“It’s Amy.” I dug into a big piece of apple pie, but it seemed a lot less flavorful than it had looked back on the serving table looked. “The weekend I proposed…back in February, she was so excited. She and her mom started making plans three minutes after she said yes. But every time I ask her now, she seems less sure about when she wants it.” I shook my head. “I don’t know. I just…when I proposed, I thought I’d be getting married. Not in a constant holding pattern.” I paused. “And I think it has something to do with Jade.”
Jessie was quiet for several minutes, chewing her food slowly as she looked out at the dozens of round tables before us. I followed her gaze to where my parents were sitting with hers. They looked like they were having a good time. My dad was even ignoring his styrofoam cup of coffee.
“How does Amy get along with Jade?”
“What?” I turned to look at Jessie, and this time, she was studying Jade.
“I was just thinking. Who’s Jade’s legal guardian?”
“I am.” I’d made sure of that the day after Jade’s incident last spring.
“Then,” Jessie said slowly, “there’s a good chance you’ll be responsible for Jade one day.”
A moment passed before I realized what she was alluding to. “You know,” I said, “I never really thought about that.”
“It could be nothing,” she added quickly. “But people with Down Syndrome range all over as far as their abilities and skillsets go when they grow up. Some can live by themselves and function quite well in the world like their neurotypical peers. Others have to stay with caretakers of some sort for their whole lives. I mean, I quite honestly can see Jade one day powering her way through the world like any of her classmates. But to someone who’s not familiar with needs like hers…” She shrugged. “It could be scary.”
I’d been frustrated and angsty that morning while I’d waited on Amy’s reply. But now, I felt a weight on my shoulders that put my misery that morning to shame.
“You don’t think that would make her want to call off the wedding, do you?” I heard myself asking.
“I could be totally wrong,” Jessie said, holding her fork out at me. “So don’t quote me on that. I only bring it up because it’s something I’m trained to see a little more than the average Joe.”
Stupid. I never should have asked that. Now it would drive me crazy until I talked to Amy myself. Forget texting. We were going to talk soon. Face to face. But until then, I was going to need more distractions than ever.
“What about you?” I forced a smile and turned back to Jessie. “You have everything scheduled out. When’s your wedding?”
Jessie stared at me for a moment. Then with a straight face, she stabbed a green bean with her fork and said, “Three years from now on October thirteenth.”
I must have looked ridiculous because she began to laugh.
“I’m kidding! Look at your face!”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t put it past you.” Then I chuckled. “Okay, if the date isn’t quite in yet, what about all those things you mentioned? The—the venue and the caterer and the dress and the cake and all that.” I was teasing still, but the morbid part of me wondered if every woman but the one I’d proposed to had all this planned out.
“I’m cheap,” Jessie said before taking a bite of a chocolate-covered strawberry. “So I’ll probably make my own cake with my mom.”
“Sensible, as always.” I nodded my head.
“The venue’s easy. That’ll be here.” She smiled up at the vaulted ceilings. “I knew I wanted to get married here the day I first set foot inside. And we’ll probably just ask people to do a potluck instead of catering.”
“And the dress?”
She gave me a sly grin.
“No way.” I sat back and laughed. “You already have it picked out, don’t you?”
She turned away, but I caught her blush. Then she mumbled something.
“What was that?”
“I said…I might have already bought it?” She grimaced. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I’ve never heard of a girl who buys a dress before she’s engaged…or has a boyfriend, for that matter.” I leaned closer, hoping to make her blush again. For some reason, that was more fun than I would have imagined, the great Jessie Nickleby being embarrassed about…well, anything. “Unless you already have a guy picked out.”
“No,” she chuckled. “No groom yet.” Then she sighed a little. “Just my beautiful dress staring at me from the closet.”
“I’m just in awe.” I held up my hands. “You have my mom beat hands-down for planning. And the fact that it’s a princess dress only makes it better.”
