Legally Wed: A Lawyers in Love Novella (5 page)

“About what? The divorce? Oh it’s no big deal. When Ira and I were both full-time litigators we got along. Retired, we don’t get along. Who’s doing the ceremony, Rabbi Stein?”

“We haven’t discussed it,” I said numbly.

“Well, of course it will be Rabbi Stein,” Mrs. Roth replied.

“Mom, don’t you think Adam and Lily …” Abby spoke up.

“He’s known them since they were babies, honey! Nomi Stein would be crushed if her husband didn’t marry them.” I started to sweat.

“What month are we talking?” my mother went on. She was on a roll.

“How about June?” Deb suggested.

“June works for me,” the Ice Queen agreed.

“Shouldn’t you ask Adam and Lily what works for them?” Abby tried again.

“Abby darling, we don’t want to put this off, but don’t forget, no weddings between Passover and Shavuot,” her mother answered. I started to itch. It might have been hives.

“They’ll have to meet with him to go over all the pre-marriage details,” Judith went on.

“What details?” I asked. All I knew about the process was what I had learned years ago in Hebrew school, and I didn’t remember most of it.

“The expectations and obligations of marriage,” Deb informed me.

“It will all be in the marriage contract too, but at a minimum, Adam’s supposed to feed you, clothe you and take care of your sexual needs,” Abby reminded me.

“Sounds like a good deal,” I muttered.

“We’ll make sure you get a beautiful ketubah,” Mrs. Roth beamed, referring to the actual contract we would sign at the wedding. There were so many designs. It would be displayed in our home for the rest of our lives. I had to find the perfect one! No pressure! I felt like I might need a paper bag to breathe into.

This conversation between my mother and Adam’s mother continued for what felt like years, as they worked out the details of our wedding. I hoped they remembered to invite us. Finally, Abby gestured for me to join her and the two of us ducked into the kitchen together.

“Hey, are you okay? You look kind of sick,” she asked kindly.

“My mother has that effect on me. She stresses me out.”

“Yeah, mine too. I love her with all my heart, but she drives me crazy sometimes. Remember that this day is for you and Adam, not anybody else.”

“That’s what my friends told me too. It’s hard, though, because I know how much it means to your mom and I really want to make her happy. I won’t bother with trying to please my mother. She’ll never be happy with anything I do.”

“Maybe that’s why you’re so anxious. You’re too worried about failing to please other people.” Abby was a smart cookie.

“You’re right. I need to stand up for myself. I can do it. I have support from my friends, and Adam comforts me when I get too overwhelmed.”

She snorted. “Sorry, it’s just so weird. He’s my little brother, and he’s
Adam
, you know?”

“Yeah, it’s even weird for me sometimes because he’s Adam, and I’m me, and we battled each other all through school.”

“We all knew that he had a crush on you, though, and we’re all glad that you’re going to be our sister.” She gave me a warm look and I became emotional.

“I’m glad, too,” I said, my voice cracking. Abby reached out and hugged me, and I hugged her back tightly.

“You and I are close in age, and we’re both lawyers,” she said, letting me go after a few seconds. “We should hang out more. Right now we should get back in there, though, before they choose your kids’ colleges.”

“I agree. I need to put my foot down, or they’ll roll right over me.” I marched back into the living room and faced the mothers.

“This is my wedding, and this is what I want,” I announced, squaring my shoulders. “First, it will be a traditional Jewish wedding, with Rabbi Stein, who has known us since we were kids. Secondly, it will be whenever and wherever we decide, but you can give us your input. Third, you can handle the details if you want, but I get final approval of everything.”

“Okay,” my mother replied.

“Okay?” I asked, dubiously.

“Okay,” she repeated.

“Okay!” I smiled confidently. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m kind of tired too.”

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Roth said sweetly. “Don’t worry about anything. We’ll get on this, and we’ll make sure that you approve of everything. It is your wedding after all.”

I wasn’t sure how I had won that round so easily, but I wasn’t going to question it. Of course, it dawned on me later, that what I had asked for, was what they wanted too, but it didn’t matter, as long as Adam and I were happy. The fact that it would also make them happy, was just a nice perk.

My hives went away at the same time my mother did. Coincidence? I think not. I went into the bedroom where Adam was curled up on his side asleep, hugging my pillow. He looked so sweet and innocent. Looks could be so deceiving.

I walked quietly over to the bed and sat down slowly so as not to disturb him. I was planning to read, but I couldn’t help just watching him like that for a few minutes and thinking about how much he meant to me. A little curl had fallen onto his forehead and I reached out, ever so gently, to brush it back. Then he spoke up and nearly gave me a stroke.

“Why are you watching me sleep?” I jumped and yanked my hand back with a yelp. What, did he have freaking ESP?

“Because I love you, you schmuck. How did you know with your eyes closed?”

“I’m aware of everything you do in bed,” he answered, opening his eyes and smiling at me. “Did they go home?”

“Yeah, but not before pushing me to the edge of a nervous breakdown. I stood up to them, and held my ground, but I think I need sex again.”

“Again? Are you trying to cripple me? At this rate they’re going to have to carry me up the aisle.”

“It comforts and calms me, even when we’re wild. Orgasm is a great physical release of tension and I like that you’re bigger and stronger than me. It’s probably a psychological thing or maybe some primal instinct. Who knows? Is it a problem?”

“Hell no, believe me, Lilith, I’m not complaining, but I don’t like seeing you all stressed out. If you want me to tell everybody to just leave us alone…”

“No, Adam. I’m going to make sure that we have exactly the day we want, if it kills me, but I do still want them to be involved. Are you saying you’ve reached your comfort limit for now though?” I traced a finger up along his bicep.

“Are you kidding me? Baby, we haven’t come close to my limit.” And with that, he gave me a sexy smile, rolled me onto my back, and comforted me again. Twice.

We eventually went over to my place, where my mother had arrived, and upon seeing my building, had immediately begun trying to find somewhere else to stay. Luckily, that meant she was too occupied pushing buttons on her phone to judge and bitch the whole time we were there.

Adam and I gathered all of his stuff, and a whole bunch of mine, and making several trips, managed to semi-move me in with him. I would have to decide what to do with all of my furniture. I would also have to find a corner to write in at his place. I hadn’t worked on my current novel in a couple of weeks. At least I finally had clean undies again.

We didn’t feel up to going out that night, so we just picked up takeout on the way home and decided to watch a movie. We were just deciding which one, when I got a call from my friend Bruce.

“Jason has to pull a double shift at the hospital tonight. Entertain me.”

“Entertain you how?” I asked, mouthing “Bruce” to Adam, who nodded with understanding.

“What are you doing tonight?”

“We were just going to watch a movie.”

“Don’t start without me. I’ll be right there.” He clicked off.

“Wait! Bruce! I’m at Adam’s!” But it was too late. I tried calling him back but it went straight to voicemail. “Great, Bruce is headed to my place for entertainment.”

“Hope that he finds your mother entertaining,” Adam said, flipping through channels and pausing on some sports talk show.

“Oh my God! That’s right. I have to warn him.” I tried calling again but he still wasn’t picking up. I sighed.

“She won’t even be there anymore. She’s probably at the Marriott by now. He’ll figure it out when he gets there and nobody’s home.”

“You’re right. Although, I’m sure that the experience of having visited my apartment will be worth it to her, since she’ll have something else to judge me about forever.”

“Ignore her. You don’t need her approval.” I sat down next to him, giving him a loving squeeze. “The only opinion that matters is mine.” I poked him in the ribs. “Hey! Watch it.” He laughed.

We just sat and cuddled while he watched Sports Center, or whatever it was, and I read. I felt myself truly relaxing for the first time in a long time. An hour later, Bruce returned my call.

“Buzz me up,” was all he said before clicking off. When Adam swung the door open five minutes later, an irate-looking gay man glared at us from the hall.

“Hey, Bruce. How’s it going?” Adam asked with a smile.

“You didn’t tell me that your mother was in town.” He put his hands on his hips and gave me his best pouty face. Then he stomped his foot for good measure. Yes, actually stomped his foot. Of late, Bruce had been very Bette Davis. I’m not sure what had led him to unleash his inner-gay stereotype, but he was playing it to the hilt.

“She was still there? I tried to warn …” I began as he stormed past us.

“I can’t believe you’ve never introduced me to such a charming woman!” I furrowed my brow, searching his face for a hint of sarcasm but amazingly there wasn’t one.

“Did you say charming?” I asked, thinking I must have misunderstood him.

“I showed up at your hovel and found her there. At first I just thought it was you looking really haggard, but she introduced herself properly and the two of us had the best chat! I can’t believe you just abandoned her to the ghetto.”

“Abandoned her?”

“Did you know that she was in labor with you for twenty-three hours?”

“I’m going to be getting another work-out, aren’t I,” Adam asked, looking resigned.

“So, of course, we got around to planning your wedding.”

“Of course,” I mumbled through gritted teeth.

“Let me eat some more first, Lily. I need the calories for energy,” Adam pleaded.

We sat listening to Bruce go on about the most “brilliant” wedding planner ever to walk the face of the Earth, someone named Mr. Jonathan. The way Bruce described him, Mr. Jonathan could design the wedding of century while curing cancer and splitting the atom.

As it turned out, my mother’s former law firm had done some work for him and he owed her a favor. Bruce was practically peeing his pants with excitement about the prospect of getting to observe the maestro up close. I had a feeling that was why he was so charmed by the Ice Queen.

“So, this guy Jonathan is a genius at weddings,” Adam said. “Maybe we should just let him do everything. We can just show up and not worry about it.”

“Oh, he’ll want your input. Part of his genius is matching the event to the couple. He’ll want to interview you and get a feel for your entire relationship together, and then he’ll suggest a unifying theme.”