It almost wasn’t a disaster.
PARTTWO
SUMMER 2025
9
FRIDAY
“Canyou pick up some New Yorkers this afternoon?” Paul asked Sarah. She was at her mother’s house, having arrived in Newfoundland only the day before to visit with her mother before attending Paul’s second wedding.
“So many demands,” Sarah teased. “First you want me to be your photographer, then your chauffeur?”
“I’m desperate here. Abby’s got two friends flying in from New York who didn’t rent a car because they don’t have a driver’s license.”
“How is that possible? Are they fifteen?”
“They take the subway, babe,” Paul drawled. “It’s so much faster.”
“Okay, okay.” Sarah sighed. “How will I recognize them?”
“Trust me, you’ll recognize them,” Paul replied.
And surprisingly, she did.
As she stood in the small airport in St. John’s, a man and woman walked towards her among the scattered people disembarking from the Montreal flight. The woman was tall and gorgeous, with brown skin and wearing a bright orange angora sweater, long skirt, and slinky suede brown boots. The man was compact, handsome, and dark-haired, wheeling a pristine white carry-on and holding a suit bag.
“No, it won’t calm me down,” the man was saying. “My life will be flashing before my eyes for the whole weekend. I literally almost died.”
“You said the exact same thing about our SoulCycle class.”
“It’s these tiny planes,” the man continued. “Now I know how Amelia Earhart felt.”
“We were on a 727, not a Cessna,” the woman said.
“I can’t be expected to know what either of those terms means.”
“Excuse me,” Sarah said at last. “Are you here for Paul and Abby’s wedding?”
They stopped and looked her over. “Are you the famous Cousin Sarah?” said the woman.
Sarah nodded. “Are you Jasmine and Lucas?”
“Were we that recognizable?” the man named Lucas asked.
“You gave off strong New York City vibes,” Sarah said.
“It’s becauseyoulook helpless,” Jasmine said to the man. “AndIlook amazing.” She smiled at Sarah. “I thought Cousin Sarah would be fifty years old and wearing a checkered apron.”
“That’s my wedding day outfit,” Sarah replied, and Jasmine laughed.
“God, this place is so cute.” Lucas glanced around. “Can I say that? Is that offensive? Just smack me if I say something offensive.”
“It’s fine. I grew up here, but I’ve been living in Toronto and Montreal for the last twenty years. You can think this is cute.”
They headed together towards luggage claim.
“So what are the men like,” Jasmine asked, “if you grew up here? We were debating on the plane. Are they like, hot farmers, or hot lumberjacks, or hot fishermen?”
