For the moment, a fearful voice piped in.

I gulped. Stupid fears. We adjourned to the study, Royce and I taking the couch. Jonathan poured everyone a brandy. I accepted my glass and pretended to sip. No way I'd bring up pregnancy after the triplet fiasco.

"Royce, dear," my mom said. "I'm dying to know how you convinced my sweet Naomi to marry you."

"He sexed me up hard core, if you want the true version." My strategy was simple. To be so blunt my parents would decide not to ask another question. They might ask something I didn't want to answer.

My mom flushed, and Jonathan coughed and looked away. Royce pressed his lips together to smother a laugh.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only one on the receiving end of that sharp tongue of hers," he said. "She isn't afraid to speak her mind, is she?"

"Is that the reason you picked her out of all the other applicants, then?" Jonathan asked. "Her… bluntness?"

"Naomi didn't have to fill out an application." He was a little embarrassed, I could tell. His cheeks were flushed and his voice cracked. "She became the only possible choice the first moment I saw her."

My chest constricted, just like it always did when he said such sweet things. Even my inner Tigress purred like a contented kitten.

What are you going to do when he realizes he's fooling himself?

The ugly question whispered across my mind. Another fear. I hurriedly shoved it aside, refusing to dwell on it.

My mom's hands had gone to her mouth, and I think there were tears in her eyes. "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Did you hear that, Jonathan? Did you hear what he said about my baby?"

Yes, definite tears. As I watched, she crumbled in her seat, uttering great, gushing sobs. Snot soon poured out of her nose and heart-wrenching cries exploded from her mouth. I scrambled to my feet and raced to her. My heart thundered in my chest. "Mom, what's the matter?"

"Don't do it, darling. Don't marry him."

I shook my head, unsure I'd heard her right, and clutched her knee. "I thought you wanted me to get married and give you grandchildren."

"You really should become a lesbian and do the artificial insemination thing. You won't get hurt that way."

"Mom," I said, helplessly looking to Royce.

"He'll cheat on you like the rotten dog he is." Her head popped up and she glared over at Jonathan. "They all cheat. And I hope they all burn in hell like the male prostitutes they are."

"What are you talking about?" Jonathan sputtered as he stood. "Gloria, what's wrong with you? I'm seriously considering doing a mental evaluation on you. I've never cheated. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Sparks of fury lit inside me. "You've been going over to your secretary's house," I said, pointing to his chest. "You've been coming home late, lying to my mom about your whereabouts. You've been making secret phone calls, and your dirty clothes smell like another woman's perfume."

"I-I can explain." He held out his hands, the desperate gesture of an innocent man.

"I'll just bet you can," my mom shouted. "I bet your car broke down and you had to wait for the mechanic. I bet a client swore to kill himself if you didn't stay and talk to him. I bet someone stole the money out of your wallet and that's why you're always short on cash. Is that right? Is any of that right?" By that point, she was screaming.

"No," he said, shaking his head. His skin was so pallid I could see blue veins. "That wasn't what I was going to say."

Shaking, I crossed my arms over my chest. That's when I felt a quiet presence behind me. Royce placed his hands on my shoulders and massaged the knotted muscles. I drew in an unsteady breath. I wanted to jump between them, but didn't. They needed to battle it out.

"Tell me the truth, Jonathan. I deserve that much, at least."

He slowly walked to her and dropped to his knees. "Gloria, I can't believe you'd think that about me. Why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you say something?"

"I shouldn't have to," she sobbed. "You should never have lied to me."

"You're right, and I'm sorry. So sorry."

She blew up again. "So you did it? You're admitting you slept with Nora?"

"No."

"No?" I said, eyes narrowing. Forget staying out of it. "You went over to her house." I'd never been in a fistfight before, but how complicated could picking up the lamp he'd bought my mom for her birthday and bashing him in the head be?

Jonathan sighed warily and got to his feet. "Give me a minute."

"You'd better be packing your bags," I said.

"Sweetheart, you're making this harder for your mom," Royce whispered. "Calm down." He kissed my cheek and nuzzled my ear with his nose. "She needs your support right now."

I drew in a shuddering breath. Royce was right. My mom needed me, and I was going to be there for her, hold her up emotionally for as long as necessary. I drew her to me and wrapped my arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Mom," I said. "So very sorry."

She wiped her nose on my shirt.

"This is what I've been doing," Jonathan said, striding back into the room. He handed my mom a glass bottle of what looked like oil. "Making you the perfect perfume."

"What?" I said, just as my mom said, "Perfume? For me?" She sniffed the bottle.

"Nora told me about this place she goes to, Body Electric," he rushed, "and how they make custom scents. I know how much you love lilies, and I wanted you to have your own scent. Something no one else in the world has."

I covered my mouth with a shaky hand.

"And I know how much you hated the lamp I bought you for your birthday. I know you wanted something romantic. I thought-I thought there was nothing more romantic than giving you your own perfume. Gloria, it's called. It's not perfected yet, not quite right, but… "

"I…I love it," she said, more tears swimming in her eyes. She clutched the bottle to her chest. "Oh, Jonathan."

"None of the scents were right. None of them were good enough, so we kept trying. I'm so sorry you thought I was cheating on you. I'd never do that, Gloria. Never. I shouldn't have lied, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know how much you love romantic surprises."

Shame washed through me. My mom threw herself in his arms. I closed my eyes and buried my head in Royce's shirt. Dear God, I'd almost broken up my parents' marriage. For nothing. Nothing! Tears streamed down my cheeks. Jonathan loved my mom, had been faithful to her all along.

They had the kind of marriage I'd always wanted for myself, but hadn't thought truly existed. And I'd almost destroyed it. "I'm such an idiot," I said brokenly. "This is my fault."

"You did what any other daughter would have done," Royce said, kissing my temple. While he spoke, his hands moved up and down my back.

"Don't make excuses for me." I pulled away from him and dragged my feet to my mom and stepdad. They were kissing and hugging and crying all at once. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please say you'll forgive me."

Jonathan didn't look at me, but reached out and gripped my arm. He tugged me into their loving circle. The tears poured from my eyes. I'd almost ruined him, and he forgave me so quickly and easily. He'd always been that way. He'd tried to be a father to me, but I'd always held a little resistance against him.

"Well, then. Now that that's settled." My mom disengaged from us and wiped one of her hands on her dress. She still clutched the bottle in the other, holding it tight to her chest. "It's time to eat. Royce," she said, as if we hadn't all engaged in an emotional breakdown, "I hope you like glazed ham."

"I-love it?" He glanced at me, clearly confused by her sudden change from psycho-wife to mushy-wife to perfect hostess.

Feeling giddy all of a sudden, I laughed and launched myself in his arms, planting a hard kiss on his lips. "God, I lo- like you." I lost my smile. What are you doing, dummy? "I really like you."