Page 59 of Four Aunties and a Wedding

“Because—” For a horrible second, my mind draws a blank. Whynotthe room here? Because there are two kidnapped men in it, that’s why. “Because Second Aunt forgot to take her blood pressure medication, and it’s at the Randolph,” I blurt out.

“Oh, gosh,” Seb says.

“Yeah, of course, we’ll leave now,” Selena says.

“Thank you, thank you.” I squeeze her hands tight. “I’d do it myself, but—”

“Don’t be silly, it’s your wedding day. You stay here and enjoy yourself,” Seb says. “We’ll take care of it. Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with more than my fair share of drunk wedding guests. I’ve got it under control.”

“Oh, Seb.” My voice wobbles.

“You owe us both a huge one, though,” he adds with a wink. “Go, join your wedding party. We’ll be back before you know it.” He waves me away before linking arms with Big Aunt and saying, “Come on, Big Aunt—hm? Oh, the fondant? Got it covered, don’t you worry.” He leads her to Fourth Aunt, links his free arm with hers, and walks toward the exit. Selena does the same with Ma and Second Aunt, and before long, they’re gone from the Masters Garden.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Great. Now I can...

Oh shit. Now I’m all alone with no one else to stop Staphanie and Ama from doing whatever they were planning to do to Lilian. I pick up the skirt of my dress again and hurry back to the crowd, smiling and waving at various guests, not slowing down until I catch sight of Lilian talking to a man. Thank god she’s still okay.

“There you are,” I say brightly. They both look up at me.

“Meddy, congratulations,” the man says. I vaguely recognize him as one of Nathan’s uncles. Or maybe he’s one of Nathan’s business contacts?

“Thank you.”

“Everything has been lovely,” he continues. “I’m so glad I was able to fly in for the wedding. Did you know that Christ Church College is almost five hundred years old?”

“Yeah, uh-huh.” I smile at him while my mind gallops ahead. This is good. I could stay here for a while, making small talk with him and Lilian. That looks totally normal and understandable. People do that at a normal, non-mafia wedding, right? Right. “Yes, I love the um, the history of the place.”

Sensing someone who’s just as into boring small talk as he is, the man brightens before launching into a conversation about how exciting Oxford is.

I begin to relax, letting his words wash over me. He’s talking about crenellations and parapets, and I never once thought of how comforting architecture can be, but here we are. It’s almost therapeutic. Lilian’s eyes are glazed over and she’s smiling politely, probably bored out of her mind, but like me, she doesn’t seem inclined to leave his company. Maybe she’s grateful for the change of pace from my over-the-top aunts.

Then I catch sight of Nathan talking to his parents. My pleasant haze dissipates and sharpens into anxiety. They don’t look happy. Poor Nathan. Of course they’re not happy. How could they be after the countless mishaps my family and I have caused? Maybe I should go to him. Maybe I should—should what? Well, I should definitely try to smooth things over with his mom, anyway. That would be the right thing to do. Now is probably a good time, given I can’t see Ama anywhere and Staph is walking around snapping pictures of the guests. Lilian will be okay for a while.

“Sorry, excuse me,” I murmur, smiling politely at the man before walking toward Nathan and his parents.

As I near them, I see that Nathan’s expression is stormy.Maybe I should let them have their privacy. But just then, Nathan spots me. His face immediately clears and he mutters something to his mother before coming toward me with a smile. “You okay?”

“Yeah, you?”

His smile becomes strained. “I... could be better, honestly.”

“I’m so sorry.” And I am. I truly am. “How is everyone holding up?” I look at his parents, who are hovering nearby, and wave at them. They come toward us, and Annie gives me a smile I’ve grown familiar with over the years—an uneasy things-are-terrible-but-I-don’t-want-to-say-so kind of smile. I’m always seeing them on people who have had to deal with my aunts.

“I’m so sorry about the—um, about everything,” I say, gesturing at my surroundings. “It’s just been a really hectic day. I promise that my family and I aren’t like this on most days.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright, dear,” Chris says, patting my arm lightly. “I know weddings can be very stressful. Did you know Annie and I got married at the courthouse? Nobody else was around. It was a bit of a—er, a rushed wedding, heh.”

“Chris!” Annie hisses.

I feel a sudden surge of affection for Nathan’s dad, who is now looking very sheepish. “Well, that was our wedding. Afterward, Annie and I shared a pie. Steak and kidney, it was, from a little shop around the corner. We didn’t have much then, you see, and Annie ate most of it. It wasn’t very nice. I didn’t get any steak at all, mostly just kidney that tasted vaguely of ammonia. And then it rained. It was an awful day, really.”

I can’t help but laugh at this. Annie looks like she’s torn between smiling and strangling her husband. Nathan’s dad is just one of those people you can’t stay angry at for long, I guess. Just like Nathan. I glance up at Nathan and my love for him warms my chest. I link my fingers through his and squeeze hishand. He squeezes back, gazing down at me with an expression that says, “I know. I get it.”

“The point is, our wedding day was, well, it was all a bit pear-shaped, really. But it didn’t matter, not in the long run. I’m still married to my beautiful Annie, and I’m grateful for that every day. Aren’t I, love?” He pulls Annie close to him as I say, “Aww.” She relents and kisses him on the cheek.

“You’re so full of it,” she mutters.

I’m about to say something when my phone buzzes. Since it’s tucked into my bodice, the vibrations go all the way through my chest and down my arms, shocking me enough to jump. “Um, excuse me.” I release Nathan’s hand and walk a few paces away before pulling it out.

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