Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

Author:Sarah Hogle [Hogle, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

MOSS:

How sweet is the bond between mother and child.

One day before the wedding, the weather finally breaks, sunshine creeping between clouds that thin in the heat, dissolving.

“This weather better hold,” Kristin has repeated to everybody at least twice, with a grim edge that indicates she will hold us each personally responsible if it doesn’t. “Do you think the ground will be dry by tomorrow? Is there anything we can do to speed that up?”

“Yes, Mom,” Alex tells her evenly. “We’ll blowtorch it.”

“Do you really think—?” Kristin smacks his arm. “Don’t tease me! I’m getting married tomorrow! How would you like getting married in wet grass?”

Alex meets my eye for a split second, then continues his task of tying ribbons to wreaths. The two of them have returned to the shop to watch me sort out wedding flowers. I’m so busy already with May Day preparations that a Very Big, extra, short-notice task is frazzling, to say the least. I think that’s partially why Alex has volunteered to be my assistant. (The other part is that we’ve got a crew making quick work of the sewer line right now, and Alex enjoys offering them unsolicited advice on how to do their job.)

“Sorry, Mom.”

“You can make it up to me by hunting down some place cards for the reception. They were supposed to be here by now! Romina, I know you’ve got a lot going on already, but . . .”

Alex says to his mother, “Mom, I think she’s busy.”

I should leave it at that, because he’s correct, but some part of me will always want to impress Kristin, make her pleased with me. “What is it? Do you need something?”

“My maid of honor was supposed to fly in yesterday, but her daughter just had a baby. A C-section, she was stalled at two centimeters for forty-eight hours, poor thing. The baby was eleven pounds! I can’t imagine delivering an eleven-pound baby. Alex was seven pounds and came out in two pushes.”

I’m not sure where she’s going with this. “Oh . . . ?”

“Patricia will be here tomorrow, but I’d like a stand-in for the rehearsal, so that I can see exactly how it’ll go, where everybody stands, all that. Would you mind? I know you’re Trevor’s plus-one, you’re already helping me out so much with these flowers . . . I don’t want to put you through any trouble . . .”

“I’ll help out however I can.”

She beams. “Oh, thank you! You won’t have to do much. Just walk a few steps, stand next to me, so that we can make sure everything looks right. Short and breezy, then we’re off to dinner.”

“I’d be happy to.”

“Wonderful! I’m so glad you’re a part of this, Romina.” She hugs me, tears fountaining. She’s been crying nonstop today—over the flower girl’s dress, because it’s tiny and cute, and over the sunshine, and the new earrings Daniel surprised her with for the bride’s something new.

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