Before I leave theroom, Stella slips my phone into my hand. She took it when wearrived because I kept checking it for a call or text from Wesley.Her expression tells me Wesley finally responded and I’m not goingto like what I see.
I checkthe screen as I follow Mom from the room. There’s a text fromWesley, time stamped nearly an hour ago:Ihope you’re having a great day, Ev. I’m taking care of a few thingsand I might be a bit late to the party, but I promise I’ll bethere. xo
“Whereare you, Wesley?” I murmur to myself, rereading the message andhoping for some hidden subtext. Or better yet, a new message sayinghe’s on his way.
“Whatwas that, honey?” Mom asks.
“Oh,it’s just…” I push my disappointment aside once again. Mom has putin a lot of effort and care these past few days to show me sheheard what I said the other day.That’swhat I need to focus on rightnow. “I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done so fartoday.”
“Ofcourse, sweetheart. The four of you work so hard, you deserve a bitof pampering once in a while.” She ushers me into my old bedroomand closes the door behind us.
My dress ishanging on the back of the closet door. Mom gets it down andmotions for me to take off my robe. As I step into the dress, Icatch Mom wringing her hands.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Oh,yes, fine,” she says quickly. “There’s something minor I wanted tomention to you and I don’t want you to be upset.”
Having wriggledinto my dress, I turn my back so Mom can zip it up. Maybe hearingwhat she has to say will be easier without looking at her. “Tellme.”
“Do youremember the other day when I told you I’d invited one of yourfather’s coworkers with the intention of setting you up?” Shepauses long enough for me to make a wary sound of acknowledgement.I don’t like where this is going. “Well, I couldn’t exactlyuninvite him, so he’ll be here tonight. I’ll obviously have tointroduce the two of you since it’s your party, but I promise Idon’t expect anything. Even if Jonathanisa very nice, very handsome, verysuccessful young man.”
I stifle a laugh.“Mom, it’s okay. Did you specifically tell Jonathan you were hopingto set us up?”
“Well,no…”
“Thenit’s fine. He probably assumes you invited a bunch of Dad’sassociates, especially since you said he’d been here for dinner notthat long ago. I’ll meet him, we’ll chat, then I’ll direct himtoward the bar or some food or…ooh, or maybe one of the othergirls?”
With mydress zipped, Mom turns me around. Her eyes are bright with thatfamiliar matchmaker glow. “Icouldsee him with someone like our Hollie…”
We share aconspiratorial smile. Hollie won’t appreciate being set up any morethan I do, but if she knew this was a strange sort of bondingmoment between Mom and me, I’m certain she’d be willing to take onefor the team.
*****
After reminding meof her promise that this will be the last big birthday shindig forme, Mom asks for one last party-related favor: to continue thetradition of making a ‘grand entrance’. Despite it being one of myleast favorite things—it’s so showy and pretentious—I agree to itfor Mom’s sake.
As I stand at thetop of the staircase, the party sounds like it’s in full swingdownstairs. Voices and laughter mix with the sound of clinkingglasses and soft music from the built-in speakers wired throughoutthe house.
I take a deepbreath, plaster on a smile, and pray to whoever might be listeningthat I don’t tumble down the stairs. I scan the room for Wesley,but don’t see him. I don’t know if he’s called or texted because Irelinquished my phone to Hollie, who put it in the drawer of mynightstand with the promise that she and the others would capturethe events of tonight on their phones and upload them to our sharedgroup folder.
It’s Hollie Ifocus on now. She’s standing between Stella and Louisa, her phoneaimed at me. Their smiling faces are filled with a blend ofamusement and affection, drawing a genuine smile and even a smalllaugh from me.
My eyes land on myparents next as I reach the bottom step. Mom rushes forward andenvelops me in a tight hug. Normally she’d simply take my handwhile aiming an air-kiss in the direction of my cheek. Gotta keepup those pretenses of propriety, after all, and PDA—even aimed atyour own child—isn’t common in this crowd. Mom lingers now, though,so I close my eyes and squeeze her back.
My dad hoversnearby, waiting for his turn. He looks at me with wonder in hiseyes, as if he hasn’t seen me dressed to the nines a million timesover the last twenty years. Not that I’m complaining; my dad is sobusy, it’s rare to get his full attention, and I feel the warmth ofit wash over me like the sun on a perfect summer day. “You lookbeautiful, pumpkin.”
I laugh at the oldnickname as my dad wraps me in an embrace. He had a variety ofnicknames for me growing up, but with my love of autumn, ‘pumpkin’was one that stuck. I haven’t heard it in years.
I’m soon swept upin a flurry of handshakes, awkward hugs, and air kisses from avariety of strangers and acquaintances. Louisa sneaks by and handsme a glass of prosecco while I’m speaking to one of my dad’s oldestfriends. A while later when I’m talking to someone else, I spotStella motioning a waiter in my direction. He appears by my side amoment later to offer me the delicious-looking canapés on histray.
Despite my bestefforts, I can’t stop my gaze from roaming the room in search ofWesley. He promised he’d be here, and he’s never broken a promiseto me. Still, I need to accept that when he does show up, I mightnot get the answers I’m hoping for. He doesn’t know I know abouthis breakup or the interview he had in town yesterday. If thingsdidn’t go well, he might be returning to his life in Ottawa aftertonight. A life I always secretly longed to fit into as his partnerand lover.
Tonight feels likemy last chance with Wesley. If he doesn’t move back to town, that’smy sign it’s finally time to move on. I’ll always love Wesley, butI need to do everything I can to shift that love to the type I feelfor Stella, Hollie, and Louisa. I’ve been blessed beyond measure tohave the four of them as my lifelong companions and, while I maynot get the type of forever I’d hoped for with Wesley, he and theothers will be by my side for the rest of my life.
With thosethoughts in the forefront of my mind, I don’t feel the need tobrace myself or grin and bear it when Mom comes over to tell meshe’d like to introduce me to Jonathan.
“Leadthe way, Mom.” I suppress a smile at the way her eyes widen insurprise.
*****
