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I blew out a sharp breath and pulled over three houses down.
She pivoted to face me. “I get that this is weird. Okay? But I am not out of my mind. I’m not having some sort of mental break. I met a guy, I’m in love with him, we’re getting married.”
“You cannot marry a man you just met.”
“Why not?”
I shook my head at her. “I can’t even believe I’m having this conversation with you. He could be a serial killer.”
“He’s not. And it feels right. I can’t explain it—it just does.”
“And your job? Your career? You’re an architect. Where are you going to work out here? You’re going to give up six years with the firm and just, what? Move to the middle of nowhere?”
“I like it here,” she said defensively.
“You’ve spent three days here! You don’t even know what it’s like in mud season.”
She smiled softly at me. “Come meet him. You’ll love him.”
“No! You cannot get married this fast. Just wait—do it in the summer, when you’ve known him for more than five seconds.”
“I know it’s not a lot of time, but you can wear whatever you want for the wedding, I don’t care—”
“Do you know what limerence is? I need you to google this. Immediately.”
She looked amused. “This is not infatuation.”
“You’re right, it’s worse. It’s marriage. You don’t even know him.”
She shrugged. “I know enough.”
“Like what?”
She ticked off on her fingers. “I’ve met his parents, his best friend, the employees at the farm—”
“What farm?”
“The pine tree farm. The one he owns.”
I stared at her. “He sells Christmas trees?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
“What? Look, just give him a chance. He’s sweet and kind. He’s a widower—”
I scoffed. “Okay, I’m done. We’re going to the hospital.”
“For what?!”
“You are having a psychotic break!”
“Lauren, STOP!”
It was like a slap. Noel had never, in fifteen years, ever snapped at me.
She threw up her hands. “So it’s not like me. So what? I am not under any obligation to be the same person I was last week,” she said. “Maybe I hated who I was last week. Yes, I had a lucrative career. Yes, I had the apartment of my dreams, a fancy car, a big paycheck. And my life was boring and empty. I’m allowed to make what might seem to you a shitty spur-of-the-moment decision. I’m a grown woman. I’m not being coerced, I’m not being taken advantage of, I don’t have a brain injury, I’m not in danger, and I don’t need saving. I am going to do this with or without you,” she said. “But without you will suck. Please support me. Please.”
