Page 86 of Anatomy of a Meet Cute
“I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t nuts. I don’t want my doctor to think I’m making this up.”
Sam nodded in a noncommittal but kind way. Aunt Marilyn most definitely was making this up, and Sam had the various pictures of “areas of concern” she had emailed her since her first year of medical school to prove it, but she didn’t say that. As far as Sam was concerned, her aunt’s dermatologist could break it to her when she went in for a visit.
Catching sight of her mother, Aunt Marilyn paused, then said, “There’s your mother; let me go say hi. Thank you, sweetie.”
“Good to see you,” Sam called as her aunt scurried away. Sighing, she took another sip of her champagne and looked around the room. If possible, the Lost Key looked even more incredible with her mother’s photographs spread around the venue. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her brother chatting with her dad and one of his retired navalbuddies. As her father and his friend laughed, Isaiah stopped one of the Dorothy’s staff to grab a spicy momo. Making eye contact with her, he smiled, his joy radiating around the room. Sam felt her heart melt.
Her family might not be perfect, but the one thing she would be forever grateful for was their sibling relationship. Sam wanted to find the event photographer so she could be sure she and her brother got a picture of the two of them together, looking cleaned up. Her mom would want to print it out and bring it around town so she could brag. Meanwhile, her dad would pretend not to care but make it his phone background. In short, her parents would love it.
Spotting the photographer, Sam almost laughed. She was sure that to them, it looked like they were taking a picture of two people engaged in joyful conversation and holding hands. In real life, her Aunt Marilyn had managed to corner Duke and was showing him the same spot of skin on her arm. Catching her eye, Duke half grinned, half grimaced at her before returning his full attention to Aunt Marilyn’s made-up maladies.
“You look pretty,” Jehan said, pulling Sam’s attention away from her other roommate as she stepped out from the buffet room. “I’m loving the yellow.”
“Thank you,” Sam said, running a hand down the front of her sunshine-yellow fit and flare dress. It had cost more than she was willing to admit, but now that she was wearing it, she didn’t regret a penny of the purchase. It made her feel like a queen. And it had pockets. Taking in Jehan’s dark-blue off-the-shoulder cocktail dress with her signature silver shoes—in sling-back-heel form—she said, “You look amazing.”
“Thanks. I figured if I wasn’t going to wear this to my engagement party, I may as well wear it here.” Jehan did a small turn so Sam could get the full effect.
“Glad you got an opportunity to show off.” Sam chuckled as her friend finished spinning. “Thank you, again, for using your credit with Dorothy’s on my mom’s event. I know the last few days have been extrahectic, and I genuinely don’t know how I would have survived them without you and Duke.”
“Aw, you are most welcome, my friend,” Jehan said, holding her arms out wide for a hug. As Sam bent down and wrapped her arms around her petite friend, Jehan continued, “It’s been embarrassing to have to call off a wedding, then listen to your siblings say ‘I told you so.’ You and Duke have been little islands of positivity in an otherwise dreadful storm. Dorothy’s feels like the least I could do.”
Releasing her friend and taking a step back, Sam said, “I feel like I’m getting the better end of the friendship. Seriously, the birthing center never would have happened without your grant-writing skills.”
Jehan wrinkled her nose. “Maybe we just agree that we are both lucky?”
“Only if you let me buy you ice cream tomorrow.”
“Deal,” Jehan laughed.
“There you girls are.” Diana appeared in front of them. “Jehan, I wanted to say thank you.”
Sam let her mind wander as her roommate and her mother chatted. Diana was almost incandescent while being the center of attention tonight. As much as it hurt Sam’s heart to think about it, Grant had been right about how special the venue would make her mom feel. In fact, before the guests arrived, Diana had gotten choked up at the sound of the fountain and how perfectly the natural elements of the space tied in to her photos and party favors. So much of the way her mother was feeling was due to Grant, and he wasn’t there to see it.
Sam forced herself to smile at her mother as she thought about how Grant had just disappeared after the center’s event ended. It felt like in the time that it took her to shake Duesa’s hand, he managed to fly out of the room. Of course, Sam had sworn to herself that she would leave him alone, and she had. Until she was in the car on the way to the Lost Key. The idea of him missing the event was killing her, and in a moment of weakness, she had texted him. Luckily, it was just a shortapology, which included the wordsI’m sorry, and not the novel-length grovel she’d been rehearsing. He still hadn’t answered her.
“Are you enjoying the food, Sam?”
Jehan and her mother were both looking up at her expectantly.
“Oh, very much. This might sound weird, but I think it’s even better than when we did the tasting.” Sam nodded, then took a sip of her drink.
“Well, it’s my pleasure to do it. Congratulations on a lovely party, Mrs.Holbrook. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna grab another curry bite before Duke eats them all.” Jehan grinned as they all looked over to see their third roommate grabbing two bites from a passing server.
“Poor girl. Her mother must have been furious with her calling off the wedding,” Diana said as Jehan made a beeline for the curry bites.
“Not as furious as she would have been if Jehan had married the wrong man.” Sam fought the urge to roll her eyes. Since their conversation, her mother had been careful not to criticize Sam at the expense of everyone from Jehan to the unfortunate server with a crooked tie. But Rome hadn’t been built in a day. For now, Sam would settle for her mom not haranguing her about every fault.
“True.” Diana shrugged, trying to look as if Sam’s gentle correction didn’t irritate her. “Sammy, this is lovely. Honestly, I know we struggled to get here, but I couldn’t have imagined something this beautiful if I tried.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Sam looked around the room as family and friends milled from picture to picture, admiring her mother’s work and laughing at the much-younger versions of themselves in the photos.
“During the center’s grand opening, I think it really hit me just how much you were taking on while launching a program that is actually improving people’s lives. I’m proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you, too, Mom,” Sam said without so much as a trace of irony.
“You don’t have to say that; I know I was a pain in the ass.” Diana waved her hand in front of her face as if pushing Sam’s words aside.
“No. I mean, yes. You were a pain, but this party is beautiful. And your photographs? Everyone loves them. The nature pictures, plus the family photos—they really show off what you’ve learned to do,” Sam said, looking just behind her mom, where a picture had caught her eye. A photo of the little ribs of a mushroom all lit up with dewdrops and the first rays of daybreak sunshine. It was God’s tea. The very mushroom the man on the plane had consumed the day she’d met Grant. The thought made Sam’s heart squeeze, and she pushed it away, focusing all her attention back on her mother.
