Her dresser was covered in framed pictures of her family—many of them her with her mom and her sister. But there were also photos of her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and pets she’d had over the years. He picked up a photo of Olivia and her dad. She couldn’t have been more than twelve, her teeth wrapped in braces as she grinned proudly, holding an award that Olivia explained was for a debate contest she’d won. Her dad was smiling at her, not the camera. Zach was nervous to meet the man he knew was a fierce protector of his daughter but also excited to get to know him, because every family member he met would help him learn more about what made Olivia Olivia.
He loved seeing her in his house. Their house. He’d tried to put it into words, telling her she was like the perfect soft leather couch he’d never known he needed.
“I’m a couch? What the fuck?” she’d said, wrinkling her button nose.
“That came out wrong,” he said.
“Ya think?” she’d laughed.
He tried again, telling her how he smiled when he saw her car keys in the dish on the kitchen counter, her pink electric toothbrush resting on his sink, her shampoo in the shower. But mostly he loved that she was there, fitting not just into his house but into his world like she was always supposed to be there.
They’d had Logan over for dinner almost immediately, Zach attempting to recreate their favorite pasta dish but failing miserably, Logan making a joke that he’d had better linguini at the Olive Garden. They’d all laughed as they drank Chianti and pretended it tasted as good as the bottles they’d had in Italy, trading stories until nearly two AM, Logan crashing in the guest room, the three of them picking up right where they left off the next morning over breakfast.
Now Olivia grabbed the box that held the gorgeous blue-and-yellow porcelain serving platter they’d picked out for his mom in Ravello. Pasqual, the owner of the shop, had promised it was something all moms would love. Zach hoped he was right. He needed a win today.
Zach took Olivia’s hand and found it damp with sweat. He bent down to kiss the top of her head. “She’s going to love you,” he predicted. As he guided Olivia up the path to the front door, his heartbeat was in his throat. He put his hand on his neck, his Adam’s apple pulsing. This engagement was the first decision he hadn’t asked his mom’s opinion about—before he made it—and it wasn’t lost on him that it was the most important. A part of Zach knew it was because he didn’t want his mom to get inside his head—to find something about Olivia he hadn’t seen and then couldn’t unsee. She had a way of doing that. With everything.
The door opened as they approached.
“Zachary!” his mom cried, her arms outstretched as she waited for him to walk into them. She looked beautiful, as always. Her dark-brown hair, with its blunt bangs and a sharp cut that barely grazed her shoulders, had been styled the same way for as long as he could remember. She was dressed in her weekend wear—crisp white pants, high heels, and a light cashmere sweater. He’d explained to her that it would be okay if she wore workout clothes on the weekends like every other woman her age, but she’d given him a look like he’d asked her to eat that cheese that came out of a spray can.
He hugged his mom, pulling away quickly and stepping to the side. “Mom, this is Olivia. And Olivia, this is my mom, Amy.”
His mom gave Olivia a once-over. “So, she is the surprise you mentioned on the phone. And now I’m realizing the reason you hardly posted on your socials?” Amy laughed lightly. “I thought maybe you had brought me a present from Italy?”
“Well, we have that too!” Zach laughed, but it came out more like a squeak. He pointed at the box Olivia was holding. Olivia flicked her eyes at him in confusion.
He had only told Olivia that the engagement would be a surprise to his mom, not that she would be too. He had planned to tell his mom the whole story many times over the past week, but when they’d talked last night, she’d kept going on about how much she’d missed him while he was gone and how excited she was to get back to their weekly dinners and movie nights, and he hadn’t been able to find the right way to tell her. “Yes! Surprise. This is Olivia.” He put his arm around her. “I met her in Italy. But she lives here in California too. And she is so special and sweet and kind that I wanted to wait to tell you about her in person! So here she is!” He was rambling. Blood rushed to his cheeks.
Another look of surprise flashed across Olivia’s face. He knew he’d have a lot of explaining to do later.
“Oh, please,” Olivia said. “I’m not that special. I’m just me. I can barely walk in these shoes—I tripped on the way up here. I have sweat rings under my armpits, although that’s probably TMI!” Olivia laughed, and to his relief, his mom did too.
He let out the breath he’d been holding. Maybe Olivia’s warm and easy personality would win his mom over.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Olivia said. “And here is your other surprise.” She held out the gift.
“So many surprises. If you tell me you’re pregnant next, I might pass out.” Amy smirked, but Zach could see the strain on her face.
Olivia laughed, not realizing his mom wasn’t joking. “Nothing in here except coffee.” Olivia patted her stomach. “I was too nervous to eat this morning.”
Amy arched an eyebrow at Zach, as if to say, So nice you gave HER a heads-up about meeting ME.
He flashed a huge grin at his mom, hoping it would help, but she didn’t return it. “Should we go inside?” Zach asked, already thinking about the stiff drink he was going to pour himself.
“Yes, of course. Sorry. Follow me.”
They trailed his mom across the wide-plank pine floor, through the all-white living room and into the all-white kitchen. Amy set the box on the counter. “May I open this now?”
“Please!” Olivia said.
Amy lifted the package, bouncing it lightly in the air. “Too heavy to be a future grandma T-shirt!”
Olivia giggled and shook her head. “God no. I’m starting law school in a couple of weeks—no time for any of that!”
Amy’s eyes brightened. “A lawyer? Tell me more.”
Olivia told Amy about the classes she was enrolled in at UCLA as Amy tore the paper off the box and Zach beelined for the bar and. “Drinks?” he asked as he grabbed some ice from the freezer and put it into a glass. He reached for the bourbon and poured himself a double.
“Please,” his mom and Olivia said in unison.
“Rosé?” Amy asked.
Olivia nodded heartily. “My fave.”
Amy pulled the platter from the box and traced her finger over the hand-painted lemons. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
Zach handed her and Olivia a glass of rosé.
He held up his bourbon and thought of a toast that would make his mom happy. “To being home.”
Amy smiled at that. “Should we go out back and talk? It’s such a nice day.”
His mom set the platter on the counter as they followed her to the backyard. Zach wondered if she’d display it the way the shop owner had said most people did. Or if it would end up in the back of some cabinet.
“Your home is gorgeous,” Olivia said as they sat down.