“Plus,” Edward added, “you can do a really awesome selfie with all the guests.”
“This is going to be a nice wedding,” I said, determined to be positive.
“For the reception, we will hold it outside in the town square, I think, and if the weather is bad, we’ll hold it in the conference center. It’s big enough to hold that many people.” Shirley was ticking items off her list.
I was glad she had been planning, because I hadn’t been keeping up. “Should we really have all that macaroni salad out in the sun?” I asked, feeling my stomach sink.
“Could we just tell them it’s being catered?” Edward suggested.
Shirley shook her head firmly. “There’s already a list. People have signed up for various dishes. I told you, this is a major event. Ida’s even organized a contest. There’s going to be a ribbon awarded for the best dish in each category.”
I grimaced. “A contest at a wedding?”
“It’s all about the pictures,” Edward said, pouring me another mimosa. “And with Blade, you’ll have the best pictures out there.”
Blade came in and set his plate in the sink. “I just talked to your grandmother,” he said. “They’re on for coming by tonight for a family dinner. I know you’re busy,” he said, kissing me lightly, “so I arranged a caterer already.”
Edward looked around. “You better up your game if your sister is coming here. You don’t even have any pictures of you guys up. She's going to know something’s up the minute she walks in.”
36
Blade
“Oh my god, we need to take pictures!” Avery exclaimed.
“They’re not coming until five,” I assured her.
“My grandmother comes a half hour early to everything,” she told me, a slightly panicked tone to her voice. “Go change. We should do different shots. Shoot, we can’t do them all here!”
“We don’t have any time,” her friend Shirley exclaimed.
Edward pulled out his phone. “I’m Amazon Now-ing a printer, photo paper, and frames.”
“Nice frames,” Avery interjected.
“As if I would get anything but!”
“Okay, let’s do some casual ones first,” Shirley said, “since Blade isn’t dressed in a suit. Get close on the couch. Look in love, people!”
It wasn’t hard for me. Avery was going to be my wife soon, and I was very happy with that idea. I pulled her close to me on the couch, and she brought her legs up, crossing them.
“Let’s bring Cesario into the picture too.” Avery giggled as I hoisted the rabbit.
“Such a cute picture!” Shirley said as she snapped shots.
We kissed over the rabbit’s head, then Shirley took another shot of us each kissing the rabbit’s cheeks. Edward didn’t seem all that excited, though he dutifully helped Shirley take another set of pictures after Avery and I changed into nicer outfits. I picked Avery up as she shrieked and clutched the hem of her dress.
“You two are so cute together!” Shirley gushed.
“They’re not actually together,” Edward snapped at her.
“I know, I know,” Avery said breezily, but she was still gazing up at me. I only had eyes for her.
“How do they look?” Avery asked as Shirley loaded the photos onto the computer.
Avery and her friends selected the best shots, and Carlos the doorman had delivered the photo printer and the frames. Then Edward and I hung up the photos while Avery and Shirley dealt with the caterers, who had just arrived to start prepping and setting up for the dinner that night.
I gazed at the picture of Avery and me on the couch. Avery had put together a whole series of me lifting up the rabbit then us posing with him. We looked like we were in love.
