Mabel nods. “We’re not animals.”
Saint looks at me. “Blink twice if you need extraction.”
I laugh. “You’re not leaving me.”
He sighs. “I knew this was a trap.”
They sit me down.
Like,sit me down.
Pen in hand.
Notepad in front of me.
“First question,” Mildred says. “Big wedding or small wedding?”
I open my mouth.
Saint says, “Small.”
Everyone turns to look at him.
He clears his throat. “I meant… whatever she wants.”
I smile at him. “Small,” I say. “Definitely small.”
Mabel makes a note. “Good. Easier to control.”
“Control?” Saint repeats.
She pats his arm. “You’ll be fine, dear.”
He does not look convinced.
They start asking about dates.
Venues.
Flowers.
I start to feel a little dizzy.
Saint notices immediately.
He steps in, sets Emmy in her bouncer, and puts a hand on my back.
“We can slow this down,” he says.
Mildred gasps like he just suggested canceling Christmas.
“Oh no, you can’t. But youcanbreathe.”
I laugh. “I want simple,” I say. “Nothing fancy. Just… us. And the people we love.”
Saint nods. “That’s the only part that matters.”
Later,when the Magnolia ladies finally leave (after assigning themselves several unofficial committees), Saint and I sit on the couch in the wreckage.
