Page 45 of Now or Never

No answer.

She took a few steps and listened, making out the sound of the shower running from somewhere deep in the house. She toed off her sandals, then stood awkwardly by the door, looking around.

The house was open and bright, with mostly white walls and hardwood floors. A massive white kitchen sat to her right, looking picture perfect, and she wondered whether he ever cooked himself meals. In front of her was a dining room table and chairs that looked as if no one ever sat at it, and to the left was a sectional sofa in front of an enormous TV.

Other than a pair of sneakers by the door and a tea towel on the counter, his house showed zero signs of life. It was the exact opposite of her house, which was brimming with kid stuff.

She scanned the room, her eyes falling on a sideboard table with a few picture frames. She listened for the water, which was still running, before tiptoeing over and bending down close.

There were three pictures in total. The first was one of those souvenir shots taken on a roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland with Ethan and Max. They were teenagers when the photo was taken, all so young looking and wearing matching expressions of terrified glee. The second photo was of him and his dad in hockey skates standing next to each other on a skating trail in a stunning snowy forest.

But the third photo really caught her attention.

She lifted it up, wishing it was a phone so she could scroll in to get a closer look. It was Adam as a small child, probably around Ben’s age, standing in the messy kitchen with an apron and a toothless smile, holding a plate of awful-looking cookies. Behind him stood his mom, hugging him and smiling into the camera with a face that looked identical to his.

She’d pulled it closer and closed one eye, trying to get a better look, when the water suddenly stopped. She placed the picture frame down exactly as it had been and tried to look casual; although, it was impossible as she imagined what he would looklike at that very moment stepping naked out of the shower and reaching for a towel.

Shaking her head, she walked over to the fridge, paused for a moment, then shrugged and opened the door. Inside the fridge was much like the rest of the house. Empty. There were condiments, drinks, beer, and some apples and carrots. She grabbed a can of pop and closed the door, then stood awkwardly in the kitchen, waiting for him to come out and hoping he’d be fully clothed.

She didn’t have to wait long. A few seconds later, he walked into the kitchen wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt, his hair still wet and his skin flushed.

It must have been a hot shower.

“Hey,” he said with a smile as he opened the fridge and pulled out his own drink. “Thanks for coming and helping me out.”

Chelsea nodded. “Well, I am technically maid of honour. It’s the least I can do.”

He smiled and opened a drawer, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen and walking to the dining table. “Is here good, or would you rather sit on the deck?”

Chelsea looked out the three big French doors that led to the sunny deck. “Let’s sit outside.”

Adam nodded and led her to the doors, opening one set and following her out. She sat on a big, cushioned swivel chair and set her drink on the table in front of her. Adam followed suit, sitting in the chair next to her.

“Okay,” he said, twirling his chair toward her and flipping the pad open. “What do we need for a wedding?”

Chelsea laughed. “I think you’re in over your head.”

Adam shook it off. “No, I’ve been in over my head before. This I can do. Let’s start with what we know. Does she have a dress?”

Chelsea nodded. “Yes. She texted me a photo the day she bought it. And she ordered a dress for me, too. It’s pale blue. I’m going to have a fitting next week.”

Adam scribbled down the information. “Usually, people in weddings match, right? So I should wear pale blue?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, anything else? Music, food, cake, photographer?”

Chelsea’s mind fixed on photographer, and she thought it would be amazing if she could make a wedding video for them. Maybe that could be their gift, since funds were too tight for much else. She’d love to make it a surprise, but how would she film it? Maybe she could ask Ethan’s mom or sister to record it or use a photo montage set to audio. She knew she could get great audio from a set of tiny microphones that Jae had. If she weaved them into the bouquets, she could record them saying “I do” without them knowing.

Brilliant.

“What are you thinking?”

Adam’s voice broke her thoughts.

“I was thinking about flowers,” she said.

“Okay, which flowers should we go with?”

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