Chapter 4 - An Alliance Realigned
By the start of the next week, Vanessa’s dream wedding was in a state of absolute emergency. With the Reynolds family threatening to pull their funding, Vanessa’s elaborate floral arrangements, her five-tier custom cake, and the high-end venue reservation were all on the verge of being canceled.
My mother, desperate to save face, drove three hours from Cleveland to my house in Columbus without warning.
When I opened the front door and saw her standing on the porch, her face was tight with stress, her eyes rimmed with red.
"Daniel," she whispered, stepping past me before I could stop her. "We need to talk."
"Ethan, Lily, go play in the backyard for a bit," I instructed. The kids ran out the back door, laughing.
I turned to my mother. "You have five minutes."
"How could you do this to your sister?" she cried, her voice cracking. "Mark’s parents are pulling the venue deposit! Vanessa is hysterical. She hasn't slept in three days. All you had to do was let Ethan come and keep Lily home for one weekend. Is your pride really worth destroying Vanessa's happiness?"
"My pride?" I laughed, a cold, humorless sound. "This isn't about my pride, Mom. This is about your cruelty. You, Dad, and Vanessa decided that Lily wasn't perfect enough for your pictures. You wanted to hide her. I simply refused to let you."
"We weren't hiding her!" she lied, her eyes darting away. "We were protecting her from a chaotic environment!"
"Mark’s sister has Down syndrome, Mom. Mark works with kids like Lily every single day. Did you really think he would support excluding his own niece for having a speech delay?"
My mother fell silent, realizing the trap she had walked into.
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"You have to call Eleanor Reynolds," she pleaded, reaching out to grab my arm. "Tell her it was all a misunderstanding. Tell her you want Lily to stay home. Please, Daniel. For the family."
"No," I said, pulling my arm away. "My family is in the backyard. And we are done protecting your secrets. You should leave."
