Gabby nodded in agreement. She knew she sometimes put Tony on a pedestal—especially when they first started dating. She was so focused on being good enough for him that she wasn’t able to be herself, which ultimately led to their downfall. Instead of focusing so much on either of their mistakes and flaws, she knew she needed to spend that energy nourishing their relationship.
Claire continued. “The bottom line is that marriage takes work on both sides, and you both have to be willing to make sacrifices.” She paused. “That being said, you shouldn’t have to make too many. Put yourself first . . . be selfish sometimes. You should never feel guilty about doing things for you. When you love yourself, it’ll be so much easier for you to love someone else.” She flashed a soft smile. “I love you so much, and hope you have a lifetime of happiness.” She blew a kiss into the camera.
Gabby smiled. “I love you, too, Claire. That’s great advice.” She leaned her head on her friend’s shoulder.
Claire squeezed her hand as they watched the next scene unfold.
“Hey, Gabby,” Laura said, waving as she sat in front of the camera at her new desk job. After graduation two months ago, she’d moved to Arlington to be with her parents and got a position at a local insurance agent’s office, a temporary gig until she could start college in the spring. “So, first off, congratulations on your big day. I’m so happy for you. Now, I’m supposed to give my advice.” She scrunched her nose. “As someone going through a divorce, boy have I got some tidbits for you!” she said sarcastically. “But really, I learned quite a bit from my marriage and hope you can benefit from my mistakes. Number one, don’t ever live with your in-laws, however desperate you might be . . . but I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem, considering Tony hates his dad as much as you do.” Laura smirked.
“Ha!” Gabby laughed. Tony’s relationship with Mr. Ford was definitely still strained, but thanks to some intervention from Mrs. Ford, they were slowly working things out. And though Gabby was skeptical that she’d ever have a great relationship with the congressman, she did have her mom back thanks to him, so there was a part of her that was grateful for everything they’d gone through. Besides, if she learned anything from her experience with Tony, it was that everyone deserved a second chance. But Laura was right: no moving in with Mr. Ford—or any parents, for that matter.
Laura continued. “Number two, keep a separate savings account just for you. Someone gave me great advice before: have enough money in there so that if you have to leave, you can. I hope that you never have to use it, but just have it there, and you won’t ever feel trapped.”
“I have to get some savings first,” Gabby said, thinking about how empty her account was. Her goal this year, though, was to keep applying for scholarships and save up enough money for tuition by next fall.
“And number three—this is the big one, okay?” Laura said on the screen, with an even more serious tone. “Remember that you are not Mrs. Tony Ford, and you will never be Mrs. Tony Ford. You are Mrs. Gabrielle Vaughn who happens to be married to Mr. Tony Ford. Do not let yourself get lost in this marriage, and don’t forget to follow your own dreams.”
“Hell yes!” Madison shouted in the living room, giving Laura a high five. The girls all laughed.
Gabby looked over at her friend and smiled. She had always seen a lot of herself in Laura—so much ambition but sometimes a lack of confidence. She felt like they were both probably going through similar changes right now, not only with their relationships but also with getting their personal lives and goals back on track.
Back on the video, Laura said her final wishes. “I hope that this marriage is everything that you hope it will be and more. You deserve nothing but the best. Love you, Gabs!” She waved good-bye.
“You guys, I can’t take this! This is the sweetest thing ever,” Gabby said in between scenes.
“Shhh!” Madison said. “The best part is coming up!”
On the screen, Madison sat in George’s leather recliner with a glass of whiskey in her hand as a fire roared in the background.
“Yes, in case you’re wondering, Mads did build a fire when it was ninety degrees outside,” Claire interrupted.
“I just wanted George to take his shirt off,” she said with a wink.
“Oh gross!” Claire said, laughing and hitting her cousin on the butt as she lay next to her. The girls turned their attention back to the screen as Madison began talking.
“Sweet Gabby. Congrats on your big day! You’re going to make a beautiful bride, and Tony’s a lucky man to be able to call you his wife. As someone who has been married for only five months with a break in the middle, I know what you’re thinking—what do I know about marriage? Well, I’m not going to bore you with details of my and George’s relationship.” She leaned into the camera and whispered, “Even though it’s awesome!” She leaned back in the chair. “Instead, I’m going to tell you what I know based on the purest marital love I’ve ever witnessed: my parents’.”
Gabby put her hand on her heart. “I love this so much.”
“Shhh, I’m still talking!” Madison joked, pointing to the TV.
“My dad once told me the secret to their marriage was, quote, ‘workin’ as a team just like the Saints or the Tigers would.’ He went on to give all these football analogies, and I’m probably gonna mess ’em up, but let me see if I can remember them. . . .” She swirled her glass in her hand. “One: you have to have good on-field communication to make sure you’re making the right plays together. Two: you have to defend yourselves against outside forces working against you. Three: your relationship needs cheering on—find people in your life who will support it, not bring it down. And, my favorite: have victory dances as often as possible.” She tilted her head to the side. “You can interpret that however you want.”
Gabby laughed. That reminded her of the old man’s advice at the Cajun dancing restaurant back in the fall. She was looking forward to dancing with Tony for the rest of her life . . . in the living room . . . in the kitchen . . . in the bedroom.
“Good luck, my sweet friend. I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines the whole game.”
As the scene faded to black, Gabby put her hand on her heart, wondering how she was so lucky to have such amazing friends. “I love you girls so much,” she said.
“Welcome to the Young Wives Club,” Claire said, raising her glass. “We know you’ll be able to give us advice later on, too. And just know we’ll be here for you throughout your adventure.”
“Cheers!”
Gabby looked around the room and smiled, confident that whatever happened with Tony, these girls would be by her side through it all.
epilogue