Page 97 of Someone to Remember
“Of course,” Joy says.
I glance at Gage, who’s engaged with Derek, Bernie and Trey. They’ve moved on to the Capitals hockey team. “Are we being selfish having the wedding next weekend?”
“What?” Roni says, her face flat with shock. “No. No way.”
“It feels… weird to be marching forward with my happily ever after when my close friend’s life has been shattered.”
“She wouldn’t want you to cancel, Iris,” Christy says. “She’d hate to be the cause of that.”
“It wouldn’t be her fault. It’s just the circumstances and the timing… I don’t know what to do.”
Joy reaches across the table for my hand. “I’m fairly certain I speak for all of us when I sayno one on the planetdeserves their happily ever after more than you and Gage do. I can’t wait todance at your wedding next weekend and to celebrate two people who deserve every good thing life has to offer. Please don’t cancel or postpone. We all need this celebration right now more than ever.”
“Mama Joy is right as always,” Roni says. “Your happy day is just what we need.”
“What do I say to Taylor?”
“I’ll talk to her,” Christy says. “I’ll tell her you’d love to have her there if she’s comfortable but totally understand if it’s too soon for her to attend.”
“Will you let me know if you pick up on a vibe that she thinks I shouldn’t do it?”
“There’ll be no vibe, Iris. She loves you. She’s happy for you, Gage and the kids. She’d never want you to postpose the wedding because of her.”
“We’ll be there for Taylor forever,” Joy says. “She’ll be begging us to leave her alone. In the meantime, the rest of us have to stay the course and live our lives. It’s all we can do.”
Even though I still don’t know if going ahead with the wedding is the right thing to do, I’ve heard what my closest advisers had to say and will go ahead as planned.
After a fun but subdued dinner with our friends, we part with hugs in the parking lot and orders to Roni and Derek not to worry about coming to the funeral. They have more than stepped up for us by attending the wake.
“We’ll be thinking of you all,” Roni says when she hugs me. “Call me after?”
“I will. I promise.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too. I’ll never forget what you did today, and I know Taylor won’t either.”
“Nowhere else I wanted to be.”
We tell Joy and Christy we’ll see them in the morning and head home.
“What did the girls have to say about the wedding?” Gage asks when we’re on the road.
“I wondered if you heard that.”
“I was trying not to eavesdrop, but my curiosity was piqued.”
“They said to go ahead, that it’s what Taylor would want and that we shouldn’t feel anything but joyful about it.”
“I like that advice. Do you?”
“I’m coming around to it.”
When we get home and send my mom home with hugs and thanks for watching the kids, Gage takes me by the hand and leads me to the sofa.
“What’s up?” I ask him when he’s got me seated on his lap.
“I want to say one thing about the wedding before we decide for sure to go ahead with it.”
