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Of course it was; they met in China, traveled here together. Circumstances were totally different. "But you loved each other?"
She shakes her head cautiously. "Not when I married him," she murmurs. "I hardly knew your father when we were married. But Ilearnedto love him, and we've built a beautiful life together. And we had you."
Her words hit me hard, and I feel my heart sink in my chest. I want to believe in love, in the kind of love that makes your heart race and your palms sweat.
The kind of love that I feel when I'm with Finn.
But maybe that kind of love is just a fantasy. Maybe love is something you learn, something you build together over time. What I feel for Finn...it's just infatuation, and it's always been unrequited.
And that's in the past now. When this summer is over, I'll move back to the city to finish planning my wedding. I'll spend the rest of my life with my husband, the man I love.
I love him, right?
My mom finishes my braid and gives it a final tug before standing up to admire her work. "There," she says. "You look absolutely stunning."
I force a smile, not wanting to ruin the moment for her. "Thanks, Mom."
She leans down to kiss the top of my head. "I'm so proud of you, Jenny. You've grown into such a beautiful young woman."
I feel a lump form in my throat, and I swallow hard. "Thanks, Mom," I repeat.
"Now...let's see the whole outfit," she says. "Stand up!"
I stand and let the powder blue chiffon pool around my feet, sheathing me in what looks like a misty, magical cloud. Sparkles shimmer underneath the chiffon--a beautiful dress for my beautiful friend's wedding.
"Gorgeous," Mom breathes.
She stands there and fusses over my dress and hair a little, then her eyes widen like she's remembering something. "Wait!" she says. "Just stay right there; I have the perfect accessory."
She goes to her room, and I disobey her by following her down the hall. My dad is in the office on the way, almost certainly crunching numbers for the business at his laptop. He glances over at me when I pass, his face cracking into a smile.
"Oh, Jenny!" he says. "Off to Samantha's wedding?"
I nod. "I'll see you two there, right?"
"We'll be headed over later, closer to the ceremony!" my mom calls back from her room. She hurries back out a moment later, carrying a glittering hair pin in her hand.
It's stunning; too pretty for the occasion.
"Mom...I can't," I say. "It's too nice."
"Nonsense," she says, pushing it towards my hair. "It's perfect."
I relent, allowing her to slip the pin into my braid. It glitters and shines, catching the light in a million different ways.
"Beautiful," she says, beaming at me. "You're going to make quite the entrance."
I give her a small smile, but I'm not sure I'll be making much of an entrance at all. My own heart is heavy with doubts and questions, and I'm not sure how I'll make it through the wedding without breaking down.
But this isn't my day, so I don't need to worry about that.
It's Sam's, and I'm going to make it the best day she could possibly imagine.
I head downstairs and my mom insists on taking a picture of me by the fireplace, with me blushing like a high school kid. The nostalgia is hitting me hard when I climb into my old civic and put the car in drive, kicking my heels off to make the drive to the venue.
The last night I had like this was prom.
And as usual...memories come rushing back.
