My daughter Kira was hosting her fiancé Marcus and his parents for dinner on this particular day. I froze when I saw they were Black, even though I had been dreaming about this moment for months. I retaliated when Kira said sharply, “Mom, are you going to invite them in?”
It was a stressful dinner. I later challenged Kira for keeping it from us. She stated forcefully, “Because I knew you’d react like this.” I bonded with Betty, Marcus’s mother, over our shared uneasiness and carefully ruined the wedding arrangements in an attempt to raise doubts.
Rather, Kira and Marcus became more intimate. They were incensed when they learned of our interference. Marcus said, “Don’t attend the wedding if you can’t accept us.”
I observed Kira and Marcus glowing from outside on the night of the rehearsal.Betty appeared, and we shared a rare moment of understanding. Their love had proved stronger than our prejudice—and that was all that mattered.