Page 8 of It Could Happen
“They’re keeping me on my toes,” she says with a sigh. “Although I can’t decide if they’re keeping me young or adding years onto my life.”
“Are any of them as bad as Pete was?”
She gasps. “Your brother wasn’t that bad.”
I snort. “Mom, you’ve conveniently forgotten that my brother was a little terror in Nikes.”
“He’s my baby boy.”
I roll my eyes.
My brother was the most adorable little boy, but he was a monster. I was always the good child in the Hayes house.
“And Pete has grown up to be a wonderful man.”
I grimace and roll my eyes, even though she can’t see me. Although she’s right—my brother is now a very caring, successful pediatrician. Go figure he’d choose to go into a field helping children.
“Anyway, you promise to keep me updated on the wedding plans,” she says.
“Mother, I promise to keep you informed about everything youneedto know.” Which actually isn’t much, if anything.
“Good,” she says, sounding satisfied. “I’ll be on the lookout for my save-the-date.”
Ugh. She’s not going to give up on this. Maybe I should talk to Caroline about it. Would two more people really make a dent at an event with hundreds of people in attendance? They’d never even know if my parents were there.
As soon as I get off the phone with my mother, it buzzes again. I immediately answer it.
“Hello.”
“Tori, hi. This is Erica,” a cheerful voice squeals. “Before you say a word, I want to apologize. This phone call is way overdue. You should have been my first call after Caroline sent the bridesmaid list.”
“Um—”
“I’m the worst MOH ever. I realized this morning that I haven’t reached out to you or Jeannie privately.” She sounds like she’s on the verge of tears.Is she always this dramatic?
“It’s fine,” I insist. “The group chats are—fun.”
“They are pure chaos,” she replies with a giggle. “But they are the best way for us all to communicate, and we all have one thing in common, which is our dear Caroline’s special day.”
I can’t disagree with her about that.
She continues talking about the kickoff dinner and how her boyfriend’s cousin owns the restaurant where it’s being held.
“I’m looking forward to meeting everyone in person,” I say. “Although I feel like I’m getting to know the girls very well through their texts. Rachel seems sweet and Leslie is … feisty.”
“Yes, Leslie is our fiery one,” Erica agrees. “But she’s loyal and would do anything for her friends.”
I don’t say anything about Leslie’s snide comments. I mean, it’s not like the others didn’t see them. She posted on the group for everyone to see. But, I need to remember that I’m the new kid when it comes to this group. Caroline has her core crew of friends, and I need to make every effort I can to get along with them for her sake.
“Jeannie is Andy’s sister,” Erica continues. “She’s adorable, five and a half months pregnant with her first child—she’s very concerned about the dresses, but Caroline has assured her that she will look precious.”
“It sounds like a fun group of ladies,” I say. “I’m sure this wedding is going to be unforgettable.”
“Caroline says you won’t be bringing a date.”
Hmm … is my relationship status important to the wedding festivities?
“Nope. I mean, I’m not seeing anyone right now.”
