“And you’re okay with this?” Meredith asks, turning towards Katherine.
“How can I say no to the bride?” she says sweetly.
“Oh my God, thank you,” Meredith squeals, giving my arm a squeeze. “You’re saving the wedding!”
“It’s my pleasure,” I say, patting myself on the back. At least I can get a little space this weekend.
My father raised me to believe that every sunrise brings the promise of a new adventure, but this morning is nothing but agony. My head hurts, and my back is killing me thanks to spending the last six hours sleeping on top of the giant saltine cracker disguised as a mattress.
Slipping out of my bunk bed, I find Katherine starfished in the center of the queen bed, wearing the same clothes she had on last night. Drool pools at the corner of her mouth as she cuddles a pillow with one arm and holds her phone in the other.
The room is already stuffy, the heat of the day creeping in through the windows as I move to close the blinds. Forcing us all here in the middle of a heatwave might not have been on purpose, but it feels on-brand for the torture Grant has subjected me to over the course of our sibling-ship.
At least there is one silver lining to this otherwise agonizing trip, and that’s being within driving distance of the Grand TetonsandYellowstone. I’m contemplating which one I want to hit first when I hear a soft knock at the door.
On the other side is Meredith’s aunt, Vivianne.
Her wavy, honey-brown hair is long and unkempt, a few braids threaded throughout, and she’s dressed in a layered ensemble that rivals one of my grandmother’s patchwork quilts. I’ve only met her once before, at Meredith and Grant’s engagement party, but much like her niece, she has a welcoming energy that puts everyone she comes into contact with at ease.
“I’m sorry if I woke you,” she says quietly, giving me a once-over.
“Nope, just getting ready to start the day,” I say, stifling a yawn.
“You two get in a fight?” she asks, peeking past my shoulder.
“Something like that,” I say, closing the door further behind me. “Did you, uh—need something?”
“Oh yes,” she says, as if she had already forgotten. “Meredith wanted me to ask you if you could pick up a few people at the airport. She and Grant have a final tasting with the caterer and we’re short on cars.”
“Sure,” I reply, eager for a chance to get off-property. “Let me just get dressed and then I can head out.”
“Excellent!” Vivianne says, clapping her hands, causing the metal of her bracelets to clank together. “And, Hudson, you should stop by my cabin later, get yourself a reading. Your energy is very askew since the last time I saw you.”
“Is that good or bad?” I chuckle, having absolutely no context for her statement.
“We’ll have to find out, won’t we?” she replies ominously, heading back down the hall and cornering Grant’s uncle about his unaligned chakras.
I go to take a shower but abandon my attempt when I can’t get the water to a temperature above freezing. Luckily, Katherine is still asleep when I come out, and I throw on a change of clothes and make the trek to my Jeep. After walking back last night I discovered the only place on the property that has any cell service is the Activity Center, located at the end of the parking lot. Pulling up outside the café, I open my phone and check my messages.
There’s a few from my dad, the team in Peru asking for photo approval, and a friendly check-in from Lilah, but none from the name I want to see. Opening the Instagram app, I go straight to Mira’s profile, checking for any signs of life.
Her colorful, documentary-style imagery fills my screen. It’s easy to understand why people would hire her to capture such an important day. The photos jump off the screen, each still embedded with genuine emotion. Scrolling through is like peering behind an intimate curtain, as she shares stories with the world we’d otherwise never see. I check the date on her latest post and find it’s from a few weeks ago and breathe a sigh of relief. At least she’s been avoiding everyone, not just me.
I’m about to log off and head to my Jeep when I hear the high-pitched voice of my mother calling for me.
“Hudson, dear, could you come here for a second?”
Her dyed blonde hair is pulled back with a clip, and she steps out of the black SUV dressed in a gray sweatsuit that I’m sure cost more than my entire wardrobe. The trunk is open, bags stacked on top of each other as she waits for me to walk over. She gives me a quick hug as my stepfather lumbers out of the driver’s seat. They spent the weekend in Salt Lake, rejuvenating before the wedding as if it were their own.
“Do you mind helping with our bags?” she asks, shoving her sunglasses on top of her head. “George’s back isn’t what it used to be.”
Based on how many hours my stepfather spends on the golf course, I’m certain there is nothing wrong with George’s back.
“I’m supposed to pick up a few people from the airport,” I argue, not in the mood to play concierge.
“I can go,” Adrian offers, popping up beside me. “Vanessa just got in and I’d love to be the one to greet her.”
I want to blow him off, but if Mira was the one waiting at the airport, I would want to be the one to pick her up.
