Page 37 of Save the Date

“He’s already agreed to marry Emma? Without even meeting her?” Debbie interjected, forever the unwanted voice of reason.

“I showed him some pictures first and he watched a couple of her videos. He wants to meet her first, but if it goes well, he’s on board.”

“An investment banker. Well done, honey.” Alan put his hand out for a fist bump, but Debbie lowered his arm before he and Emma could connect.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Maybe Emma won’t like him.”

“What’s not to like? He’s a nice, normal, successful guy who clearly wants to start a family,” Jackie argued.

“How do you know that? Have you met him?” Emma asked.

“No. But you can just tell.”

“I have more,” Chris added. He clicked another key and a photo of Matt wearing a jersey on a soccer field popped up. It looked like he was celebrating a goal.

“Where did you get all of these photos?” Emma asked, rather impressed.

“It was super easy. Just dragged and dropped some images off his socials.” Chris clicked again and an image of Matt holding a toddler at a children’s birthday party appeared. “Don’t worry, that’s his nephew. But he is looking to have kids in the next two to three years.”

“Is that in his Instagram bio?” Emma joked, only for Chris to take it seriously.

“No. After the Zoom we hopped on a call and went through some basics.”

Another click and an image of a tuxedoed Matt with a gorgeous blonde in a wedding dress filled the screen.

“Let me guess,” Emma ventured. “That’s his sister.”

“Nope. His wife.” Chris realized his mistake as everyone collectively gasped.

“I’m sorry but I draw the line at polygamy,” Debbie said defiantly, clearly assuming no one else did.

“Chris, why are you trying to set Emma up with a married man?” Jackie asked in disbelief. “What is wrong with you?”

“They’re getting divorced. It should be finalized by July, making it totally legal for you to get married in August.”

“See! And you all doubted him,” Alan proclaimed in support of the one steady man in his life.

“Do you know why they’re getting divorced?” Emma asked. She wasn’t sure what answer she was hoping for but preferably something that wouldn’t lead to lifelong damage.

“She cheated on him. But I told him Emma would never do anything like that because of her anxiety and stuff.”

“That’s true,” Jackie agreed. “You’d probably tell on yourself immediately. Probably while you were actively cheating.”

“My ‘anxiety and stuff’ is not the only reason I wouldn’t cheat. I also have a strong moral code.” She looked at her parents for backup.

“It’s true. Emma once accidentally walked out of a CVS with a stuffed animal we didn’t pay for and she cried out of guilt for over a week,” Alan shared. “Remember that, Deb?”

“Oh, yes. But I’d argue that was at least partially fueled by anxie—”

“Okay, I have an anxiety disorder. We know that.” Emma tried to parse through the rush of thoughts trying to clamor for attention in her brain. “Does everyone really think it’s a good idea for me to marry someone who will have only been divorced for one month?”

“Emma,” Jackie said as they locked eyes, “isn’t that a rather judgmental take from someone who is trying to bash down societal dating norms, or whatever?”

Once again, her sister was right.

***

Emma stood in the fluorescent lights of the Santa Monica Nordstrom dressing room and examined herself in the mirror. She fought the instinct to compare her thirty-something body with her twenty-something body. Logically, she knew Matt had already seen her online and approved, but she wasn’t used to dating men with six-packs. She ran her hands over one of the many formfitting dresses she’d tried on in the last half hour and thanked her sensory problems for making it impossible to wear shapewear. If she didn’t have an extreme aversion to anything super tight on her body, she would probably be shoving herself into all sorts of body-modifying contraptions right now, which would only lead to more insecurity. Having to always show her body as it actually was had helped her come to love it.

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