Of course, the apartment I share with my little sister isn’t quite that way, but we make sure to keep up to date on who our neighbors are. You know, in case a massmurderer decides to come through the doors and try killing all of us.
Okay, I need to stop with the podcasts my sister sends me.
Aurora immediately drags me to the corner where a large multi-tiered cake is situated. It’s gorgeous, with intricate yellow flowers all over the sides.
“So pretty! Can we have some?” Aurora reaches forward, and I grab her hands before she can do something that would be catastrophic.
“Not yet, honey, we have to wait until the bride and groom cut it.”
“But it’s so pretty!”
I smile at her, and my gaze catches on the woman behind it who’s putting the finishing touches on the cake itself.
“Thank you! Do you like the flowers?”
“I love them!” I give the woman a polite smile and nod at it. “It really is beautiful. Did you make it?”
“I did. Only the best for one of my best customers,” the woman replies, then looks at my daughter with kindness in her eyes. “Those flowers are actually pumpkin blossoms, isn’t that fun?”
Pumpkin blossoms. That makes perfect sense. When I talked with Quinn on the phone, she went on and on about the festival she helps throw with her in-laws now, including the now iconic pumpkin patch that was up and running again. She mentioned that her father-in-law’s late wife had run the festival for years before she passed, and now Quinn is taking it over.
What I’d give to feel I belonged that way, that I had a partner that I could help and build a business and life with.
That dream had come and gone, and now I was determined to face the challenges of life and motherhood alone.
I bat away the thoughts, learning the cake decorator’s name and conversing with her for a few minutes before we sit down for dinner. Thankfully it’s buffet style, so no one has to wait for their table, meaning my ravenous four-year-old could get some food in her and sit for a moment.
She isn’t great at that, just sitting, but I don’t know a four-year-old that is.
While eating, we see some commotion on the dance floor. The sun has nearly set, and there are lights surrounding the area we are in. Large bulb string lights circled the area, and it’s gorgeous to see as the sun goes down.
When Aurora and I look, we see the groomsmen all standing in a line, with Quinn and Graham sitting in chairs facing them. Quinn’s new husband looks kind of scared, but Quinn was clapping with the music, fully excited about whatever was happening.
The groomsmen stand with bobbing heads until the beat drops and a man, I think he is a groomsman too, steps through them wearing… a full bridal gown.
I snort, laughing at the look, and honestly, he kind of pulls it off. His muscly arms were on full display in the dress, and he was lip-syncing J. Lo’s“Marry Me” into the microphone.
The other groomsmen leave the dance floor, leaving room for the man to do whatever it is he’s doing.
He walks up to Quinn, caressing her cheek lovingly, and she laughs loud enough for me to hear. Her husband bats his friend’s hand away, and the guy turns his attention to him, turning around and twerking in his face.
I cover Aurora’s eyes, laughing at the antics but unsure how far he would go.
Not far, because the groom stands up and pushes his friend away, laughing but also embarrassed, judging by the look on his face.
Then, to my surprise, he and the groomsman hug it out.
The sight shouldn’t make me feel sad, but for a moment, I let it. I haven’t had many good friends over the years, and I haven’t kept in touch with the few good ones that I did make, like Quinn.
While Quinn is here, having the best day of her life, just thrilled that everyone came out to support her, I’m hoping that this can be a fresh start for our friendship.
Chapter Three
“Falling in love was easy. I fall in love with myself every time I look in the mirror.” - Derek
DEREK
I have to say, wearing a dress was incredibly freeing, but getting back into my slacks and button-down feels way better. I don’t know how women walk around in dresses all day. The chafing from half an hour alone was more than I can handle.
