Chapter 4
The host took the stage, reminding everyone to take their seats, while the staff in charge of the ceremony came over to get us ready for the baptism ritual.
According to the plan, David and I were supposed to go up on stage with Max, pour the water drops on him, and then both sets of parents would give their blessings.
Max's name was kept in a red silk box, which Mrs. Harper had been holding onto the whole time.
Before we went on stage, Mrs. Harper handed the box to Elaine.
"Hold onto this for now, and help pass it along when the time comes," she said.
I reached out. "Give it to my mom."
Mrs. Harper frowned. "It's just passing something along. What does it matter who holds it?"
"This is something my mom prepared for Max," I said.
"I know. Your mom's going to be up on stage soon, so it's just easier for Elaine to pass it along," Mrs. Harper replied.
Elaine held the silk box, her eyes rimmed with tears once again.
"Sophia, I'm only trying to help," she said, her voice trembling.
My gaze fell on the lily brooch pinned to her chest.
"Then hand me back the brooch first," I said.
She looked like she'd just been slapped in front of everyone, her face going ghostly pale.
David muttered under his breath, "It's just a brooch. We'll deal with it after the party."
"She's wearing the mom's brooch," I said.
"Everyone knows you're the mom," David replied.
"Even the photographer got it wrong just now," I shot back.
David's breath caught, his patience finally snapping. "Sophia, are you seriously going to air our dirty laundry for everyone to see today?"
The host called our names from the stage, and applause filled the banquet hall.
My mom walked over, took the silk box from Elaine, and then reached out to take the lily brooch off her chest.
"This is my daughter's brooch," my mom said, her voice firm.
Her fingers shook as she gently pinned the brooch back onto my dress.
"Sophia, go on up," she urged.
I walked toward the stage, holding Max in my arms.
David followed behind me, his face cold and stormy.
Halfway through the ceremony, Max suddenly started crying.
He'd just woken up, and the bright lights in the banquet hall made him cry even harder, his little face turning bright red. I held him close, soothing him with gentle pats, while the host paused the ceremony to wait.
David reached out, saying, "Let me hold him."
But Max just cried even harder.
Elaine, standing off to the side, said quietly, "Maybe he's hungry? He was chewing on the blanket earlier when I was holding him."
Of course I knew Max was hungry.
Before we went on stage, I'd already reminded David we couldn't let the ceremony run too long. Max needed to eat every two hours. But because we had to wait for Elaine to show up, we ended up starting forty minutes late.
I was about to take Max to the nursery.
David leaned in and whispered, "Come on, let's just get through the last part of the ceremony."
"Max is hungry," I said.
"Can't you wait five more minutes?" David pressed.
Max was crying so hard he started coughing.
I ignored David and walked off the stage with Max in my arms.
Behind me, the host was desperately trying to keep things from falling apart, and the applause fizzled out, awkward and uneven. As I reached the bottom of the steps, Elaine stepped right in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.
Elaine said, "Sophia, let me take him for a minute. Why don't you stay and finish the ceremony?" She looked anxious, trying to help but clearly unsure if she was doing the right thing.
"He needs to nurse," I said.
"I can give him formula," Elaine replied.
She said it so naturally, like she always made decisions for me without even asking.
I walked around her and headed for the door.
David called out behind me, "Sophia."
I didn't turn around.
Once the nursery door shut, the music outside felt miles away. I slipped open the side clasp of my dress to feed Max, and when his little foot kicked my scar, the pain hit so hard everything went dark for a moment.
Max calmed down almost instantly.
I looked down at his little face, watching him suckle with all his might, and tears fell onto his soft hair.
My phone buzzed a few times.
First, some photos from the party popped up in the family group chat, and then my mom sent me a message.
She sent me a group photo.