“Liam will be over the moon!”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m moving back. I want to see how things go with him at the wedding and then... ”
“Lettie, the man is in love with you. You know that! Right?”
“I don’t know that, but Jane... I was wrong about him.”
“What changed?”
“We’ve stayed in touch since your engagement party... ” I purposefully don’t mention that we email. I’m not in the mood to have Jane call me a boomer. “And... it’s going... really well.”
“This is the best news ever!” Jane claps, and the car swerves a little before she regains the steering wheel. “Charlie and I hoped this would happen. He was certain it would work out. I wasn’t so sure.”
“Don’t get too excited. We’re not dating yet,” I say.
“But you will be. Weddings always bring couples together and this will be the most enchanting, wonderful wedding ever.” Jane goes on to tell me her favorite little details and some of the setbacks of planning a destination wedding in under six months. The first problem being that the building was reserved for some AI company’s holiday party this weekend. Charlie and Jane’s solution—a sunrise wedding on Saturday morning. Fortunately, they’re just calling it a sunrise wedding. The ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m., not actually sunrise, which is at 7 a.m.
“It’s better this way,” she says. “It’s such an easy way to be fresh and different and not follow the crowd like everyone else. Mark my words, this will be the next new trend.”
“You’re certainly going to get some spectacular photos.”
“They’re going to be amazing! We got the best photographer. I found her after she worked one of the weddings I helped with.”
“Sounds like Bennet Parties is doing more weddings.”
“It’s all me! Brides keep recommending me.” Jane beams. But she keeps her eyes steady on the snowy road. “I’ve been negotiating with Priscilla. Either I become a partner and get a serious raise, or I’m going to start my own venture.”
“Jane!!! I love that for you. And that you recognize your worth and demanding Priscilla pay you more. How did she take it?”
“Hmm... not so good, I think. She was invited to the wedding... said she would be coming and then just this week canceled with a flimsy excuse.”
“Priscilla is easily offended,” I say. “But she recovers fast. And if you do start your own company, it will be amazing.”
“Thanks! Life is good. I keep pinching myself, wondering when I’m going to wake from this beautiful dream.”
“Jane! Watch out!”
Red brake lights shine through the fast-falling snow. Jane hits the brakes a little too hard, and the car swerves. I scream. Janes screams. Still, she keeps her head and steers the car between two stopped vehicles. We slide through unscathed.
“That was close,” Jane breathes out. Her hands gripping the wheel, her eyes steady on the road as the cluster of slow-braking cars begin to edge forward.
“Does this car have snow tires?” I ask.
“I don’t think so,” she says, biting her glossed lower lip.
“Maybe we should pull over to put on snow chains.”
Jane laughs nervously. “I don’t have any.” She leans forward better to see the road through the flurry of white.
“If you were manifesting for snow, why didn’t you bring chains?!”
“I didn’t think it would work! I’m as surprised as you are.”
***
We arrive at Firefall Retreat a littleafter 3 p.m. Friday. The place is so picture-perfect that the hair-raising drive seems almost worth it.
“Jane, this place is amazing!” I say, stomping the last of the snow off my sneakers on the interior doormats in the lobby. “It’s a frozen fairyland! I love it.”
