Page 33 of Throw Away the Key
“Damn, well I hope she's okay.”
“Yeah, I'll check on her when I go home. It definitely threw me off,” Emma shook her head and waved off the thought to regroup. “But this time right now is about y'all. We need to celebrate!”
Zora glowed. Her thick curls were pulled up into a fluffy pineapple, her fresh-faced look accentuated by a golden highlight. “I like to see you take charge like this, especially since you're gonna be my maid of honor.”
Emma blinked in shock. “Me?” Warmth emanated from her chest as the weight of responsibility fell on her shoulders like a cement block. “For real?”
“Well, who else would be my maid of honor, really? How many best friends do you think I have?” Zora giggled.
“Well, Granny is one,” Emma counted on her fingers. “And Reid is one at this point…” She tried to think of other close friends, but Zora kept her immediate circle small. “Maybe a cousin?”
“Girl, what? Granny is gonna walk me down the aisle and obviously Reid is the groom, so that only leaves one person available for the job. I love the rest of my family, but you are the only other person I would want to stand with me. There is one thing though–something that I really, really need for you to promise me.” Zora leaned her head closer as Reid grinned behind her.
Emma held her breath. “What's that?” On one hand, her chest swelled with love for her chosen sister. On the other, the coordination of different moments ignited her anxiety. She’d never been maid of honor before, and planning events was not her strong suit.
Zora stepped out of Reid’s arms and reached for Emma’s hands, squeezing them tightly. “I need you to promise me that you understand,” she spoke slowly, deliberately, her gaze so intense it made Emma’s eyes widen, “that if you lose the wedding bands before the wedding, Iwillkill you.”
“Um,” Emma's eyes darted from Zora to Reid to Granny, none of them smiling or laughing. “Uh, are you sure you want me in this role? You and I both know my strengths and weaknesses, and I prefer to stay amongst the living.”
“Do your job correctly, and you will.” Zora stared her down ominously.
Emma laughed awkwardly. “Ah, okay, I, I hear you. Maybe don't give them to me until the very last minute?” Reid nodded behind Zora, assuaging Emma’s fears.Do they make wedding carabiners?
“But you’re saying yes, right?”
Emma nodded, willing herself not to fuck up. “Of course. I’m probably going to ugly cry while y’all say your vows, but that would be true no matter where I was in the room.”
Zora’s face softened as she pulled her best friend into a tight embrace. “I mean it, Em. I wouldn’t want anyone else to stand up there with me. But come on, let's go back–we've still got some more creatives doing readings. Intermission’s almost done.”
The crowd of people had descended on the dessert table and were milling about, chatting and laughing while lo-fi beats played in the background.
“Okay, sounds good,” her voice hollowed. All she could think about was getting home.
Zora examined her best friend. “Listen, are you okay? Do you want to get out of here? I’d totally understand if you wanted to leave and go check on her.”
“No, no, I'm fine. I want to be here and celebrate with y’all after.”
Zora nodded. “Okay, sis.”
The emcee called the audience back to their seats and introduced the next performers. Each went up with a different flavor and style–the spoken word was sexy and daring–a variety of artistic demonstrations of emotion and strength and grit. Zora and Reid went back toward the side of the stage while Granny returned to her seat.
Emma leaned her head in her hands, her elbows on the counter. She tried to remain present, to hear the art being shared, but she had a hard time not allowing her mind to drift to thoughts of Sadie.What the hell was her problem? Why’s she so shifty?
“Hey,” Joy walked up to the counter, her voice jolting Emma, from her thoughts.
“Hey, Joy. Are you having a good time?” Emma tried to sound cheerful but her tone fell flat.
“I am! I wish we’d known about these a while ago–I will definitely be coming here with more frequency,” she gushed before her expression morphed into something more serious. “Listen, I saw Sadie leave. Did something come up?”
Emma pressed her lips together, pulling them into a tight smile as she shrugged. “She didn't really say.”
Joy nodded, knowingly.
“Um, should I be worried?” Emma asked. “The timing of her departure makes me wonder if maybe the proposal was triggering for her.”
It was Joy’s turn to vaguely tug at the corners of her mouth, genuine care in her face. “It's not my business to share, but I want to encourage you not to give up. There's something between you two, and I can tell that Sadie likes you a lot.”
Emma blew out a frustrated breath. “Should I be worried?”
