Renee laughed and unzipped the suitcase in the living room. Binders and journals and other things I couldn’t describe were crammed inside.
“What is all of this?” I sat down on the carpet to look at the wonder of it all.
“These are the things I need to decide on for the wedding. Do you know how many different chairs there are?”
To prove her point, Renee thrust a catalog filled with only chairs at me.
“Nene, this is insane,” I told her, flipping through the catalog as my eyes went cross.
“I know. That’s why I need you, Kenna. Your brain was made for this sort of stuff. I need your smarts to help me knock some of these decisions out. I mean, being my maid of honor, it is kind of your job.”
My eyes watered as I glanced up from the catalog.
“I’m your maid of honor?” I cried, hugging her over her suitcase.
“Of course you are. You’re my sister. I was going to do some fancy MOH proposal, but I would have needed your help for that too.”
I giggled and hauled out some of the binders, putting them on the table.
“Okay, let’s get this going. But first, we need food.”
Norah cheered, skipping out of her room with some of the toys she had left behind. After gorging ourselves on pizza we poured over wedding stuff for hours, finally making a dent in the wedding plans.
“Thank you for this, Kenna. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
Renee’s phone rang and Norah grabbed it.
“It’s Daddy. Can I answer it?”
Renee nodded and Norah answered the phone with a smile. While she talked to Brian she moved around the apartment, her hand swinging wildly.
“She started calling him daddy after he proposed,” Renee whispered as we watched Norah circle the kitchen table.
“I’m happy for you.”
“He’s so good to her. I wish he were her real dad. I keep having this nightmare where her real dad tries to steal her from me,” Renee admitted.
My heart skittered before pumping full blast. “He’s been out of her life for almost five years. I promise you, even if he tries to get her, he’ll have one hell of a fight. Besides, we did a good job spreading the marine rumor over school. I have a feeling even if he knew the truth he convinced himself the rumors were true.”
“I know. I’m just worried. It’s not like he’s going to pop up out of the blue.”
A strangled laugh left me and I chugged my bottle of water.
“The other night I almost looked him up to ask him to sign something stating he’ll never try and get her.”
My head snapped up, wondering if she knew about his newest job and she was baiting me.
“Did you?”
“No, I was afraid if I found him and asked him he’d want her. Then it would be my fault bringing her to his attention.”
“Nene, I promise he isn’t going to get Norah. Norah has a daddy named Brian.”
Renee smiled and hugged me. “Thanks, Kenna. I needed to hear that.”
“Mommy, Daddy wants to talk to you.” Norah handed Renee the phone and I went in the kitchen to get Norah a water.
Norah told me all about her preschool class and how her daddy was going to teach her to play pinball. While she chattered on happily, my mind swirled with the different options I had.
