Page 34 of Let Me Say It Again

“You two need to sleep together.”

“Really? That’s the exact opposite of the advice Jake gave me.”

“Tell Jake to call me. He needs to hear what’s up. Better yet, have him call Allie. Or Bibi.”

“Yeah, and what exactly does he need to hear?”

“Red is hot, and you’ve already got one rock, so why not see the other one?”

I cringed. Did she just refer to his dick as a rock? I didn’t like that. Not one bit. It didn’t sound right. “Don’t make”—I dropped my voice and leaned over—“penis references ever again.”

“Whatever. Just go for it.”

Before I could respond, Karoline walked over to us. “My sincerest apologies,” she said, smiling. Her dirty blonde hair was tied up in a high bun, and her bangs were swept to one side. No signs of crow’s feet, bags under her eyes, or botched procedures. She didn’t look a day over fifty, to be honest. Kudos to herfor figuring out the secret to appearing vibrant and youthful. Something told me I wouldn’t be so lucky when I aged. Oh well.

Karoline’s brown eyes roamed from Maria to me before she pointed to the rack filled with clothes. “Shall we get started?”

I nodded, trying my best to focus on Karoline and get everything I needed out of this appointment, as Maria and I got up from our seats and walked over to the rack. “What is this collection about?”

Karoline fussed with the bracelets on her wrist.

Was she nervous? She did realize this was not a big deal, didn’t she? And she’d been doing this forever from what Maria had told me. If I were her, I’d be as cool as a cucumber.

Finally, Karoline answered, “This is actually my first ready-to-wear bridal collection.”

Maria gasped, placing a hand on her chest. “What? You didn’t tell me—”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.”

I angled my head. “A surprise?”

Karoline nodded, pulling a garment bag from the rack.

That was when I realized each one was labeled. “The names are the style names, correct?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

This dress was named Regina. “You named it after our mother?” I asked, fascinated by her obvious devotion to my mother.

Maria started to choke up beside me, placing a hand over her mouth as she sucked in a breath. “Don’t mind me, I’m hormonal.” Then she swiped her eyes. “You didn’t have to—”

“You’re wrong. I did.” Karoline’s voice was low and filled with joy as the corners of her lips turned upward. Unzipping the garment bag, she explained, “You see, she was one of my best friends. She encouraged me to do this. Some days were harder than others. This business isn’t for the faint of heart, but I keptgoing in those early days because of her. She used to whisper in my ear, telling me that this was what I was meant to do.”

As the dress came into view, I was floored. It was rare, but it happened. I didn’t think I’d ever seen something so beautiful, so breathtakingly beautiful. I’d read enough of those damn magazines—thank you, Maria—that I knew exactly how to describe this. “It’s classic with clean lines. The skirt draws the eyes. It’s a two-in-one, isn’t it? That’s a detachable skirt, right?”

Maria sniffled, hitting my arm. “Listen to you!”

Meanwhile, Karoline nodded. “It detaches to reveal a mermaid.”

Gasping, Maria said, “It’s so elegant. Timeless. Maybe even a little ethereal.”

“Everything your mother was,” Karoline replied, a hint of sadness and nostalgia in her voice. “The two-in-one is because Regina wasn’t one thing. She was many. Beautiful. Kind. Courageous. Intelligent.” Then she swayed her head back and forth. “Definitely a little stubborn.”

“That she was,” Maria agreed, laughing through tears.

It hit me then like a ton of bricks. That feeling I’d become so accustomed to feeling lately—regret. Regret for not knowing her. I wished I had. But again—life was a bitch.

Maria’s phone went off, breaking me from my spell, and she held a finger up, digging in her purse for it. When she read the screen, she said, “I apologize, but I have to take this.”

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