I climbed into my car, my thoughts reeling. Would my sister really go through with this? Would she change the venue for the reception? If so, would there be time to pull together a new plan? I sat with the car in park, deep in thought.
Until my phone rang. I recognized Derrick’s number right away and did my best to steady my breathing before answering. He greeted me with a carefree, “Hey,” followed by, “How did the shower go?”
“It was . . .” I paused as I thought through the events of the day. “Really nice.”
“You hesitated.”
“Did I?”
“You did.” Now he paused. “She didn’t like the cookies?”
“Oh, she loved them. Everyone did. And the cupcakes too. Please tell your mom thank you from all the guests. They were thrilled.”
“Then why don’t you sound thrilled?”
“I . . .”
The intensity of his voice grew. “C’mon, Mari. What aren’t you telling me? Was Sienna up to her tricks at the shower?”
“No. Sienna was okay, actually. She even helped clear the tables afterward. It’s more my sister this time.”
“Crystal?” Derrick sounded worried. “Is she sick?”
Oh boy. I’d painted myself into a corner, hadn’t I? How could I answer his questions without giving away too much personal information? “Not really sick, exactly.”
“What, then?” I could hear the concern in his voice. “She’s not getting cold feet, is she?”
Did he have to come out and ask that? I couldn’t lie to him, now could I?
“Mari?”
“I think she’s just going through a weird phase. She’ll snap out of it.” My next words had a pleading tone. “Promise me you won’t say anything to Phillip. I’m sure she’ll wake up tomorrow and everything will be perfect again. She’s just having an off day, maybe.” I paused and then sighed. “Or maybe she’s still reeling from what they went through a few months ago. Maybe that whole breakup thing shook her confidence more than we realized.”
“Well, about that . . .” Derrick’s voice faded away mid-sentence.
“She mentioned that it had something to do with his mom. Did you know that?”
Derrick sighed. “Yeah. Phillip’s mother thought he should slow things down—don’t ask me why, I never could figure it out—but Phillip adores your sister.”
“Are you sure?”
“Are you kidding me? The guy can’t hold a conversation without talking about her. He notices every little thing she does. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard that story about her trip to Haiti. He loves that she’s so soft-hearted and cares so much about underprivileged kids. I’ve never known a guy so infatuated with a girl before, and I can definitely see why. She’s great.”
Hearing all of that made me feel better, but I still had my doubts about my sister’s current state of mind.
“I think Phillip’s mother is worried about losing her son. You know?” Derrick cleared his throat.
“To a girl who doesn’t have a lot of money?” I voiced the words I’d rolled around in my brain over the past few months. “Someone who’s not from the country club set?”
“Maybe.” Derrick paused, and I wondered if I’d lost him. “She can be a little bit of a snob, I suppose, but I think there’s more going on this time. I think she’s really just going through that empty nest thing. My mom went through that right after I moved out. I’m sure your mom is going to experience some of those feelings after your sister’s wedding.”
“If there is a wedding.”
“There will be. Trust me. If Phillip and Crystal could survive Mrs. Havenhurst’s interference a few months back, they can make it through this. Their love is strong, Mari. It’s tough, enough to overcome obstacles.”
“You know just what to say to calm me down, Derrick. Thank you. I only wish Crystal had heard all that. You would’ve won her over, for sure.”
“Do you think it would help if I called her? I’d be happy to do that.”
“She’d kill me if she found out I said anything to you or anyone else.”
“Ah. Well, if there’s anything I can do . . .” His voice drifted away.
“There is.” I paused for a moment and then whispered, “Would you pray? Please?”
“Well, of course.” He must’ve thought I meant, “Right here, right now,” because the guy dove into a passionate conversation with the Lord about my sister’s upcoming wedding. On and on he went, asking God to lead, guide, and bring peace to Crystal’s heart. By the time he finished, I felt completely at peace myself. Wow.
For a few moments neither of us said a word. I finally broke the silence. “Thank you so much for praying, Derrick. That means a lot.”
“I’ve been the one in need of prayer a lot over the years. Remember the story about how I let my parents’ breakup send me reeling?”
“Yes.”