Page 77 of Bride Games

“Great idea.” Eli stood and clapped to get everyone’s attention. “Hey, kids. Who wants to watch your teacher cut a wedding cake?”

Several students shouted, “I do.” Eli motioned for everyone to follow them toward the cake display. The students fell in line as if they were going to a school assembly. “How cute are they?” Emma squeezed Eli’s hand. “Our wedding day has officially turned around. It’s perfect.”

Guests gathered in a semi-circle to watch Eli and Emma cut the three-tiered wedding cake, topped with large sunflowers. The bottom of each layer was piped in alternating hot pink and orange ribbons. As they reached for a long, serrated knife to cut the cake, Eli placed his hand over Emma’s. Lucy stood nearby watching with wonder.

Emma and Eli each cut a slice out of the bottom layer and held a small piece to feed the other. As they entwined their arms to take the first bite, Emma heard a faint, “She’s back.” Somone else added, “That awful woman’s back.” Stiffening, Emma felt her neck hair prickle. She glanced at Eli. All the color had drained from his face, as he muttered, “God no. Please no.”

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Emma spun around as Eli’s mother grabbed a handful of cake in the middle of the three tiers and shoved it in his face, making the entire cake topple. Eli angrily wiped smudges of cake off his tux while bright orange and hot pink crumbs fell to the floor. As he swiped, only making it worse, Eli glared at his mother. “What’s yourproblem,Mom? I haven’t seen you in well over a year and you decide to show up and destroy”—he motioned toward Emma and the ruined cake—“everything on my—our—wedding day?”

Eli’s mother stood, hands on hips, glaring at her son. “I’m ashamed of you, Eli. How dare you marry someone without asking my permission? Isn’t it enough that I’m a widow? Now, you’ve cut me out of your life.” His mother reached for another handful, but Eli held her wrist. “Mom, are you drunk? This is”—he glanced at the dumbfounded wedding guests—“beyond the pale, even for you. Take a breath. We’ll talk about this la-”

Before Eli had finished his sentence, Lucy—clearly thinking this was a fun wedding game—grabbed a handful of cake and smashed it against her best friend’s face. Grace, in turn, mimed her action and smeared icing on Lucy’s face.

“Lucy! Stop.” Mortified, Emma wept. Between sobs, she directed her ire toward Eli’s mother. Narrowing her eyes she yelled, “You’ve ruined our wedding. Who do you think you are? Go away.”

Eli reached for a small handful of cake and shoved it in Emma’s mouth. “Let’s go with it. Don’t let her ruin our day.”

Wide-eyed, Emma stared at her new husband as if he needed a therapist. Within seconds, she changed tack and managed to laugh. “You’re right. You’re so right.” She grabbed a handful of wedding cake and shoved it in Eli’s mouth, smearing orange on his cheeks. In less than a minute, the entire bridal party was having a cake food fight, including elegant Paige—while the cameras were rolling.

Lucy clapped. The icing on her cheeks matched her orange and pink fingernails. “This is a fun wedding, Mommy.”

Her best friend, Grace, licked orange icing off her bottom lip. “I want to have a cake fight at my birthday party.”

Emma’s eyes bulged as Lucy reached for more cake and smeared her icing-covered hands all over Eli’s mother’s white dress. “What have you done?” Eli’s mother exploded. “This is an expensive designer dress.” She stared down at her white, lacy dress which was adorned with hot pink and orange handprints. Shaking her head, she avoided eye contact. “I’m leaving. This wedding is preposterous.”

“Thanks to you,” Emma shouted, still in utter shock. She took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself before bending down to talk to Lucy. “Honey, just because adults do stupid things, doesn’t mean you should follow our lead. We shouldn’t have done any of this crazy stuff on our wedding today. Yes, the cake part was funny, I guess, and really silly but the cake fight is over. Also,” Emma bit her lip as she thought about what to say, “I wouldn’t be a good mother if I didn’t ask you to apologize to Eli’s mother for ruining her dress.” Lucy stared at hermother perplexed. “I know it’s confusing becausesheshould be apologizing to us, but”—Emma put her sticky fingers on Lucy’s shoulders—“we’re going to be the bigger person today. I want good karma with this new life we’re going to lead, no matter how hard it may be to get there.”

Eli stared at his new wife agog. “You’re a truly amazing woman. How did I get so lucky? I certainly didn’t expect you to say that.”

“Me neither. But it’s the right thing to do.” Emma pointed. “Go ahead, Luce. She went out the side door.”

Lucy obeyed and ran after Eli’s mother. Through the open door, Emma could see she was rushing down the sidewalk. Attempting to regroup, she said, “What’s your mother’s first name, Eli?”

“Lana. Lana Hansen.”

Emma paused as she thought about what to say. She wanted to say several things about her new husband’s dreadful mother but knew she shouldn’t and settled for, “Lana will be part of our lives, Eli, at least on occasion.”Emma’s thoughts skittered to what would likely be future family holidays and birthdays. She knew Lucy would like that, no matter how hard it would be for her to be in this woman’s company after she tried to singlehandedly axe their wedding.I guess I’ll attempt to be the peacemaker for Eli and Lucy’s sake. Lana raised the man I fell in love with. A wonderful man. A wonderful father figure for Lucy. But dammit this is hard.

“I’m going to check on Luce.” Emma stepped outside to see if Lucy had found Lana. Eli followed close behind. When he caught up with his bride, he embraced Emma for a long time. “I-I’m at a loss for words. I’m embarrassed. I’m ashamed of my mother. Mostly, I’m so sorry she did this on our wedding day.” Eli took a deep breath. “You’re handling it really well, Em. Maybe having cameras rolling is keeping me from losing my mind in front ofeveryone and telling Mom how I really feel. Or maybe it’s the shock.” Eli followed Emma’s stare. “What is Lucy do?—”

Eli stopped short as brakes screeched and horns blared. Two cars swerved to avoid a motorcyclist weaving between lanes. Emma raced toward her daughter screaming, “Lucy! Lucy! Get back. Get out of the wa—” The scene played out in excruciatingly slow motion as the cyclist narrowly missed Lucy—only because Eli’s mother threw herself between the biker and Lucy.

“Oh, my God. Lucy!” Emma couldn’t get to her daughter fast enough. Eli raced toward the scene but not before his mother took the brunt of the hit. Lana screamed as she was knocked to the ground. Entangled with the motorcyclist on the ground, Eli’s mother moaned and rubbed her leg. A jogger who saw everything stopped and offered to be a witness. Half of the wedding party ran outside and circled around them, but Emma was only concerned about Lucy. She wrapped her daughter in her arms and rocked her back and forth, sobbing. “My baby. You were almost hit.” A whimper caught in her throat as tears streamed down Emma’s cheeks. “It was all my fault. I told you to come out here. I’m so sorry, sweetie. I love you so much.”

“I’m o-tay, Mommy. Don’t cry.” Lucy pointed toward Eli’s mother. “She saved me.”

Her daughter’s declaration made Emma cry harder. “I saw that. She did save you. She absolutely did.” Tears flowed nonstop as Emma rocked Lucy in her arms.

In tears, a red-faced Mrs. Roberts ran toward them. Their kind neighbor was in tears. The elderly woman reached for Lucy’s hand. “My precious Lucy are you okay?” Lucy nodded, “I’m o-tay, Mrs. Woberts. Just a little scared.” Emma smoothed her daughter’s hair as she continued rocking her. “You’ll be okay, honey.” She kissed her head. “Mommy loves you so much.”

Eli made sure Lucy wasn’t hurt before tending to his mother. “Mom, Mom. Are you okay? Can you sit up?” Eli heard herwhimper and gingerly helped her into a sitting position. He stared into his mother’s glassy eyes. “What hurts? Does anything hurt?” He looked up at the wedding guests on the lawn. “Call an ambulance.”

Eli heard a chorus of “Already did” and “On their way.”

The cyclist grimaced as he unwedged himself from his bent motorcycle. “Guess I’ll be on my wa?—”

Emma glared at him. “Stay where you are. We’re filing a police report. You were driving recklessly.”

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