Promotion

24. Sharing is not caring

"Misty is my youngest daughter." Edward put down the cup of coffee. "This is the last thing I'd be doing for her as her father so I'd appreciate if you let us handle this, Delia."

"Well, Ash is the only son I have." Delia put her hands on her lap. "He's the last memory I have left of my husband so he's everything to me."

"We get that." He laughed a bit. "But we'd like to do this for Misty."

"I'd like to do this for Ash."

Mr. Williams leaned back. "You know what they say. It's the bride who pays for the wedding."

"In our culture, it's the groom who pays for the wedding." Delia nodded.

"We could split this in half, then." Cassie looked between her husband and Delia.

"My son is not splitting in half his wedding charges with his wife! What would the people of the town say about us? My son can't pay for his wedding on his own and had his in-laws pay for him?"

Edward retorted. "I'm paying of it—all of it! I'm paying for every single bit of this wedding because it's my last gift to my daughter!"

"We can pay for this wedding on our own! We don't need your help!"

"This is not help! This is my duty over my youngest daughter!"

"And this is my duty over my only son!"

"You talk about Ash as if he was a little boy! He's forty!"

"He's only thirty-six!"

"I-I think we can come to an agree-"

"Shut up, Cassie." Edward cut her off. He leaned forward and shot Delia a glare. "I'll pay for this wedding. You can tell everyone you paid for it. How's that?"

"No." She replied dryly.

"This is not how it works." Edward shook his head. "You should let the rich pay!"

"Exactly." Delia nodded. "My son is rich, so we will pay."

"That's nice! We'd let him pay for the honeymoon, then!"

"My son is paying for the honeymoon and the wedding."

"You speak in Ash's name and you don't even know if he's willing to pay or not!"

"This is a Ketchum family matters! Even if my son can't afford this wedding on his own, the only one who can help him is me, his mother!"

"You are taking this badly." Edward tried to soften her. "We're family too! We're big one family right now. We should accept each other's support!"

"They're here! Change the subject." Cassie gestured to the door that was getting unlocked from outside.

Edward grabbed his phone and Delia picked up her cup of tea.

"Hi Misty." Cassie greeted her daughter. "You took too long!"

"It was a good walk." She and Ash were chuckling. They were looking at each other all the time, smiling. Misty put her purse on the counter. Ash sat down on the single sofa seat and put his foot on his thigh. "Uhm."

"Tell us what's making you so happy!"

"What's this question, Cassie..." Edward muttered. "They're getting married soon."

"Actually, we're happier today." Misty and Ash looked at each other again. The redhead sat on the chair's arm and they held hands.

"That's nice to hear." Cassie looked at Edward and at Delia. "Isn't it?"