I'm going to get married

The next day, Daniel met with his parents. He had to stay as calm as possible and deliver the news naturally; if he faltered, no one would believe the lie.

"Well, we're here, son. What do you want to talk to us about?" his mother asked.

"I'm getting married."

"What do you mean you're getting married? What are you talking about, Daniel?" His father was surprised; he didn't expect to hear something like this from him again.

"I'm getting married in a few weeks, Dad, and I want the whole family to meet her."

"Wait a minute, son, wait... Who exactly are you marrying?"

"Deanna."

"Who? Who is Deanna?"

He knew his mother would bombard him with questions. She wanted her grandchildren to have a woman in the house other than herself or Susan, but this was too sudden. Neither of them was prepared to hear what Daniel had to say.

"Deanna is a university classmate of Harry's. We've been dating for a few months, and I decided to marry her."

"A classmate of Harry's?!"

"Yes, Mom. I know what you're thinking. That's why we decided to keep the relationship as discreet as possible."

"You're fifteen years older than Harry, so if she's his classmate... she's his age! You're going to marry a woman much younger than you, whom you've only been dating for a few months?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy, Daniel! My grandchildren need a mother, not a sister."

"Please, Mom, don't involve the kids in this."

"How can I not? For God's sake, Daniel! What are you thinking? Don't be foolish; you can't marry her."

"That's my decision, and I've already made it. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Charles, say something, for God's sake! Your son has lost his mind!"

His father leaned forward in his seat and looked him straight in the eye.

"Is she pregnant?" he asked.

"What?! No, Dad, please!"

"Then why are you marrying her?"

"Because I'm in love, and I think she'll be an excellent partner. Do you think the only reason a woman like her would marry me is if she's pregnant?"

"Or she's after your money!" his mother added.

"You're being ridiculous, Mom."

"The ridiculous one is you for pretending to do something so crazy. I'm sure if she got involved with you, it's because she wants something."

"Well, Mom, I didn't know you had that opinion of me."

"You know what I mean. Lately, I've been seeing how that kind of woman approaches men like you just to get money. That's what happened to Madison's son with his 'supposed girlfriend.'"

"Deanna isn't like that."

"How do you know? Men can't think straight when they see a pair of pretty legs."

"I know because she's friends with Harry and Laura, and she's shown no interest in my money. She has a job that I plan for her to leave when we get married."

"All of this is very sudden, Daniel," his father said.

"I know, Dad, but you have to trust my judgment. You know me better than anyone and know I wouldn't take a risk unless I was sure."

"That's true. You've never made a misstep... Well, it looks like we're having a wedding, Camila."

"You're both crazy! You'd better bring your 'future wife' here as soon as possible. Do the kids know her yet?"

"No, of course not."

"Better. If it doesn't work out, at least they won't have to see their father abandoned by a younger woman."

"Mom, please..."

"No, Daniel. No. You're trying to bring a woman none of us know into your home, where your children are, and make her your wife. Do you know you'll be the talk of the town?"

"I don't care."

It hadn't been a resounding success, but at least his father seemed to trust him. The real problem would be his mother, who was going to scrutinize Deanna from every possible angle to find flaws.

He knew this, which is why he called his sister-in-law to ask her to "train" Deanna a bit and help her choose a more suitable wardrobe. Laura would have to give Deanna a lot of advice to prepare her for her mother-in-law.

Camila could be relentless when she set her mind to it and make her new daughter-in-law's life impossible. She wasn't anywhere near the kind of woman she wanted for her eldest son.

The first one she would interrogate would be Harry.

"How did your brother meet this Deanna?"

"I introduced them. Mom, Deanna is an excellent person. You have nothing to worry about."

"Of course I do. She's going to share the upbringing of my grandchildren."

"You're exaggerating. Don't you trust your little son?"

"Of course I don't trust you."

"Mom!"

"All of this is very sudden, Harry. There's something fishy here..."

"There's nothing fishy, it's just that Daniel decided to move on with his life. I don't see anything wrong with that. He has every right to find someone to love and be loved by."

"I'm not questioning that, son. I've been waiting for this moment since Emily left us in such a horrible way. But not like this!"

"Come on, Mom. You're being intolerant. I've known Deanna since we started college; Laura knows her too. She's a wonderful person in many ways. I can't understand how she didn't run away from Daniel."

"Because your brother is an important and powerful man..."

"Deanna isn't after his money, Mom."

"So you say? Then you know her quite well."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you."

Now more than ever, they had to tread carefully, at least until the wedding was finalized. The problem wasn't whether Camila accepted her or not, because they were going to get married anyway. The problem was maintaining the illusion long enough so that Harry and Laura wouldn't face any obstacles later.

Daniel was determined to break with that prehistoric tradition of his family. His children would never have to go through that. He would make sure to prioritize their happiness over an inherited mandate that only served to put people in ridiculous situations.

However, the truth was that Deanna had made an impression on him that he hadn't expected. Despite her age, she seemed to have clear goals in life, knew how to defend herself, and stand up to anyone who tried to impose on her. She didn't look bad, was quite polite, and it was clear she didn't belong to the same social level as they did, but that didn't stop or scare her.

He had met her only two days ago, but he couldn't get her image out of his head when she got out of the car, evidently annoyed with him, walking to the entrance without looking back once.