Lovestruck Forever by Rachel Schurig

at
our engagement party the next afternoon, the house had been
transformed.
    “Look
at all the lights!” Bryony, Thomas’s younger sister,
squealed from the back seat of my SUV, pressing her fingers to the
glass of the window. “And all the colors!”
    I
felt a lump come to my throat as I looked at my parents’ house.
They had strung lights and paper lanterns all over the front porch
and along the drive and walk ways. Potted plants had been brought in,
probably from the back yards of various relatives, to add to the
festive vibe. There were also balloons and streamers everywhere, tied
up to every possible surface, including the porch railings and the
oak tree in the front yard. There were already dozens of people
making their way up the driveway and milling about the front yard.
Behind the house, I could just make out the billowing white tents.
    To
some, it may have seemed overkill. Gaudy, even, with all the colors
and cheap decorations. But all I could see was the love that went
into it.
    “You
okay?” Thomas asked, squeezing my hand. I got the sense that he
knew exactly what I was feeling. When I merely shook my head, unable
to speak, he chuckled, opening his car door. “Come on, weepy.
Let’s go to our party.”
    “This
is brilliant, Lizzie,” Bryony said, climbing out of the back
seat to join us on the pavement. “Oh, I can’t wait to
meet your family.” She stopped suddenly, grabbing my free hand.
“Who is that ?”
    I
squinted in the direction she was looking. “That’s my
cousin, Juan,” I told her, waving to him.
    “He’s gorgeous .
Oh, I just love Latin men. Would it be weird if I tried to get off
with one of your relatives? I mean, we’re not technically
related—”
    “Bryony,”
Thomas said, a warning note in his voice.
    She
winked at me and I laughed. “I would just be careful of using
that phrase here,” I told her. “I’m not sure it
translates that well to American.”
    “What
are we waiting for?” she asked, closing her eyes. “God,
it smells good. I’m starving!”
    “We’re
waiting for Mum and Dad,” Thomas said, and I stifled a laugh at
the sound of his voice. He’d only been in the presence of his
little sister for a few hours, and he was already losing his patience
with her. He sounded just like my older brothers when they talked to
me.
    “They
were right behind us,” I reminded Bryony. “I’m sure
they’ll be here soon.”
    We
had picked up Mr. And Mrs. Harper, along with Bryony, earlier in the
day, meeting my parents for a quick breakfast before taking the
Harpers back to our place to rest before the party. I’d felt a
little bad, expecting them to socialize with my parents so early
after a long flight, but, as Thomas pointed out, it was kinder than
expecting them to have their first face-to-face meeting with my folks
when they were also meeting the dozens of extended family members
that would be at the party tonight. After their rest, Mr. Harper had
insisted on driving himself and his wife to the party. Apparently he
had been reading up on driving in the States and was eager to
practice driving on the wrong side of the road. In retrospect, maybe
it hadn’t been such a good idea to let him give it a go…
    “Dad
is probably pulled off to the side of the road right now, having a
panic attack,” Bryony said, rolling her eyes. I met Thomas’s
gaze, and it was clear that he agreed with his sister, whether he
would admit it or not. Luckily, Thomas’s father chose that
moment to pull up behind us in Thomas’s SUV. Through the
windshield, I could see his wife, Anne, yelling and gesturing wildly
with her hands, while Gilbert looked sheepish—and more than a
little proud of himself. I stifled a giggle as they climbed out of
the car.
    “You
made it,” Bryony said, sighing loudly. “We’ve only
been standing out here forever .”
    “How
was the drive, Anne?” I asked, watching as she visibly
rearranged her features into a more calm expression.
    “It’s
best