The four of them sat around the square garden table under a large blue parasol. The day was beautifully sunny with a slight breeze, a day where you would want to be sitting on a beach reading a book and not in a summit meeting with your parents and Aunt.
“So, mother, why am I here and why are you here, Aunt Jane?” Lilly asked and sipped on her drink. Her eyes widened, and she glanced at her Aunt Jane. Jane winked back at her, sipped on her own drink and showed that you could drink it without giving the game away.
“I’m here for the wedding of course,” Aunt Jane answered.
Lilly’s heart stopped functioning for a second at those words, and the air was thin. How could they possibly know about Elijah’s proposal so soon? She recovered her composure within seconds and took another long sip of her drink.
“Who is getting married mother?” Lilly asked.
“Oh that lovely Geary son, Jack, he’s found himself a lovely woman. Second marriage for both of them, of course, but it is the swankiest wedding I’ve been invited to. I’ve been drafted in as your plus one. Apparently you’re not capable of choosing your own date.” Aunt Jane said with a straight face but her eyes had laughter written all over them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me? You summoned me here to talk about a wedding I’ve already been invited to and already have a date for?” Lilly asked.
It made her angry that her mother would stoop to such levels.
“I don’t mean to offend you Aunt Jane, I would love to be your date, get drunk on the Aunt’s table and then dance with all the hot men. Had you asked me, mother, I could have told you you’ve wasted everyone’s time,” Lilly said.
Everyone was speechless for a minute. Gale’s face was pinched and sour. Dylan’s eyes were round as saucers and didn’t know where to look. Aunt Jane took one look around the table and burst out laughing, a real belly laugh that ended with a snort. She couldn’t stop laughing, held her sides and stamped her feet under the table.
Dylan broke first and started to chuckle and then Lilly joined in, it was only Gale that didn’t crack a smile and tapped her finger on the table to gain control of her frustration.
“Lillian, who is your plus one for the Geary wedding?” Gale asked.
“I’m not technically bringing anyone mother,” Lilly answered once she had stopped giggling.
“Don’t be smart with me, answer the question,” Gale said.
“I don’t have a plus one, is that better?” Lilly answered.
“It would be better if you changed your tone, remember who you are talking to,” Gale reminded her.
“Why do you need to know, mother?” Lilly asked.
“No daughter of mine will be going to the wedding of the year unaccompanied.” Gale said.
Lilly lost all sense of humour and Aunt Jane sensed as much and immediately stopped her laughing and remained quiet. Aunt Jane was fascinated with what was going to happen next.
“Answer a question for me? How did you get invited to the wedding of the year?” Lilly said and did air quotes at thewedding of year comment. She found her mother’s pretentiousness hard to swallow, but when she exaggerated social events, it made her want to throw up.
“Oh, this is the best part Lills. Gale, Dylan and I went to school with Jack’s parents. Michael was in Dylan and my year and Ruth was in Gale’s year at school. We had the best summer before we all went our separate ways. Wasn’t it great summer Gale?” Jane asked, her tone had changed, there was no playfulness left, and it was stern and cold. Much like Gale’s usual tone, Lilly hadn’t heard her Aunt be so earnest.
“I don’t remember having a good summer in those days, it was all hard work. Now that you know how we’re invited, you can return the favour and tell me how you are asked without me knowing?” Gale asked.
“You are so old-fashioned. This is the twenty-first century. I have friends you haven’t met. I’m a grown woman and you don’t get a say in who my friends are. In fact, you’ve met them, at the hospital. You remember that don’t you? You left me there to get home on my own. If you must know I do have a date, but I will be arriving alone,” Lilly said.
She hated being rude to her mother but sometimes she pressed her buttons like no other.
“That is not acceptable Lillian, arrange for a suitable date and then tell me who he is,” Gale said.
“I have a date for the wedding, and he’s the person I’m dating at the moment. I won’t be able to go with him because he will already be there. He’s the best man,” Lilly said and sat back down, she hadn’t realised she had been standing for her speech, a habit from years of being in the courtroom.
“You are not dating Elijah Geary.” Gale stated quietly.
“I am,” Lilly confirmed.
“Well, not anymore, I forbid you,” Gale said.
Aunt Jane snorted once and sipped her drink. Lilly looked her way but couldn’t catch her eye to see what had caused her reaction.
