She moved in closer, gesturing across the room.
Quietly, “There’s lipstick,” she said. “On Daddy’s sleeve. I saw that it was dark crimson.”
I followed her eyes. From where I stood, Richard was near the bar, conversing casually with a group of coworkers, his jacket buttoned correctly, and nothing out of place.
“Are you sure?” Trying to speak evenly, I asked.
“I saw him pull on his jacket really fast when he saw me looking,” she continued. “Mom, I’m no longer a baby. That’s cheating, isn’t it?”
My stomach knotted as she gazed up at me with wide, sincere eyes.
Stunned, I gazed at her. Behind me, the room buzzed, but all of a sudden, it felt too quiet.
She hurriedly added, “I don’t want you to be sad,” while examining her shoes. “I just thought you should know.”
“You did the right thing, Nattie-girl.” I cupped her face in my hands and knelt down to kiss her forehead. “Thank you for telling me, okay?”
Her chin quivered as she nodded.
I brought her over to my mother, who was standing close to the dessert table, and assured her that everything would be alright.
“Can you sit with her for a few minutes?” Quietly, I asked.
My mother looked at me worriedly but remained silent. Whispering something soft that I couldn’t hear, she put an arm around Natalie and drew her in.
I turned and moved in the direction of the dressing room hallway. I felt as though I was unable to breathe fully because my chest was constricted. Just outside the door, Richard was still grinning as if nothing had happened, talking to two of his coworkers.
“Richard,” I responded in a cool, collected tone. “May I speak with you for a moment?” “Somewhere private?”
He followed without question, but blinked. He was the first to enter the bridal suite after I opened the door and silently shut it behind us. Behind the heavy door, the ballroom’s faint hum subsided.
With a tense smile on his face, he inquired, “What’s going on?” “Everything okay?”
“Take off your jacket.”
