“Don’t call me that. I’ve told you and told you. Do. Not. Call. Me. Blondie.” With her last word, she flung her hands into the air, shook her head, and, pushing him aside, ran out of the church nursery.
*
Through tear-swollen eyes,Isabelle stared into her bathroom mirror. A cold, black glob trickled onto her forehead, and she swatted at it with her plastic-covered fingers. What had she done?
Noise sounded from the front of the house, indicating either her mom, Sophie, or both had gotten home from the rehearsal. She prayed whoever it was would just go to bed. She’d known better, though.
“Izzy?” Sophie called through the door. “You okay in there?”
“I’m fine.”Not really.“Go to bed, Soph.”Please.“You have a big day tomorrow and need your rest.”True.“I… I don’t feel like talking, anyway.”Very true.
“If I went to bed, I couldn’t sleep. I’ll wait until you’re finished.”
Eyeing the wet mess on her head, Isabelle grimaced at her reflection. “That’s going to be a while.”
Silence. Then, “Let me in, Izzy.”
Taking a deep breath and hacking as chemicals burned her throat, Isabelle twisted the lock.
Hearing the click, Sophie opened the door. Upon seeing Isabelle, her jaw dropped. “Your hair!”
Seeing Sophie’s reaction unleashed the light hold Isabelle had on her tears, and a dam of them burst free. She shrugged. Sophie’s arms wrapped around her.
“Be careful or you’ll get dye on you,” Isabelle warned between sobs, not wanting her hair to stain her sister.
“Shh.” Sophie held her tighter as if she thought Isabelle might fall apart. “After you left the church, I had a lot of questions for Zach. He told me I had to ask you.”
Fighting her tears, Isabelle took another deep breath, then coughed again. “Zach and I were only pretending to be a couple to make searching for Dad easier for him. I hadn’t meant to tell you until after your honeymoon, because I didn’t want you to worry.”
Sophie pulled back, staring into Isabelle’s eyes. “I am worried. You left my rehearsal dinner and wouldn’t answer my phone calls.”
Yeah, she had done that. Shame hit. “I’m sorry. I—my phone is in my purse. I turned my ringer off.” For the second night in a row. “I-I needed some time to think.”
Sophie’s brow arched. “And to change your hair color?”
“Apparently so.” Isabelle half snorted, half laughed. “How’s Mom? Is she with Aunt Claudia?”
Not quite meeting Isabelle’s gaze, Sophie shook her head. “She’s with Dad. I’m not sure where they went, but they had a lot to say to each other. Mom was upset.”
Isabelle’s heart spasmed. Of course, her mom was upset. Her husband had shown up after a twenty-year hiatus after Isabelle had said he’d refused to come home.
“What have I done, Sophie? What was I thinking to have Zach bring him here right before your wedding?” She’d not meant for it to come down to the final moments. Sophie should have had time to process Cliff’s return. Everyone should have had time. “I’ve ruined everything.”
“The only thing you’ve ruined is your hair, but Mom can fix that.” Sophie gave Isabelle’s head a skeptical look. “Probably not before the wedding tomorrow, but she can fix it back to your beautiful natural color. As far as the other, Izzy, don’t you realize you’ve given me the most precious gift?”
“Dad coming home?”
Sophie shook her head. “I’m glad he’s home, that he’s going to walk me down the aisle, but that’s not what I meant. That you set aside your feelings and went to such extraordinary measures to get him home for my wedding—I can’t imagine anything you could have done that would have meant more.” Sophie smiled. “Thank you for loving me so much.”
Isabelle swallowed back the emotion choking her. “You’d do the same for me.”
Sophie nodded. “Present moment excluded, you’re always so together, and I’m the one who’s always into trouble to where you never need me to do anything.”
“There is something I need you to do.”
“Anything,” Sophie promised.
“Help me rinse my hair before Mom gets home and sees that I used discount store hair color, and her hairdresser sensibilities are offended. She’s dealt with enough tonight.”
