Page 66 of Pierced Pages
Felicia lifted the card holding the delicate-looking earrings up near her ears. The deep indigo stones each dangled below tiny clear quartz beads hung from silver fishhook wires.
“They’re perfect.” Felicia handed Morgan the box and slipped one earring off the card. “Here, hold this.”
She reached up and removed one of the diamond studs from her lobe, then held it out for Morgan to put in the box. She slipped on one earring Morgan had given her and looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
Her sister was truly gorgeous. With her nearly black hair piled into a loose bun on top of her head and her angular facial features softened under layers of makeup perfection, Felicia looked like a princess version of Morgan in a poofy white dress. Growing up, people had always commented on how much they looked alike. Now? Not so much. But Morgan could see herself in her sister. Even after all these years. As much as they’d grown apart, there was still a deep connection there. As deep as the blue in that tanzanite.
“Really, I didn’t mean for you to feel like you have to?—”
“I want to,” Felicia said. “They’re perfect. And they’re my something blue. Better than that sad little ribbon under my bouquet.”
Morgan laughed and took the other diamond earring Felicia held out for her. She handed Felicia the second of the new earrings and closed the old ones in the box. When she found Felicia’s clutch, she slipped the box inside and turned back to her sister.
“They’re titanium, too. So they won’t irritate your ears.”
Felicia turned from the mirror with a warm smile. “You remembered.”
“Of course, I did.” She smiled back. “I know we haven’t been super close, and we’ve had our issues, but you’re still my sister.”
Felicia’s eyes glistened, and she immediately started fanning them. “Enough of that. It’s too late to be ruining my makeup.”
Morgan laughed again. “Fair enough.”
Felicia continued to fan her eyes. “So, is yourdatestill coming?”
She said the word “date” with a conspiratorial whisper.
“She’s my plus one,” Morgan said, not yet ready to call her a date, but not sure friend quite fit anymore. “And yes. She’ll be here. I told her she could meet me at the reception, so she isn’t alone during the service, but she insisted on coming to the church, too.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. And you can stop pretending she isn’t your date. At least around me.”
Morgan sighed. “Jen thinks I have to stop kissing her if I won’t call her my date.”
Felicia snorted. “You think?”
“She’s right. I know that. But I don’t want her to be right.”
“Then kiss her and call her your date. Easy solution.”
It sounded so easy when she put it that way. But none of this was easy.
“We should get you out there,” Morgan said, picking up her sister’s train.
“They can’t do this thing without me, so I’ll take as long as I want,” Felicia said with a defiant huff. “And I want to boss my sister around some more before I have to stand still for God knows how long to take all of those pictures.”
“I thought you were supposed to like all the attention or whatever.”
“Or whatever is more like it.” Felicia pointed a finger at Morgan. “What is wrong with you? Why are you hesitating? You don’t hesitate.”
She was right, of course. Morgan was always one to jump in with both feet. Heck, that’s how she’d ended up inviting Danielle to this wedding in the first place. So whywasshe hesitating?
“It’s way too early to even think about what a life together might look like, but Danielle needs someone who thinks ahead. Someone who can plan with her and be organized and fit into her life. There’s too much at stake for her and Lila to not consider all of that.”
Felicia waved a hand to dismiss the thought. “There are plenty of impulsive parents out there. Besides, your brand of doing things might be a great addition to their little team.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Morgan said, shaking her head. “I’m not carrying on Mom’s shitty parenting legacy.”
Felicia put her hands on her hips. “I’m not letting that woman have any sway over what I do as a fully grown adult, and you shouldn’t either.”
