by Erin Lee
“Garter belt?”
I laugh. “Exactly.” God, she’s such a great friend. Like the big sister I never had. Always looking out for me. Always on the same page. If only she could be happy too.
“Alright, love. We’ve got some dress trying on to do! I have no idea how mine will even fit,” Julie tugs at the snug waist of her jean shorts. “Too many grits.”
I laugh, “Well, they have seamstresses for that. Don’t worry about it.”
“You just wait! I can’t wait until you are my age and trying to cram yourself into a bridesmaid’s dress.”
“Matron of Honor! Don’t you dare forget that! That’s a major upgrade from ordinary bridesmaid, love.”
Julie smiles. I can almost hear her thinking, take that, Stixx. “Well hot damn! How could I forget? Matron of Honor then. I really am honored, Cal. Best thing to happen to me in a long time.”
“Yeah. I hear ya. Between Austin being away, worrying about Maggie and trying to get over Grandma being gone I haven’t had a great go of things lately either.”
“It’s about time something good happened round here. This place needs it. The wedding will be perfect. Just beautiful, like the bride.”
“Yeah. It’s changed so much. When I was a kid, we’d come here and it was always a big vacation. I didn’t know many people besides Austin. When Grandma moved here, well, that changed things for me. She knew everyone.”
“I think she was happy here. Her and Maggie always had a great time. And those sweet tea competitions? Wow. Who knew tea could be a competitive sport?” Julie laughs.
“Or a contact sport,” I add, remembering the time Maggie got so mad at Grandma she poured the entire pitcher—complete with ice—over Grandma’s head.
“Oh. Good times for sure! I reckon you’re right. I never really knew the place ‘til I became a full timer either. Hell, when I was a kid, we made fun of people in Endings. Called um townies.”
“Yep. And the funny thing was, I’d go the whole school year counting down the days ‘til I came back. Eventually, my friends were here and school was just something Grandma and Pappy—my grandfather—made me do.”
“Well, you’ll get your happy ending at Happy Endings. How neat is that?”
I smile, sipping warm lemonade and holding my glass with two hands. I look up at my friend. “Oh! Did I tell you? Sonya and John are bringing Hunter to the wedding!”
“Your nephew? The new baby? How sweet!”
“Yeah. I know! I was thinking of using him in the ceremony somehow. Obviously, he’s too young to be a ring bearer. But maybe. I mean, we could throw him in a wagon with pillows and the rings on that or something?”
“Every wedding needs a cute ring bearer or flower girl. That’s the perfect idea. I have an old wagon out back. We could spray paint it and fix it right up. Wrap the sides in flowers, ya know?”
“Oh, I love it! I bet Sonya would love it too. She’s all worried about fitting in her dress. This will be the perfect distraction. I really miss them. It’s been hard since they moved.”
“California?”
“Yep.”
“Yeah, that’s just too far. How long are they staying?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. I need to call Sonya tonight. And you and me? We need to get ready, sweets. Look at the time!”
“Shit, you’re right. Let’s go. Dresses to try on. This will be so much fun, Cal.”
***
It takes an hour to get Maggie ready for bed. After a productive day of shopping and planning with Julie, I’m beat and want to get to bed early. I’ve just brushed my teeth and am about to curl up with a sleazy read when the bridal march tone on my cell phone blasts through Maggie’s trailer. I jump. It’s Austin.
Austin and I don’t get to talk often. Sometimes, we are able to Skype. But training, dormitory living and a 3 a.m. wake-up time make it hard for us to connect.
“Austin? Hi!”
“Hey Cal! Is it a good time? You up still?”
“Are you kidding me? When isn’t it a good time? How are you? Did you get my last letter? The one with the hearts in the top corner?”
“Woah darhlin, slow down. One question at a time. Connection’s not great here, as usual. …Yes, I got your letter. Thank you, love. I’ve already started writing back. Won’t be sad to never pick up a pen again. I miss you.” He’s breathless, like usual during our conversations where we try to fit in more than time would possibly allow.
Adorable. “I miss you, too! We are so, so close! Just six weeks now!”
“I know. I can’t wait! How are things going?”
“Good! Julie and I got tons done. We just need to work on favors, do final fittings. Oh, I ordered your tux. Decided on the vest instead of the cummerbund, is that okay?”
“Whatever you want, Cal. I’m sure you’ll fix me up real nice. Not worried.”
“You are going to be so handsome!”
“And you, the perfect bride! …So, listen, I called to fill you in on some details. Graduation is next week. Obviously, don’t bother. Boot camp was enough. They won’t let me leave base until I finish outtake processing anyway, so it would be a waste…”
“But aren’t you going to feel bad if no one is there?”
“Cal, I have you waiting at home. Don’t worry about a thing. You have enough on your plate with Grandma and the wedding. How is she?”
“She’s doing okay. We’ve got a good routine. Still won’t let go of that clicker.”
Austin laughs. “A soldier’s grandma. Guards it with her life. I like it. She did that even when I was a kid. You don’t mess with Grandma’s soaps.”
“Or the ‘Price is Right’!”
“Yeah. No shit. That too. …So, have some good news.”
“What’s that?”
“I passed my welding test. Certification all set. So tell Jason I’m ready for him when I get home. Well, after the honeymoon.”
“Oh, hon. I’m so proud! You worked hard for that. That’s amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“Jason said you’re good to go. He’s got a ton of work lined up.”
“Good. The sooner I can make money, the faster we can get out of Endings.”
Don’t do it. It’s not worth the fight. Plenty of time to decide where to settle down later. Bring it up and he’ll just talk about moving yonder, yonder and yonder ‘til we find whatever he’s looking for. Ain’t worth it. “So I have some news, too.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I’m all signed up for classes. Checked with the registrar to be sure today while I was out with Julie.”
“That’s great babe! So much progress on both sides. I can’t wait.”
“I know. It’s hard to believe this is all happening so fast. After so long, too. I had one weird thing happen though.”
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, it’s nothing bad. Maggie gave me a gift card to go see Es.”
“Oh here we go. What did that nut have to say?”
“Stop! She’s nice! Ya’ll need to give her a chance. Your grandmother believes she’s legit. You and Stixx—such doubters.”
“Well, I mean, be serious. What did Es have to say? These Endings folk: Always trigger-happy to butt into things…”
“She said to make sure I don’t forget something blue. And she was like, I don’t know, deadly serious. She said it at least three times.”
“Oh. That’s all? Well, Cal, I don’t even know what that means. Aren’t the wedding colors purple and like some sort of cream?”
“Well, there’s this thing. Haven’t you heard it? Something old, something new something borrowed something blue.”
“Like a superstition?”
“I guess. I mean they say rainy wedding days are good luck.”
“I don’t want good luck then. We need it nice out. The wedding’s outside.”
“I don’t either. But I can’t figure out what I should be doing about the blue. If you heard her you would get it. She was like, really p
ersistent. So I’m wondering, should I change the wedding colors? Maybe blue would bring us good luck.”
Austin laughs and my cheeks redden as I laugh too. I knew he’d think I was being silly and he’s right. I’m glad he can’t see me right now. He’d be giving me shit about the blushing, too.
Finally, he says, “Cal? Buy blue earrings or something. I don’t think you need to be stressing about that. Or tell Grandma to wear a blue dress.”
“Maggie’s dress! It is blue! There! I’m all set! I feel like an idiot. Sorry, babe. This wedding has me nuts.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry you had to do it all yourself.”
“Well, Julie’s been great. She’s helped me with everything. All is well, don’t worry. You have only one mission, okay?”
“What’s that?”
“Get home soon, safely.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
I can almost see him salute. In my mind, his dimples are as massive as they were when he was eight years old. I remember him behind the fat maple tree—the one with the pot leaf cut into it—in front of Bear’s lot. He’s peering out from behind it, a rapid-fire water gun aimed straight at my heart: His target. Nothing important has changed at all. And I wouldn’t ever want it to.
Chapter Four
It’s getting so close now. Today, Julie and I went for our final fittings. My dress looks like something straight out of a magazine. I wish I could wear it everywhere, constantly. Talk about making a scene. The whole thing feels so surreal, totally unlike me. I stay busy to keep me grounded. If I didn’t, I think I’d fly off like the balloons we’ll release for Pappy and Grandma at the wedding. That was Bess’s idea. Sometimes, she’s good for stuff like that. Though, I’m hoping Grandma doesn’t know where the idea came from.
Tonight, I need to call John. I keep forgetting to ask him to walk me down the aisle. I know he’ll do it, it’s just a matter of asking him. I miss my brother. We may be different, but he’s still all I really have left for family now.
He asked me once why I’d even want to get married in Endings. I suspect he’s worried I’ll throw my life away if I stay here. He’s just like Pappy. Calls the people here rednecks and says they’ll always be stuck. I guess I just don’t see it that way. I reckon people do things much different in Orange County. Either way, I want to catch up with Sonya. We haven’t talked as much since Hunter was born. I know she’s busy and often think about what it will be like when Austin and I have kids of our own. I hope they take after him.
John, who actually remembers our momma, says I take after her. I’d rather not think about that and never know what he really means by it. He tells me not to screw up nursing school and that getting so involved with Austin so young was dumb. He says I should have dated around and tried other fish in the sea, so to speak. To me, that’s exactly opposite of Momma, who went through men like Pam goes through combs.
Hopefully, with the distraction of Hunter and Sonya on speaker phone, John will lay off. I mean, he should. He and Austin used to be best friends. All that changed when Austin’s parents died and John said he wasn’t any fun to be around. That was the summer we were fourteen. I remember hearing about it and thinking it couldn’t be true. His momma had been like a mother to me, too. At least, during summers in Endings.
Either way, I knew what it felt like to be the kid raised by grandparents. John should have, too. Maggie tried her best, but she was in mourning. The closer Austin and I became, the more time he spent with Pappy. Part of it, I think, was John resenting Austin when he’d ask Pappy about the army. I reckon the two of them spent three hours a night on Maggie’s front porch talking about artillery. John hated it. He’d disappear for hours, while Grandma and Maggie and I stayed inside watching Maggie’s TV line-up and doing crossword puzzles. I never knew where my brother went. I did know, though, that he hung out with several girls at the same time. To him, Happy Endings was an endless dating pool of pretty girls coming and going, trapped on family vacations they dreaded. John was their escape. And each year, they came back less begrudgingly.
I’m glad Grandma got to spend the last six months of her life here. Living in that sublet trailer on Bess and Herbert’s lot wasn’t ideal, of course. But it was better than the cabins and something Pappy would have been pretty happy about. He worked hard to leave her enough money to do it. “When I’m dead and gone you can go live with Maggie,” he’d say. “For now, our winter home is in Raleigh. A man can only take so much of that place you know.” Pappy was just like Austin.
Not me: I get it. I get what made Grandma retreat to Endings the second Pappy was gone. He couldn’t have been dead a week before she was back on Maggie’s front porch, laughing at memories of the time he got stuck on the lake. Maggie says Grandma died of a broken heart.
Maggie says a lot of things. Usually, for the sake of ease, I agree. One thing I know for sure is why Maggie despises Bess. It’s not because of the rumors, the constant stirring of trouble, or Bess and Herbert’s way of grinning when someone is in pain or trouble. The real reason Maggie hates Bess is that when Grandma died she was late on rent. It took a week for her to drive me out of there—the trailer I shared with Grandma—and sell off everything Grandma owned in lieu of rent. There was nothing I could do to stop her.
Maggie says I should be madder. I’m really not. I mean, I took with me the things I cared about—Grandma and Pappy’s wedding bands, the quilt she made the summer I was ten, my momma’s first communion dress. I guess I’m just good at forgiveness. I don’t see the point of holding grudges. For Maggie, though, it’s a lifestyle.
John doesn’t care for Maggie too much. He’s convinced she had a crush on Pappy. It’s not like it would have mattered. The only woman to keep Pappy’s attention was Grandma. In spite of their differences—and being direct opposites—I really believe their love was true. Theirs is exactly the type of relationship I hope to have with Austin thirty years from now. I think we’re off to a great start. If only he’d come home!
Chapter Five
“Girl! You can’t have a wedding without a bachelorette party! Are you insane? I reckon you’ve lost your mind, all this love crap. Listen, before you know it, you and your old man won’t even be sleeping in the same bed. Live it up while you can!”
I cannot phantom Stixx and Cyber sleeping apart. Known for the stripper pole smack-dab in the middle of their trailer, the kinky couple is rumored to be into swinging and all sorts of wild adventures. Either way, Austin isn’t going to love the idea of a bachelorette party thrown by the wildest person at Happy Endings.
“I don’t know. That’s really not my thing. I don’t like being the center of attention.”
“Callie! How many times does a girl get married? Like twice? Three times, max? Be serious. Every gal needs a party to kick off her starter marriage.”
“Starter marriage?” I laugh out loud. Austin and I have been together since we were fourteen years old. Nine years later, I’m pretty sure we have the commitment thing figured out. I neglect to remind Stixx of this, because, what’s the point?
“We can do it at the bar. I talked to Julie. She had some good ideas.”
“Julie did?”
“Yes. Julie. I know. Her old man and she have a history you know. She’s not as much of a prude as she appears. Just old.”
“She’s not that old!”
Stixx shrugs. “Okay. Motherly. Or something. Having a kid fucks shit up, ya know?”
“I guess.”
Stixx rolls her eyes. “Okay. So I’ll plan everything. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
“No strippers. Austin won’t like it.”
“Screw Austin. You can’t let your Old Man control you. Besides, how will he know? I’m sure Austin has secrets of his own.”
Again, I laugh. “Austin couldn’t keep a secret to save his life.”
“Cyber either. But still…”
“Okay, so you can do this but—please—don’t make it a big thing.”
“Oh, yo
u big baby. Stop worrying! The more the merrier, I always say. I need to run down to The Ink and drop off Cyber’s lunch. Forgot his wallet again. When I get back, I’ll start making calls. This is going to be so much fun!”
“I don’t even know who you should invite. I don’t have very many friends.”
“Don’t you worry about it. I know everyone.”
Great. Just what I want to do, party with strangers. “I don’t drink.”
“You will.”
Twenty minutes more of Stixx trying to convince me that Austin and I need to spice things up and that it’s not normal to “be so mature” at our ages, and I’ve all but agreed to every idea she has planned. I don’t have interest in fighting her. If she wants to throw me the “best bachelorette party the world’s ever seen,” then who am I to stop her?
I’m just glad Austin won’t be around to hear the details. By the time he gets back, focus will be on the wedding, not the pre-party festivities. Austin’s always been a bit possessive. There was that time he overheard Julie and me talking about the maintenance man. He didn’t think it was cute when I suggested that Brice could come clean our trailer anytime, but that I’d prefer he did it naked. Thinking about it, Stixx may have a point. Maybe spicing things up with Austin wouldn’t hurt… Forever is a pretty long time.
Still, it’s never made sense to me why Austin gets so jealous. I’ve never given him a reason to be. Austin is the only man I’ve ever been with and I intend to spend my life with him. Maybe it’s a man thing. I reckon it’s sort of cute. Shows me he loves me.
Even Maggie thinks I should let Stixx do her thing. She says I need to have a little fun in my life. I think she worries that I’m too busy taking care of her and not having any fun. She’s told me not to “lose my youth” half a million times. “Austin’s had his fun,” she says. I’m not sure when that was. I mean, since his parents died, he’s mostly been focused on getting out of Endings. But you don’t argue with Maggie. It’s almost as fruitless as arguing with Stixx. When they get their minds fixed on something, look out!
