“I’m so mad,” Fiona said as she tromped up the stairs.
“Baby, this was the deal all along.” Emmaline shouldn’t engage, but this was a genuine point.
Fiona frowned at the top of the stairs. “Annie and I want to be sisters. Girl code.” With that, she flashed a peace sign.
Uh.
Emmaline started up the stairs after her so they could work through this. So Fiona would understand.
“I wanna think.” Fiona crossed her arms. “Please, let me have my mind.”
What could Emmaline say to that? That’s exactly what she said when she also needed a minute to process.
So, she backed down the stairs. She would give her girl time to process.
“She’ll come around,” Em said to no one and also Barbie. She was nearly one-hundred percent certain Fiona would come around.
Fine. Maybe only seventy-ish-percent certain? But more certain than not.
Fiona said nothing, but ugh, she had that preteen flounce down as an art form. Her door clicked closed.
“So what happened?” Barbie asked, eyeing Emmaline.
“The wedding was a wedding.” Emmaline moved to the kitchen, pulled out her box of wine, grabbed a glass, and pinched the spout to pour herself some red.
Barbie sauntered to the counter. “Pour me one of those while you’re handing them out.”
Barbie picked up her glass and took a sip. She listened while Emmaline told her all about Ethan.
Sipped her wine.
Listened some more.
When Em got to the part about Nosh and Ethan and all the things she didn’t want to be, Barbie downed the whole glass like she was in college and the glass was actually a beer bong.
Emmaline continued on while Barbie poured herself another glass, tipping the box on the edge to ensure she got even the dregs.
Lucky for them, Emmaline had a brand-new box in the pantry ready to whip out.
“I think Ethan really cares about you,” Barbie said, going back to sipping versus chugging.
“Barbie.”
“Hear me out, sweet cheeks,” Barbie said. “You can’t batch all of one profession into the asshole category. Just ’cause he’s famous doesn’t mean he’s a prick. There are always outliers. In this case…Ethan.” She waved her hand so Em wouldn’t interrupt. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed.” Barbie glanced up the stairs, then leaned in. “Tony’s a registered asshole. He’s got the membership card and everything. But Ethan never even came up for membership.” Barbie lifted the wine to her lips and somehow spoke and sipped at the same time. “That’s the God’s honest truth.”
“The girls aren’t taking this well at all. I thought we’d been careful and prepared them…”
“They’ve been playing you a little bit.” Barbie held up her little bit fingers. “Working some preteen magic. Let’s just say bracelets don’t fall in gutters on their own. Grandparents don’t always show up at the right time without a little nudge.” Barbie made big eyes at Em. “And Ethan didn’t help with all the bracelets on your curio.AndAnnie’s already had her induction into the cousin troupe.”
Whew. Okay.
“I should go talk to Fiona.” Em looked up the stairs. But what would she say? What was left to be said?
“Give her some time. She’s worried because she’s confused.” Barbie waved her hand. “They’re like the Prawn King. They’ll come around soon enough.”
“What’s the Prawn King?” Em asked, opening her emergency bag of Doritos. The bag she kept for red wine nights.
Barbie’s expression brightened at the Prawn King question with the same look she got when someone asked about her shoes. “Oh, let me tell you about the King of Prawns…” Then she stopped. Clicked her tongue. “I see what you’re doing! Distracting me. But uh-uh, tonight is all about Ethan and Em. Prawn King will have to wait.”
