Page 33 of The Proposal Pact
Therunawaybride: It’s all Fifi’s fault! She called the cops on her new tenant last night.
Toughtolove: WHAT? Since when do you do that? Am I no longer doing my job?
Fforall: Well…maybe next time you all should let little old Fifi in on your plans so she can’t ruin anything.
Ninasunshine: Woman! Did you do that on purpose?
CookieJ: SABOTAGE!!!
Willoflove: Oh, rainbows! What do we do now? Change the plan?
Therunawaybride: No! I’m not subjecting my best friend to this.
Joydon’tpissmeofflevine: Well, would you look at that…and when I asked to stay away from my best friend, did anyone listen?
Willoflove: Shh, don’t jinx it, Joy!
Infullbloom: I’m gonna cry! I’m gonna cry right this second!
Willoflove: Oh no honey, don’t you worry. I’m sure it will all be okay.
Toughtolove: Pull it together Lily! We have no time for tears now.
Jules444: Too late. Mom’s lying on the floor and there’s about two large coffee cups worth of tears around her in a puddle.
CookieJ: Oh, dear God! We’re on our way!
Willoflove: I’ll go brew my special tea!
Jules444: You better hurry because Cal will be here for dinner in three hours.
Ninasunshine: Fanny, activate the first emergency button tonight!
Toughtolove: Way ahead of you, sister.
7
Callum
“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” — George Burns
Idrum my fingers on the steering wheel of my car, eyeing my childhood home with a narrowed gaze. The overflowing flowers of all colors spilling from the flowerboxes along with the ever-growing mint and the million handmade chimes adding an air of innocence and sweetness to the place.
If only…I snort. There are devious, meddling, and supremely cunning minds living behind those yellow walls.
Mom had about seven hours…was that enough time for her to plan my wedding or do I dare hope she was occupied elsewhere and only had time to plan for a mere date?
Sighing for the millionth time, I finally open my door and get out of the car. I prolonged this for as long as I could as it is, and if I don’thead inside, Mom is definitely going to come looking for me and then it will all be ten times worse. I can only imagine how hard it’s been for her not to call me the whole day and start the inquisition.
Impeccable showmanship of restrain, Mother.
Because Lily Lovinski would never waste a chance in setting up her kids. Look at my sister! Mother had practically arranged her pairing with Griffin from early on. They think I don’t remember, but I do. I remember them planning Julie’s wedding to Griff when we were, like, eight and ten!
That’s how far gone my family and this whole town is.
It used to never bother me, and sometimes I wish for those days to be back but then I wake up from the nightmare and thank the heavens I’m older, wiser, and more beat up by life to believe in miracles, nonsense, and worst of all…happily ever after.
I’ll just have to endure her questions about Sophie, her broken door, and how many kids we are planning to have for the maximum time of thirty minutes it’ll take me to eat dinner, and that’s it.
