Page 133 of Confessions of the Funny Fat Friend

She gave me a look.

“Maybe today will be a chance for him and Dad both to get some perspective. But no one ever said you had to join in on their fight.”

She reached to the nightstand for a tissue and blew her nose. With it clear, she said, “I know I’m supposed to be giving you advice today, but I don’t think you’re the one who needs it.”

I chuckled. “I’ve messed up plenty of times.”

“You have, because that’s what people do, but it’s more than that.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You remember when you were younger and you had such a hard time meeting people?”

I nodded.

“One day in therapy, I don’t know if you remember this, but you said something I’ve thought about for years. You said, ‘It’s not that I’m afraid to meet people. It’s that I don’t know if I have enough room.’”

I smiled slightly, the memory fuzzy.

“You were so worried that if you met too many people you wouldn’t be able to give them all of yourself. You wanted to remember their names, their favorite colors, have enough time to play with them all on the playground... It made you so anxious that you choked up every time you met someone new. And then it happened at school and kids picked on you for being shy, and it all snowballed from there.”

Her fingers toyed with the tissue, rolling it in a ball. “I always knew you’d make the best partner to someone, because anything you do, you give all of yourself.”

My eyes felt hot with tears. I felt seen in a way I rarely did. “That’s exactly what I want to give to Hen.”

She reached up, hugging me close. “I love you and your big heart, Tyler Jay.”

“I love you too.”

83

Henrietta

Confession: Everyone talks about cold feet on their wedding day, but mine were toasty warm.

I stoodin the hotel conference room where we were all getting ready and looked at myself in the mirror.

I was abride.

The wedding dress I’d bought in Dallas with my mom, grandma, and best friends just a couple days ago couldn’t have been more perfect. Everyone had told me it was crazy to wait until the last minute and buy a dress off the rack, but if I was being honest, I didn’t care what I wore as long as Tyler was standing at the end of the aisle, ready to sayI do. Our marriage and the people celebrating Tyler and me were so much more important than having the “perfect” dress.

But despite the last-minute trip, we’d foundthedress. It had been tucked at the very back of a sale rack as if someone had stowed it away there for me. It was a pure white, floor-length gown with off-the-shoulder straps and lacy fabric that nipped in at my waist and flowed out, giving the illusion of an hourglass figure I’d never had before.

Underneath the dress, I wore the boots Tyler had given me. The intricate leather design matched the dress perfectly, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to wear a gift from my husband-to-be.

Grandma appeared in the mirror, pushing her wheelchair behind me. “You are a beautiful bride,” she said.

“Thanks, Grandma.” I turned to smile at her and noticed something in her hands. A velvet blue box. “What is that?”

Her weathered hands rested atop it, her gold wedding band still shining on her left hand. I came from a long line of happy, meaningful, fruitful marriages, and I couldn’t wait to carry on the tradition.

“You know the saying,” she said. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?”

I nodded. I hadn’t thought about it much in the rush of the last couple months. Just having my friends and family here and knowing I’d be married to the man of my dreams had been more than enough for me.

But she pulled the box open, showing a beautiful hair comb made of what I guessed was sterling silver. Several blue jewels rested in its ornate design. “My grandma gave this to me on my wedding day, and I want to pass it on to you. So it won’t be borrowed, but it is old and blue.”

I covered my heart with my hands. “Grandma... it’s so precious. Are you sure you don’t want to keep it?”

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