Page 57 of Collateral Claim
Endo canceled the rest of the appointments for the day, which means Rie flipped the door sign to readCLOSEDand drew down the blinds. Emily brewed a cup of coffee, and by the time I returned from the restroom, my entire staff was in the waiting room with their faces lit up like Christmas trees.
I’m a nervous wreck that they’re going to report to Endo about my lack of enthusiasm, but if mingling in high society has given me anything, it’s endurance during social events. I smile even when I’m uncomfortable. I’m not comfortable lying to the people I’ve come to care about.
The staff at the clinic have been amazing to me. They’re still trying to call the phone company and ask why, when I use their phone and try to dial my sister or the contacts I’ve memorized, they can’t get the line to connect. They wonder why I don’t carry a phone.
They’re working hard not to make me feel like I’m weird or an outsider. This event planning that they’re clearly looking forward to must go on.
Rie’s sister, who has never introduced herself, sits down on the couch. “We can do this in your office or my home if you prefer more privacy.”
She can sense my hesitation. I need to try harder, or she’ll know I’m a fake fiancée. Endo could have said so himself. He didn’t have to claim me as his.
I sit beside her. “Nonsense. I’m happy you’ve taken time out of your busy day to come here.”
“Aww, thank you.”
I fold my hands in my lap, hoping she’ll take the lead because I have no idea what I’m doing or what all goes into a wedding plan. Charlotte would know. I miss my sister so much that sometimes my chest hurts.
“Are you okay, Dr. Pen?” Brenda, my nurse, asks from her seat by the desk.
“I’m a little nauseous, is all.”
They all exchange looks, and Rie’s sister says, “Then it’s best we get going with the wedding. It’s hard to pick out a dress when you’re pregnant.”
“I’m not pregnant,” I rush to say, hoping denying it will nip the rumor in the bud.
“Are you sure?” she asks.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Of course.” Rie’s sister blushes. “You’re a doctor. Silly me.”
“Not silly at all. It’s a perfectly logical conclusion. I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
Her pretty green eyes widen. “Oh, my name is Fiada.
“Nice to meet you, Fiada.”
“We are all eager to start planning.” Rie sits on the backrest of the couch behind his sister so he can peer over her shoulder.
Fiada takes out several thick folders and stacks them on the table. “We don’t have a fancy app or any of those digital things. Everything is done by touch and sensory input except the final draft, which is a video I put together so you can be sure the wedding is everything you envisioned it to be. At that point, we’ll make final adjustments.”
I think I might throw up. “Okay.”
Fiada starts to explain the process, and I find out that a Macarley wedding is actually a festival where people from the entire region come to town and celebrate their connection to the sea. Boats arrive flying the flags of different family houses. They host massive seafood feasts, as well as boat racing, river activities, and, most importantly, other weddings.
The Macarleys will pay for the wedding of anyone who chooses to get married during the event. Historically, Rie explains, the poor are able to have lavish celebrations if they marry during a Macarley wedding festival.
A Macarley wedding can last as long as we want, but I think my staff and Fiada would like it to last at least ten days, which includes two weekends. The opening ceremony would then occur on a Friday, and our wedding would close the event on the second Sunday after that.
Our marriage should fall on a Sunday so that most people will be able to attend the massive reception dinner, during which Widow’s Keep will be open to the public.
Ten days of wedding events sounds exhausting. I’ve never even considered marriage before. I pinch the base of my nose. “Can we plan the closing ceremony? That one Sunday.” I ask.
Fiada nods. “Sure. We can do that. Do you have a vision in mind? We should pick out the florist as soon as possible. There are several in town that are excellent. We will need to pick one to do the wedding itself, then one to decorate the town, one todecorate the stands and the boats, and one to float around to make sure it all goes smoothly.”
“Oh God.”
Fiada hugs me and rubs my back. It’s awkward because I don’t know her that well, and her big belly is in the way, but it’s also quite nice because nobody’s hugged me in a while.
