point.”
We’ve got the dress hanging, and we smooth it out, making sure there aren’t any creases in the fabric.
“Oh, I’m sure Calder will emerge whenever he’s done,” I say with a snort. “I just hope it’s before the wedding.” The petty words slip out before I can stop them, and Lou raises her eyebrows in surprise at my tone.
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I’m just… stressed about the wedding. And I wish he didn’t have to work so hard this week.”
She gives a nod but doesn’t say anything. Her hands smooth over the dress one more time.
“I’m sorry,” I say again. “I know he’s your brother, and—”
“There’s something else going on between you two,” she says without looking at me.
There’s no point in denying it, though I’m not sure how much I should involve his sister in this. Still, I’m desperate to talk to someone.
“Something’s going on with him,” I say carefully. “I just have the feeling he’s hiding something from me.”
“Hiding something? Like what?”
“I don’t know. And honestly it doesn’t even matter what he’s hiding. We’re getting married in less than a week. We’re not supposed to be keeping secrets from each other.”
Lou seems to ponder this.
“Maybe it’s a surprise for you,” she says finally, smiling at me. “A wedding surprise.”
Honestly, the thought hadn’t even occurred to me. But when I think back on his odd behavior last night, and then again this morning… it’s not possible. I know him. I saw the look in his eyes.
“No,” I say. “Something is wrong. I know it is.”
Lou is silent again. I lift the box with my veil up to the shelf above the dress. My hands tremble slightly, but I’m not sure whether it’s because I’m upset about Calder or because handling the dress and the veil—these symbols of the promise I’m about to make—suddenly make me so nervous. I feel a little like I’m going to be sick as I pull my hands back.
When I look over at Lou again, her hands are on her belly and she seems to be lost in thought.
“I know I’m not exactly an expert on my brother,” she says after a moment, “but the one thing I do know is that he’s never been good about expressing his feelings. You guys are about to get married. I don’t care how long you’ve been living together—that’s a huge step. And people deal with that stress in different ways.”
I nod.
“He loves you,” she continues. “That’s friggin’ obvious. And that’s the thing that matters, right?”
“I know. He’s just… frustrating sometimes.”
She laughs. “You don’t have to tell me that.”
And something about her smile—that acknowledgment of a shared joke between us—makes me laugh, too. Here’s someone else who understands how difficult Calder can be—and who loves him just the same.
I really am gaining a whole new family, aren’t I?
“I’m sure he’ll come to his senses,” I say. “I just wish he’d be quick about it.” I don’t want to spend this whole week worrying about him. We should be enjoying ourselves and celebrating all the wonderful new changes in our lives.
“So,” I say teasingly, eager to change the subject to happier things. “Speaking of weddings, will there be any others in the near future?”
I only ask her so bluntly because of a couple of comments she’s made to me recently, and I know I’ve hit on something when her cheeks redden slightly.
“We’ve talked about it,” she says, though she won’t look at me. “Nothing formal. Just talking.”
I smile. “And?”
“And I think if it were up to Ward, we’d be married already.” She gives a small laugh. “He’s gone all ‘traditional’ on me. Thinks since we’re having a baby together we should make it official.”
“And you?”
She rubs her belly absently. “I don’t want to get married just because I’m pregnant. Not that I think that’s his only reason. Or mine. I mean, I want to marry him. I
We’ve got the dress hanging, and we smooth it out, making sure there aren’t any creases in the fabric.
“Oh, I’m sure Calder will emerge whenever he’s done,” I say with a snort. “I just hope it’s before the wedding.” The petty words slip out before I can stop them, and Lou raises her eyebrows in surprise at my tone.
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I’m just… stressed about the wedding. And I wish he didn’t have to work so hard this week.”
She gives a nod but doesn’t say anything. Her hands smooth over the dress one more time.
“I’m sorry,” I say again. “I know he’s your brother, and—”
“There’s something else going on between you two,” she says without looking at me.
There’s no point in denying it, though I’m not sure how much I should involve his sister in this. Still, I’m desperate to talk to someone.
“Something’s going on with him,” I say carefully. “I just have the feeling he’s hiding something from me.”
“Hiding something? Like what?”
“I don’t know. And honestly it doesn’t even matter what he’s hiding. We’re getting married in less than a week. We’re not supposed to be keeping secrets from each other.”
Lou seems to ponder this.
“Maybe it’s a surprise for you,” she says finally, smiling at me. “A wedding surprise.”
Honestly, the thought hadn’t even occurred to me. But when I think back on his odd behavior last night, and then again this morning… it’s not possible. I know him. I saw the look in his eyes.
“No,” I say. “Something is wrong. I know it is.”
Lou is silent again. I lift the box with my veil up to the shelf above the dress. My hands tremble slightly, but I’m not sure whether it’s because I’m upset about Calder or because handling the dress and the veil—these symbols of the promise I’m about to make—suddenly make me so nervous. I feel a little like I’m going to be sick as I pull my hands back.
When I look over at Lou again, her hands are on her belly and she seems to be lost in thought.
“I know I’m not exactly an expert on my brother,” she says after a moment, “but the one thing I do know is that he’s never been good about expressing his feelings. You guys are about to get married. I don’t care how long you’ve been living together—that’s a huge step. And people deal with that stress in different ways.”
I nod.
“He loves you,” she continues. “That’s friggin’ obvious. And that’s the thing that matters, right?”
“I know. He’s just… frustrating sometimes.”
She laughs. “You don’t have to tell me that.”
And something about her smile—that acknowledgment of a shared joke between us—makes me laugh, too. Here’s someone else who understands how difficult Calder can be—and who loves him just the same.
I really am gaining a whole new family, aren’t I?
“I’m sure he’ll come to his senses,” I say. “I just wish he’d be quick about it.” I don’t want to spend this whole week worrying about him. We should be enjoying ourselves and celebrating all the wonderful new changes in our lives.
“So,” I say teasingly, eager to change the subject to happier things. “Speaking of weddings, will there be any others in the near future?”
I only ask her so bluntly because of a couple of comments she’s made to me recently, and I know I’ve hit on something when her cheeks redden slightly.
“We’ve talked about it,” she says, though she won’t look at me. “Nothing formal. Just talking.”
I smile. “And?”
“And I think if it were up to Ward, we’d be married already.” She gives a small laugh. “He’s gone all ‘traditional’ on me. Thinks since we’re having a baby together we should make it official.”
“And you?”
She rubs her belly absently. “I don’t want to get married just because I’m pregnant. Not that I think that’s his only reason. Or mine. I mean, I want to marry him. I
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