“Yeah, I’m totally fine with it.”
Katherine slaps him playfully on the leg. “You’re more than fine with it. You said you liked it.”
“Yeah,” Ed says, scratching his chin. “It’s fine. Any of the ones we saw would have been fine. Personally, I would have preferred the hotel on the waterfront.”
“But we wouldn’t have been able to have as many guests as we wanted. It’s still nice being on the Common.”
“And as I said at the time, I would have been okay with a smaller guest list. The hotel we got is fine, really.”
“Fine?” Katherine says, her voice escalating. “I don’t want you to be justfinewith it.”
“He didn’t mean fine, did you, Ed?” Lucy asks, looking a little panicked. “I saw the pictures. The ballroom you’ve got is absolutely gorgeous.”
“It is,” Ed says. “But I’m not going to go into a marriage pretending that my first choice was anything but the hotel on the waterfront. I’m not going to lie to you so you feel better about going with your mom’s choice.”
I’ve never witnessed anything but perfect coupledom from Ed and Katherine. This is all entirely new. Although I might not feel as uncomfortable as Lucy, it feels strange seeing Ed and Katherine fight. They’re perfect for each other, as Lucy would say.
“I’m going to the restroom,” Katherine says.
Lucy gives Ed a look that saysfix this, but he ignores her and rearranges the napkin in his lap. “Ed,” Lucy says, exasperated, before she goes after Katherine.
“I feel like this is my fault,” I say. “I shouldn’t have asked who picked the venue.”
“It’s fine,” Ed says. “It’s not like she doesn’t know her mother is an issue.”
I’d noticed the weird dynamic between Lucy and her mom, but I hadn’t really thought that Katherine might have the same kind of relationship. “She seems to hold a lot of sway over both of them.”
“I really hope what they say about women becoming their mothers isn’t true.”
I let out a half laugh. “I’m sure it’s not true. I don’t know the mother well, but Katherine is lovely. She’s kind and she really loves you. It’s just that her mother has a lot of influence.”
“I finally got Katherine to agree to move out of Duxbury. She hasn’t told her mom yet, but I’m hoping a little distance between her and her family will help. Especially when we have kids. If we stayed in Duxbury, I think I’d be relegated to third parent, honestly.”
I wince. “Sorry, man.”
“It’s just a lot,” he says. “And we’re both stressed about the wedding. I’m trying to keep on top of work, but Katherine wants so much attention from me—wants me to go to this meeting and that tasting and another sit-down with the florist. If I don’t make the time, her mom will step in, and I won’t recognize anything about the wedding. I do want this to beourwedding, and not the wedding she organized with her mom.”
He looks so stressed. Maybe my focus on my own stress at Portis means I haven’t stopped to notice that my friend and partner is feeling the pressure too. I feel bad for the guy. There’s obviously a lot going on that I haven’t realized. Maybe he’s been trying to do the best he can.
He throws his napkin on the table. “Excuse me. I have to go sort this out.”
“Absolutely,” I say.
As he heads to the restroom, Lucy is coming in the other direction. They have a brief word, then Lucy comes back to me.
“How is she?” I ask.
“Stressed. My mom has been dreaming of Katherine’s wedding day since she was born. She’s had the place settings picked out since her sixteenth birthday.”
“I’m completely lost. Let’s not talk about the wedding again tonight. Let’s just enjoy dinner. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have mentioned your mom.”
She slides her hand over my leg. I glance down and back up, to Lucy’s eyes. “Sorry,” she says. She goes to move her hand away, and I cover it with mine to keep it in place.
“Don’t be,” I say.
Lucy sighs and is about to say something when we’re interrupted by Katherine and Ed’s return.
“I think we all need more cocktails,” I say. “What do you say to a round of margaritas?”
