Page 96 of My Ex-Best Friend's Wedding

“So just to be clear. You’re going to do me the favor of letting me forgive you because anything can happen and we could die at any time?”

We stare at each other. I want to step into her arms. But I still want to rail at her. To punish her. I am an adult and yet I feel like a child. And I know that I’m behaving like one.

Jake steps forward as if he wants to add something. Without breaking her eye contact with me she shakes her head and he stops.

“No, this is not an asking for or granting of a favor. Nothing I say will erase what’s happened or give you the forty years of family life you didn’t have. I wish I could. I wish I could go back and fix it all. From the moment I ran or even thought aboutrunning. Just think how neat and tidy it might have all been. But I can’t do that.” She reaches out a hand to gently cup my cheek. “The time has come to choose, Lauren. Whether to hold on to your hurt and nurse your anger like my father did. Or to let go of it so that we can have a future together. We may be getting a late start, but we can be a family. In every way that matters. From this moment on.”

I look into my mother’s eyes. They shimmer with the unconditional love that has always been her greatest gift to me. I realize this choice is as simple and elemental as it gets. There is only one real question. And this is not the first time I’ve asked it. How could I ever choose a life that didn’t include her when I am only who I am because of her?

This time the answer is clear. I don’t stop to second-guess it. She opens her arms. I step into them the same way that Lily stepped into Bree’s. My father gathers us to him. We hold on to one another as if we never intend to let go. We’ve lost forty years. None of us intends to lose a minute more.

Epilogue

Lauren

Two weeks have passed since Bree’s and my wild ride in a nor’easter (not a bad title, by the way) whose name I plan to forget as soon as possible. It hovered over the Northeast for most of a week, turbulent and malevolent, drenching the earth and creating havoc.

That storm, and the race to find Lily, changed my life. It washed away old hurts and gave me back my best friend. It showed me just how brave my mother has always been and taught me that needing others is a sign of strength, not weakness.

It was as if some unseen hand reached down and not only revised my entire story but wrote a better ending. Filled with so many things I never thought would be mine.

“Are you sure you can walk in it?”

We’re in my bedroom at the Sandcastle. My mother and Bree are helping me into THE DRESS. It’s been hemmed so that I can wear it barefoot on the beach today. When I marry Spencer.

Ha! You weren’t expecting that, were you? Neither was he.

It’s just that when you’re forced to confront who and what matter most to you, not marrying the man you love as soon as possible feels foolish, maybe even dangerous. I mean, look what happened to my mother.

Fortunately, when I called Spencer and asked him if he was up for an impromptu wedding and whether he had any formalbeachwear on hand his answer was “Hell, yes!” He arrived with his parents two days ago, carrying aMiami Vice–inspired white linen suit and a jaunty panama hat.

“You look so beautiful.” My mother’s tears are happy ones. So are Bree’s.

They are my attendants. My father—I still can’t believe the joy I feel every time I think or say this word—will be walking me down the aisle, or, more accurately, the crossover onto the beach. Our wedding party is small, just our parents, Lily, and a seriously chastened Clay. Deanna, who has all the requisite online credentials, will be officiating.

Lily delivers a tray with three flutes of champagne. The wariness in her eyes has begun to fade, but there’s a new maturity about her since we raced to her rescue only to find that she’d rescued herself. “Spencer’s suit and hat are awesome. I might have to look forMiami Viceon Netflix.”

Today is just for us. Ourrealwedding. The one that matters and that I’ll show pictures of to our children if we’re lucky enough to have them. The one we’ll be keeping to ourselves and not sharing on social media or through our publicity outlets.

Our “public wedding” will take place next June in a picture-perfect spot here on the Outer Banks—there are a ton of them to choose from—when the anniversary edition ofSandcastle Sunriselaunches at Title Waves. Then I’ll be wearing something chosen during my appearance onSay Yes to the Dressand the guest list will be considerably larger.

(Hey, I might not always like the business end of publishing, but I’m not stupid. And those dresses at Kleinfeld were fabulous!)

“Ready?” Jake pops his head in as I’m taking a final look at myself in THE DRESS with my newly restored best friend at my side.

“Almost.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in five.” He shoots me a wink thendevours my mother with his eyes. A lump forms in my throat when I see her devour him back.

I turn to Bree. My no-longer-ex–best friend. “Before we start, I... I want to apologize for being such a grudging maid of honor when you and Clay got married. And... well, I hope things work out however you want them to.”

Her smile is calm and assured. “I think the experience with Lily may have finally made him realize that his actions have repercussions. And I’ve made it clear that I’m no longer willing to settle for anything less than a true partnership and a real marriage. I hope we can make things work. But I’m ready to live without him if I have to.”

“That’s good.” I smile back, wondering how I ever let go of our friendship or questioned her strength. I pick up an envelope and hand it to her.

“What’s this?”

“A matron of honor gift.”

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