Je t’aime

*****

The next few weeks flew by, Kendra spent every free minute with Remy, who had time to spare and was always waiting for her when she got off work. Paris in summer was a magical place and Remy showed Kendra all the sights. They visited the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and took a boat on the river. Kendra fell in love with the city and all its charms. Paris had much to offer especially when one was in love.

Kendra and Remy had fallen hard for one another, knowing instinctively that although they were different, they belonged together. Remy slowly introduced Kendra to his world, while she kept him grounded in the real world of working people. Together they made a perfect pair. The fact that they were a mixed race couple was much more accepted here in Europe, people seemed not to notice.

When it came time for Kendra to meet his family, she was very nervous. They had been accepted as a couple by her friends as well as his, but would his family feel the same way. No matter how you looked at it, she was African American and from a poor background. On top of that she had to work for a living. She assumed that the women in his family were mere ornamentation, did charity work, and went shopping. Especially, after what Greta had said about her family wanting her to make a good match for the benefit of the family.

That was not what she wanted to do with her life, she was a chef, it was in her blood and she wouldn’t ever give it up. Remy had accepted that fact, but she worried about what his family would think. She knew that their opinion would be important to Remy, he was deeply devoted to his family, one of the things she loved most about him.

Remy’s family had a big get together every summer, a sort of combination business meeting, family reunion. All the family was invited no matter how distant. Remy’s family had been in France since the early 1800’s and had branched out across not only France but Europe. Since much of the family had joint financial dealings, it had been a time for family business to be handled.

With all the family gathered it had also been a time when marriages, baptisms, and other life celebrations were held. For many it was the one time of the year that they were able to see their families. Travel was much more difficult then so the gathering might last weeks.

Today, it was simply a time for distant relatives to reconnect. Not everyone was able to attend every year, but everyone in the family knew that at least once a year many would be gathered to celebrate. It was the one time of the year that the house was full to bursting, and extra help would have to be brought in to handle all the work.

The grounds were extensive, with small forests and streams, like a small wilderness. In past times the grounds would have been filled with families camping out, today the campers were the young people of the family. Remy had explained that as time had passed and the families hadn’t needed to camp, the young people had taken over. They would spend the entire week out there, playing in the “wilderness”. It had become a rite of passage and the source of many fond memories over the last few generations.

On the last day the entire family would gather on the lawn for a huge dinner and fireworks. Standing tradition was that Remy’s family provided the main course, while the rest of the family brought side dishes and desserts. The meal would last for hours, plenty of time for Kendra to get to know his parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Kendra was glad she already knew Greta and that Margot would be attending with her.

On the day of the big event, Kendra dressed carefully in one of her new outfits. The white sundress was beautifully cut, hugged her curves, but was still dressy enough to be acceptable. It made her skin glow a lovely brown, the color of cappuccino. Remy was tempted to take it right back off, when he saw her, but decided that could wait for later tonight.

Remy’s family home was about an hour from his apartment, so they took his sports car. With the top down on the convertible, they enjoyed a beautiful drive through the countryside. Kendra tried to keep her nerves under control. She wanted Remy’s family to like her, and she wanted to like them. She was worried they wouldn’t think she was good enough for their son.

Sensing her nerves, Remy grabbed her hand and squeezed, “They’re going to love you just like I do. Don’t worry.”

“I hope you’re right.” She said.

“Just remember, I’ll have to meet your mother someday. Then I’ll be the one nervous and worried.”

The mention of Remy meeting her mother made her feel better somehow. Maybe because that meant that no matter what his family thought, he was still planning a future with her. Able to relax a little, Kendra asked Remy about his family’s history. But before he could answer they rounded a bend in the road and the house could be seen, perched on a hill in the distance.

It was bigger than Kendra could have ever imagined. She had seen pictures of houses like this in books and on television, but never had she dreamed she would be a guest at one. The house sat on an impressive piece of land, with quaint guest cottages that had once been the outbuildings when it had been a working estate. She could see the tents in the woods, and inviting curls of puffy smoke rising from the camp fires.

As they turned up the drive to the house, Kendra tamped down her nerves and tried to slow her heart rate to normal. This would be fun, a chance to meet Remy’s family and eat some wonderful food.