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Katrina had hoped for this. Quickly, she wrote him a list of everything she needed and sent him out into the promising April afternoon. With Grant gone, she worked more diligently, setting the dining room table and putting up the engagement photographs of Sophie and Patrick. She even took a moment to gaze at the photograph, noting the features in Sophie’s face that belonged to her, Grant, and even Agatha. When Agatha learned Sophie and Patrick planned to move into her home, she wept with happiness. “Your father would be so proud!”
In therapy, Katrina had begun to attack her daddy issues head-on. She’d recounted numerous stories from her childhood, discussing ways her father’s addiction had markedly impacted her development and her self-esteem. Slowly, her therapist had begun to untangle these events in Katrina’s mind, helping her to make sense of them. Katrina was already sleeping better. And, when her mother spoke of her father as though he were a saint, Katrina was better able to let it go. A fact of life was that Agatha had loved Calvin more than anything. By its definition, love could often be blind.
Sophie arrived around four to help out with last-minute preparations. At now nearly five months pregnant, she waddled slightly up the walkway and laughed at herself as she entered. “I never imagined I’d walk like a penguin down the aisle.”
“You’ll be the most beautiful penguin bride,” Katrina joked.
Sophie showed Katrina her three outfit options for that evening, and they took nearly thirty minutes to decide, going over the pros and cons of each. Katrina had never had so much fun with Sophie. As a teenager, Sophie had refuted Katrina’s advice on fashion, insinuating that she had no idea what she was talking about. Now, Sophie often referred to Katrina as a “fashion guru.”
“I think the suit is just so classic,” Katrina said of the two-piece cream suit, the blazer of which worked wonders with Sophie’s pregnant belly. They’d both agreed they wanted to work with the belly rather than try to hide it. After all, Sophie wasn’t embarrassed to be having her first child with Patrick. At forty-two, she wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Katrina wanted to shout it with her.
“The suit it is!” Sophie said.
Sophie and Katrina got ready in Katrina’s bathroom, helping each other with makeup and commenting on lip color. As Katrina finished herself off with blush, there were footsteps on the staircase, followed by a bright, “Hello! Is anyone home?” It was Ida.
“We’re in here!” Sophie called.
Ida appeared a moment later, bringing with her a wave of expensive perfume. Her makeup was exquisitely sophisticated, and she wore a navy blue dress with a high collar and a cinched waist. Sophie hugged her and squealed. “It’s happening!”
“You both look gorgeous.” Ida sighed.
“As do you,” Katrina said, snapping the top back on her blush.
“Nellie and Frankie are downstairs,” Ida reported, leaning against the bathroom counter. “And I think I just saw Sam, Darcy, and Rachelle pull up.”
“Uh-oh,” Katrina said. “I should have known the Coleman family would come before we were ready.”
“Everyone just wants to help,” Ida said.
“And eat,” Sophie joked. “You said there would be appetizers, remember?”
“That’s what unites our family the most,” Ida agreed.
Katrina laughed and led her daughters downstairs to find Nellie, Frankie, Sam, Darcy, and Rachelle in the kitchen. Sam cracked a bottle of wine and a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne and flashed smiles and screeches of, “You all look so beautiful!” As they toasted the upcoming party, more cars parked along the road and in the driveway, and Derek, Patrick, Brent, and Norm strode up, carrying presents and bottles of wine. Katrina hurried to throw her arms around her brother. Norm’s wife, Brenda, and the kids were still at the hotel; they would be here soon.
“Uncle Norm!” Sophie cried, coming to hug him. “It’s so good to see you.”
“And you, Soph,” Norm said, his eyes shining. “I’m so happy for you. Where’s that fiancé of yours?”
Sophie led Uncle Norm to Patrick. Katrina watched as they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Patrick asked, “So you’re the famous Hollywood uncle I always hear about, huh?” And Norm laughed. Unlike Katrina had always suspected, he hadn’t forgotten his roots.
Grant was unable to get back in the driveway. Katrina watched as he turned around in the cul-de-sac and parked behind Sam’s SUV. Katrina donned her coat and hurried out to help him with the flowers and the cake.
“I thought we said seven?” Grant said, his eyes alight.
“Apparently, everyone was too excited to wait.”
“That’s our family, I guess,” Grant said.
Grant and Katrina re-entered the throng of partygoers, etching out a path back to the kitchen to store the cake for later. Although it was far smaller than the wedding cake for tomorrow, it was sizable enough for the entire rehearsal dinner crew. AndKatrina felt sure she would be cursed with leftovers for the foreseeable future.
“There he is!” Roland called out. “The father of the bride!” He streamed into the kitchen and clapped his younger brother on the back, his eyes shining.
Katrina was moved. Grant had said that he and Roland had had numerous heart-to-hearts since Sophie’s addiction had come to light. They’d discussed issues of fatherhood, of masculinity. Of childhood trauma. And in that way, they’d become closer than ever—even this late in life. It was remarkable.
In a way, Katrina was jealous of their forever commitment to one another. Her sibling had fled. And only now, decades later, had they found their way back to one another. Her heart was heavy with regret.
As Katrina set out the flowers around her home, in the living room, on the dining room table, and even out on the back porch, which was chilly yet still beautiful for post-dinner coffee or nightcaps, she heard her mother’s voice. She immediately abandoned her mission and returned to the foyer to find Agatha—and her mysterious date. When Agatha had requested that she bring “her male friend,” Katrina had insisted on it. “He’s welcome, Mom. Anytime.”
