“Ava, what is going onwith you?You’ve been giddy all morning, and I know you’re not that excited I’m getting married.”She grabs my hand, spinning me around in my wedding dress, giggling like an idiot.“Ava, please!I’m nervous enough as it is, you’re going to make me hurl all over my wedding dress.”She stops, holding me steady while my head stops spinning.
“Cat, we did it!”
“Did what?”I don’t know what she’s talking about.
“Chris and I did it!Did it!”
“You and Chris had sex?”
“Yes.And it was amazing.”
“How did that happen?I knew you guys have been friendlier, but I didn’t know you were that friendly.”
“Since you and Nick decided you weren’t going to spend the night apart or do the whole bachelor and bachelorette thing, we decided the best man and the maid of honor would do it for you, in your honor of course.”
“Of course,” I say dryly.
“Hey, we had to keep some traditions, especially since you cheated me out of planning a raunchy bachelorette party.”
“Well, excuse me for not wanting some sweaty, oiled-up muscle bound man gyrating all over me with coconut oil ass fumes slapping me in the face.I have Nick for that now.He’s more than willing to oil up for me.”
“Ew.”
“Like I want to hear about you and my brother.Go on with the story and leave out the ew parts.”
“We went out for drinks and talked about when we were all kids.How it was blowing our minds, you and Nick having a child and getting married and everything in between.We had a really good time dancing and playing darts.It was late, and he drove me home.I asked him if he was ready for the night to end.He said no.I turned to him in the door and said, ‘it doesn’t have to.’He told me he couldn’t promise me anything.I told him I’m not holding him to anything we do or don’t do.He pulled my shirt over my head and we fell into my room.”
“Stop there.You seem happy and fine,” I say, my forehead creased with concern.
“I am.Don’t bring me down off my high, Cat.”
I don’t want to burst her bubble, but Chris is going to be hard to take down as far as committed relationships go.Ava can deny it all she wants, but I know she wants Chris to commit to more than a one-night stand.Ah, hell.Why should I be the only one happy on my wedding day?“If you’re happy, I’m happy.Now go out there and tell them I’m ready to marry my man.”
As she opens the door, Isabelle and Chloe come tumbling in.
“Oh my God!You look-so beautiful,” Isabelle says, fanning her eyes, on the verge of tears.
“Isabelle, don’t you shed a tear in here and make me cry,” I say.
“I’m sorry, but, you’re so...beautiful.”And she bursts into tears.
“Oh, knock it off,” Chloe tells her, moving her to the side.“You act like you’ve never seen a bride before.Cat, good luck.Go out there and knock ’em dead.”She turns her head to the side and wipes a finger under her eye.
“Chloe, is that a tear I see in your eye?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.It’s just a little dust,” she says to me, her voice not as steady as before.“Oh shut up, and come here,” she says, making me smile, and grabs me into a bear hug that rivals my dad’s.
Laughing, Ava says, “I didn’t know you had a sentimental bone in your body, Chloe.”
Isabelle smashes her body into us, joining the hug, tears streaming down her face.This is comical, and I’m holding my tears back by a thread.My girls are great.
When they leave, Ava goes to look for Nick and I check my makeup one more time, looking at myself in the mirror.I look like a magazine bride in a simple, form-fitting A-line satin and lace dress.My hair is swept up and back with curls, two diamond pins holding them in place.Nick’s mother loaned them to me for my something old; they were Nick’s grandmother’s.Diamond studs, matching cross pendant, and the cascading diamond bracelet Nick gave me the night we made Jace were my something new and blue.I can’t believe next month is going to make a year.There’s a knock at the door.I take one last look and answer it.
“I thought you weren’t coming?”I say, shocked to see my brother Jay standing there.
“You look beautiful,” he says, smiling at me.
“Thank you.”
