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Katie staredout the car window at the familiar surroundings as Mary drove.She was born and raised here, and it was the only place she called home.
“Momma’s at the house,” Mary said.“She says to tell you to relax and quit worrying about your job.”
Katie scoffed bitterly.Oh yeah, the last time she was home, she’d buried her nose in her work and stayed in her room.Momma had to pull her out to eat and make her take a break.They hardly had time to chat and catch up.
“Not much has changed,” Katie said, as they passed the elementary school where she had swung on the monkey bars.She remembered how high it had been and the time she fell.So many memories.As Mary was a year older, they had the same teachers and knew each other’s friends and classmates.She’d even had a crush on this kid who was in Mary’s class.Brad.Was he still here?
“You remember the hot-dog drive-in?”
“How can I forget?”Katie laughed.“We used to work there.Remember, we had to wear those silly uniforms?”She had cringed and wished she could hide after Friday night games, when the football players and their dates pulled up to the outdoor drive-in stands in their convertibles with the tops down.It was the hangout place in town.Some kids who knew her had teased her about her uniform, the striped top with the bright hot-dog emblems.They weren’t mean, though.
As the car cruised down the one street through town, Katie mused, “Main Street looks about the same.”
It was spring, Katie’s favorite time of the year.The last of the harsh winter was over.The dingy, snow-encrusted streets swept clean by the spring rain.People were strolling and window shopping as new, colorful displays caught their eye.Others sat on the benches enjoying the weather, soaking up the warmth of the sun.A few stores had their doors propped open to let the fresh air in, clearing out the stale air after months of being closed.Katie removed her sweater and let her arm hang out the window, feeling the sun on her bare skin.She closed her eyes and turned her face toward the breeze.
“There’s the Rent-A-Formal,” Mary said, passing the store.“Oh, that reminds me.You’re going to go to the wedding, right?”
“Yes… no, I mean, I hadn’t formally said I was going.But you told Momma.”Katie shifted in her seat.
“You didn’t RSVP to Laurie?”
Katie shook her head.
“You need to call Laurie and let her know you’re coming, pronto, since you didn’t send in your RSVP.”
“Yeah, you’re right.Now that I’m here, I’m looking forward to it.I haven’t been to a wedding in years.”
“I’ll take you shopping.You’ll need to get a dress and a gift for the wedding,” Mary said.
“What are you going to wear?”
“My pink dress, you’ve seen that.”
“Going with Jim?”
Mary nodded.Jim was Mary’s long-time boyfriend.They’d been friends since grade school.They’d been dating for years.Even Mom—and Dad, when he was alive—eventually had stopped asking her when they were going to get married.Mary didn’t mention it, either—not anymore.She had ambitions of her own, and she wasn’t ready to settle down.When she’d brought up her hopes and dreams with Jim, he had old-fashioned ideas and was less than supportive of her aspirations.But Jim was comfortable, stable, and there were no surprises with him.
“What about you?”Mary asked.
“It’s a last-minute decision.I don’t have a plus one,” Katie said, turning from Mary to hide the tremble in her chin.She allowed herself a moment to feel sorry before shaking it off.Katie was going by herself.Not gonna kid herself that a date would magically materialize one day before the wedding.She straightened her drooping shoulders.She would have preferred not to go alone, but this time, she’d have to suck it up.
