The woman standing in front of him looking at him in amazement and bewilderment was so much like Deanna; the same hair, eyes, even the posture of her body. And the same incredulous look. She was only about 10 years older than him, she looked less. The other woman, on the other hand, had a huge smile on her face, white hair and a happy expression. Intimidated, Daniel Crusher was intimidated.
When Deanna told them that she had married, why and to whom, his mother turned pale, screamed, sulked and ranting. Her grandmother, on the other hand, kept congratulating her and fussing.
-He'd better come and show his face," her mother said.
-Yes, yes, bring him in, Deanna! I want to see my new grandson.
They were behind the restaurant, which was separated from the small house by a small garden of aromatic herbs. They sat at the table, Deanna next to Daniel, holding his hand under the tablecloth. They had prepared coffee and some sandwiches, but no one was drinking or eating. Philippa stared at him unblinkingly, suspiciously. If Camilla could be reckless, Deanna's mother was worse.
- How old did you say you were? -
- 40 - Daniel answered.
- And what does you do? -
- I'm a businessman -
- Mom, I already told you all this... -
- Never mind, I want to hear it again -
- Philippa, stop questioning him... At least he's handsome -
- Grandma! -
- Well, it's true, Deanna. I have a handsome grandson -
Daniel smiled at her. Now he knew where his wife's freedom of expression came from.
-Look, I'll be honest with you. I don't like what my daughter is doing at all. She was studying, she was doing more than well, she dropped out and now she's going to fall a year behind. Her last year -
- I will personally see to it that she finishes her studies. Deanna can go back to college whenever she wants, you don't have to worry about that.
- You two got married behind our backs.
- That was my decision, Mom.
- You have 3 children who surely won't be much younger than her-
- That's right, Ethan, Naomi and Jonathan.
- And now they're "trying" to see if it really works -
- Yes -
- How would you react if your daughter told you all that? -
- Probably like you, or worse. I can only assure you that my intentions with Deanna are not dishonest. While it started out as a lie, it is no more -
- Of course you're going to tell us that -
- You're right. All I can do is prove with actions that I'm serious about your daughter. I'm not the kind of man who takes a commitment lightly, I never was and I don't intend to start now -
- What do your children have to say about all this? At least the older ones must have an opinion about it -
- My kids love Deanna, all three of them. But especially the youngest, he has a distinct connection to her. They don't know the real reason we got married and I don't think they need to know yet. My house became a home again when she came into our lives, for that alone I am more than grateful.
She changed everyone's essence, but most of all she changed mine.
- My Deanna is an angel, she always was, since she was a little girl - Grandma told her.
- I know it, believe me I know it.
- Philippa, daughter, this man is hopelessly in love, stop questioning him -
But Philippa had her doubts, she was suspicious. Her own story was argument enough to support her suspicions about Daniel. Deanna's father had been a man like him, a wealthy man, with all the money, the same manners; just seeing him made her remember him.
She had been very young when she met him in that very restaurant. He would stop by almost every day for lunch with a group of college classmates. As time went by they started chatting, he used to stay a little longer after everyone left. One night he showed up alone, told her that he liked her, that she was pretty and that he wanted to go out with her. Philippa was very uncertain, but in the end she took him on a date. Then they turned into more outings; he introduced her to his friends as his girlfriend; he would tell her that he wanted to marry her when he finished studying. They were in love.
But his love was not strong enough to withstand the pressures of his family; how could he marry her when she was just a young girl from a small restaurant? They already had the ideal woman he should marry. "It's a meaningless affair of youth," his mother had told him. "Forget all your comforts if you marry her, I won't give you anything," his father had threatened him.
The unconditional love he had for her was, in reality, tied to many conditions. It broke her heart, he had to leave her. And he did not hesitate to do so, one day he simply disappeared. Philippa tried to reach him several times; until she realized that he himself refused to see her. And Deanna was already growing in her womb.
A coward, a liar, more afraid of losing privileges than love to give. Her pregnancy was painful, watching a baby grow inside her who would be born without her father; the reminder of her hurting heart. But Deanna arrived and the first cry erased all that grief. She worked double time at the restaurant, while Grandma took care of the little girl.
When she grew old enough to ask about her dad, Philippa was elusive. All she got to know about him was from her grandmother, "That man, your daddy, broke your mommy's heart." It was more than enough for Deanna to understand and she never asked about him again. She had her mom and her grandmother, she didn't need anything else. Even as an adult she wasn't curious about who he was or where he was, he simply hadn't existed in her life.
Now this other man, very much like him, shows up at her house to tell her that he was her daughter's husband. Of course she was angry, convinced that Deanna would go through the same thing. When the pressure became unbearable, he would discard her. When his wife's humble origins were pointed out or mocked, he wouldn't stand for it. And she, too, would be heartbroken, deluded child. As she had been.
But Daniel was adamant, he was very different from Deanna's father. He would never back down, he would not flinch, he would not be intimidated or allow anyone to disrespect his wife. He was willing to stand up for what he felt to anyone. The only one who could end the relationship they had was Deanna, and he would still do anything to keep her.
She didn't let go of his hand for a moment, giving it little squeezes at times to let him know she was with him. She kept her face raised before the arguments her mother threw out, convinced of how she felt about him. Her mother would look into her eyes, looking to find a trace of doubt in them, but she didn't see a single one. She knew those eyes all too well.
Finally, Philippa had no choice but to accept them, just as they were: together and in love. Deanna was willful, fighting, smart, and she knew she wouldn't let herself be walked over by anyone. If he dumped her or discarded her she could always go home. But first, Philippa would take it upon herself to put him in his place and embarrass him in front of anyone.
The grandmother was extremely excited about her brand new grandson. And she expressed it to her daughter when Daniel and Deanna left.
- "I knew our little girl would find a good man to marry -" she said.
- How do you know he's a good man, Mom? Calmly all this coming to introduce himself could have been just another charade -
- Because if my Deanna is in love with him that means he's worthy of that love. You know well how she is, she can be very optimistic about life, but she has her feet firmly planted on the ground. She wouldn't make that decision to go on if she wasn't sure -
- Couldn't he be a bit younger? He has three children! My goodness... -
- There's no age for love, those prejudices are out of fashion Philippa, I'm surprised you still think that way. In my time it was very common, your father was 20 years older than me. And what's wrong with me having 3 children? They can have more if they want. You're stuck in time, daughter -
Philippa was astonished by that answer. Deep down she was sure that Deanna would not have an "idyllic romance."