“He was possessive,” I said.
“So what?” Mom shot back, “Good trait in a man if you ask me. Anyway, he adored you, stil does if you want the God’s honest truth.”
Yeesh.
I went back to measuring, Mom went back to lecturing.
“You let go of Luis after he asked to marry you.”
“He lived with his mother.”
“So? He would have moved out for you,” Mom shot back.
“Do we have to go through this?” I asked.
Mom started talking to the ceiling, “I don’t even know what was wrong with Alex, he was a nice boy.” Guess we had to go through it.
It was then Ada came forward and wrapped her hand around my wrist. I stopped measuring and looked at her.
She stared into my eyes, smiled a smal , kind of sad, smile, let go of my wrist and turned. “There’s a World’s Most Unbelievable Police Chases Caught on Video starting about now. Let’s watch it at my place.” she said to Mom and Lottie.
Both my mother and sister opened their mouths to argue but Ada must have given them a look. I didn’t know Ada was capable of giving a look, but whatever she did, it worked.
They left.
I watched the space they were in for a long time forcing, with a super human effort, my mind to go blank.
Then I baked.
I swung by the hospital to visit Dad.
They said it was good he made it through the night. They took him off the critical list and would move him out of ICU if things kept on as they were.
They told me he’d been awake for awhile but he was asleep when I went in to see him.
I sat, holding his hand and tel ing him about my day.
Then I told him about my decision.
He didn’t respond, he didn’t give me any judgements, attitude or advice and certainly not The Hand.
This, I thought was good even though I’d rather he didn’t do it because he didn’t have any judgements, attitude or advice, not that he was a couple of brain pathways shutting down away from a coma.
Then, I left.
I walked into Fortnum’s about half an hour before closing carrying bags fil ed with tins and boxes that were stuffed ful with cookies, cakes and pies.
Everyone was there. Lee, Indy, Al y, Tex, Duke, Jane and Hank.
“Jet!” Indy yel ed when she saw me and ran up to me, giving me a big hug.
I was about to tel her I was okay but she pul ed away and shoved her hand in my face.
There was huge rock on her ring finger.
“Ohmigod!” I yel ed, dumped the bags and hugged her, shaking her body from side to side and laughing. “You’re getting married,” I said when I pul ed back a bit.
She nodded. “Lee asked me over a champagne breakfast.” Then she leaned in, “We just got out of bed, like, an hour ago,” she whispered.
She leaned back, eyes bright and happy, and I nodded the knowing girlfriend’s nod.
“Nice,” I said
“You better believe it,” she replied.
Everyone was in celebration mode and it was far, far better than desperation mode so I went with it. I’d tel Indy I was quitting later.
I handed out cookies, cakes and pies, giving Lee a big bag al to himself to take to the office. At first, I was glad I had Indy and Lee’s news to take attention off the gifts. It didn’t real y work, considering the looks and hugs I got, but they knew me enough by now not to make a big deal of it.
We were locking up and going to Indy and Lee’s for a celebration drink when Daisy came storming up, carrying what looked like twenty magazines.
“Al y
texted
me.
I
got Bride, Modern Bride, Contemporary Bride, Today’s Bride, Denver Bride, Wedding, Martha Stewart Wedding and Vogue, real y just for the pictures ‘cause who dresses like that? And People ‘cause some fancy-ass celebrity is probably gettin’ hitched and we can steal ideas.”
“Righteous,” Al y said.
“I think that covers it,” Indy said.
“Fucking hel ,” Hank muttered, sounding horrified.
I shot him a grin.
He caught it, threw his arm around my neck and gave me a sideways hug, keeping me held against him in a modified, friendly Eddie’s Woman Hold.
My grin turned false and I ignored the painful crunch in my bel y.
I was going to miss these guys.
*
Tod and Stevie showed up, Chowleena in tow, a half an hour after we al got to Indy and Lee’s. They were carrying, between them, what looked like a dozen bottles of chil ed sparkling wine and a Yahtzee game. “Since Lee moved in, we’ve been preparing. Now, we’l have room in our fridge,” Stevie said.
He and Tod took in the female huddle sitting in Indy’s living room, pouring over wedding magazines.