Lena may have enjoyed causing Mila stress, but she didn’t miss a beat when I finalized all our choices. Cake design, linens, flowers, invitations were all dealt with in the same way. Lena couldn’t argue any of it, since her preferences were first considered in every choice.
In less than an hour, we had everything down, and the three wedding consultants were starting to pack up their binders.
“What’s left?”
Lena took a sharp breath. “The dress, but I have no idea how I’m going to pull that off in less than two weeks. We can’t even get a fitting on such short notice.”
“I can wear my mom’s dress,” Mila said quietly. “It fits me.”
Lena’s expression soured further, and her voice dripped with insincerity. “How wonderful.”
“Anything else you need, Lena?” I stood up. “Or can I steal my bride away?”
Lena huffed. “It seems we have made all the decisions we need to make.”
I gave her a bland smile. “Thanks for all your help.”
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “My pleasure.”
I walkedMila outside to the patio and then sat on a bench near the rose garden, motioning for her to join me.
She did.
I thought about my next moves. I needed to keep Mila leaning toward me, which meant I was going to have to put in the effort to bond with her.
“Are you all right?”
She gave me a look I couldn’t read. “Thanks for coming today. I’m shocked you did.”
“You started your text with an SOS. What was I supposed to do?”
“So when I use SOS, you’ll show up?”
“Every time.”
“I’ll remember that.”
We stared at each other for a beat. “Why do we even have to have this wedding?” she said. “Couldn’t we just elope?”
“I think your uncle wants you to have a good wedding experience.”
“Or they both just like to show off how good they are at hosting big parties.”
Mila was beginning to understand that her impending marriage was serving everyone but her. I needed to remind her of the advantages of this union. If she believed in that, it’d help reduce her flight risk.
“Once we get to Canada, things will be different,” I told her.
“How?” She looked at me with a genuine question on her face. She had no agency, no control, and was just making the best of situations as they came at her.
So I chose my words carefully. “It’ll just be the two of us. No one to boss you around. Everyone in Canada speaks English. You’ll be back home.”
Her entire body relaxed at those words. “I miss Canada.”
“I’ll be focused on work, so you’ll have a lot of freedom there.”
Her eyes lit up. “That sounds okay.”
“We’re almost there.”
