A June Bride

by Marybeth Whalen

  She answered Meredith’s call with a cautious hello. It was odd to hear from her, and so soon after their impromptu lunch. Wynne thought about the moments during their lunch when the bright, together-looking Meredith appeared dim and weary and wondered if maybe Meredith needed a friend.

  “Hi, Meredith! What’s up?” she answered.

  “Oh well, not much. Just calling to see how your appointment went today.” She gave a little laugh. “Was it as fun as you thought? Or more like the root canal I expected?”

  “Well actually, my pastor had an emergency so we had to reschedule.” This was not a lie. After the phone call from an anxious Bill Lauer’s wife, Reverend Stanton had apologized and rushed out to the hospital. Though they hadn’t rescheduled yet, she trusted that somehow they would. Never mind that the days were getting fuller and the time to leave for the actual ceremony was fast approaching. Never mind that the pastor had already worked them into this slot, squeezed in between her constant publicity and wedding preparation demands and Andy’s new work schedule. Never mind that she still hadn’t found that perfect moment to dig deeper into what Andy thought about faith and church and God. She’d always assumed they’d talk about it at some point, but as the whirlwind of their hasty engagement picked up speed, there had always been something more pressing to discuss. And the truth was, at this point she was a little afraid of hearing what she didn’t want to hear. It was surprisingly easy to let life just carry you along, never rocking the boat simply because you didn’t want your boat to be rocked. Whenever Andy steered the conversation away from church or God, she let him, ignoring the niggling warning she felt deep inside.

  “Well, I guess you dodged the bullet for another day.” Though she meant it entirely different, Meredith’s words eerily echoed her own thoughts. “It’ll all work out. You’ll see,” Meredith said. Her voice sounded different, Wynne noticed. The hard edge was gone. Instead, she sounded like she was floating on a raft in a peaceful lagoon, nearly lulled to sleep.

  “So what are you up to tonight?” Wynne asked. She still couldn’t figure out why Meredith had called.

  “You know, just hanging out. Gary and the kids are out so I’m getting a much-needed mommy break.”

  “Oh, that sounds nice.” Wynne had no idea what wives and mothers went through—not yet—but she imagined it was a lot. And, from what she had learned about Meredith, her plate was even more full than the average mother’s. “So you’re having an evening to yourself? I bet you don’t get those often. It must be so intense being a wife and mom. I’ll know soon enough, I guess!” She gave a little laugh, but Meredith didn’t laugh with her.

  “Mmmm,” Meredith said instead, gulping a drink and swallowing noisily into the phone before continuing. “I just wanted to follow up after our lunch and tell you I meant what I said about helping you out. I keep thinking about the way your face looked as you described all the stuff you have to get accomplished in just a few weeks. It sounded overwhelming.” Meredith paused, then added, “And if there’s one thing I know, it’s how to multitask.”

  On the clip they’d showed from Marathon Mom this morning at the talk show, Meredith had been juggling—literally. They’d brought in a professional juggler who taught the moms how to juggle. Then they’d competed for different feats: longest time juggling without dropping anything, most items juggled, who could juggle the heaviest or most dangerous objects, etc. In the clip Meredith had tossed several rings with ease, catching additional ones as the instructor threw them at her and continuing to juggle with dexterity and determination. Even the other, usually snarky, contestants had stopped to watch the smooth way that she moved, the serious yet open look on her face.

  “That,” Karen the host had said that morning, “was when I knew you would win.” The whole audience had clapped their approval.

  “So I’ve heard,” Wynne said now, and laughed.

  “Well?” Meredith asked. “Is there anything you can think of that I could do? I could come by as soon as tomorrow morning. Now that the show is over and the publicity is dying down, I’m kind of a woman without a country.” There was a beat. “So to speak.”

  For just a moment she wondered what her life would be like once all of the hoopla around her and Andy died down. Could they do normal life? Would they be happy together when there were no cameras following them around anymore? Would they have anything to talk about if they weren’t talking about the show or the wedding? She made a mental note to bring up these concerns the next time they met with the pastor.

  You worry too much. The refrain came back to her. Maybe these things just worked themselves out.

  She promised to think over what Meredith could do before Meredith arrived at her place the next morning. “I’ll bring breakfast!” she crooned just before they hung up. Wynne closed her eyes and pulled the covers to her chin. She felt her brain rev into motion, thinking, thinking, thinking as she was prone to do whenever she got still for a moment. She thought of those necklaces her mom said she should order for her bridesmaids, the final dress fitting, the caterer’s checklist that needed to be proofed, the still shots the photographer wanted of her and Andy to be used for the show. She thought of her promise to spend some time with Picky before she left for Sunset Beach, just the two of them, one last time before she was an old married lady, as Picky had joked. She thought of the meeting she’d said she’d have with the representative from the cruise line who was “sponsoring” their cruise after the wedding. She still hadn’t made that happen. Could Meredith take over any of those things, or did it all require her specific attention? If she could delegate even some of the details, she’d feel a great sense of relief. She rolled over and squeezed her eyes together tightly like she did when she was little, a pitiful effort to induce sleep.

  On the nightstand her phone buzzed in the silent room. Her eyes popped open, but she didn’t even have to squint at the screen to know who it was. It was 11:11, their old tradition. No matter what, they always talked at 11:11 in the a.m. and p.m. Good morning and goodnight. She couldn’t deny the little thrill she felt that he had remembered. She thought he’d forgotten all about the special things they once shared. She reached for the phone, ignoring the guilt that pinged inside her as she said hello. This wasn’t betraying Andy, she told herself. This was tying up loose ends, giving him the explanation he’d asked for about choosing Sunset Beach as the location for her wedding. She owed him that, and one quick phone conversation wasn’t going to change the wedding she’d committed to, the life she’d planned with Andy.

  Meredith showed up the next morning with coffeecake muffins and a piping hot thermos of coffee. Bleary-eyed, Wynne reached for a muffin, for once not thinking of what it would do to her figure. Instead, she savored the crunch of the pecans, the satisfying sweetness of the cinnamon sugar on her tongue. She followed the bite of muffin with a gulp of black coffee. Bitter to chase the sweet, just like she liked it.

  “Thanks so much for coming over this morning. I couldn’t stop thinking about your offer to help last night, and there’s really no time to waste,” she said to her new friend between bites.

  “I’m glad to do it. I’m so bored in that house without Gary and the kids.”

  She stopped chewing and gave Meredith a quizzical look. “Oh, when you said they were out, I thought you just meant last night. They’re . . . gone?”

  Meredith grinned and rolled her eyes. “On a visit. To my husband’s parents’ house. His dad took a fall last week, and Gary wanted to take the kids up there and check on everything, get his dad’s mind off what happened. The grandkids always seem to cheer him up.”

  Wynne thought of Andy’s mother’s disapproval over their hasty marriage and hoped she’d get over it in time to be a good grandmother to their hypothetical children. Andy would make an excellent father. She just knew it. She took another swallow of her coffee and tried not to think about all that had happened after she said hello at 11:11 last night, focusing instead on her guest and plans for the wed
ding.

  “Do you think you’ll still have time to help once they get back from their trip?” she asked, hope edging her voice. Now that she’d thought of all Meredith could help her do, she hated to lose her.

  “Oh, absolutely,” she said, nodding in that intent way of hers. “I just spoke to Gary on the phone this morning, and he’s saying that since the kids’ school is already out, he might just stay awhile. They live on this great farm and have this huge garden. It’s a kids’ paradise.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to join them?” she asked.

  “No,” Meredith said. “I’ll feel better staying here to help you. They don’t need me up there.” She took a long drink of her coffee and a bite of her muffin. “So, I’m at your disposal! Anything you need!”

  Wynne shrugged, thinking through her day. She’d promised her mom that since she hadn’t stopped by the night before, she would stop by today. “I have to go look at these necklaces my mom thinks would be good for bridesmaid’s gifts this morning and—”

  “I’ll go with you!” Meredith said, springing to her feet.

  Wynne felt funny about taking this stranger to her parents’ house, but she didn’t have the heart to say no. There was something about the look on her face, a longing Wynne couldn’t quite pinpoint. She thought about Meredith’s attempts to forge a friendship, to her admission that she was, for now, totally alone while her family was gone. Ironic that, despite the fame, Meredith was lonely. She knew that Meredith was counting on her understanding this. And she did.

  She returned Meredith’s smile and obeyed her order to go and get dressed. “I’ll just tidy up out here!” Meredith hollered as she walked away.

  Thirty minutes later they were in Wynne’s car, headed to her parents’ house. Meredith babbled as they drove the short distance. She talked and talked, Wynne noticed, but didn’t really say anything. Wynne alternated between trying to follow Meredith’s ramblings and recalling the night before, the secret she was now keeping from everyone.

  She pulled into her parents’ drive, grateful she had Meredith with her to serve as a distraction. Without Meredith her mom would focus solely on her. And she might be able to tell something was going on. There was no way she was ready to spill her guts. And to her mother, least of all. The last time they’d talked about it, her mom had said she hadn’t waited long enough for Callum to “come around,” and that it was the show that had come between them.

  “He got cold feet,” her mother had said. “Plenty of men do.”

  If Wynne was honest, she had to admit those words still haunted her. And after last night, they were resounding inside her, echoing in time to the beat of her heart. What if her mom was right and what if this whole thing was one giant mistake?

  She ushered Meredith into the house, calling out for her mom, intent on keeping her voice bright. She was, she realized with a smile, imitating Meredith. Her mom rounded the corner and found Wynne in the kitchen, Meredith on her heels. “Mom, this is Meredith,” she said.

  Her mom’s reaction was priceless. She’d followed Marathon Mom almost as closely as she’d followed The Rejection Connection and seen the interview on TV the day before. “I know exactly who you are!” She ignored Meredith’s outstretched hand and went in for a hug. “It is so nice to meet you!” She let go of Meredith and shoved Wynne playfully. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a celebrity over!” Her hands fluttered to her hair and down the front of a stained T-shirt commemorating some long-ago church event. “I look a sight!”

  Meredith chuckled and waved her complaints away. “You look lovely, Mrs. Hardy.” She glanced from mother to daughter. “Just like your daughter!”

  Her mother, Wynne could tell, was charmed. “Meredith’s helping me with some wedding stuff,” she informed her. “I came by to see the necklace, but I don’t have much time.”

  Her mother looked over at Meredith, “This one and all her rushing around.” She shook her head. “Maybe with your help she can slow down a little. You’re so efficient; I’m sure you’ll be a huge help.” The admiration for “Marathon Mom” Meredith was evident in her mother’s voice. She led them into the next room and rummaged around to produce a bag. “Now, I’ve kept the receipt, so be honest because I can take it back.” She pulled out a simple gold shell with a pearl centered inside it. Her heart began to race as she stared—not at the necklace, but at her mom’s face, which remained vacuous. Did her mom really not remember?

  She felt Meredith’s hand on her arm. “Wynne? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  She made herself laugh, hoping her smile erased what Meredith had seen. “That necklace just . . .” She couldn’t tell the truth, couldn’t put into words how that necklace made her feel inside, her stomach rolling as she watched it swing from her mother’s hand. Instead, she lied. “It just looks like something I had as a teenager.”

  Her mother started to protest, still not getting it. But Meredith interrupted. “You know, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I had the exact same thought. That maybe it looks a little . . . young.” She winked at Wynne and then began to exclaim over the cutest ideas for bridesmaids’ gifts she’d seen just the night before on Pinterest.

  Wynne silently thanked God for Meredith’s presence and listened as she detoured her mom right around that sticky situation without her even feeling the change in direction. She could see how Meredith had won Marathon Mom. Meredith, she was learning, was good at winning. Wynne watched as the necklace was packed away and the receipt was found and, by the time they left for their next errand, her mother was online discovering the glories of Pinterest and exclaiming aloud to no one in particular.

  “She’ll be busy for hours now,” Meredith said as they closed the door. “And we’ll go find you bridesmaids’ gifts you feel good about.” She gave Wynne a smile that made her believe she would. Just having Meredith around made her feel like it would all get done. That her wedding would happen just the way she wanted. It would be perfect.

  Wynne and Meredith headed back to Wynne’s apartment, both visibly exhausted yet still upbeat. Meredith cranked up the radio as she rubbed her feet, wiggling in her seat to the music and making Wynne laugh. “I’m starving,” she said dramatically, her voice loud to compete with the music.

  “Me too,” Wynne agreed. They’d skipped lunch, making do with a quick stop for lattes.

  “I guess you have plans with Andy tonight?” Meredith asked. Wynne could hear the note of hope in her voice.

  “We haven’t really made plans, actually. I’ve been so busy and he’s working so much so he can take time off for the wedding and honeymoon. He’d probably be fine if I made some other plans. Did you want to order pizza?”

  Meredith gave her an “are you crazy?” look. “That’s kid food! I’m thinking we go somewhere we can sit and be waited on. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

  Wynne nodded and hit the turn signal so she could head toward a nearby strip of new restaurants. Meredith let out a whoop and went back to dancing in her seat. “This has been so great,” she said, and rolled down the window to let her hand surf the currents of air as they whooshed by the car. Wynne felt free and happy and almost distracted enough to stop thinking about Callum. But just as they were getting seated in the restaurant, her cell phone went off. She didn’t even have to look at it to know who had sent her a text. It would be Callum, seeing if she would keep her promise to see him later. She looked at Meredith and realized that she had, without knowing it, given her the perfect cover story for Andy. He would believe that she was with Meredith all evening. And she hadn’t even had to think about it. She quickly responded to the text, letting Callum know she’d be true to her word and would see him later.

  When Meredith asked if that was Andy, she smiled and said yes. Meredith, she suspected, had her little secrets. What did it hurt if Wynne had hers? She needed to see Callum one last time, and there was no harm in that. One last time, one final good-bye for the sake of closure. Then she would marry Andy and
never look back.

  It turned out the evening ran later than she’d expected because Meredith had too much to drink at dinner, lingering at the table as if she didn’t want to go home. Yet no matter how many times Wynne tried to get Meredith to talk about herself on a more personal level, she’d always managed to steer the conversation back to the show, the wedding, the publicity. Wynne suspected things weren’t well in Meredith’s world, and she wished that her new friend would let her in. But so far Meredith was keeping her at arm’s length.

  She pulled up outside Meredith’s house and noticed how quiet the house was, utterly void of the little signs of family life most homes had. There were no cast-off little shoes, no abandoned bikes, no stray balls or gardening tools lying in the yard. Everything was neat and orderly and very, very still. There were no lights on inside, no warm glow emanating from within. She knew that Meredith’s husband had taken the kids to his parents, but watching her lurch up the sidewalk and fumble to get her key in the lock, Wynne thought that the house didn’t just look empty. It looked abandoned. Still, Meredith opened the door, flipped on a light, and turned to give that brilliant smile and a little wave before slipping inside and closing the door.

  Wynne sat in the drive for a second longer, thinking of all the right things she could do at that moment, things that would guarantee a happy ending to her fairy tale story. She was playing faster and looser than she ever had. She shifted the car into reverse and eased to the end of the drive. One direction would take her home and the other direction would take her to Callum’s. There was what she should do and what she wanted to do. There was what was expected and what was a surprise, even to her.