Page 39 of Meet Me at the Altar

Chapter 14

Kalliope

THREE WEEKS LATER

“Idon’t know what I’m going to do, Mommy.”

“It’s not for you to worry about. You pray on it, baby, and then you leave it to God.”

“I mean, do you think that I should call or something?”

My mother shook her head as she pulled her fingers through my hair. She sat on the last seat of the couch, and I was stretched out on the couch with my head in her lap.

I had gone to her house to spend the afternoon with her because Silas was in town. Andrès was spending time with him and getting their wedding attire.

The last three weeks, my mother, Khatya, Kelsey, my best friend, Adriana, and I had been running around like chickens with our heads cut off, doing everything that Alexandria Sheridan and Serena Beasley had told us to do. We had gone for a final fitting of our gowns earlier today, and it was now four in the afternoon.

Mommy had ordered food from Soldier’s, a popular restaurant, and we had just finished eating. Kelsey was lyingon the floor, on her back, looking at something on her phone. Adriana was curled up in my daddy’s big armchair, and Khatya was stretched out on the love seat with her feet dangling over the edge.

“You don’t need to call that woman and get involved in their affairs. That family must work their mess out. I know that you want to do what’s right, baby, because you’ve always had a big heart, but some things they’ll need to figure out on their own. You can only make things worse,” Mommy advised.

“But she hasn’t said whether she will be there or not.”

“I mean, your man did uninvite her man,” Adriana announced.

“Her man, not her, friend. Besides, you’re not even funny, sis.”

“Not trying to be,” she replied and popped her gum loudly.

“Mommy, what am I going to do? What if she thinks we don’t want her there?”

“She won’t think that. She knows her son.”

“Well, that’s at least one plate you don’t have to worry about since she’s not bringing a plus one,” Adriana quipped.

“Somebody, please give this girl a job as a comedian because sis thinks she’s on a roll,” Kelsey stated dryly, flipping onto her belly and kicking her legs back and forth.

“I just want my wedding to be drama free,” I stated.

“Good luck with that. Since when has that ever happened?” Mommy asked.

“It happened with my wedding.” Khatya spoke up, kicking her foot out.

“Girl, that don’t count. I’m still mad at you today about that,” Mommy replied.

My big sister had gone away for a weekend trip, not long after they had DJ. She had begged Mommy to watch him because she and Devon needed a quick getaway to restore and rejuvenateas a couple and as parents. They came back with a whole-ass wedding certificate, wedding rings on their fingers, and my sister’s last name changed from Robinson to Robinson-Steele.

“Mommy, that’s been ages ago. Come on. Me and the man have been married for almost two decades now,” Khatya pointed out.

“And I’ve still been robbed of my opportunity to plan and participate in my daughter’s wedding,” Mommy argued.

“Don’t worry, Mommy. You’ve now got the chance to plan Kalli’s,” Khatya countered.

“You guys aren’t helping me at all.” I groaned.

“Best friend, your mama did help. She said stay out of them folks’ drama. Now unless you wanna be messy like my mama, you will stay out of it,” Adriana explained. Then she leaned in closer and crooked her fingers and waved them toward herself, indicating I should lean in closer. When I did, she finished her statement. “But if you wanna be like Mama, guuurrll, you should call them folks up, demand that she gives you an answer as to her status, and remind her ‘but ya mans can’t come.’”

Kelsey hooted and hollered from her position on the floor, kicking her legs back and forth even faster. I rolled my eyes, and Khatya turned her brow down in a frown. “What is Serena and Alex saying?”