the family jewels

donna

Donna stood on her grandma's porch, head buried in her hands.
They were so excited about her wedding. So fucking excited.
So why wasn't she?
Hearing the screen door squeak open, she quickly looked up. Neal smiled awkwardly at her, taking a seat in the closest foldout chair. "Hey, Donna," he quietly said.
Donna didn't cry in front of other people, but she was coming mighty close. "Hey," she said, her voice trembling.
"So that kid in there," Neal began, nodding towards the house. "He's who you picked?"
Donna gave a shaky smile. "Do you pick who you fall in love with?"
Neal raised an eyebrow. "Do you love him?"
It was a good question. No one had ever asked her that before.
Lips sealed together, she shook her head.
"Then why are you getting married?" he whispered, so gentle it made her chest ache.
"Why did Gramma marry Grandpa J?" Donna asked, locking eyes with the man. Blue eyes, all of them.
Neal's face fell, his few stress lines suddenly prominent. "That, I, no-Donna, how much do you know about their marriage?"
She smiled sadly, smoothing her red skirt out. "Enough. I understand why you left, and I understand why my mother is always so paranoid, and I understand why Aunt Louise never takes the stairs."
The color drained from Neal's face. "Has Brian ever hurt you?"
Donna shook her head, blonde hair falling over her shoulders. "Nope," she said, popping the ending. "But I understand my roots. I need someone to support me, someone to take care of my family. If one of us gets sick, we need to be able to afford treatment. Brian comes from old money, he'll always take care of things," she sighed wistfully. That was the dream, the ultimate life goal. "I won't ever be scared like that again."
Neal rested a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to do this. I promise, it's ok, no one will be mad at you for not getting married to the nearest man with a full wallet."
Donna looked away, gazing out at the pink and blue sky. Like cotton candy. Callie loved cotton candy.
"Have you ever been in love, Uncle Neal?"
He shifted in his chair, following her gaze to the clouds. "No, I don't think so."
She smiled, closing her eyes. "Neither have I," she muttered. "I don't have much of a desire to. I really just want a stable life, with a nice bed and a full bookshelf and the comfort that my family is safe. He can give me all that and more."
Quietly, Neal said, "Does he love you?"
She fluttered her eyes open. A bird flew from the tree.
Freedom was such a foreign concept, one she wouldn't understand if it hit her on the head. "No, but I'm pretty, so the lie is believable. He likes the Havan girl across the street."
It was going to be ok. It was all going to be ok.