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Tori grins. “Yup.”
We laugh and settle into our chairs. Everyone else sits down at the table. A minute later, a half-dozen servers come out with plates of French toast covered in fresh berries, bacon, and soft-boiled eggs.
Everyone digs in. I’m stuffing my face with French toast when I hear a soft clinking sound. I glance up and see Gage standing up from his chair along with Becca. Maya and Theo, who are sitting next to them, stand up too.
“We just wanted to say thank you all for coming on such short notice. We’re so happy you could join us to celebrate our engagements.” Gage says. He smiles at his fiancée.
“Yes, thanks so much,” Maya says. She exchanges a playful look with Theo. “And we also wanted to bring you all here because we engaged couples have some news. We have wedding dates to announce.”
Everyone at the table makes happy noises.
“You go first, big brother,” Maya says to Gage.
He looks at Becca. “Becca and I are getting married December seventh, here at Se’bon.”
“And Theo and I are getting married on New Year’s Eve at our cabin in the mountains.”
Gasps and cheers erupt from the table.
“We know that’s very soon, especially since it’s already the beginning of October,” Maya says. “But Gage and I figured that since we got engaged so close together, why not keep it going by having back-to-back weddings.”
“And in the middle of hockey season too,” I joke. Everyone chuckles.
Theo laughs. “Okay, maybe I’m nuts for wanting to get married in the middle of the season,” he says. He turns to Maya and beams at her. “But New Year’s Eve is special to us.”
They smile at each other like they’re keeping a secret. It’s kind of cute.
“In all seriousness, we know that two weddings in one month is a lot,” Gage says. “But we’re in love and want to get married right away. We know it’s a lot, asking you all to come to our back-to-back weddings in just a few months. But it would mean the world if you could all be there.”
“It really would,” Maya says.
Everyone says they’re happy to come to their weddings.
“Of course we’ll be there,” my mom says, her gaze teary as she beams at Maya and Gage and their partners.
“I think I speak for everyone when I say that, no matter the time or the place, we’re overjoyed to celebrate with you,” my dad says to the engaged couples.
He raises his glass and everyone follows. We toast to the happy couples and sip our drinks.
As I watch my younger brother and baby sister gaze at their partners, so clearly in love, I feel a pull in my chest. What would that feel like, being so crazy in love with someone that you want to get married to them as soon as possible?
That pulling sensation intensifies. I have no idea what that’s like. But I’d like to.
I swallow back that thought as Ingrid jumps up to hug Maya and Theo.
“You’re the maid of honor, of course,” Maya says to her best friend Ingrid.
Ingrid squeals and does a happy dance that has Tori and me chuckling. We all continue eating. Servers come around and top off our mimosas.
“This is almost as good as the Monte Cristo you made me the other week,” Tori says with a wink.
I chuckle around a bite. “I don’t know about that. This is some gourmet-level French toast. Gage’s recipe, if I’m not mistaken.” I look up at Gage. “This is sourdough brioche, right?”
Gage raises his brow at me like he’s impressed that I correctly guessed the kind of bread.
“Damn, big brother,” he says. “Well done.”
I raise my glass at him in a teasing toast. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice my dad giving me a curious look.
