Page 2 of The Love Rematch
“Em—”
“Did you know she was going?”
“Em!”
“What? How cool is—Oh my god.”
“There it is.”
“What is she holding?”
“You have eyes.”
“WHAT IS SHE HOLDING?”
Emily’s mouth drops open in horror as the camera angle shifts and brings her mother even closer into focus, thereby enlarging the puzzle-piece-shaped monstrosity in her arms. Glitter. Ribbons. Gemstones. The poster is a three-year-old’s wildest dream. It practically screamsBedazzlers Anonymous. And smack-dab in the center is Emily’s face along with the phraseEmily Ann needs a man! #EmsthePerfectMatchwritten in iridescent silver Sharpie. Every time her mother breathes, the words catch the light with a mocking twinkle.
“Oh my god, Sam.”
“I know.”
“Did she tell you she was doing this?”
“Obviously not.”
“It’s like a freaking billboard. How did you not— Wait. Is that a photo ofyou?” Emily studies the auburn waves and honey-tinted irises staring at her from the center of the poster. It’s the same heart-shaped face, plump lips, and doe eyes she sees in the mirror every morning, yet not. “DID YOU GIVE HER THE PHOTO?”
“Stop yelling at me. No.”
“Sam.”
“Do you really think I would have woken you up to watch this if I had supplied the photo? I value my life, thank you very much.”
“What about Dad? Where’s Dad?” Emily scans the crowd for a glimpse of her father, Callum Peters, his bright red hair usually easy to spot.
“He got boxed out a few minutes ago,” Sam explains. “Middle-aged women are vicious. If you look two back and one over, you can see the top of his Falcons hat.”
“That traitor.”
“Come on. We both know Mom wears the pants in— Oh no.”
“What are they doing? Sam, they’re walking over to her. What are they doing? Sam. Sam!”
“I, um, I…”
The phone goes silent as the two hosts ofWake Up, America!stop next to their mother.
“That’s quite a sign,” Eden Edwards says with a perfectly rehearsed chuckle before turning her multimillion-dollar smile to the camera, as if letting the rest of the country in on the joke.
Quite a sign, Emily thinks.QUITE A SIGN!
“Thank you,” her mother says into the offered microphone. To every other viewer, she probably looks like a sweet middle-aged woman. But Emily has seen that self-satisfied smirk one too many times. Her mom is practically diabolical when it comes to meddling. Emily blames her job. Spending so much time designing floral arrangements for engaged couples in love has left her with an almost unholy desire to see her own daughters married off. And unfortunately for her, neither Emily nor Sam is very obliging. “This is my daughter Emily. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Actually, that’s your daughter Sam,Emily silently corrects.You know, the one whose life you’re not currently blasting to smithereens!
“She is,” Eden comments sweetly.
For a brief, shining moment, Emily thinks that’s the end of it—her mother’s one gleaming taste of morning-show spotlight—until the co-host, Matthew Starhan, starts reading the poster aloud. His voice is crisp and clear in the microphone.
