vehement

5

"Can you shut up?" I ask.

"Who?" My dad questions.

"I don't think that matters." I attempt.

I'm met with a look of warning. "Amalia." He says.

He looks at me with so much annoyance plastered onto his face that I feel ashamed again. I didn't want to disappoint him. I croak out: "Archer. Maybe. But I didn't mean to."

He sighs heavily, "Amalia.."

Enzo crawls off his grandads lap and sits between us, leaning on me. I smile down at him, but it's forced and he must be able to tell, because he frowns and tilts his little head. "Mama." He whispers.

"Yeah?" I reply.

He leans in close, like he's telling a secret. "Grandpa's here."

"I know." I respond, keeping my voice low too. "Go give him a big hug."

Enzo giggles before crawling back over to my dad, who's lips tilt up a little as my son wraps his short arms around his waist before standing on his thighs to kiss his cheek.

Relief overtakes some of my trepidation. Maybe if Enzo helps to make him happier, he won't be as mad at me.

"It was an accident, dad." I mutter.

"How do you marry somebody by accident, Lia?" He asks, exasperated.

     "We were.. drunk. Besides, it's not really my fault. Why do they let clearly intoxicated people get married, anyway?" I ask.

     He narrows his eyes.

     "Cole and Grayson went to get him. We'll get a.. divorce, or something."

     For some reason, the idea of divorcing Archer brings a sharp pang to my chest. I frown, but when I meet my dads eyes I make myself smiling.

     "Okay, good." He says, letting out a content breath.

Mason furrows his eyebrows. "That's it? She got married!"

"You got married too." I say, matter-of-factly.

"Not to some stranger in Vegas!" He replies.

"He's not a stranger." I tell him softly.

"Yeah? Do you know a single thing about him?" He asks me. He tilts his head when I don't respond. "Exactly, so he's a stranger."

"I know stuff about him." I say confidently.

"Is that right?" He questions. I nod. "Okay, then. What do you know about him now?"

I rack my brain. "He has a little sister."

"Wow, you know him so well." He says, his voice monotone like a robots.

"Why are you being so horrible about it?" I ask. "It's not like you know every single thing about Jenna."

"Except I do." He responds.