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My blush deepens until my cheeks are bright red and burning.
"No, not with Sam," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "With Finn."
My mother smiles. "That's good, sweetie. I think Finn's a good guy. You should give him a chance."
"I know," I say, sighing. "It's just...complicated."
"I understand," my mother says, patting my hand. "But you know what they say--the heart wants what it wants."
I go silent, gazing out at the trees. There are a few cabins out here, new construction courtesy of the resort they're building out by the venue. I see the resort come into view and my breath catches in my throat.
My hometown has always been beautiful...but this is really something. It's understated and quaint, with tiny cabins dotting the densely forested mountains.
It's perfect for my wedding to Finn.
And that already feels right...even though we just started talking about this.
"Mom," I start, "you said that you didn't love Dad when you married him and I guess I'm just wondering...what happened? You've never really told me your story."
She hums softly.
"Your father was my best friend," she says. "We grew up together in Yunnan and he was always playing tricks on me as children, then we spent every summer night together. I never thought I loved him; there was another boy I wanted to marry. But your dad told me he was leaving for America...and I came with him. I couldn't imagine my life without him."
My eyes widen. "So you were friends, too?"
She nods with a smile. "Our love was deeper than lust or romance. It waslasting. We'd already had a whole lifetime when we finally fell in love."
"And what about dad?"
She glances over at me and winks. "Well--of course healwaysloved me."
The car's tires crunch on the gravel as we make our way up to the wedding venue, a charming, huge barn with ivy growing all over it. There's a magical kind of fog hanging in the air, the grey skies parting to reveal blue after a few days of rain, and my mom and I get out together.
A woman with long brown hair comes out of the venue, waving at us and smiling.
"Jenny?" she says, extending her hand. "I'm Sarah Hart--the event planner up here at the Lakehouse Resort. And you must be Min?"
"That's us," I tell her. "I hope it's okay that my fiancé can't make it--"
"Oh," Sarah frowns. "But...he's already here."
My smile drops as I look over her shoulder, toward the open door.
And I see none other than Steven.
My heart sinks as I see him standing there, looking as handsome as ever. For a second, I remember why I fell for him in the first place.
But I quickly regain my composure and put on a brave face.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, trying to conceal the hurt in my voice. "I um...I thought you were traveling."
"I got home early," he says with a shrug. "Wanted to make it out here for the venue tour."
I can't believe he told me he was cheating on me not four days ago...and here we are. I can sense my mom getting angrier by the second, her fists clenched at her sides.
But I reach out and squeeze her arm, then I plaster a smile on my face. "Alright," I say. "Let's get started."
Sarah seems understandably confused, but she grins and gestures us inside. She takes the lead, my mom trailing behind as I match my pace with Steven.
