Page 133 of Pieces of Me

“Shoes!” she repeats, as if that explains it. She grasps my shoulders, shaking gently. “We didn’t get you shoes, Jamie!”

I bust out a laugh while she shakes her head, and then there’s a knock on the door. Maggie opens it just an inch. “Hey, Tammy!” she greets, opening the door wider. “What size shoes you got?”

Tammy, in a beautiful navy dress, looks between Maggie and me, before answering, “Nine. Why?”

Maggie swings her gaze to me, her eyebrows raised in question.

I tell her, “Too big. I’m a seven.”

“You don’t have shoes?” Tammy asks.

I shrug. “I’ll go barefoot.”

Maggie gasps, then claps once. “Perfect. We’ll all go barefoot!” She points to Tammy’s feet. “Off with your shoes!”

Without a beat of hesitation, Tammy removes her shoes and kicks them across the room.

“You guys don’t have to—”

“Hush, child!” Maggie demands.

“How much coffee have you had?” I laugh out.

Maggie ignores my question and looks me up and down a few times. “Okay. Hair? Perfect! Makeup? Flawless! Dress? Glamorous!” She looks at the bed where our bouquets are. “Flowers? Beautiful.” She shifts her gaze to Tammy. “What am I missing?”

“Actually,” Tammy says, reaching into her bag. “I have this one thing I wanted to give you.” She reveals a gold necklace with two teardrop diamonds as a pendant. “My grandmother gave these to me for my wedding, and I wanted to pass them on to you. They were earrings, but Holden said you don’t have your ears pierced, so I had them turned into pendants.” She places the pendant in the middle of her palm and holds it out between us.

“Oh no,” Maggie says. “Her makeup.”

“I’m okay,” I murmur, looking up to stop the tears from falling. Over the past few months, Tammy and I have spent a lot of time together, and I’m not saying that it’s perfect.Yet.But it’s pretty damn close.

Tammy says, “You don’t have to wear it today. I just thought...”

“It would look beautiful with your dress,” Maggie encourages, and this is why I love Maggie. Because she puts everyone else’s feelings above her own. She’s spent the majority of the day taking care of me and all the other wedding dilemmas, and Tammy—her boyfriend’s ex-wife and my soon-to-be mother-in-law—walks in to give me afamily heirloomwhile she forgot myshoes, and there’s no comparison. No competition. She just wants the best for me.

“Do you mind putting it on for me?” I ask Tammy, sitting on the chair in front of Maggie’s dresser.

“I would be honored,” she says

And while she clasps it together behind my neck, I catch Maggie’s eyes in the mirror and mouth, “Thank you.”

She rolls her eyes as if it’s no big deal. And then she smiles. “You’re welcome.”

Barefoot, Maggie and I walk from the house to the barn, where she’s organized something called a “first look.” Apparently, it’s athingnow, and it’s a way to record people’s reactions to seeing you in the wedding dress for the first time.

She said jokingly that after everything she’s done for me, she was entitled to one surprise on the day of, and this is it. Because I have no idea who is standing on the other side of that barn door.

“How long is this going to take?” I ask. “Because the wedding’s supposed to start in five minutes, and if I’m late, Holden’s going to worry, and I don’t want him to.”

“Don’t worry,” she assures, “I sent Tammy to pass on that you might be a few minutes late.” She stops us just in front of the barn and guides me on where to stand, how to hold my flowers, and then adjusts my dressjust right, and when she’s happy with everything, she stands back, and it’s only now I see how emotional she is. Her eyes are clouded with tears, and her breaths are ragged when she says, “Gosh, you look so beautiful.”

“Maggie…” I start toward her, but she holds up a hand.

“Don’t move. I got you perfect. Don’t ruin it.”

I laugh once.

“Okay, I’m going to open this door now!” she shouts to whoever is inside. Then she pushes open the door, and the first thing I notice is the videographer trying to catch the moment. And then I see him, and the emotions that take over are instant and overwhelming.

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