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“When’s the big day?” Rose asked.
Lanie dropped her gaze and fidgeted with a string on her shirt. Her actions didn’t make any sense to Rose. Lanie and Nate had discussed several dates, and Rose expected her to be excited to share the one they’d settled on. But Lanie seemed hesitant, almost guilty.
“Lanie?”
Finally, Lanie met Rose’s gaze and squared her shoulders. “November fourth.”
After racking her brain to determine why Steven would have objected to the date, a cold chill slid up Rose’s spine. There was no way Lanie had chosen her mother’s birthday to get married.
She was going to have to tread lightly. If Steven had already blown up at her, Lanie wasn’t likely to take kindly to Rose tearing into her as well. But somehow, Rose had to make her see reason. Steven had been inconsolable last year on Melody’s birthday, and Rose couldn’t bear the thought of him forcing smiles and faking joy just to appease his sister.
“Why that day?” Perhaps if Rose asked enough questions, she could lead Lanie to understand not only why her brother had reacted negatively to her news but also why the date was a terrible idea.
“It used to be such a happy day for us, celebrating Mom. So I thought it would be a nice way to honor her memory and give another reason to celebrate the day instead of mourning her loss.”
While Rose appreciated the sentiment, she wondered whether Lanie had thought the idea through. It wasn’t easy to replace one memory with another. No matter how much she tried to paper over her grief with balloons and décor, the reality of who wasn’t at the wedding would lurk in the shadows and pounce when Lanie expected to be happiest.
“How did you spend your mother’s birthday last year?”
Lanie set her elbow on the table and, frowning, leaned her cheek against her hand. Then her face cleared as the memory seemed to finally come to her.
“I spent the day researching a specific area of my thesis.” She bit her lip. “And trying to forget the significance of the day.”
Rose nodded. “And do you think by throwing yourself into planning your wedding and celebrating with everyone you love, you’ll be able to forget who isn’t there to share in your joy?”
Lanie scowled. “I’m not trying to forget her. I thought it would be a better way to remember her.”
“I believe your heart was in the right place,” Rose said gently. “But have you considered Steven’s point of view?”
“It’s hard to get my head so far up my own backside.”
Rose laughed. “Fair point.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry Steven was hostile. He shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
“But?” Lanie raised an eyebrow.
“You can’t get married on your mother’s birthday.” Rose blew out her breath. “At least, not if you want to maintain a good relationship with your brother.”
“Maybe I don’t,” Lanie muttered.
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
“Fine.” Lanie unrolled her silverware. “To be fair, Nate wasn’t too keen on the idea either, but he was willing to go along with it if it made me happy.”
“Smart man.”
“But now I guess it’s back to the drawing board.”
“Do you have any other dates in mind?”
Lanie pursed her lips. “I thought about Christmas, but I’m not sure that will be received any better by Steven.”
Tilting her head, Rose frowned. “Why would he object to Christmas?”
“I don’t know. It’s a family holiday, and it’s kind of cliché.”
The server came over and took their orders. Since it was late afternoon, neither of them wanted a full meal. Instead, they split a few appetizers.
Once they were alone again, Rose clasped her hands on the table. “If Nate is on board and you can plan it in time, Christmas is a great day for a wedding. And I’m sure Steven would agree.” At the very least, he’ll be more amenable to Christmas than his late mother’s birthday.
