Chapter 4 - The Confrontation
Grant choked on his breath. "You’re here? Where are you? Why didn't you come straight to the resort? Karin has rooms set aside at the staff lodge near the marina."
My blood ran cold. "The staff lodge?"
"It’s totally fine, Mal! It’s clean, it’s close to the venue, and the primary suites were reserved for investors and the bridal party. Russell covered the catering, so we had to make concessions. Just get an Uber and come over right now. The photographer has twenty minutes before the sunset light fades, and Russell wants the photo of Dad in his suit for the morning press release."
"Dad isn't a prop for your press release, Grant," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "And Mom isn't going to sleep in a staff quarter while you parade around as a self-made prince."
"What is your problem?!" Grant hissed into the phone, clearly stepping away from the party into a quieter hallway. "You’ve always been like this! You always find a way to make everything about you! This wedding is the biggest break of my entire career! If Russell’s partners think my family is unreliable, it ruins the whole partnership! Get Mom and Dad over here right now!"
"If you want to see Mom and Dad, Grant, you can drive to Kapalua," I told him. "We are having dinner on our balcony. If you want to hug your mother before your wedding, our door is open. But we will not be your background decor."
I hung up the phone.
Inside the suite, Mom was standing near the fruit platter, her eyes wide. She had heard enough of the conversation to understand. "Was that Grant?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Is he... is he ashamed of us, Mallory?"
That single question crushed me. My mother had spent her life being kind, humble, and quiet. She had never asked for designer bags or expensive vacations. She was proud of her husband's calloused hands and proud of the modest home they had built. To hear her wonder if her own flesh and blood looked down on her was more than I could bear.
Dad stepped out of the bedroom, dressed in his charcoal suit. He had pressed the trousers himself with the hotel iron. He looked tall, dignified, and undeniably handsome.
May you like
"Elaine," Dad said firmly, taking her hand. "Listen to me. We raised a boy to stand on his own two feet. If he’s forgotten where the ground is, that’s his mistake, not ours. Tonight, we celebrate us. We celebrate thirty-eight years of marriage, and we celebrate our daughter who brought us to paradise."
We spent that evening on the terrace, eating fresh mahi-mahi and watching the stars come out over the ocean. We didn't check the family chat. We didn't look at social media. For one night, the Fisher family was whole, even without the brother who had traded his soul for an invitation to high society.
