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“Crap, I’ve got to pee again.” Brooklyn rose from her spot and grabbed her purse. “I might as well leave too. The sooner I leave, the sooner I bake the cake, the sooner I bake the cake, the sooner I get to go home.”
“And have your hottie husband rub your swollen feet?” Joni asked with a knowing smile.
“Yeah, rub my swollen feet.” She grinned like the Cheshire cat. “See you guys later.”
“Is she gone?” Mia asked a few moments later.
Joni looked in Brooklyn’s direction and nodded.
“Good,” Mia said. “So, there’s no registry, per se, but we’re getting her a couple gifts that are just for her. A gift certificate to her favorite seafood restaurant and a spa day.”
“That’s sweet, and thoughtful,” I said. “Can I contribute?”
“Sure thing. We’ll put your name on the card.” Mia winked.
“I’m not sure I know how to say this, or even if I should, but…Darcy?”
Mia sighed. “Yeah…”
“Rach is kind of fielding that one,” Allison said. “Because she knows what Darcy’s going through. Darcy lost her husband recently.”
“Word of advice?” Sutton asked. When I nodded, she went on, “Don’t confront her about her behavior. I tried and…well, it didn’t go over well.”
“We’re all just trying to be here for her,” Mia said. “In whatever way we can.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough,” Joni added. “But what can you do?”
Heaviness settled across the table, bringing down the jovial mood we’d enjoyed the last hour.
Willa cleared her throat and looked at Sutton. “Do you really hate the idea of a wedding?”
Sutton grasped the conversation thread like a lifeline. “I don’t know. The idea of planning one doesn’t sound so fun.”
“It’s actually really fun,” I said. “You get to taste a bunch of food, try a bunch of cakes.”
“Fork over a lot of cash,” Sutton muttered. “Just seems like a ridiculous way to spend a lot of money when you could be spending it on something else.”
“You don’t have to spend a lot of money,” I pointed out. “A small wedding can be very affordable.”
“Was yours going to be affordable?” Sutton demanded.
“Ah, no,” I said, my cheeks turning pink. “Mine was going to be borderline outrageous. It kind of got away from me.”
“Were your parents helping you? Financially, I mean?” Sutton asked.
“They were, yeah.”
She nodded. “I don’t have any parents. And even if I did, they wouldn’t be the type to hand over a credit card for my wedding.”
“Have you talked to Viper and told him how you feel?” Mia asked.
“Willa, will you dig through the diaper bag for the nursing blanket?” Joni asked as she unstrapped Everett from his sling.
“Sure thing,” Willa said.
“Continue talking,” Joni said. “I’m listening.”
“I haven’t talked to Viper about it yet,” Sutton said with a frown. “I’m not even sure what my aversion to the wedding is all about.”
