Page 36 of The Wedding Forecast

‘Because it’s normal to be nervous before a big life event. But you don’t need to be. You’re going to have the best day.’ I am using my most reassuring voice.

‘What if it rains?’

‘We’ve checked the weather app a hundred times. It’s going to be sunny all day.’

‘What if Luke changes his mind?’ she says. ‘And leaves me standing there alone in front of everyone?’

‘Well, he needs to be there before you, so technically you’d know he was gone before you walked down the aisle. No one would see you.’

‘Anna. I’m serious.’

‘You’ve been together for nine years. You have a mortgage. I think you’re safe.’

‘Can you check for me?’

‘Check what?’

‘That he still wants to marry me.’

‘No.’

‘Please?’

‘You’re being ridiculous.’

‘Anna. I need to know. I feel like I can’t breathe all of a sudden.’

‘Fine. Where is he?’

‘Outside with Mac and Joel.’

‘Okay. I’ll go ask him.’

I walk out into the backyard, where Joel, Luke and Mac are sitting together, deep in conversation. Joel is smoking a joint, which shocks me, but I vow to say nothing because we haven’t spoken since our fight and saying anything would be seen as starting something—it would be showing my hand, again, which I will not do.

‘Hey,’ I say.

They all look up. Joel looks relaxed and slightly stoned, a very un-Joel-like state. Has the stress of impending fatherhood driven him to drugs? Maybe he’s not happy after all. No, I can’t even think these thoughts, they’ll appear on my face. And I can’t look at Mac, because if I do, I’ll think of his mouth and his hands and his voice in my ear and—

No. My cheeks feel hot. Luke is the only safe place to look.

‘Luke, quick question. Are you still intending to get married tomorrow?’ I say to him.

‘Uh, what?’

‘Hayley wanted me to check.’

‘Oh. She’s at that level of spiralling. Should I go and calm her down?’

‘She said she feels like she can’t breathe.’

‘Right,’ Luke says, standing up.

‘And I should go and check on Bia,’ Joel says. Bia. The nickname. The tender way he says it. My eye twitches. Am I cursed forever to react to things he says?

They walk inside together and I look down at Mac. He shuffles over on the bench seat, elbows resting on the table.

‘There’s room here,’ he says. ‘If you want to sit.’