He got up in front of the crowd and made the most nauseating speech I’d ever heard, locking eyes with me when he talked about the importance of family. I checked my watch. It was 6p.m.I’d told him he had twenty-four hours, and I meantit.
I interrupted his speech and dropped the bomb.
—
“Thank you so much for coming,” Shannon says, calling everyone to attention with a knife against her champagne flute. Dan stands silently at her side. Muzzled for today.
“It really means so much to us that you’re here this afternoon,” she continues. “I can’t imagine taking this next step in our lives without all of you. We had planned to do a few toasts, but the food is almost ready and it makes no sense to keep you waiting. Instead of raising a glass to us, today I’d like to raise a glass to you. To friends and family,” she says, the champagne flute gliding up in front of her. Mom stands incredulous, her mouth hanging open, a confirmation that this wasn’t the plan.
“To friends and family,” the crowd obediently repeats, followed by a smattering ofhear hears!
“OK, great,” she says quickly, stepping forward and pulling Dan along with her. “Now let’s eat.”
The entire group seems to let out a collective sigh of relief. The danger has passed. The wedding is officially back on track.
—
Shannon point-blank refused to even speak to me after the engagement party drama. I thought she was screening my calls,but eventually I realized that she’d actually blocked my number, and all my efforts to explain myself had been in vain.
I went analogue, sending her letters and flowers and birthday cards in the hopes that she’d acknowledge me, and when she didn’t, I eventually took the hint and just gave up. If Shannon didn’t want to talk to me for a while, that sucked, but it was understandable. I wasn’t sorry. I’d serve my time knowing I’d caused some misery to save her from a lot more, and trusted that someday she’d understand that and we could start again.
But when I heard she and Dan were back together, any remorse I felt withered and died. If she wasn’t talking to me, fine. What she didn’t realize was, for a while there, I also wasn’t talking toher.
At that point, I’d been practically banished from the family, avoiding going home so I didn’t further embarrass my parents and put them in the middle of our cold war. I’d naively thought that Shannon was picking up the pieces and moving forward with her life. What she was really doing was penning the plot twist in the story of Shannon and Dan. He’d made a big mistake, but they’d worked through it and come back stronger. Dan was humbled by the experience; Shannon was strengthened byit.
What a load of shit. The only thing that changed about their relationship was that Dan stopped fucking someone else on the side—and even that I can’t be sure of. He, somehow, had been absolved of his crimes, while I lived on in infamy.
—
The rest of the afternoon unfolds without incident. The Grill Kings—my dad and our two neighbors—do an admirable job of the barbecue. Mom’s many salads and sides garner much praise.
Shannon, meanwhile, is in her element, moving from groupto group, preening at the gifts and compliments being showered on her from all directions. Not for the first time, I wonder if that’s what this whole getting married thing is really about for her—a second chance to be prom queen.
—
By nightfall the crowd has dwindled to almost nothing. Anyone with kids has left to attend to bedtime, and the party elders head off around the same time. “Also to bed,” Aunt Irene says with an impish grin.
Dan and about six of his crew are still playing drinking games out on the lawn, content to let their wives and children head home without them so they can carry on the evening.
Shannon and I start with the teardown, carrying the food platters back into the kitchen. Mom has already laid out Tupperware for the leftovers. Judging by the volume of what’s in front of us, I’ll be eating pasta salad for the rest of the week.
“Great turnout,” I say to Shannon, looking for anything less lame to talk about.
“Not bad, right,” she says with pride. “Hopefully the weather is this good for the actual wedding.”
“Uncle B was saying the farmer’s almanac is promising a perfect summer.”
She laughs. “Ah well, if the almanac says it…”
“Exactly. Can I help with that?” I ask, pointing to the tray in front ofher.
“You can, thanks,” she says, sliding it towardme.
“Mom says the new bungalow’s looking really great.”
“It’s getting there,” Shannon agrees. “The kitchen still needs some work, but the living room is pretty much done now. How long are you home for? You should comeby.”
The glass door slides open and the floating head of Danappears, haloed by the patio light behind him. “Babe, me and the boys are heading down to Shoeless for a few beers.”
