Lucia sat forward. “Yes, that’s correct. It’s such a sad story. His wife left him! Just up and left him one day. No one knows where she went. She left him with a mortgage and this big house on his artist’s salary. The poor man. He was so devastated. It’s a miracle that we found each other so quickly afterwards. He was so thankful to find me.” She looked lovingly at Sunny. “It’s like I saved him.” Sunny looked down at the table. “How romantic, my dear.”
Elly snapped the pencil she was holding in half. So that was how they told it! Ah yes. The poor artist, left by his wife, with Lucia’s waiting arms to catch him. What a wonderful fairy tale. She glanced over and saw Snarky Teenager looking at her with sincere concern. Elly’s cracks were starting to show and she felt herself crumbling.
“Elly! Why don’t you show Sunny all the flowers we’ve been working on for this week’s wedding?” Snarky Teenager chirped.
Sunny clapped her hands brightly. “Ooohh!! I’d LOVE to see them. Your arrangements are magnificent, my dear!”
Elly stood, thankful for the momentary distraction. Sunny, moving quite quickly for a 70-year-old woman, practically skipped to the back. Elly followed slowly behind her, aware that her slower waddle fully displayed her large backside to waifish Lucia. She was about to turn the corner when she heard Snarky Teenager say, “Listen up, you skanky home wrecker.” She smiled in spite of the tension rippling through her veins. She would hate to be Lucia right now.
The arranging area in the rear of the store was a beautiful disaster. Sunflower heads, purple statice, blue cornflower and French marigolds lay strewn about the floor, a spring layer of confetti. The long design table was covered with white and cream milk jugs, each with a bright flower explosion, accented with wheat and dried lavender.
Sunny let out an excited squeal. “Oh dear, these are charming!! Look at the wheat!” Sunny prattled on, touching the leaves, the jugs and picking up tiny bits of flowers from the table.
Elly leaned back around the corner and peeked towards Lucia and Snarky Teenager. They were both leaning over the table towards each other, their shoulders hunched forward and hands splayed flat. Two tigers, though Elly, ready to pounce. Secretly, she hoped that Snarky Teenager would leap across the table and grab Lucia by her red mane. Then, it would all be out in the open - no more pretending.
“Sunny, we should finish up the consultation.” Elly swallowed her lie. “I would love to spend all day talking about Lucia’s wedding, but we have another appointment coming in at noon.” She allowed herself another one. “My tax guy.”
Sunny nodded and looked gratefully at Elly. “Thank you so much for doing this wedding. I know it’s quite the circus and I’m just a crazy old woman who has a million questions. Please understand, I have three sons and one daughter. I’ve simply attended my other children’s weddings. I show up in my god-awful corsage, eat some bland gourmet food and smile for pictures. And it’s lovely enough. But this is MY wedding, the one I get to throw, to show how proud I am of my child – even if my child is obstinate and completely ungrateful. She’s in rare form today; don’t think I haven’t noticed. That being said, I cannot wait to celebrate this…” she paused, searching for the right word, “surprising union with all my friends and people that I love.”
Elly looked into Sunny’s nurturing eyes, the same deep green that shone in the person she hated most, and felt her heart stir a little. She realized that she had made the right decision in doing this wedding. She would not break this wonderful woman’s heart to save her own. Sunny was a mother, through and through, and Elly loved mothers.
Elly heard a scuffle from the table, a sharp bite. She softly took Sunny’s arm. “Let’s go finish the consult.”
Elly and Sunny headed towards the table, Lucia glowering at her across the store. Snarky Teenager, whose normally perfect face was flushed and sweaty, gripped the ends of the contract. “Are you alright sweetie?” Sunny leaned over her.
Snarky Teenager took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m fine, I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well today.” She looked at Elly, helpless and confused as to what to say next. “I have the runs.”
An awkward pause settled over the table. Lucia sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, a smug smile upon her deceitful face. Elly turned to Snarky Teenager, who looked ready to cry. “Why don’t you head up to my apartment and lay down for awhile? Or um, do you what you need to do.”
Her brave ingénue stood up, said goodbye to Sunny and headed for the stairs, mouthing, “Sorry!” to Elly.
Elly gathered what was left of the contract. She looked directly at Lucia. “We have a beautiful plan in place for your ceremony. Your mother has approved the details. Would you like to run over it again?”
Lucia rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the flowers. I mean, seriously, who even notices the flowers at a wedding? Aaron doesn’t really care about flowers either.”
That is a lie, thought Elly, he loves flowers. He paints flowers. You don’t know him like I do.
“Lucia!” Sunny was getting upset now. “That was so rude! What is wrong with you today?”