Page 8 of How to Break My Heart
“Oh.”
“Myles’s mother has insisted on planning it, since apparently she is part of some charitable committee and plans events all the time.” Maddy’s face changes, as if she’s trying to convince me she’s happy Myles’s mother will take over.
“Okay, so that’s covered, I guess. What about your dress and your bridesmaids?”
“Well, here’s the thing…” Maddy smiles, resting her hand on top of mine. “No one in the world means more to me than you. So all I need is for you to say yes to being my maid of honor. The bridesmaids will be Myles’s cousins Ramona and Hailey since he’s an only child, and he’s close to them.”
“I… I would be honored.” My eyes blur as I reach out to hug her.
We were never the type of girls to gush about marriage and babies. Our lives focused on college and then real-world responsibilities. Maddy switched her major from literature to theater, much to her father’s disapproval. After one trip to seeHamilton, Maddy decided she was destined for the stage. Well, not the stage itself, but behind the scenes.
She’s always had a fascination with costumes. Once, for a town fair, she made us dress up as Tweedledum and Tweedledee for a pie-eating contest. She made the costumes herself and insisted we would win the grand prize of two hundred dollars for the effort. In the end, we were runners-up, and I was throwing up cherry pie for a solid four hours after that competition.
The runners-up got free pies from Shirley’s Pie House.
We never picked ours up.
After interning for what felt like forever, Maddy got her dream job in Manhattan, despite her father being less than pleased she chose a career in theater. It’s there she met Myles—he’s a talentscout who invests in up-and-coming theater productions. The funny thing is, they had crossed paths before at family events but had never spoken to each other.
“I’m shocked, but if you love him, this is great.”
“I do love him, Eva.”
“Then, it’s settled.” I clap my hands with excitement. “Let’s get you married. You tell me what you need, and I will do my best to make it happen. It’s not like I have anything else going on in my life right now.” I let out a nervous laugh.
Maddy sighs. “You know me better than anyone else.”
“Yes, some say we were conjoined twins in a previous life,” I tease, then follow with, “But?”
“It’s just, work is going to be crazy over the next month with the premiere coming up for that show we’ve been working on. We actually need to postpone our honeymoon until after opening week. I know it’s not the right time to get married, but if it stays small and intimate, it shouldn’t be overwhelming, right? I can be present for both. The drive to Manhattan is only two hours. Less, if I put my foot on the gas and pretend I’m Dom Toretto.”
I reach out to touch her hand. “You’re capable of anything you put your mind to. But if you need more help, I’m always here.”
“I just don’t want Myles’s mother to make it her day.”
“So, don’t have her plan it. Why don’t you leave the boring stuff you don’t care about to her, and give me the fun stuff you do care about. I don’t care for china patterns but I do care about saying goodbye to your single days with an epic bang.”
Maddy’s eyes water. “You would really do that for me?”
“Like I said, my life is about as exciting as a bear going into hibernation.”
Her mouth quirks as she giggles. “So I’m really not burdening you, and maybe all this wedding planning might send good karma to the universe and deliver you the most perfect man?”
“Okay, now you’re reaching.” I laugh.
Maddy glances at her watch, scrunching her face. “Ah, crap! Listen… I have to meet the minister in ten minutes. It was the only time he could see me. How about we catch up tonight at your place? I could really use some girl time, and we can talk about the wedding in more detail.”
“Sure, but you know it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t you have a fiancé to spoil?”
“We decided to hold off until the wedding,” she admits with an unsure smile.
An unflattering laugh leaves my mouth. “You… not have sex for one month? Oh, this won’t end well. I’m not dealing with a bridezilla.”
Maddy chuckles. “Hey, what doesn’t kill me will make me stronger, right?”
I shake my head with a grin. Maddy is many things, but patient isnotone of them.
Billie joins us, and Maddy quickly announces her news. The ring is brought out again for display, and Billie gushes over the diamond. Since Maddy needs to go, she rushes through the upcoming plans while Billie listens attentively.
