Page 92 of Take Me to the Wedding

Tyler came jogging out to meet her, dressed in a dark suit. “That animal is running rampant through the flowers,” he said, flustered. “It’s pulled some out of the aisle arrangements and dragged some of the garland down. Honestly, that woman Marin has no control over her sonorher dog.” I got the feeling that he saw the writing on the wall. Maybe by complaining, he was simply trying to distract himself from the truth.

Ani met him halfway, grasping his hands. “Tyler, I can’t marry you,” she said, her voice soft but steady. “I’m sorry.”

To his credit, he looked devastated. And completely unsurprised.

Ani stayed firm. “I don’t want to work part-time. Because Ibledto get to where I am, andIwant to be the one to decide how much I work. I know we can balance childcare, except you seem to want me to negotiate dinner and dropping off the dry cleaning and chauffeuring the kids while you play tennis and go to the club. And the live-in nanny will absolve you even further of not doing anything with our kids. I can’t live like that. I want a hands-on life. I love you, but not enough to marry you.”

The wedding party gathered nearby collectively gasped. By now, everyone had come out of the cottage, including Ani’s mother. Her dad had walked up beside her mom, and the groomsmen stood awkwardly at Tyler’s side. My gaze strayed over to Caleb, who happened to be staring at me. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed, but I had no clue if he understood.

“Well, that’s a slap in the face.” Tyler rubbed his neck. “You’re making a scene.”

She frowned. “Tyler, this is our life. I should have made a scene a long time ago.” She paused and took a breath. “I have a few more things to say. One, how can you yell at that little sweetheart of a dog?” She turned to Tyler’s parents. “Look, yourmotheris petting her.” Sure enough, the puppy was now quietly hanging out at his mom’s feet. “And lastly, if you really loved me, you would’ve remembered your damn allergy medications.”

Ani turned away from Tyler walked over to Mia and me. I’d like to have said that Lilly was with us but I honestly had no idea where she’d gone. Ani stood in front of us and faced her parents too. “Mom and Dad, I’m sorry. Really sorry that I didn’t figure this out a long time ago. But I’m not getting married today. If you truly want my happiness, you’ll understand that this isn’t the right thing for me.”

To their credit, they didn’t say anything, but they nodded. And then they walked up and stood beside her. Ani’s mom wrapped her arm around her shoulders.Thank goodness.

Ani bit back a sob. “I’m not sure where I’m going tonight.”

“We got you,” Mia immediately said.

Ani’s mom stepped forward. “You should take your honeymoon.”

“No, Mom,” she said. “There will be a lot of things to do, a lot of phone calls and presents to return?—”

“Mom’s right,” her dad said. “Catch the plane and get away for a while.”

“By myself?”

“Why not?” Her mom’s tone was full of concern. “By the time you get back, things will have calmed down.”

“I’m so sorry,” Ani said.

“No,” her mom said firmly, “we’re sorry. If you were that miserable but held it in because of us, that’s a problem.” She stepped forward and hugged her daughter, and Ani started to cry. “But for now, let’s get you dressed.”

While Mia and I walked back with them to the cottage, Caleb went to talk to the minister and make the announcement that the wedding was not taking place.

* * *

Samantha

A half hour later, after we helped Ani gather her things and saw her off as her dad drove her away—maybe to the airport, maybe not—I ran out to the lovely grassy hillside full of empty, perfectly placed chairs and sat down in the last row.I’m here, I texted.Please come.

But no one came. Only a handful of guys who began stacking chairs on dollies, starting at the front. The wedding that wasn’t was now being disassembled.

The exhaustion and stress made my eyes close, listening to the soft clatter of the chairs being folded and loaded, and I nearly fell asleep.

“Hey,” someone said, my eyes flying open. Caleb? No. I blinked awake to see Quinn standing in front of me, shuffling his feet. “Mind if I sit a minute?”

He took a seat next to me. Cleared his throat. Tapped his fingers together. Then he spoke. “I owe you an apology.”

I almost saidOh, no, forget it, don’t worry about it, whatever. But instead, I just listened.

“My breakup has made me insane.”

“I get that.” Totally. “Breakups can do that.”

“And this wedding has compounded my PTSD.” He laughed a little before he leaned over and tented his fingers together nervously. “I wanted to throw myself into dating again, sort of force myself to get over my ex, but I realized things don’t work like that. I’m sorry for not getting the hint. I think you’re a really cool person. And I wish you all the best.”

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