Kya
After dropping Addie off at school, I ran a few errands, and by lunch, I’d already made arrangements for the cake and made an appointment to choose the menu for the big day.
I still needed to ask Sadie about standing up with me, and even though we’d talked about it since our early days on the road, I knew that her big baby bump was going to make her hesitate.
At least I’d chosen her favorite place, and if I could get a delicious diner burger into her, I could convince her of anything.
As the doorbells announced my entrance, Sadie looked up from her glass of soda and waved me over. “I hope you don’t mind this table. I know you prefer the other side, but I needed to sit down.”
I eased into the booth. “No, this is perfect. You look beautiful today.”
She rubbed her round belly. “I’m a bloated cow, and these maternity pants are cutting off the circulation to my legs.”
“That’s because its time to go up a size.” She hadn’t bought any new clothes since her second trimester started, and now that she was in her third, her pants looked like she was ready for a flood with her growing belly pulling the length up.
She shook her head. “No way. I have already gone up enough, and with just a couple more months to go, I don’t want to spend any more money on clothes.”
“Come on, Sadie, it’s not like you can’t afford it, and you’re going to need your legs when the baby comes, trust me. And besides, I think we should do a little shopping this week.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you have something up your sleeve?”
“Because I do?” I gave her a sly smile.
The waitress took that moment to walk over with her pen poised at her pad. “What can I get for you?”
“I’ll take a BLT on wheat.”
Sadie leaned forward, her belly hitting the table. “I want the biggest, juiciest, bacon double cheeseburger with grilled onions. Oh, and add a fried egg, well done with mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup on the side.” She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. “What? I’m starving, and I’ve gone two months without one of these delicious burgers. I wanted one last night, but Stones said I could wait until today. He didn’t want me up all night.” She turned back to the waitress. “Oh, and could you put some extra pickles on the side. And fries. The waffle cut, not the shoestring.”
“I got it,” said the waitress. “Want another soda?”
“Yes, with cherries this time, please.” Sadie looked across the table, and even though I didn’t drink much soda, I decided what the hell.
“I’ll take a cherry cola too.” Sadie gave me a pointed look. “Okay, fine, scratch the sandwich and bring me the same, but no extras, just a bacon cheeseburger all the way.”
The waitress took a deep breath and scratched out the first order, changing it to the second. Without another word, she walked away.
When she was good and gone, Sadie shrugged. “What?”
“No wonder your pants are cutting off your circulation. If you keep eating like that, you’re going to have no choice but to go shopping.”
“Do you think that just because I ordered food, I would forget you have something you need to tell me.”
“Oh, I do. I’m just not sure you’re going to be as excited as you might normally be.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Sadie asked as the waitress quickly brought our drinks. She hurried away as if to avoid us before Sadie could add to her order, or I could change mine.
“Because I know you. And when I tell you that Leo and I are getting married this weekend, and I want you to stand up with me, you’re going to—
“This weekend!” She grabbed my hand across the table. “You want me to go to your wedding swelled up like a beached whale?”
“No, I want you to stand up with me.”
She made a sound that had heads turning. “You know I want that more than anything. I just can’t believe you didn’t give me any warning.”
“You’re beautiful and glowing, and you’re not that big. And this is just the reaction I expected.” I gave her hand a squeeze. “Leo sprung it on me when we got back. He reserved The Regency for me and everything.”
“The Regency. Oh wow, that’s been your dream forever.”
“Right, and they had an open spot because of a cancellation. He grabbed it, and so since I have my dress, and we have our rings, we wanted to do a quick service there.”
“I think it’s a perfect idea. And I’ll stop my fussing about it. I don’t mean to spoil anything.”
“Don’t be silly. My day will be perfect, and you’re going to look beautiful in your dress, and Leo, and I want to buy it, anything you choose.”
“Any color?”
I looked up and saw the waitress coming through the swinging doors. “Well, that’s something we maybe could talk about over these monster cheeseburgers coming our way.”
“I can’t eat that thing! I’ll gain a ton before Saturday.”
“No way. I changed my order so you wouldn’t have to eat so much alone, you’re not backing out on me now.” The dishes were placed in front of us; two of the biggest burgers I’d ever seen sat on each plate.
She gave a sigh. “It does look yummy.” She wasted no time digging in; then she wiped her mouth. “I can’t believe we’ve only been home for a couple of days and you’re getting married. You’re going to be exhausted by next week. I hope he’s taking you someplace nice.”
“We’ve talked about going on a trip to an island, but we’ll bring Addie along. More of a relaxing family getaway than a honeymoon, but we have our whole lives for romantic getaways.”
“I could always watch Addie another time, and a beach sounds nice. I hope I get my bikini body back.” She rubbed her tummy again.
“I’m sure you will.” I gave her a reassuring look as she picked at the burger’s bun.
“Let’s talk colors.” Sadie bounced in her seat. “How about red? Plum? Royal blue?”
“I like those. I was thinking a deep red and blush. Not pink. But maybe we should go and see what the shops have to offer. I’m wide open, really.” I had no idea was more like it. I liked so many colors and had never really pictured anything too colorful. Since I was the only one who was supposed to wear white, I had thought a pale blush or green would be nice in the garden.
Sadie nodded. “I know it’s a touchy subject, but are you going to invite your parents?”
My heart stung every time I thought of my parents not being at my wedding, but I wasn’t the one being difficult. My mother had always been hell-bent against my lifestyle, and my father, with his addictions, was the reason. I’d known about their rocky marriage, my father’s many affairs, and the way he’d abused drugs and alcohol to the point of near overdose when I was a junior in high school. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“It’s your big day, though. And I don’t understand why they don’t want to see their granddaughter or at least be happy you’re no longer going to be a single mother living in sin.”
“It’s more about their issues than mine. Always has been. I’m not going to let them push their issues off on me. I’ve been in this business for a long time, managed to keep my nose clean, stayed away from all of the temptations, and worked hard for a good reputation, but they won’t ever see that, no matter how bad I want them to.”
“Well, not if you don’t ever ask to see them,” she said softly.
“I keep in touch just enough to find out if they’re both alive, and I figure the papers will tell them if something happens to me. It’s not like they ever try to reach out.” That had been the way of it since I’d left home, and the only time I tried to reach out was when I was pregnant with Addison. They hadn’t bothered to come down to see me or her in the hospital. I didn’t think they’d come to my wedding.
“I guess it would be kind of strange.”
I laughed. “You have no idea.” She gave me a pressing look and knew I had to explain. “I didn’t tell Leo about my dad. In fact, you’re the only person I’ve told.”
“Wow, Kya. Don’t you think he should know before you two get hitched? I mean, that’s kind of something I’d think he should know about.”
“It’s not that big of a deal, is it?.Besides, he’s never really asked for details, and I just kept it simple. They don’t like my lifestyle. It’s the truth, so why complicate things? Besides, he’ll want to know why I waited so long. But he wasn’t around in high school, our friendship had taken a hiatus, and it all just sort of came to a head. I was good at hiding it. Didn’t want my friends to know my parents were so screwed up.”
“I can understand that. I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass. How would you feel if there was something Leo was keeping from you?”
“If it was about his parents, it wouldn’t matter. That’s not the kind of thing that he can hold against me.”
“I’d want to know if it were Stones.”
“You know everything about Blitz, probably too much. We’ve seen his naked ass, for fuck’s sake.” To be fair, he liked to moon the audience, and it was one of his usual stage stunts. All of America had seen it.
“You don’t have to remind me. But look, take my word for it. Let Leo know. You’ll feel better not having any secrets.”
I shrugged it off, not really thinking it was a big deal. The fine details of the situation weren’t that important. “I have a meeting with the venue coordinator. I have to choose my menu, and I’ll be able to see what kind of flowers they have. I’d like to coordinate if I can, and I thought maybe you’d like to come along.”
“That sounds like fun. I’m not doing anything. Some of us kept a clean schedule so we could rest.”
“I could tell Stones to plan you an impromptu wedding for next weekend if you want.”
“No way! I think we’ll do the baby thing first. It’s all I can handle. And besides, my dream dress doesn’t allow for a baby bump.”
We shared a laugh and finished our burgers over small talk, but I couldn’t get my parents out of my mind. I wanted to dismiss the thought of them attending my wedding, but deep inside, I’d always wanted them at the ceremony. Knowing they wouldn’t come, I couldn’t handle asking them if they were just going to say no.