“Sof.” I sigh. “I think you’re putting too much importance on the rings and their value.”
I stand up and start pacing the room, thinking of the right words to say to the cousin I have just reconnected with after ten years without offending her.
“It doesn’t matter if the rings are from Tiffany’s or if you made them yourself during metal shop class in middle school. They won’t define your marriage. They won’t make or break your relationship. They’re just stupid rings.”
She stares down at the comforter, taking in my words.
“So what if he lost them? Maybe that was a sign that you cared too much about status, anyways. Remember young Sofia? The one who shopped at Limited Too with Valentina and me? The one who got her ears pierced at Claire’s? The one who thought Juicy Couture was the equivalent of Fendi?”
“Oh God”—she laughs so hard she snorts—“don’t remind me.”
“What happened to that girl? The one who didn’t care what people thought about her? The one who would roll her eyes if someone was crying about a bunch of lost rings?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, tracing circles on the blanket with her finger. “I guess it’s easy to get caught up in the lifestyle. I feel like I lost myself.”
I lean against the bedpost and cross my arms.
“You’re still there, Sof. You know how I know?”
She sniffles. “How?”
“Because you could have had your wedding anywhere. Literally anywhere in the entire world. You could have had an amazing wedding in Manhattan that would have ended up in theNew York Timesfor some reason. Or a destination wedding in Italy. Instead, you chose to have it at your dinky summer camp.”
She laughs, and it feels like a small victory. I feel a little lighter.
“Even with all the money you have, you still wanted to have your wedding somewhere that has meant something to you for your entire life. Is it a little over the top? Yes, definitely. But it’s still camp. Your childhood memories are here, and you wanted to share that with everyone. That’s how I know you’re still you.”
“You’re right, Isa,” she says softly.
“So you need to clean your face, because you look ridiculous right now, and go patch things up with Luc. He loves you, Sof. I can see it. The rings? They don’t matter. Your relationship does.”
Sofia sits quietly on the bed, smiling softly at my words. There’s a moment of silence between us.
“I always wanted you to come here with me, ya know? I begged my mom every year. Valentina refused to come.”
“Really? I always wanted to come. I would cry to my parents every year to let me come.” I sigh, sitting beside her on the bed.
“I think I wanted you here because I knew how much it meant to you,” she says, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. “I just wanted us to have that experience together, like we dreamed about when we’d watchThe Parent Trap.”
“You remember?” I laugh. “It’s practically all I’ve been thinking about since I arrived. I can’t believe I’m finally reliving my childhood dreams of being here and pretending I’m in that movie. I mean, sans the on-site manicurists and massage therapists, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, I know I went a little crazy with the wedding.” She laughs. “But it’s supposed to be my only one. So I wanted it to be memorable, with everyone I cared about here with me.”
Sofia lies on the bed, her head propped against her hand as she looks at me.
“So,” she says, stroking the bed softly. “Have you and Valentina done the nasty here yet?”
“Sofia!” I shout, my face flushed with embarrassment.
“Oh, come on. Don’t be such a prude.”
“No, we have not done ‘the nasty’ there,” I groan.
“What? Why not?”
“Because we’re at a wedding full of family, for one. And two…” I hesitate. “We broke up, or whatever it would be called when you just start seeing someone after a day.”
Sofia sits up quickly and gasps. “Why? You just started dating, right? I saw you two getting all cozy at the campfire.”
