“Mother,” she said in her firmest voice. “The hospital said James needed someone to watch him the first couple days and his stepmother has already returned to Orlando. I am not leaving him alone.”
“You are to come home right now or else!” her mother snapped, unwilling to compromise.
Maria opened her eyes and straightened her shoulders. “No,” she said.
At the other end, Maria heard her mother gasp. So far, her parents had been too shocked to do more than object strenuously to their daughter’s demands. This time however, she had crossed the line.
“Oh, James has been such a wonderful influence on your life!” Beth exclaimed. “Well, if that’s going to be your attitude, young lady, then you can just forget about a wedding. I refuse to put any money into a marriage with that boy!”
With that,
