Chapter 21
“Why isn’t she the sweetest thing?” The older woman purred sweetly as she leaned forward and pulled Becky into a bear hug. “I’m so delighted to meet you, honey pie.”
Becky hugged the woman back, happy to have someone from Colin’s extended family showing her love and acceptance just like that.
Colin looked fondly into the older lady’s eyes after the ladies pulled apart and introduced her as his mom’s older sister.
A look of shock washed over Becky’s face. She was so sure the sisters were as different as day and night with the little she had seen of Auntie Hilda.
Colin’s dad called out, “Becky, is that you?” from the upstairs living room as he walked in from the bedroom.
“Yes Daddy,” Becky beamed. “I’m here.” Ben had insisted she must call him Daddy just two weeks after Colin introduced her.
“Let’s go upstairs,” Colin said. “So you can give him your gift.”
“Run along,” Aunt Hilda patted Becky on the back with a sweet smile. The lovebirds went upstairs. He was so happy with Becky’s gifts, she presented him with a box of four books on how busy executives can manage their health properly.
With admiration, he said, “I love these” while looking at the covers of the books. “This is very thoughtful of you. Thank you so much.”
“You are welcome, Dad,” Becky replied happily. They stayed upstairs with him until it was time for dinner. When they got into the dining room, she was appalled to find out that Colin’s mom had asked the caterer to place Debbie’s name opposite Colin. She put another person beside him and then Becky had to sit with someone in-between her and him.
“I think there is a mistake with the sitting arrangements,” Colin said, looking at his mother.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
“No darling,” Maria said graciously. “I wrote out the sitting arrangements myself and that’s how we are going to sit.”
The guests, numbering about fifteen, all looked on, surprised at what was playing out before them.
“You know what they say,” Aunt Hilda said, standing behind Debbie’s chair. “Three is a crowd.” She winked at Debbie and asked her to exchange seats with Becky.
Debbie looked like she wanted to refuse at first, looking from her mom to Mrs. Blake.
“Common,” Aunt Hilda cajoled her. Then she picked up her purse and went to exchange her seat.
“That settled,” Colin’s Aunt said. “Let’s settle down for dinner.”
Colin apologized with his eyes when Becky finally settled down opposite him. The dinner went on fine, friendly conversations flowed as it should be. But when everything was over and the house staff started handing out goody bags to guests with their names printed on the bags, no one gave her anything.
Aunt Hilda confronted her sister, who replied that she only gives gifts to those she invited. Becky was so embarrassed, she wished the ground would just open up and swallow her.
Colin and his dad had already gone to his study with three men for a brief meeting. So he didn’t witness it. At that point Becky matched out of the mansion quietly. She couldn’t take it anymore.
“Becky darling,” she heard Colin’s aunt’s voice as she was about to step on Colin’s veranda. “I’m so sorry for what happened in there,” she pointed in the mansion’s direction. “Here,” she held out a goody bag to Becky, “you can have mine.”
Becky declined at first, but the older woman insisted and she had no choice than to accept it. She flung the bag on Colin’s sofa as soon as Hilda left and started checking whether she would get an Uber on her phone. She was still trying to get one when Colin rushed in.
“My aunt told me what happened,” he said with embarrassment all over his face. “You just have to please overlook my mother’s excesses. Please, because of me.” He tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away.
“Please, Colin. Take me home,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “I need to go home.”
“I’m sorry, Becky,” he said, his frustration clear in his cracking voice. He just couldn’t understand his mother sometimes. “Please don’t go.” He held Becky’s hands. “You promised to stay the night. We can talk this over.”
“I’m going to get an Uber,” she refreshed her phone. “If you don’t want to take me home.”
“It’s okay, I will take you,” he brushed past her to his bedroom to pick the car key.
“It seems this woman has decided to tear you and her son apart by all means.” Betty remarked when her sister finished her story.
“I hope you are not thinking of breaking up with Colin?” Betty asked. “Why did you send him away?”
“No, I’m not breaking up with him,” she said. “It’s just that I want him to let me be for a few days.”
“Colin will be very…” Betty hadn’t finished her statement before she heard the girl she was babysitting called her name, asking for her mom.
“Oh no,” Betty moaned into the phone. “Not again.” To Becky she said, “sis I have to go, we’ll talk better tomorrow.”
“That’s okay.” Becky gave a little laugh and made fun of her sister before she disconnected the line.
Becky wandered into the kitchen and opened up the fridge; she pulled out a bottle of water along with a glass cup from the cabinet. She was climbing the stairs with the items in her hand when her phone rang. It was Colin calling, so she didn’t pick it.
********
Colin rose from his cluttered work desk, stretching his stiff muscles. He picked his phone and dialed Becky’s no again. She still didn’t pick it up. That was the fifteenth time he would call her since he dropped her off two hours ago. He groaned and walked into his bedroom.
He undressed and thereafter went to have a shower. Donning his sweatpants, he made his way outside to take a seat on the balcony. The situation was causing him great distress. Colin prayed his mother would not succeed in tearing his relationship with Becky apart.
He sent Becky another voice note. Though he sent one immediately he got back home earlier on, which she hadn’t opened from all indications. But he sent her another one, anyway.