His mother appeared to be hyperventilating. Too bad. He’d been patient with her when she’d demanded he look after Teri for the summer, and when she’d brought Victoria with her tonight, knowing he’d come with a date. In fact, he’d been patient with her for his whole damned life. But he’d reached the end of his tether when his mother insulted the woman he loved.

Hang on. He loved her? Yeah, maybe he did. At least, he was very fond of her.

“Aria is not a tramp,” he fumed. The tremble of her arm made him want to hurt someone. “She’s a sweet, successful woman, and she’s going to be a wonderful mother.”

Saying the words made him realize he wanted to be there to see it. The day-to-day raising of their child, the long nights, the first words... He wanted to share all of it with her. There would be no joint custody, no dysfunctional upbringing for his kid. The more he considered it, the more he liked the idea. Life would never be boring with Aria around. They could move into his apartment together, and he’d make sure that his child and his wife had the best care available. He liked the thought of taking care of her.

He smiled down at her. “You’re amazing.”

She returned the smile, hers tremulous. “Thank you.”

How much had it cost her to stand next to him and bear these insults? A weaker woman would have run by now. Everything about her impressed him.

“You can’t be serious!” Frances cried. “She’s not even remotely suitable. She probably got pregnant on purpose to get her greedy little paws on your money.”

“Don’t speak about her like that,” Eli warned, becoming aware of the scene they were causing; the occupants of the surrounding tables were watching curiously. “You may be my mother, but if you ask me to choose between you and my child, you’re going to lose.”

“How dare you!”

“Why don’t we all calm down?” Phillip suggested. “Frances, breathe. Elijah, it’s understandable that you feel obligated to the girl, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay with her. These days, it’s not a big deal for a woman to be a single mother. You can support her financially; I would expect nothing less. But you don’t have to tie yourself to her for the rest of your life.”

“With all possible respect, it’s my choice,” Eli replied tersely, disturbed by how closely the words echoed his earlier sentiments. “I’ll do as I see fit. I came here to do you the courtesy of letting you know you’re going to be grandparents.”