I waited several months to meet my daughter’s fiancé, imagining the perfect introduction. But when I opened the door and saw him, my excitement vanished. This was not what I had expected. At that moment, I knew this wedding could not happen. I had to stop it — whatever the cost.
I rushed around the kitchen like a madwoman all day because today was a very important day — Kira was finally going to invite her fiancé and his parents over for dinner.
I had been dreaming about this moment for months, imagining how we would sit together, laugh at stories, and grow closer as future in-laws.
But for some reason, Kira kept putting it off, constantly making excuses. ‘They’re busy, Mum.’ ‘Another time, I promise.’ It didn’t make sense. What could be so difficult about introducing us?
But now she had no choice. Marcus had proposed. It was official. And that meant I would meet him and his family, whether she liked it or not.
Bradley sat at the table, flipping through the newspaper and watching me with interest.
‘Sit down for a minute, Jessica,’ he repeated.
I waved him off. ‘I don’t have time to sit down! The roast is in the oven, the table isn’t set, and the flowers… where are the flowers?’
As soon as I started setting the table, the doorbell rang. My heart pounded. This was it.
‘Oh my God, they’re here!’ I cried, tearing off my apron and throwing it on the counter.
Bradley barely looked up from his chair. ‘I’ll get it,’ he said, calm as ever.
‘No!’ I rushed over to him. ‘We have to greet them together!’
Bradley sighed, but stood up. I grabbed his arm and adjusted my dress, forcing myself to smile as brightly as possible.
‘Can I open it now?’ he asked.
I nodded.
Bradley opened the door. There stood Kira, beaming with excitement, her fiancé Marcus beside her, and behind them, his parents. My smile froze. My breath caught. My heart ached.
They were black.
I blinked, trying to comprehend what I was seeing. Thoughts swirled in my head. This was not what I had expected. I glanced at Bradley. His face had hardened.
‘Mum?’ Kira’s voice brought me back to reality. ‘Are you going to invite our guests inside?’
‘Yes, of course,’ I replied quickly, my voice tense. I stepped aside, letting them in.
I led them to the dining table, but my hands were shaking. My thoughts were racing. I needed time.
‘Excuse me,’ I said. “I need to bring out a few more dishes. Kira, come and help me.‘ I turned to Bradley. ’You too.”
Kira hesitated, but followed me. Bradley walked behind us.
As soon as the kitchen door closed, I turned to Kira.
‘Is there something you forgot to tell us?’
She frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Your fiancé is Black!’ The words came out before I could stop them.
‘Yes, Mum. I know.’ Her voice was calm, but her eyes hardened.
‘Why didn’t you tell us?’ I demanded.
‘Because I knew how you would react,’ she said, folding her arms. ‘Just give Marcus a chance. He’s a good man, and he has a wonderful family.’
Bradley’s voice cut through the air. ‘My daughter is not marrying a black man.’
‘That’s not for you to decide!’ Kira replied. Her voice trembled, but she stood firm. ‘Can you two behave normally for one night?’
Without another word, she left.
Bradley and I silently carried the dishes to the table. No one talked much during dinner, although Kira and Marcus did their best to keep the conversation going. The air felt heavy. Every bite tasted like nothing.
After dinner, Kira took out her childhood photo albums. She laughed as she showed Marcus the old pictures. I watched them from across the room, my stomach clenching.
Marcus’s mother, Betty, leaned over to me. ‘What do you think of them as a couple?’
I hesitated. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m not racist,’ I said, lowering my voice. ‘I just think Kira would be better off with someone… more like her.’
Betty nodded. ‘I completely agree. I don’t think they’re right for each other either. Marcus would be better off with someone who understands our… culture.’
I exhaled with relief. ‘You read my mind.’
Betty straightened up. ‘We can’t let this wedding happen.’
‘No, we can’t,’ I agreed.
From that day on, Betty and I formed an unspoken alliance.
We both wanted what was best for our children — or at least what we thought was best.
We argued about everything. Betty criticised Kira’s choice of dress, saying it wasn’t in keeping with their traditions.
I argued with Marcus about the menu, insisting that Kira wouldn’t be happy with his family’s preferences.
When it came to the church, Betty and I almost fell out. She wanted the ceremony to be held at their family church, and I wanted it to be at ours. We disagreed on the music, the guest list, even the seating arrangements.
But none of it worked. The more we insisted, the stronger Kira and Marcus became. Instead of seeing their differences, they only grew closer together.
So we had to be smarter.
I arranged a ‘harmless’ lunch for Kira with my colleague’s son, a polite young man with a stable career and good family values.
Meanwhile, Betty arranged for Marcus to meet a woman from their church who she thought was a ‘better match.’
Of course, we never called them dates. That would have aroused suspicion. We just needed them to show up.
That evening, we gathered at Betty and Rod’s house. Bradley and I arrived early, and while Betty and I whispered about our plan, I noticed something strange — Bradley and Rod were sitting in front of the TV, laughing over a few beers.
When Bradley was alone, I shouted, ‘What’s going on?’
He shrugged. ‘What? We’re rooting for the same team. Rod’s a good bloke.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘You should be on my side!’
‘Yes,’ he said, taking another sip.
I heard the front door open and slam shut. Heavy footsteps echoed through the house.
My heart pounded. I rushed into the living room, where Betty was already standing with her arms crossed and a tense expression on her face.
Kira and Marcus stood in front of us, their eyes burning with anger.
‘Are you out of your minds?!’ Marcus shouted, his voice trembling.
Kira turned to me, her face red. ‘Our wedding is in a week, and you’re asking me out on a date?’
I opened my mouth to speak, but Betty spoke first. ‘We just wanted what was best for you.’
Kira laughed bitterly. ‘Best for me? You think lying to me, deceiving me, humiliating me is what’s best?’
I took a deep breath. ‘You could both find someone more… suitable,’ I said, keeping my voice calm.
Kira tensed up. ‘I don’t care what colour his skin is! I love Marcus. I want to be with him.’
Marcus stepped forward. ‘And I love Kira. I don’t want to be with anyone else.’
I looked at Betty. She looked at me. We both stood silently.
‘We only did what we thought was right,’ I said finally.
‘That’s right,’ Betty agreed, nodding.
Kira shook her head, a hollow laugh escaping her lips. ‘You keep saying how different we are, that we can’t be together. But look at yourselves! You’re exactly the same. Stubborn, manipulative, always scheming.’ She turned to me, her voice sharp. ‘Mum, you spend more time with Betty than with your friends.’
I opened my mouth to reply. ‘You don’t understand…’
Kira cut me off. “No, you don’t understand! I’m marrying Marcus. Whether you like it or not. Accept it.‘ She turned, glancing at the sofa where Dad was sitting with Rod, watching the game and laughing as if nothing had happened. ’Even Dad is sitting here drinking beer with Rod. If he can accept it, why can’t you?”
I swallowed hard.
‘If you can’t deal with it, don’t come to the wedding,’ Kira said.
‘That goes for you too,’ Marcus said to Betty, his voice firm.
Then, without another word, they turned and walked out the door.
The silence that followed was thick. No one spoke. No one moved. After a minute, Bradley sighed deeply, turned off the television, and stood up. ‘It’s time to go,’ he muttered.
I saw the look in his eyes. Disappointment. Not in Kira. In me.
That week, I called Kira. I sent her a text message. No response. The silence dragged on.
On the night of the dinner rehearsal, I walked into the bedroom and saw Bradley tying his tie.
‘Where are you going?’ I asked.
‘To dinner rehearsal,’ he said, adjusting his collar.
‘You can’t go!’ I snapped.
He turned to me. His voice was calm, but his gaze was firm. ‘My only daughter is getting married, and I won’t miss it.’
Then he walked out the door.
I stood there staring at the empty space he left behind. My chest tightened.
Finally, I gave in. I found myself outside the restaurant, watching through the window. Kira and Marcus were moving among the guests, beaming, smiling, happy.
A familiar voice spoke beside me. ‘You couldn’t stay home either, could you?’
I turned around. Betty was standing next to me with her arms crossed.
‘I tried to catch them to apologise,’ she admitted. ‘But they’re too busy.’
I sighed. ‘We have to wait. We shouldn’t ruin their evening now.’
Betty exhaled sharply. ‘But we have to apologise. I want to be allowed to see my future grandson.’
I crossed my arms. ‘Granddaughter. In our family, girls are always born first.’
Betty snorted derisively. ‘Not in ours. We always have boys.’
For the first time in weeks, I laughed. We were already arguing about grandchildren who weren’t even here yet.
I looked at her. She looked at me.
‘Oh, we’re going to have our work cut out for us, mother-in-law,’ I said, shaking my head.
‘Tell me about it,’ Betty muttered.
Then she sighed as she looked at Kira and Marcus. ‘But as long as they’re happy, that’s what matters.’
I nodded, keeping my eyes on my daughter. She looked happier than ever.
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