Page 180 of Banter & Blushes

Amelie smiled. “Like when Vennie got into the peanut butter because I thought Isla covered it and Isla thought I covered it but nobody covered it and he made a mess in the RV?”

Zaki grinned. “Exactly like that.”

I smiled too. “Now, how about we head back to the party? Molly texted me that Sadie from the diner is frosting a new cake just like the one you crushed. Apparently, she has an extra in the walk-in refrigerator, ready to be frosted if needed.”

Isla clapped. “Really?!”

I nodded. “Really.”

“We got lucky, too, Daddy,” Amelie said.

“You did. Let’s go back to the party. And no more pranks tonight, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Group hug?”

“Group hug!”

CHAPTER 11

ZAKI

After another apology from the girls to Flynn and Meggie, we returned to the party. The girls’ fears about their friends being mad at them were erased when they all ran to give them hugs and told them how glad they were to see them unhurt. Every one of those kids had something nice or encouraging to say, and within minutes, they were playing like it hadn’t happened.

We left the party earlier than we’d planned. The girls would need a full night’s sleep so that we could meet up with Molly at dawn to repaint the arch.

The girls and I snuck out Saturday morning so we wouldn’t disturb Arwyn before her already-too-early alarm. When we arrived at the yard off the main lodge, JC was there, too, and the three of us made it an entertaining time for the girls, hoping to erase whatever bad feelings might remain in their little hearts. After we sanded the wood, JC did his best impression of Bob Ross, exaggerating his paintbrush strokes and earning endless giggles from the girls. My parents, having arrived late last night, brought in breakfast from the diner, and Alyce joined us as well. JC’s parting words to the girls was that the burning arch fiasco would be remembered as a “happy accident.”

Later that afternoon, we took a shuttle from the resort to the church for the 5p.m. wedding ceremony. The wedding arch, freshly painted and flowered, was set up on the church lawn, where the ceremony was to take place. Meggie and Flynn’s woodsy rustic theme was a perfect fit for what I knew about her, featuring burlap table runners, lantern centerpieces, and a s’mores bar, whichwe’d made the twins promise to stay away from unless a grownup was there to help.

After the nuptials and bridal party introductions, guests mingled, enjoying the perfect weather. While the band—Harbor Lights, a popular country pop group—took a break and the buffet dinner was being set up, Arwyn, the girls, and I headed toward our table to retrieve their sweaters. The warm day was cooling off, and there was a bit of a chill in the air.

“Zaki Marsch!”

I turned and grinned. Daisy Mae Saunders—er,Meemaw—was headed straight for us. It was hard to believe she was over ninety years old from the way she moved.

“Well, well, look who’s here! My two favorite fire-starters! That was exciting last night, wasn’t it?” The girls’ eyes went wide, and Meemaw laughed. “Oh, I’m just messing with you, sugarplums. Weddings need a little drama—it keeps things interesting. Why, back in my day, a wedding wasn’t complete without a chicken running through the reception or a cousin fainting during the vows. And good it happened at the rehearsal. Tonight should be perfect.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve caused your fair share of chaos at weddings too, Meemaw,” Arwyn quipped.

Meemaw clutched her heart, as if offended. “Me? Chaos? Never! I’m a perfect guest. It’s not my fault if my dance moves were so impressive they once knocked over a punch bowl or two.” She winked, and the girls giggled.

Arwyn turned to the girls. “Isla, Amelie, meet Daisy Mae Saunders. You can call her Meemaw.”

“I’m glad you two are laughing,” she told the twins. “Don’t trouble your hearts at all about what happened last night. When you’ve been to as many weddings as I have, you learn that it’s not about perfection—it’s about the stories you’ll tell later.”

I lightly patted my girls on the back. “See? Even Meemaw thinks a little chaos is part of the fun.”

Meggie and Flynn strolled over. She smiled warmly at all of us and addressed the girls. “For the record, I’m so glad you’re here. This wedding weekend—and this whole amazing week—wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

“Really?” Amelie said.

“Really,” Meggie confirmed.

Meemaw leaned in conspiratorially. “Now, who wants to help me sneak an extra slice of that cake after everyone’s been served? I’ve got a feeling this one is going to be better than last night’s replacement!”

Amelie twisted around to look at me. “Can we, Daddy?”

---