I’m saved from saying something I’ll regret by my mom, who stands and claps her hands. “Enough chitchat! Let’s start planning.”
“And that’s our cue,” Dad says, standing with Mike. They head to the family room, where the TV is, and Zach stands to follow them.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Julie says, pulling him back down. “You’re planning with us.”
“Me?” Zach looks genuinely shocked, with his eyes wide open. “I thought this was girl stuff.”
“It’syourwedding, too,” Julie says. She rolls her eyes at me with a smile. “Men.”
I lift half my mouth in a smirk, but I’m still really annoyed by our conversation. “If he doesn’t want to stay, that’s okay. I’m sure he’ll be fine with whatever we want.”
“That’s my girl,” Zach says. He presses a kiss to my cheek, and I pull away quickly. “See you later, ladies.” He leaves the room and joins the dads.
Mom tilts her head at me. “You could have made him stay.”
I shrug. “It’s fine. He would’ve just been bored. And then he’d either mess around on his phone or make annoying jokes the whole time.”
“True, true,” Julie says. “It’ll be easier this way. Fewer opinions.” She leans over the side of the couch and pulls out a clipboard with some pages attached. “Let’s get to work. First things first, we need a venue.”
This is something I have a little bit of an opinion about. “Well, I was thinking that I’d love a beach wedding.”
Mom’s eyes widen at this piece of information. “The beach?”
I nod. “It’s so beautiful and serene.”
“But…you don’t really go to the beach much.” She puts a gentle hand on my arm. “Is it for the expense? Don’t worry about that, hon.” She grins at Julie and shakes her head. “So considerate, my Claire. But we can afford a nicer venue.”
I give her a tight smile. It’s not because of the expense. I truly wanted to have a beach wedding. I’m not a surfer like Ryan, and I don’t go to the beach as often as other girls, but there’s something powerful and spiritual to me about the ocean. And when I make those vows to the man I’m promising my life to, I want to be somewhere that means more than just a pretty room with flowers.
But, like she said, she’s the one paying for it. So her words shut down my idea, especially when she thinks it’s going to appear cheap to the guests.
Julie notices my expression and looks down at her papers. “Well, maybe we can find a venue that’s got a view of the ocean?”
I nod. “That could be a good compromise.”
“Great!” She pulls out a sheet and hands it to me, and we discuss a few different possibilities. Most are close by—the beauty of living in Coastal Vista—but we’ll have to go visit them in person before we make a decision.
“And what about colors?” Julie asks.
“I like a more muted palette. Like peaches, creams, some turquoise.”
Julie nods eagerly. “That sounds beautiful. Love that.”
“What about…bridesmaids?” Mom asks, looking down at her hands.
I know why she’s hesitating. She wants to know if I’m going to ask Annie to be a bridesmaid.
It’s such a tricky topic. I love Annie with all my heart, and in normal circumstances, she’d probably be my maid of honor.
“I’m not sure. I wonder if maybe I just don’t have any bridesmaids?” I say it slowly, gauging their reactions.
The moms exchange a glance but don’t say anything.
“How’s it going over here?” Zach’s voice calls as he enters the room.
“Pretty good,” I say. “Just venues and colors and all that fun stuff.”
“Claire says she might not have any bridesmaids,” Julie says, emphasis in her voice.
