuing to needle Amelia about little things, despite Victor and my equal attempts at intervention.

I may not like the girl, but it’s her wedding – she doesn’t deserve to be tortured just because the boys are bitter that their father has chosen her over me.

I bite my tongue at this thought, unwilling to admit…well. That’s all beside the point.

As I climb out of the van I can feel a little mist in the air. Curious, I walk a few steps around the van towards a great rushing sound and gasp, taking in the sight of the gigantic waterfall that plunges from a cliff face several stories above us. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

“Whoaaa!” Ian shouts, running over towards the rail that separates the wedding facility from the plunging cataract. “That’s incredible!”

“It’s so cool!” Alvin shouts, following him. “Mom! Can I go over it in a barrel!?”

“What!?” I shout, horrified at the idea. I stride over to them, grabbing both their hands.

“It’s safe!” Alvin whines.

“We watched a documentary about Niagara Falls!” Ian continues the protest.

“None of that,” I say, stern, eager to knock this idea out of their heads. “Absolutely no more conversation on that point. Waterfalls are for looking, not for touching.”

I haul them back to a smirking Victor, who stands by the van. “To be fair,” he says, “at their age I would have had the same impulse.”

“Encourage them any more,” I mutter, “and I’ll shove you into the barrel myself.”

He laughs and then turns away to help Amelia begin to unload the bags. Spotting our own luggage by the side of the van, I bring the boys over to grab it. As we turn back towards the venue, we see a man dressed in black tails walking over to us.

“Madame Ortega, I presume?” He asks.

Madamoiselle, I say in my head, correcting him, but

gesturing towards the face of the venue. “We have a suite prepared for you and your sons.” I pop up the handle of my

beautiful hodgepodge of terraces and balconies from individual rooms and suites. The ballroom, I

it. Amelia’s excellent taste has again

dad!” Ian calls behind him, waving

well, pointing to the butler. I peek over my shoulder and see that Victor

of the front desk. We take the leftmost elevator, all

the leftmost door and bows slightly as we enter before him. “Mademoiselle Jones had you listed for a more junior suite, in the floors below, but when I saw the important role that the boys had in

I walk into the room I meet the butler’s eye and he gives me a small smirk. I laugh a little, pleased,

I turn to see him jump onto the top of the couch, his hands and face pressed against the windows behind it which – oh,

touch the windows – you’re going to get them all

butler calls after me. “If I may, the falls deserve to be admired, and

at him, but pull the boys down nonetheless. I

anything else, madame?…” the

crossing the room again the collect our luggage. He nods his head and starts for the door, but I stop him with a hand on his arm. “Really,” I say, holding his

“Of course. Anything for a

I heave a deep sigh, steeling myself for what is surely going to be a complicated weekend. I turn to look again at the

behind me. Surprised, I spin to see a woman standing in my doorway – she must have caught it when the butler left, before it closed. She’s a tall woman, about twenty years older than me, with light brown hair coiled into a neat chignon at the back of her neck. She wears a stunning blue dress. It’s refined, but doesn’t shy from taking the sensuous curves of

Evelyn,” she says, the corner of her mouth

say hesitating. “I’m

“Must be my grandchildren.” She kneels on the ground and opens her arms

though I knew it would be inevitable. I just never imagined I’d have to do it without

her. “Are you our other

bit ago!” Alvin chimes in, following close on his brother’s heels. “She’s got

I am better. But you must call me Mimmi, not Grandmama. That is much more

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