“Not at all. We’ll need a pattern, but I’m sure we can find one online.” Maude got up and went to the storage room, then returned with a tape measure around her neck. “I’ll get your measurements. Then we’ll look for a pattern, and tomorrow I can shop for the fabric.”
“Can I go with you?”
Maude nodded, delight in her eyes. “Of course.” She gestured for Britt to stand up. As she measured Britt’s dimensions, she said, “X keeps telling me not to be nosy, but I can’t stand it anymore. Are you and Hunter dating?”
Britt almost told her no. When she and Hunter hung out at K&Bs, they made sure to keep their distance. Maude had given up dropping hints and trying to force them into compromising positions. But after Maude’s insistence on honesty, she had to tell the truth. “Yes,” she said. “I’m pretty sure we are.”
“That’s wonderful!” Maude crouched and stretched the tape from Britt’s waist to the tops of her shoes. “He’s a catch for sure. Such a polite, friendly young man.” She stood, her knees audibly creaking. “Quite delicious looking too.”
Britt couldn’t help but grin.
“I take it your mom doesn’t know about him either.” She wrapped the tape measure around Britt’s waist.
“No. Neither does Dad. But I’ll tell them,” she added quickly.
“After the party, right?” Maude supplied.
“Right.” She waited for Maude’s censure, or even an eye roll.
But she simply wrote down the measurements on Britt’s sketch. “Why aren’t you sure you and Hunter are dating?”
“Because I don’t know how all this works.”
She went to Britt and smiled. “No one does, sugar. If we all knew the mystery about relationships, everyone would be blissfully happy. Every single couple is winging it as they go along, including me and X.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Because people change over time. Sometimes quickly, sometimes at a snail’s pace. It depends on how hard life hits them. X and I aren’t the same optimistic young couple we were back in Vermont. Back then we thought we had all the answers, that nothing was going to stop us or make us unhappy. We were in love. That was all we needed.”
Alarmed, Britt asked, “You don’t love each other anymore?”
“We love each other more deeply now than we ever have. But love isn’t all you need to make a relationship work. You must have communication, patience, and empathy, along with understanding and honesty. Above all, you have to be willing to make it work. If you give up, the relationship is over.”
“I don’t think Mom gave up on Dad,” Britt said, suddenly feeling defensive of her mother. “He made it impossible for them to be together. Even I knew that back then.”
“Then he wasn’t being honest with himself. And he wasn’t willing to work on whatever the problems were between them.” Maude touched her shoulder and smiled. “I’m not judging Amy, not at all. She’s told me a little bit about your father. Being with an alcoholic is difficult. Impossible, if they’re not sober. Just ask X.”
Britt was stunned. “You’re an alcoholic?”
Maude nodded, her expression the most serious Britt had ever seen it. “A high-functioning one, which was why it was easy to hide it from him when we were dating. But soon we had the pressures of moving here, opening our store, and trying to conceive a child. When I found out we couldn’t have children, I didn’t care if he knew or not.”
“I had no idea.”
“I’ve been sober for most of our marriage. X could have left me, but he didn’t. He stayed by my side. Not sure if I would have made it if he hadn’t.” She wiped her fingertips under her eyes. “Oh boy, I hadn’t planned to spill those beans today.”
“I’m glad you did.” Britt hugged her. “My dad’s been sober for a while now. I hope Mom can see him for the man he is today and not hold the past against him.”
“That’s why you’re afraid to tell her.”
Britt nodded.
“We’ll just have to pray that they’ll keep the past where it belongs.” Maude stepped away. “Now, we have five days to get this dress done. Let’s do it!”
She and Britt got online and searched for patterns similar to Britt’s design. But it was hard for Britt to concentrate. She was still reeling from Maude’s revelation. She was also thinking about her assertion that everyone in a relationship was winging it. That was how she felt—ungrounded. Maybe it had more to do with not being honest with her family about him than with Hunter himself. Because when she didn’t think about the secrets she was keeping from her parents, and when she was with him and only thought about him, she definitely felt secure.
Maude was right—she had to come clean about everything, including telling her parents about Hunter, telling Hunter abouther parents, and telling Mom about Dad. But the last thing she wanted was upheaval before such a big event. It was going to be hard enough settling her nerves, and the only way she could keep the anxiety from taking over the rest of the week was to not think about it, except when she and Maude were making the dress.
But once the party was over, no more procrastinating. She’d tell the truth. How bad could it be?
