Page 71 of The Wedding Hoax

“Will do.” Harry stood up from the blanket. I watched him walk to the parking lot, where food trucks were parked along the street.

My mom looked over at me with an expression I couldn’t read on her face.

“What?” I pressed. “What is it?”

“I think I was wrong, Simi.”

“Wrong?”

“I was wrong to have ever been worried about you and Harry.” She grinned. “I knew there was a romance brewing between you but after what I’ve seen today? I never should’ve doubted your relationship. Ever.”

“Mom—”

“And look at what he did for us with the picnic,” she went on. “I think you’re bringing out another side of him, Simi. When we first met, he seemed so different. More closed off. But this? This is absolutely wonderful.”

“Mom, I just—” I took a deep breath as I tried to find my words. “Can we not talk about this right now?”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not important.” I shook my head. “Because making sure you’re feeling okay before your surgery is what really matters. It’s the only reason Harry did all this, anyway.”

“Another reason he’d be a good pick—”

“Mom,” I playfully scoffed. “It’s like you’re not listening to a word I’m saying!”

“I’m hearing every word you’re saying, Simi.” She beamed. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to speak my mind.”

“What are you two talking about?” Harry asked as he returned to the picnic blanket. He handed me a strawberry ice cream cone before he handed my mom a chocolate one. “I hope it wasn’t about how neither one of you is really in the mood for ice cream, because I don’t think that place does refunds.”

“Nothing,” I said as I took the cone into my hand. “We weren’t talking about anything.”

“Really?”

“Really.” I shared a quick look with my mom who nodded in agreement.

Phew.

Awkward bullet successfully dodged.

27

SIMONE

Monday morning.

I was slow to get out of bed, terrified to get the day started. It was the day of my mom’s surgery, and I didn’t know how I was going to handle it if things somehow went wrong.

If the surgery failed and she didn’t gain back any of her mobility? Fine.

But if the surgery failed and my mom didn’t make it home?

I could barely process the thought, my body on the verge of trembling with fear.

My mom was all I had left.

I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed, even though with every step, I felt something turning over in my stomach. I tried to eat breakfast, but everything tasted wrong, like it needed more sugar or more salt or more something.

My mom seemed fine, though. She was sipping on a glass of water since she had to fast before her surgery.

---