Page 16 of The Invitation
I smile. “Sounds like a plan. What time do you want me to come over?”
The phone disconnects from the speaker, and Sutton’s voice is crisp again. “How does noon work?”
“You know I have absolutely nothing going on right now. Whatever time works for you works for me.”
“Cool. I’ll see you at noon then.Andif you happen to be online looking at wedding stuff, I’m thinking about going with peach and gold. I think that would be beautiful in the fall.”
I laugh. “Is that a hint that I should start looking for ideas?”
“That was definitely a hint that you should start looking for ideas.” She laughs. “I’m a terrible decision-maker about things like this.”
“Don’t worry. I got you.”
“I know you do. It’s one of the million reasons I love you most.”
“Hey!” Jeremiah objects.
Sutton giggles again. “I’ll see you Saturday, Georgia.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
“Who was that?” Mom asks, making me jump.
“Dammit.” I suck in a hasty breath. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry.” She moseys to a drawer and pulls out a pizza cutter. “Was that Sutton?”
I grab two plates from a cabinet. “Yes. She wants me to hang out with her this weekend since Jeremiah will be working. Guess we’re going to have a pool day.”
“When is she getting married?”
I hold out a plate, and Mom plops a piece of pizza on it.
“Next fall,” I say. “I’m sure it will be magical and wonderful. I can’t imagine Jeremiah letting her have anything but a fairy-tale wedding.”
Mom’s shoulders stiffen as she takes a slice for herself. I ignore the bubble of uneasiness in my stomach.
Despite all our differences, one thing Mom and I share is our wariness of happy endings. Marriage was tumultuous and constraining for her. Falling in love with my father meant suffering through affairs and making herself vulnerable in a way that wasn’t just uncomfortable but also unhealthy. Watching them struggle to like each other when they were supposedly in love wasn’t healthy nor fun for me. And then my father turning his back on me post-divorce,post-tuition, was devastating. Neither of us has had a good experience in relationships since.
Mom can’t talk about weddings and relationships without growing tense, and she’s written both off completely. In her mind, there isn’t a man in the world worth the risk of being destroyed yet again.
I’m different. I love the idea of weddings and relationships. I’m just not sure either is for me … and I’m afraid to dream of the possibility.
“I hope she gets herself a good attorney before signing a prenup,” she says, heading back to the living room.
“I’m sure she’ll protect herself.”
“Love can make people too trusting. You should ask her if she has lawyered up. Tell her I know a few good ones if she needs a recommendation.”
“I’m not bringing up a prenup with my best friend when she just got engaged,” I say, taking my seat again. “If I felt like I had to jump into protection mode, I would’ve said something to her before now. I wouldn’t be a Jeremiah fan at all.”
She takes a bite of pizza, chewing a little rougher than necessary. “So you like Jeremiah?”
“Yeah. He’s good to her. He’s not just her fiancé, and he’s not just her friend.” I take a bite and consider what I’m trying to say. “They’re a team. Equals. He wants her to succeed as much as he wants to be a success himself.”
“That’s what you think now. Wait until a year has passed, and the sex isn’t fun anymore, and real life hits them.” She sighs. “I hate to be a Debbie Downer here, but someone has to be the voice of reason.”
