Page 66 of Yours, Now and Always
“She was far worse than Tim,” Ingrid assures me as she pulls a tissue from her pocket. “Trust me.”
“Okay, you can’t just say that and thennotgive me details,” I say, taking the tissue and dabbing at my eyes. “But first, I need sugar.”
A moment later, I’m rifling through the pantry while Ingrid checks the rest of the kitchen.
“How about these?” she asks, holding up a container of Tim’s signature homemade cookies, labeled:Healing Cookies. Do Not Touch Unless Tim Says You Can.
“Perfect. It’ll serve Tim right if we eat them all.”
She sets the container down, smiling softly. “No is a complete sentence, my darling. And I know you’ve probably said it to him already and been steamrolled, but just remember this isyourwedding. You get the final say.”
I release another long breath, but it catches and does this weird emotional hiccup thing halfway out. My whole chest is buzzing. Every nerve ending is lit up. My heart’s racing for no reason. And instead of just agreeing with Ingrid, I open my mouth and word-vomit all my thoughts.
“I know. Iknow.I’m just...I’m a mess today. And it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I pictured floating through the day, too happy for anyone to burst my bubble, but I got my period, and then Tim started vibrating at full dictator mode, and the lighting guy keeps FOLLOWING me like I’m a contestant on a reality show, and I’ve got all these feelings I don’t know what to do with, and there’s a LOT of people here, too many, and?—”
She reaches across the counter for my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. It’s such a small gesture, but it means so much to me. “Of course you’re feeling all of this. Every bride does.”
“Is that why you slapped your sister-in-law?”
“No. I did that to get her attention. She kept trying to take over and I couldn’t get her to listen to what I wanted. But Iwasjust as overwhelmed as you are.”
“You may need to teach me your method. Tim could do with a good slap.”
There’s a wicked glint in her eyes as she says, “It works. She’s never tried to take over again.”
“Yep, definitely adding that to my list of things to learn.” I reach for a cookie and take a bite. It’s soft in the center with gooey, melty chocolate. Soft and rich and exactly what I need. “Oh wow. These are good. You should help me eat them.”
“You know what? I’ve had a morning too, so I will.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask while we eat.
She waves my question off. “Don’t worry about me. Just usual husband and wife stuff. I love Edmund dearly, but we got into a tiny argument this morning, and that didn’t feel good.”
“I know how you feel. I let my hormones take over this morning and was snappy with Gage. That didn’t feel good.”
“Well, he’d better get used to it,” she says. “Men marry us thinking they’ve figured us out, and then spend the rest of their lives learning that our hormones have a schedule and they don’t get a vote. The good ones learn to bring chocolate and keep their mouths shut. Gage is one of the good ones.”
I laugh, feeling some of the tension leave my chest. “Did Edmund learn that lesson?”
“Eventually. After I threw a pillow at his head during our first year of marriage.” She says it so matter-of-factly that I nearly choke on my cookie. “He made the mistake of asking if it was ‘that time of the month’ when I was upset about something completely legitimate. He never asked again.”
“I love you so much right now.”
“The feeling is mutual, darling.” She smiles. “And for what it’s worth, Gage adores you. Snappy, hormonal, happy, sad—all of it. One cranky morning isn't going to change that.”
The way she’s so protective of what Gage and I have, and certain of her son’s love for me, makes my eyes prick with tears again. But the good kind this time.
“I was trying to make sure everything was ready this morning,” she carries on. “Outfits not creased. Shoes polished. My handbag packed. Our card for you and Gage sealed. I hadeverything lined up so that I’d have some time to spend with Gage and you before the ceremony.”
She pauses a beat. “Edmund had the hide to tell me to calm down, relax, and ‘maybe just go with the flow today.’”
She lets that land.
“He didn’t,” I say as that full-bodyughonly men can cause ripples through me.
“Yes, he did.Go with the flow.As if I haven’tbeenthe flow. Since the day we got married.”
“Did he survive?”
