Page 58 of Bridesmaid to Bride

“Your parents!” he says, nearly bouncing on his feet. “They’re gonna be stars!”

“Stars?”

“Yup! We’re doing a human-interest piece on them. Their... unique entrepreneurial spirit.” He raises his eyebrows. “The viewers will see you come from humble, hard-working people. Audiences eat that shit up.”

“Wait, you mean you’re going to interview them at their shop?” My heart kick-starts.

“Exactly! It’s perfect. The colorful parents of our next Groomsman to Groom. Your parents will be legends!” Darren’s enthusiasm could power a small city.

“That’s amazing!” My excitement turns genuine. This is just what they need. “It could save their store—the press alone.”

“Absolutely. It’ll be aired nationally.” Darren nods. “And we start filming right after the wedding shindig wraps up.”

“Great. That’s just great.” Except why don’t I feel great?

“Hey, you okay, man?” His hand lands on my shoulder, an anchor in a tilting room.

“Fantastic, Darren. I’m over the moon,” I lie, because what else am I supposed to do? I have to get over this fog in my head, forget Eva, and get over the moon about it.

“Okay, then. I’ll let you get a move on.” Darren’s oblivious to my internal earthquake he’s triggered. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot to do—big day tomorrow as the best man!”

“Yup, I’ll need it.” I muster my very best smile. “And thank you—for everything.”

On the way out, in the mirror, I catch a glimpse of myself—wavy gelled brown hair now Groomsman-worthy, and my tee too tight around my chest. Which might be from my heart trying to escape it.

My parents’ hopeful faces flash through my mind. The more I think about this, the more excited I am to do the show. Steve from the bank wrote to me today and said he couldn’t get me the loan for them, so that option is out. He said his boss wouldn’t approve it because it’s too high risk.

I could still sell my condo, but that won’t have the reach this will have. I need to do this for myself, plus, I can’t pull the rug out from under them—not when they’re being handed this kind of opportunity to save their entire livelihood.

This isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about saving the people who’ve saved me… countless times.

My soles squeak against the hotel lobby floor as I make my pilgrimage to room 112. I’m gearing up to tell my parents the best news they’ve heard in years, possibly ever. I tap on their door, three quick raps. It swings open and there they are, Mom in her floral-print dress and Dad with his Hawaiian shirt.

“West, honey, come in!” she beckons.

I jump right in, saying, “Mom. Dad, the deal is done. I got picked for Groomsman to Groom. We’re gonna be on TV,” with a hint of a twang I thought I left back in high school.

Mom’s eyes go wide, and a grin takes over Dad’s face. “Really?”

“Yup. You’re gonna be interviewed too. At the store.” Just saying it fills me with excitement.

“This is such wonderful news!” Mom’s already teary-eyed.

Dad purses his lips. “That’s just... we’re mighty proud of you.”

“Thanks. I just hope I don’t let you down.”

“Let us down?” Mom wraps me in that kind of hug where she’s cutting off my air. “Never in a million years.”

Dad joins in. “You’re our boy. Nothing’ll ever change that.”

“Appreciate it.” I mumble into Mom’s hair, smelling like vanilla and home. “I love you both.”

They break away, all smiles and dreams, while inside, I’m doing somersaults. Because this isn’t just about saving the store or making them proud. It’s about proving to myself that maybe I can be more. That maybe the small-town underdog, the geek-made-chic, can make a splash on TV.

“When we get home, we’ve gotta bake a victory pie,” Mom says, and I can’t help but laugh because it’s so her.

“Sure, Mom.”

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