Page 8 of June Bride
“They’re ‘revolutionizing’ education with a shoestring budget, okay?”
“I pay taxes,” Sunny muttered. “So why the hell does this school have no budget, and why can’t I drive to Brandy’s house without hitting three potholes?”
“That’s a question for Dave, the history and government teacher.” Anita chuckled. “Thanks again for helping me out today, Sun. I know you’re really busy with your house and the wedding, but I appreciate it. This always takes me twice as long to do by myself.”
It’s the least I could do after you helped me with my gardening.“I had to get out of town for a while,” she said, referring to how Clark High stood right between Paradise Valley and Roundabout. As a child, she never thought about how weird it was to see a high school out in the middle of nowhere. Now, though, she realized that many aspects of her childhood were “different.” Not even Brandelyn totally understood how a school could be outside of city limits.I’m honestly surprised a big city childhood like that led her to being comfortable in rural Oregon.Brandy claimed to have grown accustomed to a quieter life when going to school in OHSU. Still, how did a big city woman become a small town doctor? It was one of those bits about Brandelyn that Sunny would continue to discover for the rest of her life.
“Is the Bridezilla still on the prowl?” Anita dropped her smile. “Sorry. I shouldn’t call her that. Oh, and make sure Maya goes on top, would you? She gets the spot of honor.”
“Two women on top of the most celebrated male writer in history. Got it.”
“Always thought that was Rumi,” Anita said.
“Who?”
“Never mind. Come sit in on one of my classes sometime, huh? I should get a Rumi poster…”
Sunny made sure that the poster of Maya Angelou was on top. “It’s okay to call Brandy a Bridezilla. She kinda acts like one. Then again, it’s her dream we’re enacting. She can have almost anything she wants.”
“Lord, is that what you’re telling yourself? I thought some of the things I overheard teenagers saying wasbad.”
Sunny jerked upright. “How is it bad?” she asked. “You know I’ve never had big marriage or wedding aspirations. Hell, remember when you asked me to be your +1 at your sister’s wedding? I almost bailed, because I honestly hate other people’s weddings.”
“I thought you bailed because you couldn’t decide between a suit or a dress?”
“That’s why I ended up going with a blouse and slacks.” It had come in handy many times since. Sunny needed to dress up for something semi-formal? Slacks and blouse! It was the perfect blend of sticking with what she found comfortable while also avoiding strange comments. Not everyone in Paradise Valley or the general area was used to women wearing suits and tuxedos. They thought that kind of thing only happened at lesbian weddings.Never forget Anita’s uncle, who asked us if two women getting married always meant two suits… because we’re obviously trying to be men, or something.Sunny was really getting tired of the gender politics over a simple outfit. Why couldn’t she wear something that was comfortable, while still looking nice? Comfort didn’t always meanphysical.
Anita’s silence spoke volumes. She had clearly heard her friend’s response. Her choice to not say anything was basically screaming,“You keep telling yourself that.”
“Besides,” Sunny continued, “we’re getting married at Waterlily House, which was the most important thing to me. You have no idea how much Brandy had to concede her desires for that chapel vision. She watched way too many religious weddings growing up.”
“So did we,” Anita said. “Yet somehow we’re not ragin’ to get married in churches.”
“People are different, yeah? To her, the chapel wasn’t about being Christian or getting married in front of God. It was all about the aesthetic ingrained into her since she first realized she really, really loves weddings.”
“If you say so.”
“You’re the one calling her Bridezilla.”
“Because I’ve heardsomany stories about her and that wedding planner of yours. I heard she was asking about that dog of hers being the ring bearer?”
“Who did you hear that from?” Sunny asked. “Because it’s notthattrue.”
“If you say so!”
“Would you stop saying that?”
Sunny hadn’t meant to snap at her friend, especially since she came all this way to help Anita pack up her classroom at the end of the year, but she was getting tired of people acting like Brandelyn stomped all over her. Did people think Brandy was the Queen Bee of the relationship?Hardly. We have complementary personality types.They got along because Brandy was a go-getter and Sunny knew how to slow down and take in the flowers. She loved to think that they were beautiful opposites like that. The kind who, on the surface, didn’t get along. But when one dug deeper and made things work, it was a balanced relationship to last a lifetime.
“Sorry,” Anita finally said. “I know things are stressful right now. Just don’t let your fiancée walk all over youandmake every single decision up to the last minute. Don’t want you showing up to your own wedding and having no idea what’s going on.”
“I think I would know if she suddenly went with a space or an aquarium theme,” Sunny muttered.Not that Brandelyn wouldeverdo that.It went totally against her traditional mindset.I’m the one who would suggest an under the sea theme. Ahem.More like flowers for days, but whatever. “Well, there might be one thing that’s been bugging me.”
“Hm?”
Anita was filled with rapt attention as soon as her friend announced something may be up. Unsurprising, wasn’t it? She lived for this kind of drama. She really was an English teacher!
“She’s so convinced that I want to wear a tux that she’s focused so much of our planning on it. She’s picking out a cake topper right now, and I know she’s going to choose one that has me represented by a guy in a suit.” Sighing, Sunny continued, “It fits into her vision, you know? She wants to be the beautiful bride on the arm of a handsome person in a tux.”
