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A sigh of relief slips from Hawke’s lips, yet I doubt anyone noticed.
Picking up her wine glass, Charlie casually asks about the other changes they have had to make with the change of venue. The three sitting alongside me will still be worried about completing their mission within the new timeframe, but they look considerably more relaxed.
The last change Tatum and Sumner have made is their desire not to go with a full bridal party. With Abigail starting to walk around their furniture, they hope to make her, Grace, and Mackenna, their flower girls, with Callum as the ring bearer. The news that her children are to be included lights up Charlie’s face.
“We had planned to ask Sean to be Tatum’s best man and Hadley as my maid of honor, but we didn’t want to upset Sophie and Ben.” Sumner laughs. “You know how those two get.” She laughs even harder.
We discussed her friendships with Sophie and Hadley during our previous conversations after Sumner returned to Brooklyn. The relationship between her and Sophie was very casual, to begin with, and developed the year before her attack when the Valentine family moved to Brooklyn. Initially, they were introduced by Sherlyn, Sumner’s childhood friend, but they bonded after Sherlyn’s death. On the other hand, Hadley is someone she connected with because of her association with Hawke and marriage to Sophie’s brother Sean.
It took Sumner a while to discuss Sherlyn, yet when she did, I discovered a little about each of them and how they are all linked. For example, Sophie Valentine met Ben, her boyfriend, when her father Antony was forced to relocate his family temporarily to Brooklyn. Hawke and Antony were chasing a serial killer who had become aware they were on his tail. Ben and his friends Luke, Kyle, and Stephen were also in witness protection in Brooklyn at the time. They, too, were also hiding from a serial killer.
From what I have further learned through Hawke, the four friends were originally from Laguna Beach but witnessed a murder on their way home one night. All four families were relocated to Brooklyn for protection until the serial killer could be apprehended. Unbeknown to Antony at the time, the serial killer they were all hiding from was the same man.
To further complicate the situation, Sherlyn later learned after his death that he was her father. If that wasn’t enough for the poor girl to deal with, another stepped up to take his place when her father died. This one, unfortunately, had been disgruntled with Sherlyn’s father and, in revenge, was hell-bent on claiming Sherlyn as his own.
Eventually, he succeeded.
In the lead-up to Sherlyn’s death, she had formed a relationship with another of the boys, Stephen. Also in awe of this girl was Sophie’s brother, Sean. The stories I’ve heard about these kids through Hawke make my experiences pale in comparison, but how they’ve come together through each of their traumas amazes me.
You take Sean as another example: that poor boy not only adored a girl he couldn’t have but also had to deal with her death. In his grief, he met Hadley, the daughter of a Brooklyn mafia boss who was frequently used as a pawn in her father’s business dealings. The story of how those two got together is filled with much heartache and angst, but it had the most beautiful ending.
How these kids rallied behind Tatum and Sumner when they needed them the most is a true show of love and friendship. Knowing that it is all because of their association with one person makes it even more unique, and I can completely understand Sumner’s dilemma in choosing a maid of honor.
“Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?” Hawke whispers in my ear, placing his hand on my thigh.
Grabbing his hand, I squeeze and reassure him I am fine.
As I glance around at the group of people gathered at our table, it suddenly strikes me how much in awe I am of the life I now have. I may have had a rough start to my journey, and I may have had to scale many mountains along the way to get here, yet somehow, I finally find myself at peace.
Without my past, I wouldn’t have created a life here in the US, nor would I have met the man who holds my heart and my future. Seeing and hearing what others have endured only cements how lucky I am, and as I glance back around the table, it truly makes me appreciate them for allowing me to be a part of their lives.
“I need to show you something,” an excited Sumner states suddenly from beside me, making me jump.
“OMG, girl, you scared the bejesus out of me,” I exclaim.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes.
Catching my breath, I wave off her concern and ask what it is she wants to share with me. When she unlocks her cell, it opens to the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen.
“Would you believe I found this in a thrift store near our apartment?” her beaming face declares.
Of all the places I would expect to see a dress as beautiful as this, a thrift store is the last to come to my mind.
“How on earth did you come to find it in a thrift store?”
Giggling, Sumner tells me that she was taking Abi to the park last week, and they just happened to walk past the store. This dress was displayed in the front window, and as soon as she saw it, she just knew she had to stop and have a better look. When she entered, she went straight to the woman who had just re-entered the showroom and requested to view it closer. It turns out that the woman had only just finished placing the dress on display and was returning her step ladder to the storeroom.
While trying on the dress, the woman offered to keep little Abi entertained, allowing Sumner to take in the dress' beauty. When she walked out to ask for the woman’s opinion, she heard her gasp before declaring the dress was made just for Sumner. Laughing, I tell Sumner she was a skilled salesperson who knew how to make a sale. Sumner admits with a grin that she initially thought the same until the woman took a photo of her in the dress. Swiping, she shows me the picture taken, and instantly tears well in my eyes. The dress perfectly fits Sumner’s slender build, and she looks stunning.
“Oh, Sumner, the dress is perfect!” I exclaim.
“I know, right?” She grins. “And it only cost me two hundred and fifty dollars,” she proudly declares.
Hugging her to me, I tell her just how proud I am of how far she has come over the past year. Seeing her as she is today, compared to the standoffish, withdrawn girl she was when I first met her, shows how hard she has worked to overcome her scars from the past. The confident, happy girl wiping the tears of joy from her eyes deserves every moment of happiness, and I tell her so.
“Thank you, Emily.” She sobs. “Mom.”
“Why are my girls crying?” Concerned, Hawke questions beside me.
