Page 67 of Not Your Basic Love Story

“We want to live together, but his family doesn’t want us to unless we’re married. He starts his master’s program this fall, and we want to move in together before then. Otherwise, he’ll have a ridiculous commute, and we’ll never see each other, and it would put off moving our relationship forward for at least two years until his program is over.”

“I see. Okay. Well, that’s not too bad. Weird about his family, but I guess they are more traditional. Are you doing a destination wedding? We have to book flights! Oh, shit, we have to have a bachelorette party. Damnit, I’m pregnant. This is going to be a lame-ass party. I’ll DD, I guess.”

“It’s not a destination wedding. It’s going to be a traditional Sikh Indian wedding.”

Miranda stared at me blankly for a moment. “But you’re not Sikh.”

“I know, but Dev and his family are.”

“Yeah, but it’syourwedding, not theirs.”

I sighed. “It’s their way of bringing me into the family, or something.”

“So? They’ve already had their weddings. You only get to have one in your life! Well, I mean, ideally. Do you really want your first one to be in a religion you don’t even know anything about?”

I clenched my jaw. Really? Why did it matter if it was Sikh, or Catholic, or otherwise? And mentioning divorces and multiple weddings brought up the very day after I’d become engaged? She was really getting on my nerves, which was even more aggravating since I’d taken the long commute up to her house instead of meeting somewhere halfway like we normally did. Miranda had always spoken her mind, it was one of the reasons we got along so well together, but for fuck’s sake, I wish she could just be happy for me.

“It’s important to them,” I pressed. “And it’s not a big deal to me. I mean, it’s just a wedding.”

Miranda raised her eyebrow. “Justa wedding? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend? We planned our weddings together when we were teenagers! And now you’re throwing away everything you want because some guy’s family is super clingy? Just wait, next they’ll be moving in with you.”

I scrunched my nose.

“What? No! They’re moving in with you?”

“Not exactly. After Dev’s program is over… he wants us to move out to Surrey. Into his house. With his parents, and his grandparents, and everyone.”

Miranda stared at me for nearly a full minute while I fidgeted under her scrutiny. Then, she reached over and took my hand in hers. “Rebecca. You can’t even live with roommates. You moved out when you were eighteen to get away from yourownparents. How are you going to live with someone else’s? Not to mention the obvious cultural and language differences. What about your kids? Will they be raised Sikh? You’re an atheist, for Christ’s sake!”

My heart was sinking, knowing all of this to be true, but wishing it wasn’t. All I wanted was my happily ever after, to be with Dev, to raise a family with him, to grow old and drink tea next to each other on the couch while watching the evening news. I didn’t think there would be so many concessions.

I was having trouble meeting Miranda’s eye. “What are my options, then? To be alone and miserable for the rest of my life, watching everyone else get married and have babies?”

“Aw, sweetie. You won’t be alone! Trust me, you’re way too amazing for that. It’s not a race. If you love Dev, if you’re happy, then do what you need to do. But I don’t want to see you throwing away what you want out of life to meet someone else’s standards, you know? It seems like you’re giving up a lot. What’s Dev giving up? He’s got to meet you halfway.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The phone call with my parents was similar but more encouraging. They’d known in advance, of course, and had been awaiting my call. What they didn’t know, however, was the strict timeline we’d set. My mom had asked if I was pregnant, too. She sounded disappointed I wasn’t. Then, like Miranda, she’d begun rambling about everything that still needed to be done. Then, like with Miranda, I’d told her our plans for a traditional Sikh wedding.

“Oh!”she’d said, followed by a long, uncomfortable pause. “Well, dear, what exactly does that mean?”

“I’m not too sure, to be quite honest, but Dev’s told me he has everything arranged already. I still need to go with him to pick out the venue. I guess there are only a few places left with time slots available.”

There was an even longer pause. There was so much going on that I wasn’t aware of, that I wasn’t in control of, and it was all I could do to not panic about it. The last thing I wanted was for my mom to bring any of it up. I had to keep telling myself everything would work out. It would be… it would be fine.

“Is this what you want, Rebecca?”

Again, with that question!

“Yes,” I said without explanation. Did I want a traditional, religious ceremony for my (hopefully) one and only wedding? No. Did I want to be married to Dev and have his family love and accept me? Yes. One thousand times yes.

“Then that’s all that matters. You let me know what I can do to help. I’ve been looking forward to dress shopping foryears!”

I didn’t have it in my heart to tell her there would be no dress shopping. “I’ll keep you in the loop once we have times and dates sorted for everything. Okay? Love you. Talk to you later. Love you, too, Dad.”

I hung up the phone and stared at it. My apartment was cool. Quiet. Empty. Without really intending to, I opened my text messages and re-read my brief conversation with Graham prior to our coffee date. I mean,rendezvous. He hadn’t tried to get ahold of me since. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to.

I’d received two propositions for marriage within a week— one from an ex who had cheated on me lied about it for months, and then left me once I found out. My mind had a will of its own, and without my consent, it imagined me standing next to Graham, getting married out in the woods with the giant trees and the hanging moss, the sound of a waterfall in the distant background; my white dress, elegant yet simple, the train dragging lightly across the ground; our small reception, with only close family and friends, followed by a honeymoon in Harrison Hot Springs.

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