"I mean, sure, the bride price is pretty much covered, and we bought the place. But we still don't have the money for renovations. Plus, the wedding itself is going to cost a lot."
"How about we wait one more year?"
Wait. Again.
He'd said these things before. I'd never thought much of it, but now every word sounded like a stalling tactic.
When I didn't respond, Marvin walked over and tugged gently at my hand.
"Just a little longer."
"Rosie, I don't want your parents looking down on me."
"I want to marry you properly. Give you the wedding you deserve."
That one offhand remark my parents had made years ago had become the biggest obstacle to our marriage.
And the most convenient excuse Marvin ever had.
What he didn't know was that my parents couldn't have cared less about the money.
Our family wasn't short on cash.
This past holiday season, my parents had already relented. I just hadn't gotten around to telling him.
They wouldn't keep a single dollar of the bride price. And the trousseau they'd give us would be worth several times what we'd saved over the years.
"Okay," I said.
My heart sank, bit by bit, into stillness.