Page 106 of Dan.
38
Elise
If our homeestate is grand, then Oma’s estate is opulent, but the relief of arriving here and knowing that we are almost at the finish line of all of this eclipses any wonder I have of how gorgeously decorated everything is.
Dan hands the keys of his vintage convertible over to the valet, talking animatedly to some of the other guests, but I just can’t seem to focus on anything. Knowing that Mom is here, and has been for the last few days, is simply unbelievable to me. She and Dad were supposed to be this inseparable force, and I always thought that if we were able to persuade her to come to the wedding that Dad would eventually follow suit. Instead, he’s standing his ground, and our family continues to fracture further.
At least Andries will have his mother at his wedding. Small victories are better than none, I guess.
I loop my arm through Dan’s, admiring his tailored, casual navy blue suit and the ivory shirt beneath it that he’s left unbuttoned to display inches of bronze skin. “Have I told you that you look handsome tonight?”
He looks down at me and raises an eyebrow. “Only about six times. If you count the time you stripped the suit off me, then seven.”
I slap his arm as we ascend the curving stone stairs up to the tall wooden French doors, where two doormen pull them open for us. Directly inside is an older woman, her dark emerald green dress brushing the floor as she approaches us with arms outstretched, her silver-white hair pinned into a perfect chignon.
“Darling Elise,” Oma says, and I'm greeted by the warm smile of the woman who raised my mother and has always been a constant source of comfort and love in my life. She takes my hands and looks me over adoringly before pulling me into an embrace, smelling a sophisticated fragrance and whatever expensive champagne she’s been drinking. Margaret might seem like a cutthroat, fearless, woman to a lot of people, but to Andries, myself, and the rest of my siblings, she’s just Oma, and after all the turmoil of the last few days, I’m so glad to see her face and the acceptance that she radiates.
“And Daniel,” she croons, moving on from me to take Dan in an equally warm hug. He looks over her shoulder at me, amused if slightly confused before Oma pulls away and pats him on both cheeks. “What a lovely couple the two of you make. Come, come, I’ve had the staff prepare a room for you, and they’ll be bringing your luggage up shortly.”
Dan and I are both a little taken aback when she gives us a shared guest bedroom, looking at each other as we follow her down the marble floor hallway. Oma doesn’t say it out loud, but I’m sure that Dan and I both understand her message––she knows we are together, and she’s perfectly fine with it. We’ve run into surprisingly little pushback from family besides Andries, but knowing that Oma approves is the highest form of acceptance we’ve received yet. A smile plays over my face at that thought.
She leads us to the cozy room, which is tastefully decorated and has a comfortable bed that seems to be calling out to us, inviting us to take a rest. We both thank her but before she leaves us, Oma pauses. “Dan, would you mind going to make sure that the staff is bringing your things up?”
He looks like he’s about to question her request, but once he sees the way she’s standing next to me with her hand resting lightly on my shoulder, he understands that she wants to talk to me alone, and nods his head in acknowledgment. “Absolutely. I’ll be right back.”
Once he’s gone, Oma turns to me and starts to tell me that my mother is in her own bedroom and that I should go see her. She sits on the edge of the bed, smoothing her dress and patting the spot next to her for me to join her.
“Your mother is having a hard time, my dear. You and I both know that she did the right thing for all you children by coming here, but I believe she’s having some trouble seeing it that way.” She sighs, patting my knee. “That Sebastian has been a piece of work since day one, but Julia loves him, so we have to make do. For today, though, she could use some moral support before the welcoming reception starts.”
I fight the urge to pick at the hem of my skirt, folding my hands in my lap instead. “Do you think there’s still a chance that Dad might come around?”
“I can’t say, Elise. That will be between Sebastian, Julia, and Andries. All you can do right now is let your mother know that she’s not alone. Why don’t you go and see her?”
“I will,” I promise. “I’ll head to her room as soon as Dan gets back.”
“Good. Thank you.” She leans over and gives me another quick hug and peck on the cheek before standing. “I will see you outside, alright? Don’t get too distracted with your date,” she teases.
“Yes, Oma.” I laugh, watching her walk out of the room. It’s so nice to be here, and I just hope that I can make sure my mom feels the same way.
About thirty minutes later, I find myself outside of my mother’s room, knocking on the frame of the closed door, announcing myself through the barrier so she knows it’s just me.
“Come in,” she calls from within, and I turn the knob on the unlocked door and enter.
I find my mother sitting on the edge of her bed, the fluffy duvet and pillows a mess, as if she had just been laying down even though she’s dressed for the party. My mother is looking tenser than I've seen her in a while, even more so than when Johan and I confronted her about talking to the prosecutor, and it worries me. Logically I know that walking away from Dad must be traumatizing for her, but seeing the weight of it on my mother’s shoulders is much different from imagining it.
I can immediately tell that something is wrong. My mother, who is normally so poised and put together, is looking a little disheveled and her eyes are red and puffy like she has been crying. I sit down next to her on the bed, heart hurting for this woman that I love so much. She’s been so brave, going against Dad like this, and all she’s gotten in return thus far is hurt.
I reach over and hug her tightly, feeling her body relax just a little bit in my arms. “How are you holding up, Mom?” I ask her, hoping to ease her nerves.
“I’m fine,” she says, but I can tell she’s not telling me the whole truth. “It’s just a bit overwhelming, with so many people staying here at your Oma’s estate.”
I frown, knowing that the amount of guests probably has very little to do with her downtrodden mood. “Is that really all, Mom?”
She lets out a heavy sigh, standing and running her hands over her powder blue silk dress as she paces. “You know it isn’t, Elise, but what else is there to say? Your father is determined to ruin everything, and there is little that I can do about it at this point.”
“Are you sure that he won’t just forgive and forget once the wedding is over?” I ask hopefully, but she shuts me down almost immediately.
“I don’t think so, my love. He’s bound and determined to side with Karl for the sake of his company and tear down everything he and I have ever built together, so I’m not feeling very hopeful that there will be anything left of our marriage to come back to after all of this.” She discreetly taps the tears from the corners of her eyes with a tissue before crumpling it in her hand. “I… I’m considering a divorce, Elise.”