My fingers fly to my teeth and I start scrubbing. “Wait, smile,” I tell him and he does, revealing his once-perfectly white smile has drifted to a translucent shade of pink.
I toss my head back and laugh. Everyone else seems to be doing the same, because while the room is full of congratulations and cheers, there’s also an ostentatious amount of giggling and examining of teeth.
“Pink looks good on you,” he comments.
“Thank you,” I respond with flushed cheeks.
He reaches out and brushes his knuckles against my cheekbone.
“And thank you for making my embarrassing moment a little less embarrassing.”
He shrugs. “You had no reason to be embarrassed.”
I know.
I breathe in and nod.
“Your mom sucks.”
“You can’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s immature.”
“It’s true,” he argues, and I breathe out a sigh of agreement.
“It’s a girl!” Emily squeals, wrapping me in her arms. “Ah, and I see you’ve met JP.”
“Congrats, Em,” he says, and she eyes him coyly.
“You’re almost back on my good side,” she says, her tone teasing.
His lips twist slightly, and he shakes his head.
“Seriously, thanks, man,” Austin adds, slapping JP’s hand and bringing him in for a hug.
“Sorry about the cake,” I add.
Emily holds my face in her hands. “It’s not your fault, okay?”
“I know, but Mom—”
“Is just Mom,” she finishes as if that explains everything. “Now let’s dance.”
And so we do, barefoot in the grass with pink champagne-stained teeth until Emily declares her feet swollen, and I express a need to get back to the hotel.
I retrieve my heels from the patio and strap them back on as my mom approaches.
“I’m... sorry.” She huffs out each word, and I know it’s because she’s reluctant to say them.
I stand from the chair I was sitting on and say, “I accept your apology.”
She holds out her arms to hug me, and I return the embrace.
“I get nervous and say the wrong thing,” she admits.
I nod twice.
