***
It’s close to midnight California time, and exhaustion has started to creep in. I stifle a yawn and politely excuse myself to the ladies’ room.
I’ve had a great time today. First, at Roxy’s bridal shower, where I got to meet Justin’s mom and dad, his grandmother, and a handful of pretty bridesmaids. The pre-wedding brunch event was held at a classy hotel where we dined on mimosas, mini-quiches, and chicken salad sandwiches. We watched the bride-to-be open practical gifts from her registry for her new home. I wore a colorful dress in a large flower print, happy I fit right in with the “garden-party” theme. Thank goodness we had a couple of hours to nap after the bridal shower before it was time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner at the country club.
Adam wore a blazer over a black shirt and dark pants. I wore a simple black dress with sparkly heels, and my hair twisted into a messy bun. We dined in one of the smaller banquet rooms, perfect for the small wedding party and their significant others. The elegant seafood buffet was delicious, and the numerous toasts honoring the bride and groom were enlightening. Justin was attentive toward his bride, Roxy, even standing up in front of everyone and becoming teary-eyed while he offered a special toast in her honor. After dinner, the older folks called it a night while the rest of us headed to one of Justin and Roxy’s favorite watering holes in The Valley. The place reminds me of The Twisted Daisy but with an edgier West Coast vibe.
As I stare at my tired reflection in the bathroom mirror and tuck a rogue strand of hair back into my bun, I notice Roxy sitting on a bench in the corner.
“Roxy?”
She looks up at me, her eyes droopy with fatigue.
“What’s wrong?”
Her sigh is audible. “It’s midnight, and we’re still out partying. Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to be in the same space after midnight the night before their wedding?”
I walk over and sit beside her. “I think that’s an old tradition and not a requirement for a successful marriage. I mean, y’all have been staying together indefinitely at the beach house while your new home is being renovated, right? Or did you make arrangements to be apart after midnight?”
“Nope. No arrangements. At least, none that I know of. I feel like I should’ve thought that through.”
I can smell alcohol on her breath and wonder if maybe she’s had too much to drink. Should I help her to the car service waiting at the curb to take us home?
“Are you ready to go? It’s late, and as the bride, you need your rest before the big day.”
She’s quiet and looks right at me. “Adam doesn’t like Justin, does he?”
I’m surprised by her comment. “Of course, he likes him. He just doesn’t know him very well yet, that’s all.”
Roxy goes quiet again. It’s heavier this time. “Do you like Justin?” she asks, her voice soft at the edges.
I reach for her hand and squeeze. “Of course, I like Justin. And it’s obvious he adores you.”
Her grin is tipsy. “Yeah. He sure does. The man definitely loves me. And I love him.” She blows out a breath. Her silence holds. “I saw you and Adam this morning on the beach. The way you sat there in your white robe, watching him surf. The way he kissed you when he came out of the water and then chased you to the house.”
My smile is instinctive. Thank goodness she didn’t see what happened under the deck when he de-robed me.
“That’s the kind of love I want with Justin,” she confesses. “That’s the kind of love he had with Mia.”
I’m frozen, not sure what to say. Adam has told me numerous times how close he is with Roxy. She’s like a sister to him. Of course, it only makes sense that she was close to Mia too. Still, she shouldn’t be comparing Justin and Adam. The saying, “comparison is the thief of joy” immediately comes to my mind.
“But you do have that kind of love with him, Roxy. I mean, he shed real tears when he toasted you this evening. Y’all are renovating a beautiful home together. Your wedding istomorrow, and then a whole month in Bali. And you have to remember, Justin and Adam are two totally different men. They’re going to express themselves in their own unique ways.”
Roxy lowers her head and presses her eyes shut. “I know. I know. Justin can be so sweet. But sometimes…” She doesn’t finish.
I lean in gently. “Sometimes, what?”
She looks at me again, her eyes brimming with tears. “Sometimes when it’s just the two of us, I feel… invisible. And I know this is probably the fifteenth cocktail I had talking. And what a horrible thing to say on the eve before my wedding. He’s a workaholic, for sure, but he also tells me he wants to show me the world.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” My heart is pounding. I wish Adam were here to help console his cousin in her inebriated state.
“Yes. It’s a good thing. Justin is a good thing. He came into my life when I was at my lowest. When I was alone and lonely, wondering what I was supposed to be doing with my life after the fires. After I lost Mia and Evie. After Adam disappeared.”
I reach for a paper towel from the wall dispenser and hand it to her. I watch her dab it against her eyes. “Roxy, believe it or not, our stories are eerily similar. Adam came into my life when I was at my lowest too.”
“He did?”
“Yes. I think we saved each other.”
