His father, Richard, mostly observed. Occasionally, he’d ask questions that sounded like they came from a job interview—income, education, plans. When Mia mentioned working toward a promotion, Eleanor tilted her head. “Ambitious, that’s nice,” she said, voice sugar-coated with disbelief. “I suppose you’ll still have time to manage a household.”
By dessert, Mia already knew this was an assessment. She was being measured against some invisible checklist, and no matter how graciously she spoke or smiled, she wasn’t ticking the right boxes. Still, she told herself that Daniel’s love, and not his family’s approval, was what ultimately mattered.