Throughout dinner, Riley couldn’t help but feel disconformities as she felt Jane’s glare at her. She knew what Nick’s mother was thinking. “How can someone like her be with a guy like Nick?” it was a question most, if not all, people ask themselves as they admit to themselves that she and Nick made a horrid couple.

The dinner that lasted at least 2 hours felt like an entire day of Riley inside a small room filled with people all hired to judge her. By the time they were ready to leave, Riley couldn’t help but feel a sense of exhilaration of getting out of there. Despite the fact that Nick kept leaning over to where she was asking her if she was all right, through gritted teeth, she lied by conforming to the unsettling environment that surrounded her and endured the never-ending judgment.

“Thanks for dinner, ma,” Nick smiled at his mother followed by a small peck on her cheek.

“Anytime sweetie,” she squeezed Nick’s shoulder as he gave her his goodbye kiss, then turned to Riley. “Riley, it’s been a pleasure,” she smiled at her coldly.

Riley smiled back at her; unable to find the words to respond to the frosty goodbye she had received. “Thank you for dinner,” she said softly as inside, she had the urge to quickly open the door and run out of there, without looking back.

“You call me if you need anything,” Jane turned to Nick while raising her eyebrows as she followed them outside of the house to see them off.

Nick and Riley walked to the same spot they had last left the vehicle. They came on in the driveway where Nick, chivalric as he is, opened her door for her making sure she was comfortable and proceeded to his side to start the engine. Before pulling off, he gave one last wave to his mother, whom was still standing at the front of the door, arms crossed, eyebrow raised and judgment soaring through the sky.

“She seemed nice,” Leslie called out from behind her while she watched her mother’s form.

“Nice?” Jane mimicked as she closed the door behind her and walked passed Leslie. “Sure she’s ‘nice’”