Her palm was slick with cold sweat, still trembling faintly.
"Son, what on earth happened?"
I closed my hand over my mother's, patted it to steady her, and told them exactly what had happened up on that stage, start to finish.
My father's face went black on the spot.
"The Swansons have gone too far!"
He ripped the boutonniere off his chest, threw it hard onto the floor, and turned to march straight for the stage.
By then Eileen had chased after us.
"Dad, don't be angry, it's all a misunderstanding."
"Jayden's just too stubborn. He blows every little thing out of proportion."
"Bradley is his brother. My mom taking him as a godson only brings everyone closer. That's a good thing!"
My father stared her down, shaking with rage.
"A good thing?"
"My son gets married, and his blessing gift is eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars."
"An outsider gets ten thousand and one?"
"Is that how you Swansons treat people?"
The smile froze on Eileen's face, but she kept trying to talk her way out of it.
"Dad, more money or less, it's only the thought that counts—"
"Thought, my foot!"
My father was a gentle man, a schoolteacher for half his life. He'd never once raised his voice at anyone.
Today he swore out loud.
He shoved Eileen aside.
"Get out of the way!"
Her mother came down off the stage too, with Bradley behind her, face pulled tight, screeching at my father.
"In-law, what's that supposed to mean?"
"How exactly have we Swansons mistreated anyone?"
"This marriage was your Henson family begging on your knees for it. I'll put it bluntly. Your son is nothing but my daughter's doormat, and he still wants a bigger blessing gift? "
"He's throwing a fit and calling off the wedding now. It's your Henson family losing face!"
Back then Eileen had told me their family's money was all tied up in an investment gone bad, that money was tight, and asked if the bride price could go up a little.
Feeling for her, I raised it on my own from eighty-eight thousand to a hundred and eighty thousand, and paid for the wedding home in full.
I'd never imagined I'd end up someone's doormat in return.
I looked at her coldly.
"Your daughter's the one getting married, yet you've got two men calling you Mom. Word gets out, and it's not so clear whose face is on the line!"
That shut her up for a second, her eyes darting away.
But she still refused to back down.
"Our Eily is young and beautiful. Plenty of men would line up to marry her!"
"If so many men are lining up, then go marry her off to one of them."
I turned and took my parents' hands.
"Dad, Mom, let's go."
Eileen panicked, strode forward, and grabbed my wrist.
"Jayden, if you walk out that door today, don't ever think about coming back!"
I wrenched my hand free of her grip.
"Eileen, I'll say it one more time."
"This wedding is off. As of now, there is nothing between us."
With that I turned and walked straight to the lounge backstage.
My mother followed behind me.
My father stayed out front, telling our relatives to leave the banquet.
"There's no meal happening today. Sorry to make everyone come out for nothing. Another day I, old Henson, will host a table on my own to make it up to you."
The relatives all stood, not one of them asking a needless question, and headed straight out.
The Swanson side stayed in their seats, exchanging blank looks.
Once we were in the lounge, my mother's tears finally spilled over.
"Son, we can't just let this go. They've bullied us too far."
I nodded.
"Mom, don't worry. This isn't over."
Just then Eileen came storming in, flustered and furious, her mother Hailey James and Bradley trailing behind her.
The moment Bradley walked in, he put on a show of hanging his head low.
