Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Cara is buzzing with excitement, nearly bouncing in her chair, as though she can’t wait to get out of here and begin making the fireworks arrangements. Meanwhile, in my head, I’m thinking of the amount of work Mom is going to have to do on top of the wedding cake and running the bakery to get another four hundred mini cupcakes done.
But of course she’s going to do her best. “Of course. Also, if I may be so bold, you mentioned snack food too. I’ll get with Etta—she’s the owner of the best café in town with the best cook in town. We can do small fry baskets and cheeseburger meatball bites, some good old-fashioned deliciousness to keep people partying.”
Cara snaps her fingers and points at Mom. Here, Rover, good dog. “Yes! Perfect! Do it all as one quote and send it to me.”
And with that, Cara stands again, effectively ending the meeting. “This all sounds great, everyone! Let’s get to it!”
She claps her hands and then she’s off, leaving Avery, me, and Mom at the table feeling like we’ve lived through a tornado of whirlwinds and debris. I look around and take a deep breath. “Anybody else feel like a cow just flew by? Mooo,” I deadpan. Mom and Avery look at me in confusion. “You know, Twister Cara? She’s a lot.”
“I know, and I resisted at first, but I couldn’t have done this without her,” Avery says, sighing a little bit. “She’s right, Winston has all this family and they have expectations. I think if I’d organized the wedding myself, we’d have ended up as laughingstocks.”
I don’t like that, not one bit. My friend might not know how to throw some black-tie cotillion or anything like that, but any wedding she’d plan is one I’d have a blast at. “You stop that right now. Like any of this matters. It’s pageantry and appearances, not the real stuff,” I reassure Avery, patting her on the shoulder. “This is one day. The important thing is that you and Winston have a life together.”
“There’s value in pageantry too. There’s a tradition, a shared experience, in something like this. For the wedding,” Mom says as she turns to Avery, “there’s a foundation being built by going through this with Winston, but also, a woman’s wedding day is something she talks about forever. Don’t wave it off like it’s nothing, Hazel.”
Mom’s eyes are sad and glittery, as she likely remembers her own wedding. I’ve misstepped and hurt her unintentionally. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Mom shakes her head, waving me off. “It’s okay, baby. I know you’re focusing on the forever for Avery, not the one day. And you’re right there too. Just don’t overlook that forever is built one experience at a time. None of them are unimportant.”
She makes me sound noble and puts my feelings into words better than I ever could.
I nod, telling Avery, “That’s what I’m trying to say. Badly. I want you to be happy, and if Winston makes you happy, then I’m on board. But I know you, and all this fanfare isn’t your style. That’s all I meant.”
Avery smiles and throws her arms around me in a tight hug. “It’s not, but can I let you in on a secret?” I meet her eyes questioningly. “It’s so much fun! I mean, can you imagine . . . fireworks at a wedding? That’s like Hollywood movie–level stuff, and it’s going to happen at my wedding. Me, Avery Dawn Singleton! Who’d have thunk it?”
She throws her voice into a heavy accent for the last bit, making herself sound more country than she is, but I get her point. Things like this don’t happen to people like her and me. We’re just small-town girls, not Zendaya or something. “I really am happy for you, girl.”
Avery grins. “Thanks.”
We hug again and Avery excuses herself to go check on Grandpa Joe. Before she leaves, Mom gives her a bag of muffins, danish, and a loaf of bread. “Tell Joe to let me know what he thinks of these muffins. It’s a new recipe I’m trying out.”
Avery smiles gratefully, promises a no-holds-barred Grandpa Joe review, and leaves with the goodies.
Alone again, Mom looks at me with worry in her narrowed eyes. “I truly hope that boy doesn’t hurt her. I think he loves her, but she is so kind and good-hearted, and that whole family is ugly to the roots of their family tree. Makes me scared for her spirit.”
Mom doesn’t talk bad about folks usually. But Jed Ford’s business dealings have left the downtown retailers hurting, especially with him owning most of the commercial buildings, including Mom’s, and she’s bitter and fearful about his next project and the effect it’ll likely have on Cold Springs. And while Bill Ford has been a good, even great, mayor in the past, his brotherly support of the rezoning has turned folks against him now too.