Rainn sat in the restaurant with Jack by her side, her palms intertwined. She could feel a nervous sweat break on her forehead. Jack had reserved a booth for them so they could have privacy with his mother. He placed a reassuring arm around Rainn and felt her letting out nervous gasps from time to time.

“It’s all going to be fine.” Jack said comfortingly.

“Easy for you to say, she is after all your mother” Rainn answered. Her senses were much more alert and she listened to the various sounds that were going on around her.

“Relax!” Jack said again for the millionth time that day.

“What if she doesn’t like me?”

“She will love you that I am sure of.” Jack answered and placed a reassuring arm around her.

“How do I look?”

“Dazzling, nothing short of amazing,” Jack answered as he went on to throw a look at Rainn’s outfit. He had picked out the outfit for her and loved that he was spot on with the color that he had chosen.

Rainn had on a royal purple chiffon dress that was strapless and looked very stylish. She had a light shade of make up on that Jack had asked a makeup and hair stylist to take care of, with her hair up in a tight bun. She had a platinum low heel shoe to match, with an equally platinum purse to complement the entire outfit. He was also equally nervous about Rainn meeting his mother. Jack was all nerves but hid it very well. The waiter walked in and Rainn could tell from the distant footsteps and from the low heel manly shoe that it was not Jack’s mother.

“Can I take your order now?” he asked. He had his hands to his chest and humbly waited for the couple’s response.

“We are still waiting on someone but you can have the duck breast prepared, she should not be long”, Jack said.

“Any wine? Champagne perhaps?” the waiter went on to ask.

“Yes please.” Jack nodded “Champagne should be a wonderful fit for the occasion”.

Rainn heard the waiter walk out of the private booth slowly and held her breath. She was still nervous and felt her throat go dry, she was just about to suggest to Jack to order some stilled water before she heard them; strong feminine steps walking towards the door. From the short strides that she was taking, Rainn could tell that she commanded attention from the room. She could hear Jack freeze once the steps halted on the doorway. The attitude in the room suddenly changed and so did Jack’s demeanor.

“Good afternoon, mother.” Jack said and walked towards the door. For the first time in their relationship, Jack thanked God that Rainn was blind and could not see the dirty look that his mother threw her way.

“Good afternoon, son” she said. Rainn could tell that they had exchanged warm greetings and a slight peck was planted on her cheek. She automatically scrambled to her feet and waited for the introduction. She could feel her looking her way and was not so sure if she liked her.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Rainn politely greeted and was sure that she had let out her most dazzling smile. She was so humble that she had to stop herself from curtseying.

She heard Jack’s mother walk over to her and accepted the handshake that she had offered.

“Good afternoon.” she replied and pulled back the seat that had strategically been placed opposite them.

Jack was by her side in a minute and helped her to take her seat as well.

“Jack has told me so much about you.” Rainn began “I was really looking forward to meeting you ma’am”.

“Funny, Jack has mentioned nothing about you to me.” she answered “And you can call me Selina, all this ma’am business is making me feel old”.

“Ok.” Rainn answered meekly and placed her sweaty hand on her knee under the table.

“I am mentioning it now, mother.” Jack retorted. He did not like how his mother was on Rainn’s case and wished that she could stop badgering her.

“Is that what we have come to Jack? We don’t tell each other anything anymore?”

Jack was saved by the waiter who walked in at the right time and he decided to evade his question.

“Should I bring out the meal now, sir?” he asked politely.

“Yes please.”

Jack then turned to his mother as he watched the waiter leave the room. “I ordered your favorite, mother. The duck breast.”

“I am not hungry, Jack.” she answered curtly and watched as the waiter walked in with a bucket of ice and a champagne bottle in the middle of it.

“But I will certainly have a drink,” she answered once she spotted the champagne and smiled up to the waiter who was pouring her a glass.

Rainn had by now gotten the message from the mood in the room all too clear now. She knew that Selina did not like her and Jack was trying all in his power to neutralize her words and her nasty demeanor.

Selina all of a sudden turned her attention to Rainn and this caught her unawares.

“So Rainn, what do you want from my son?” she asked after downing a flute of champagne and offering the waiter a smile.

“I beg your pardon?” Rainn answered timidly.

“I thought blind people listen better than everyone else.” she said rudely.

“Mother!” Jack shouted, obviously appalled by his mother’s harsh words “Why are you so harsh to Rainn, you’ve only just met her”.

“Son, you will thank me I did this one day,” she said as she pointed to Rainn outwardly “This woman does not love you, she is only taking advantage of your success”

“Mother, please”, Jack was about to confess his undying love for Rainn before his mother cut him short.

“Do not ‘mother please’ me!” Selina barked, before turning to Rainn’s direction one more time. “I gotta hand it to you, Rainn. You are an actress who never hit the screen. Hollywood is surely missing out on a gem here.”

Selina was on her feet before Jack could come up with a defense. She clapped her hands together as a sign of applause in Rainn’s direction before saying “You deserve an award, dearie. Even I could never think of such a con.”

“Mother, for crying out loud!” Jack said angrily. He was ashamed by her mother’s behavior and the rudeness that she was displaying at the lunch.

“Jack, I will tell you this and I will only say it once.” she said as he fixed her glance at Jack “This, whatever you think that you have going on here, is not good for your career”.

“I decide what is best for my career, not you!” Jack roared, slamming down his fist on the table. “As a matter of fact, I had planned to do this the right way. I only thought that you would be happy for me, but I was gravely wrong”.

“Do what, Jack?”

In response, Jack took out a small box from his jacket pocket and walked over to where Rainn was silently seated, listening to the mother son feud.

“Rainn my love, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

He was now on bended knee. He held out the ring in his hand as he stretched it out to Rainn.

“Oh my God! Jack, is that a ring you have in your hand?” Rain asked with both a feeling of confusion and excitement in her voice.

“Yes my love it is, what say you?”

“Of course I will marry you”.

The two huddled together in a tight embrace and both could feel Selina’s gaze on them as they shared their happy moment together.

“I can’t stand this!” Selina said disgustedly and stormed out of the room in a fiery rage.

“Wait, I need to know, are you being serious or were you just doing it to get back at your mother?” Rainn asked, curious and slightly shaken by the drama that was unfolding.

“I bought the ring about two months ago,” Jack started and from the smile that formed on Rainn’s face, he was glad that he had answered her question.

“Does that mean that you’ll move in with me now?” he asked.

“Do I have a choice?”

The two locked each other in a tight embrace and Rainn could feel tears of joy swell up in her eyes. She had never for once thought that she could be that happy in life. The warm feeling that caressed her heart sent more tears down her cheeks. Rainn however, did not ignore the fact that the media would have a field day with that information and knew that they were about to hit a very huge storm in their relationship.