“Well, our Cole is always the one to go against polite convention, isn’t he?”
Zari’s head swam trying to wrap itself around the apparent double standards that her new family operated in. Cole was the one who was going against polite convention? That woman had been sitting there and insulting her for what felt like ages!
“Mother…”
“No, please,” said Zari, finally, her voice surprisingly steady. “This has gone on long enough. I’m not one to deal with pointed words that don’t say what you really mean. You’ve made it clear that you’re disappointed with what you’ve seen here today—that being me and our children. But you’re family, whether you like it or not. I don’t want us to dance around this. Tell me, please. What are your objections about me?”
Cole looked a little shocked, but a grin soon replaced the surprise and he sat back with Angie’s head resting on his shoulder. She was falling asleep.
“Cole, could you get Julia to settle her down? I don’t want this touching her.”
Julia appeared as if by magic and took the baby. Cole and East sat on either side of Zari, arranging themselves as if they were her knights, and Zari felt strong again.
She could do this.
She could handle this.
“Well, if that’s how you want it. I don’t suppose I should be surprised.”
“Surprised at what?”
“At your lack of… class, let’s say. You, my dear, are not one of us. You haven’t lived our lives, you can understand our world, and you will never belong in our strata of society. I’m sure you’re a perfectly nice young woman and we might see our way to helping you achieve your ambitions if you’re honest about them, but this is not the way to go about it.”
Zari felt Cole begin to interrupt. She didn’t know if East looked inclined to say a word.
“Cole, please, let me. You’ll know if I need help.” Zari turned back to the people who had, she had to remind herself, given the man she loved life and helped him grow into the person he was.
She needed to remind herself of that to give them a chance.
“I am poor, I am black, and I’m not a high society woman. I can’t trace my ancestry back to the Mayflower. I can’t even trace it back to a slave ship because I’ve never found the records. But Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, your son loves me, and I have two children with him. I love your son. We will be in each others’ lives no matter what. I don’t think it’s too much to expect civility and courtesy from you.”
“Why, you…”
“I’m not done. This has been a disaster—an unmitigated disaster. Perhaps we can forget about this and start over with a clean slate,” suggested Zari, still trying her best, even if she felt as if her shaky self-esteem had been nearly broken.
“Martha, I think it’s time we left.”
Tim got to his feet and Zari opened her mouth to try one more time. But East finally got to his feet, and he finally found the words that seemed to have eluded him for so long.
“This was a mistake.”
But Martha looked like she’d finally realized that they had miscalculated.
“I think perhaps—Tim, wait, maybe—look, maybe Zari has a point.”
“Leaving now, Martha.”
Tim walked right out of the living room without waiting for his wife, who looked a bit panicked.
“No, wait, Tim, look—Zari, maybe we misjudged you. I… How about we get to know each other, just us girls? Girl talk.”
Zari blinked. That was an about-turn, a clean 180.
“I… I don’t know.”
“We are family, as you said. We should try. I admit we did come with preconceived notions. I’m sure we can find a way.”
Martha left, hurrying after her husband and Zari turned to East, more than a bit dazed.
“East, that was terrible. What did I do wrong? Why do they hate me so much? Why did they… Why did they act like that?”
East looked dazed, still.
To her complete shock, Cole started laughing, as if he couldn’t keep it in any longer.
“Oh my god, they’re unbelievable. They are so unbelievable. Zari, they came in prepared to be snide and make you feel terrible and small, but you called them on their bullshit right to their faces and they have no idea how to deal with that kind of plain talk.”
Cole whooped again, laughing like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.
“I don’t think this was funny.”
Zari was honestly close to tears. Hormones, she told herself. But it wasn’t just hormones.
“Zari, I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”
East sounded so distressed and Zari shook her head, fighting back tears.
“No, it’s not your fault. Nobody made them act like that. Are they always like that?”
East sighed.
“They’re snobs, but they usually hide it better. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”
Zari made herself smile, but she got to her feet.
“I should go and check on the babies.”
Julia recognized the look on her face and left her alone with the twins. Zari watched them both sleep and felt peace come over her again.
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what they say. It doesn’t matter if they hate me. We have each other. We’ll always have each other. That’s what matters.”
But Zari wasn’t so sure.
Throughout that little episode, it had been Cole defending her. Cole had been the one in her corner, fighting that battle for her. East had been distant, even if he’d sat by her side. East hadn’t stood up for her, not really.
Somebody came in. No, not somebody. It was East.
He stood beside her, as if he had no idea what to say.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Zari.”
Zari shrugged.
“I’m just glad they left before Mia, Deon and Jayla came home from their classes. I’m glad they didn’t have to deal with any of that. East, why do they hate me so much? They didn’t even come prepared to give me a chance.”
She turned back to her babies, feeling more isolated than she had in a week, and she wondered how this was all going to end.