“Olive, are those extra pounds of yours not a problem?” Dianas mother refused to let it go.
“In my eyes, theres nothing extra about meespecially since my future husband doesnt mind. Not everyone has to be a waifish twig.” Olive gave Diana and her mother a pointed once-over. The sheer audacity made Diana flush with anger.
“Mum! Did you buy that slimming tea? The chia seeds? Why did you put so much butter in my porridgedo you want me to gain weight?! Daniel, did you buy yeast bread again? Its full of empty calories! And I need three glasses of water in the morning, or the scales wont budgewheres my water?!” These were the sorts of tirades Daniel had endured since childhood.
His mother and older sister were fixated on their figures. Now, at thirty-eight, his sister had never married and resembled nothing so much as a gaunt, hollow-eyed mare. His mother, meanwhile, was as straight and rigid as a knitting needle.
It had worn him down so much that he was always drawn to joyful, hearty peopleand hed dreamed of a wife nothing like his mother or sister.
And then he found her.
Her name was Olive. Soft, sweet, deliciouslike a warm pastry fresh from the oven. No, she wasnt overweight. But at five foot eight, she carried her curves with prideeighty-five kilograms of radiant health and infectious laughter. High breasts, a slender waist, feminine hips, and dimpled cheeks you just wanted to pinch. The moment he saw her, Daniel was utterly smitten.
One evening, he drove his sister to the bank on an errand. She took a ticket and sat waiting, while he paced the lobby.
Then he heard ita silvery laugh, light as a bell. Quiet, but so contagious he couldnt help smiling. He had to see who it belonged to.
A teller was chatting with an elderly customer, laughing at something hed said. Daniel couldnt look away.
Her hair tumbled in waves, her lips like a bow. And yes, she had a figurefull, undeniable, unapologetic.
In the car, his sister droned on, but his mind was still back in the bank, with that woman.
“Daniel, are you even listening?” his sister snapped.
“Of course, Diana,” he lied, scrambling to recall what shed been saying.
“So I told him, I dont eat fried meatonly boiled chicken breast,” she complained about her latest failed suitor. Daniel nodded sympathetically, clicking his tongue as if to say, *What a disgrace*
The next evening, he raced back to the bank. She was therethank God. After closing, he grabbed a bouquet of roses and marched straight to her.
“Miss. Do you need a husband? Or a son-in-law for your mum?” he blurted, thrusting the flowers at her.
His face must have been a picture because she burst out laughingbut she took the roses.
“Oh, theyre gorgeous! The scent!” She buried her face in them, inhaling deeply while he watched, enchanted.
From then on, they were inseparable. Sometimes you meet someone and just *know*this is it. No more searching. Thats how it was for Daniel and Olive. He proposed within a month, and she said yes without hesitation. Then came the introductions.
Olives parents welcomed him with a feastpies, laughter, a home full of warmth. Her mother, a statuesque beauty, kissed him on both cheeks, flustering him completely. Her father clapped him on the shoulder like an old friend and steered him to the kitchen.
“Best stay clear of the womentheyll talk your ear off. But dont worry, Natalies a gentle soul. Thats why Ive loved her thirty years. And Olive? Shes our diamond. You take care of her, lad.” Her fathers gaze was steady, searching.
They spent hours at the table, eating heartily, swapping stories, singing along as Natalies father played guitar. Daniel felt at homeas if hed known them forever.
Three days later, they visited his parents. Olive stopped at a bakery, picking out handcrafted eclairs. By five, they were at his parents doorstep.
His mother, Margaret, opened the door.
“Ohhello, darlings” She froze, gaping at Olive, gripping the door handle.
“Mum, love you too. Mind if we come in?” Daniel nudged her gently inside.
“Of course, son, of course Come in, come in You must be Olive?” She recovered just enough to give Olive a shameless once-over.
“Thats me! Lovely to meet you.” Olive pressed her hand into Margarets and stepped inside. His mother stood rooted, staring.
“Dad, Diana, Mumthis is Olive, my fiancée. Weve filed the paperworkweddings soon. Olive, meet my family: my sister Diana, my mother Margaret, and my father Nigel.”
The news seemed to stun them. Silence settled over the room, broken only by the clink of cutlery.
“Well! Olive, were delighted to welcome you. Is that a bottle? Perfect! And treatsthough those are for you girls,” Nigel said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Oh no, we dont eat sweets, especially not at night. Really, Olive” Margaret pushed the box away disdainfully.
“You dont, but we do! Lets see whats in here. I trust Olives taste.” Nigel grinned.
They settled in, tension easing slightly. Chocolate, light snacks, and sparkling wine appeared. They toasted, sippedthen silence again.
“Mum, Ive met Olives parents. Wonderful people. Youll like them,” Daniel said, desperate to fill the quiet. Olive studied her glass; Diana stared at her. Nigel launched into a joke, and laughter trickled throughbrief relief.
“Olive, you mustnt worry. I know an excellent specialistIll introduce you. Shell help with your issue,” Margaret said suddenly.
“Issue? I dont have one.” Olive blinked.
“Oh, but surely those extra pounds are a problem?”
“In my opinion, theres nothing extraespecially since my future husband loves me as I am. Not all of us can be stick insects.” Olives gaze flicked pointedly to Diana and Margaret. Diana bristled.
“Olive, youre at least twenty kilos overweight! Its unhealthy. And when you have childrenGod knows whatll happen”
“When I have children, Ill be even more beautifulwith a loving husband and a baby. Speaking ofDiana, are *you* married? Surely a slim woman like you has a handsome man and at least a couple of children” Olive bit into an eclair with relish.
Diana swallowed hard, indignation risingbut Nigel cut in, refilling glasses and raising a toast.
“To the women of this familydifferent, but dearly loved!”
Two hours later, they stepped outside. They looked at each other, sighed in unison, then burst out laughing.
“Well Didnt expect my future mother-in-law to call me plump.”
“Olive, youre stunning, and you know it. As for Mum and Diana Try to forgive them. We dont get to choose family.”
The wedding was set for August 25th. Relatives and friends gathered at the registry office, then the reception.
Olive glowed in her gown, every curve accentuated. Daniel couldnt take his eyes off her. Her mother, Natalie, rivalled her daughterelegant, statuesque, drawing admiring glances. She couldnt have been more different than Margaret, stiff in her tailored dress, or Diana, her mothers mirror image.
The newlyweds took the floor for their first dance, lost in each otheruntil Margarets voice cut through.
“Honestly The bride could stand to lose a few. That dress does her no favours.”
Too late, she realised shed been heard.
“Funnymost men dont fancy skeletons. They prefer real women. Your son, for one. And mind your tongue, MargaretIm easy-going, but cross my daughter, and I wont be responsible for my actions.” Natalie advanced, her formidable bosom backing Margaret into a wall.
The women locked eyesMargaret terrified, Natalie furious. Nigel intervened swiftly.
“Ladies! Getting along famously, I see. But I must steal my wifeNatalie, dance with me!”
Daniel swept Olive onto the floor, and the celebration rolled on. Music, laughter, dancing.
Heres hoping the newlyweds live happilygrowing old, growing love, growing joy.
After all, thats what matters, isnt it?
