Sara paced the room like a caged animal. Jared watched her with wary eyes from the big armchair. He’d tolerated her behavior, but after an hour or so, it became unbearable. As she passed him, he reached out with the speed of a rattlesnake and pulled her to his lap. “Stop! Honey, angel, it’s your parents, not a lynching party. Calm down.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so keyed up. I don’t know if I can do this, Jared. It feels like I’ve got ants crawling through my veins.”
“You’re afraid they won’t accept me.”
She stood. “That’s an understatement,” she snorted. “It’s hard enough, knowing I gotta get up in front of all those strangers tonight. Now, my parents are coming to spend the weekend with me and my Navajo fiancé. I’m a nervous wreck!”
He grabbed her and kissed her. Understanding his intentions, Sara resisted, but he was relentless. He knew she couldn’t resist him long, and he was right. Four little words breathed in her ear, and her brain was scrambled. He could’ve done anything to her he’d wanted to. He smiled and stroked the side of her head. “Better?” She nodded. “Sara, angel, you’re getting upset over nothing. It doesn’t matter whether or not they accept me. OK?”
The doorbell rang. Sara jumped up, ready to answer it. Jared held her. “Gerald will get that. Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the den. “Sit with me on the couch and wait.”
“Your guests have arrived, sir,” Gerald announced and left.
Jared and Sara stood. “Hi, Mother,” she said and hugged Kaye.
“Hi, honey. I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been so worried.” She gave Jared a sideways glance.
James smiled and held his arms wide. “Hi, precious,” he said and kissed her cheeks.
“I love you, Dad,” she whispered and stood between her parents, resting her arms on their shoulders. “Jared, this is my mother, Kaye, and my father, James. Mother, Dad, this is Jared.”
He shook Kaye’s hand and smiled. “Pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Foster.”
“Jared,” she curtly acknowledged him and scrutinized him with a suspicious glare. It didn’t seem to bother him.
James gave him a firm handshake. “Jared, it’s nice to meet you at last.”
“Likewise, sir. Please, have a seat. I’ll have Gerald bring you something to drink. What would you like?”
“Coffee would be nice, son,” James said and glanced at Kaye.
“Mrs. Foster?”
“No, thank you,” she said in her most polite, rude voice.
Sara took a slow breath. At least, her father had accepted Jared. Her mother wanted him to disappear. He’d assured Sara that would never happen. They were together now, forever. Her parents would have to get used to the idea.
~ ~ ~
The rest of the morning had passed quickly. Jared and James had talked about sports, the weather, politics, and even religion while Kaye interrogated Sara out in the backyard. “Does this man intend to marry you? Is that blue thing on your finger, an engagement ring?”
Sara’s eyes widened. She’d forgotten about the ring. “Oh, Mother, please.” She rolled her eyes skyward. “Yes, it’s an engagement ring, and yes, he’s gonna marry me.”
“When?”
“I don’t know! We’re not in a rush!”
“Oh, I see. So you think because you’re engaged you can sleep with him now? Sara, the way you’re living is not right. It was not the way I raised you. Shacking up with a perfect stranger like this, running off to Arizona. What’s wrong with you?”
“Mother, can’t we have a nice weekend without all this? Can’t you just, for once, realize I’m not a little girl anymore, and trust that I know what I want? I know what I’m doing!” Her voice was harsher than she’d intended it to be, but Kaye was getting on her nerves. She did most of the time.
Kaye threw her hands up. “Sure Sara, I can leave you alone. I can let you do whatever you want to. Do you have no more respect for me or your father than to rebel against everything we’ve ever taught you?”
Sara was near tears, she turned away. “I’m not doing this, Mother! I’ve got too much on my mind. I have a performance tonight, in a strange place, which could house up to ten thousand people, and I’m so nervous I could throw up. I don’t need this! Jared and the rest of the band are counting on me, and I can’t,” she broke off. “No! I won’t let them down. So, could we postpone the grilling session until after the concert, or better still, after the weekend?”
She stared at her over the top of her glasses with foreign eyes. Sara met her gaze with confidence, she wasn’t aware she possessed. Finally, Kaye sighed. “Alright, Sara. Have it your way. It’s your life, but until you leave or marry this man, don’t expect my blessing. Do not bring him to my house until he’s changed your last name – understood?” Her tone was venomous; her words cut like knives.
Sara’s eyes filled with tears. How dare she force me to choose between them! She knelt in front of her and took her hands. “Mother, don’t do this, please. I love Jared, more than you could ever know.”
“Good,” she said bluntly. “I’m happy for you.” She wasn’t budging, but neither was Sara. For once, she was as determined as Kaye.
Sara dipped her chin and shook her head. “Can we at least get through this weekend?”
“Of course! Your father and I will be going back to our hotel shortly, and as soon as the performance is over, we’ll go away, and let you get on with your sinful ways. After all, it is your choice.” Kaye went back inside.
~ ~ ~
“James, we’re leaving!”
He and Jared stood. “Leaving?”
Jared’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you were spending the weekend with us.”
Kaye glowered at him. “I wouldn’t stay with you if the world was ending, and this house was the last safe place on earth. Don’t think because you’ve put a ring on her finger, it excuses you from proper Christian behavior! I did not raise my daughter to shack up with a savage!”
“Kaye!” James gasped.
She turned her murderous glare on him. “You do not want to go there! I’ll wait for you in the car. If you’re not there in five minutes, I’m leaving without you!”
Jared took her wrist. She glanced down at it. He felt his anger rising. He released her and closed his eyes. “Leave, Mrs. Foster – leave now!”
“I don’t need you to tell me!” she retorted. “Two minutes now, James! Be there or walk!” She stormed to the door. Gerald appeared, held it open and bowed slightly. Kaye brushed past him.
James stared at his daughter. “You’re getting married?”
Jared took a slow breath and turned. His eyes were back to their usual color. “Yes, sir, Mr. Foster, but if you feel the same way as your wife….”
He sighed. “I don’t, son,” he broke in. “I don’t understand Kaye’s hatred toward all Native Americans, especially Navajo. My daughter seems happy with you. That’s good enough for me. I trust Sara’s judgment. I always have. Kaye thinks she’s too immature, but she’s not.”
Jared exhaled and smiled. “No, sir, she’s not. Tonight was important to Sara. I had hoped her mother would be there to support her.”
He forced the air from his lungs. “I doubt she will, son. Sometimes I wonder why I put up with it, especially with Sara all grown up.”
Jared chuckled. “Probably for the same reason I deal with Sara’s temper and mood swings - because you love her.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he smiled. “But, sometimes, it still makes me wonder. Look, I better go before she carries out her threat, and I have to call a taxi. Welcome to the family, Jared, such as it is,” he chuckled. “Kaye might not come to the performance, but I will - unless I end up in a pine box before curtain call.”
Jared sat back on the sofa, exasperated, wondering how to break the news to Sara. Between now and curtain time, he needed to find a way of calming her. He decided not to jump to conclusions and hope James convinced Kaye to come. It would be a miracle if he did, but if he told Sara now, she might refuse to perform.
------------
Sara stood outside for a few minutes, fighting angry tears. As usual, her mother was being unreasonable. Fearful of what her mother might say to Jared, she hurried inside. Despite what he’d said about not needing Kaye’s acceptance, she might offend him, and he might decide Sara wasn’t worth the drama. She couldn’t live with that, not even if it meant, never seeing her parents again.
When she entered the den, he was sitting alone. She’d half expected this, but it disappointed her. “Where are they?”
“Gone,” he said, dryly. “I was wrong about your mother. Please forgive me for saying this, but she is a bitch.”
“I tried to tell you,” Sara smiled.
“I can’t understand how she can be so callous and so – so,” he groaned and ran a hand through his dark hair. “I have never come across anyone with such a closed mind.”
She sat beside him. “At least your parents accept me.”
Jared slid closer, gathered her into his arms and kissed her. “What did you and she talk about?”
“We didn’t. She yelled. I listened.”
“She wasn’t glad to see you or anything? She seemed much nicer, when they first got here.”
“That was to your face. She was waiting for an opportunity to pounce on me. You’ll never believe what she told me.”
Jared kissed her hair. “What’s that?”
“She said until you married me or I left, I couldn’t bring you to her house. She basically called me a harlot. She was so mean and hateful. I knew bringing her here was a mistake. She never planned to stay with us.”
“I know. She said they’d booked a hotel room.”
“Did she say whether they were coming to the concert?”
“I gave them the tickets and told them how to get to the coliseum. At least I’ve done my part. Your father’s OK. We could get along, but your mother… that’s a different story.”
He took Sara’s hand and stood. “Let’s go upstairs and take a nap. We need to get ready for the gig, soon.”
------------
Sara and Jared slept for a couple of hours. Aside from the fact that the butterflies in her stomach were back and had brought company, she felt better when they got up.
Steve and Carl came over and brought Lucy with them. She and Steve weren’t as chummy as usual. They’d hardly looked at each other, and when they spoke it was short and sweet. Jared and Sara couldn’t help but notice.
After the performance, Jared had planned to take everyone out to celebrate, but now it looked as if Kaye and James wouldn’t be there. Thanks to her stubbornness and bigotry, James would be lucky if he convinced her to come to the concert, let alone have a meal with them.
Jared decided they’d get in one last practice session before they left for the coliseum. Time ticked on. The closer to time to leave, the more nervous Sara became. She was on her feet and pacing again. Lucy followed her with her eyes. “I heard things didn’t go well with your mother.”
“Did you expect it to?”
“No,” she snorted. “I hope you prepped Jared.”
“I tried to,” Sara sighed. “He believes me now. I’m afraid it’s all gonna become too much for him, Luce.”
“Are you kidding me, Sara? He loves you. Nothing Kaye or James could say can change that!”
“Thanks, Luce.”
“He could still lose you, though.”
Sara frowned. “What? How?”
Lucy stood, grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her on the sofa beside her. “Because, if you don’t stop pacing, I’m gonna kill you myself,” she joked. They laughed.
“Why couldn’t Mother be more like you?”
Lucy smiled. “Because your Aunt Lucy is one of a kind, kiddo, and my stubborn, worn-out, old-fashioned sister can’t stand it!”
Sara smiled and hugged her. “Don’t I know it!” She paused and took a breath. “Something’s bothering me. What’s going on with you and Steve?”
Lucy turned. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“You can’t stand to be next to one another,” she chuckled. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”