Uh-oh. She mentally pulled back from any wedding thoughts she might have for herself and told herself to focus squarely on her mom.
“Yours, of course,” she said with what she hoped was a sincere laugh. “I know you like beingwith itwith the young people today.” She added air quotes. “But face it, Mom. At heart you have some very traditional ideas. I was just thinking you might feel letdown if you didn’t have paper invitations.”
Cindy, exactly eighteen years older than her, with the same blue eyes and tall, lean build, nearly melted in her chair. She reached across the table and grabbed Shannon’s hands.
“You’re right. Thank you for that. You are truly the best daughter ever.”
The guilt returned, accompanied by all of its extended family. “Just trying to help,” she mumbled.
“You are.” Cindy pointed at the flowers. “Tell me what to do about these. You’re my plant girl.”
“I try to be.” Shannon studied the disparate flowers. “I go back to the dress, Mom. You’ve got to figure that out first. In the meantime, do as the florist said and live with them. See how you like the shape, the color. Yes, they’re all white, but different shades of white.” She pulled out the hydrangeas. “Not these. They can be stinky, and that’s the last thing you want in your bouquet. Plus they’re so big, they’ll dominate. The flowers need to complement each other seamlessly. No one bloom should stand out.”
She eyed the remaining flowers. “Again, once you have the dress and we’re clear on the colors and the vibe of the wedding, we can figure out if we want an accent color in the bouquet or just the greenery for contrast. I could argue it either way, so let’s get more information.”
She would want to go simple herself—just white flowers with the greens, but her mom might prefer more of a contrast.
“You’re right. I guess we need to get dress shopping on the calendar.”
“I’m surprised you’ve waited so long to do it.” Her mom and Luis had been engaged for a couple of months. “Don’t some dresses have to be ordered and don’t those take forever to arrive?”
“Oh, I won’t get anything fancy,” Cindy told her. “But you’re right. I’ll meet with a couple of stores and set up appointments.” Her expression turned anxious. “You’ll come with me?”
“I’ll be there. It’s going to be fun.” And a little bit of torture, she thought, knowing she would want to try on dresses for herself. Unless she simply coughed up the truth, which was the right thing to do. Blurt it out—just say the words. Her momwould be thrilled, and it would be something they could bond over. She should—
“Am I too old?” her mother asked in a small, tentative voice.
Shannon stared at her. “Too old for what?”
Cindy waved at the flowers. “This. The whole white wedding thing. I’m forty-two. Shouldn’t I be past wanting something so big and complicated? It’s silly. Luis and I should go to City Hall or something.”
“No,” Shannon said firmly. “Mom, you’re marrying the man of your dreams. Luis is a great guy, and you love him. You’ve never been married, you barely dated while I was growing up. You missed out. You deserve the wedding you want—white dress and all.”
“But—”
Now it was Shannon’s turn to reach across the table. “Absolutely not. No. You don’t get to talk like that. You’re having a wedding. A real one with family and friends and a big cake. I won’t listen to anything else.”
Her mother’s gaze softened. “I love you so much, Shannon. I’ll say it again, you’re the best daughter ever.”
Oh, she doubted that. “I love you, too.” She drew back her hands, thinking there was no way she could bring up her engagement now. Tomorrow, she promised herself. Or the day after at the latest.
“So you’ll live with the flowers and let me know what you think?”
Cindy nodded. “I promise.”
“And you’ll think about letting me do the table arrangements? Seriously, Mom, they’ll be exactly what you want, and you’ll save a ton. I know Luis has money, but I’m not in love with the florist’s work. I can go to the flower market in the next few weeks, buy some flowers and do a few practice arrangements.”
“I don’t want you to take on more responsibility.”
“It’s not like I’m overwhelmed now.” Ignoring her lack ofdirection and purpose in her life, she actually didn’t have all that many pressures.
Cindy sprang up and circled the table before pulling Shannon to her feet.
“You’re wonderful,” her mother said, holding on tight. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I live to be wonderful.”
Cindy drew back and smiled at her. “I don’t suppose Aaron has hinted at proposing. Wouldn’t it be fun if we could have a double wedding?”
