Love and Obsession

It's love

When the party is almost over and most guests have gone, I'm standing with Jenna talking about wedding venues and Alexander's stepmother approaches us. 

"You will have the reception here, of course."

"Well, The Plaza is certainly on the list of places, but Alexander and I are considering other options as well."

"Other options? What could possibly be on the list of places?"

"We are thinking about the possibility of a destination wedding. Maybe Maui or something. We haven't decided yet."

"No. That's out of the question," Carol says.

"Well, it's not really your decision, is it?" Jenna says.

"It's not, but I know Alexander would never go against what his mother wanted for him," Carol says.

"Excuse me?" I say.

"It's widely known his mother wanted him to get married at the same park where she married his father," Carol says.

I look across the room at Alexander, who is facing me, speaking with his uncle and aunt on his mother's side, and I say, "Alexander is a grown man and he can make whatever decisions he wants about our wedding. We don't need a dead woman's input," I say very angrily before I realize what I say.

"Alexander!" she yells with eyes searing, and I'm not sure why she cares so much about what Alexander's mom would've wanted for his wedding since she had an affair with his father while his mother was dying. 

"This slut is speaking horribly about your mother! Are you going to let her talk about your mother that way?!"

I inhale and my eyes bounce between Alexander and his stepmother, trying to think of how to defend myself.

"Don't call her a slut," he says to Carol. "I'm sure it isn't how you're making it sound, is it, babe?"

I say nothing because I'm just in shock at what's playing out in front of me, and he says, "Savannah?"

I finally take a breath and say, "Can I talk to you?" as a tear rolls out of my eye.

He grabs my hand and pulls me out of the ballroom and to the hall.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"She bombarded me. I was talking to Jenna about places we've been considering for the wedding and she said your mother expects you to get married here or something. I said the Plaza is on our list but it's not the top choice. Then she got angry and said that your mother expects it."

"So...?"

"I blurted out that we didn't need a dead woman's input... Lex, I'm sorry," I say, tears flowing from my eyes. "I just blurted it out before I realized what I was saying. Your stepmother was just making me so angry."

Alexander isn't saying anything and tears are pouring from my eyes as my crying is turning into sobbing, thinking he is angry at me and he's never before been angry at me.

Finally, he nods, lifts my head from where it's buried in my hands, and says, "I'm sorry she did that to you." 

"You're not angry?"

"Not at you."

I sigh, sniffle, and wipe my eyes as I breathe a sigh of relief, and say, "I was so worried."

He kisses me and says, "Why?"

"Because you love your mother and I didn't mean to disrespect her that way, and you've never been angry at me. I was so worried you were."

Tilting my head to look into his eyes, he says, "Savannah, I did love my mother, but she's gone. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. My mother would be so happy right now just seeing how happy you make me."

"Really?" I say with a smile and a sniffle.

"Yes. That's all she wanted for me. The contract, the things she did and said were all for my happiness, but seeing how happy you make me would've meant more than all that and she would've loved you. I know it."

I fling my arms around him and rest my head against his chest. "I love you too, Lex."