“Isabel offered to make calls for me,” Lynda continued, her words tumbling out faster. “So did Kathleen. But these are our guests. People who were excited to witness our vows. They deserved to hear it from me.” She laughed bitterly. “I made it through about twenty calls before I broke down. Then I pulled myself together and finished the rest. Every single person was kind, which somehow made it worse.”
Susan studied her friend’s exhausted face, seeing not just grief but crushing guilt. “This isn’t your fault.”
“I know that logically.” Lynda picked up one of the silk roses. “But Matt was out buying supplies because we wanted the perfect setting for the wedding. He was driving in terrible conditions because we were so determined to have everything ready for Christmas Eve.”
“Stop.” Susan’s voice came out sharper than she intended. “Matt was in an accident. That’s all. Not because you wanted a beautiful wedding. Sometimes awful things happen to good people. You can’t take responsibility for something completely beyond your control.”
Lynda’s shoulders shook with silent sobs. Susan moved to kneel beside her chair, taking her friend’s trembling hands.
“I’m terrified,” Lynda whispered. “I found love again when I thought that part of my life was over. And now I’m surrounded by reminders of a future that might not exist.”
“You’re not a fool.” Susan gripped Lynda’s hands tighter. “You chose courage over fear.”
“Everything feels so overwhelming.” Lynda gestured around the room. “What am I going to do with the dress, the flowers, and the programs? I thought about cancelling the cake order, but Megan’s already baked and decorated it. There’s so much to undo, and all I want is to sit beside Matt’s bed.”
“Then that’s what you’ll do tomorrow,” Susan said. “The wedding details can wait.”
“But people want answers.” Lynda stood abruptly, pacing to the window. “And I don’t have any. I don’t know when Matt will wake up or how long his recovery will take.”
The words came out as a sob. Susan crossed the room and pulled Lynda into her arms, feeling her friend’s body shake with the force of emotions she’d been holding back all evening.
“You don’t need all the answers right now,” Susan murmured.
They stood there while Lynda cried, Susan rubbing circles on her back the way she’d done when Lynda’s marriage ended, when she’d moved across the country to start over.
Eventually, Lynda’s tears subsided. She pulled back, wiping her face with her sleeve. “I’m sorry. You must be exhausted from the Welcome Center event.”
“Don’t apologize.” Susan guided her back to the chair. “I’m exactly where I need to be.”
Lynda looked at the wedding dress. “I keep thinking about everything we had planned. Walking down the aisle, seeing Matt’s face, saying our vows. All those moments are just... gone.”
“Not gone,” Susan corrected. “Postponed. Those moments will still happen. What you and Matt have is real.”
“What if he doesn’t make it?” Lynda’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Then all of this becomes a memorial instead of a celebration.”
“I can’t tell you everything will be fine,” Susan said quietly. “But Matt is strong and he’s receiving excellent care. And you won’t face this alone. Isabel, Kathleen, and I will be right beside you.”
Lynda nodded, fresh tears streaming. “When the hospital called, my first thought after terror was that I needed my friends.”
“That’s what family does,” Susan said.
Lynda took a deep, shuddering breath. “Will you help me put the dress away?”
Together, they carefully folded the wedding dress. The fabric whispered between their fingers, a sound that should have accompanied celebration. But instead, it marked the closing of a chapter.
Lynda brought out the garment bag from Emily’s boutique. As she zipped it closed, Susan saw her friend’s jaw tighten.
“Tomorrow I’ll focus on Matt,” Lynda said. “Tonight, I needed to fall apart. Thank you.”
“Always.” Susan helped carry the dress to Lynda’s bedroom. “Now, will you try to eat something?”
Lynda managed a weak smile. “Only if you stay. I don’t want to be alone right now.”
Susan thought about her own empty cottage. “I’d be happy to stay.”
In Lynda’s kitchen, Susan made them hot cups of herbal tea while Lynda assembled simple sandwiches neither of them wanted but both needed. They ate in silence, two women bound by friendship and shared grief.
After they’d eaten, Susan convinced Lynda that she’d feel a little better after having a shower. With clean clothes, freshly shampooed hair, and some food in her tummy, Lynda said she felt better.
