The Young Wives Club

by Julie Pennell

  “Well, yeah . . . you’ve got a spot at one of the best universities in the country and they’re actually paying you to go there. You seem like the type to have it all figured out.” She paused and smiled. “You already know what you’re gonna be when you grow up, don’t you?”

  Vince laughed and glanced out the window, where a woman wearing an LSU sweatshirt was pushing a stroller. “I’d love to be a surgeon, so I’m going to study premed in college. That doesn’t mean my life is planned out, though. No one’s life is. There are always gonna be things you didn’t see coming, some good, some bad. Like, did my parents plan to live here? Nope. Did your husband plan on hurting his knee? No way. Did I think I was ever gonna eat Tabasco ice cream and like it?” He pointed his spoon into his empty cup. “Hell no.”

  Laura chuckled. “I get all that, of course.” She lowered her head, and suddenly the uneasy feeling she’d been trying to keep at bay washed over her in full force. “But you gotta have some goals. The only thing is, I’m looking at my life and realizing—my goals are all for someone else. I’ve planned my husband’s fantasy life and decided it was my own: Brian would go to college. Brian would get into the NFL. Brian would make us a lot of money. And I’d be along for the ride. Now, I’m not sure what to think.” She squirmed a little in her seat. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.”

  “No, I totally understand.” He nodded. “And I can relate, kind of. I was dating a girl pretty seriously back in Atlanta. We always talked about the future, and I’d even given her a promise ring,” he said. “When my family left to come here, we tried to make it work—FaceTime, texting, the works. Then one night, she asked me point-blank what was gonna happen to us. And I just sat there, completely silent, unable to come up with an answer. In my heart, something had changed, and I no longer saw her in my future. So we broke up.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry to hear that,” Laura said, wondering if that’s what would have happened if she’d stayed in Toulouse to graduate when Brian went off to LSU. It had been her worst fear, and the main reason why she’d quit school in the first place.

  “But that’s the thing, Laura.” He sat up in his chair. “Things change. And you can’t regret anything that you’ve done. You make decisions based on what you can see in that moment. Sometimes the view shifts.”

  Laura raised her eyebrows. “That’s deep.”

  “Yeah, I got that in a fortune cookie at the China Café on Main Street.” He grinned.

  She laughed. “Well, that’s really deep for them. I got one last month that said, ‘You have rice in your teeth.’ ”

  As he chuckled, she started crumpling up bits of her napkin. “This whole thing with Brian’s injury shook me up a little. Don’t get me wrong—we’re happily married, and I love him so much.” She blinked, the backs of her eyes suddenly burning. “But it made the future seem less certain and made me wonder what I was doing for my own life. Like, career-wise. Even if I do become an NFL wife someday, shouldn’t I figure out some of my own interests? I think I want to do something, though I don’t have it planned out quite yet—at least not like you do, Dr. Williams.”

  He smirked. “Well, I have a feeling everything will come together for you. Even without a plan, you seem to be doing just fine. As I said, you’re one of the smartest girls I know.”

  His voice turned serious and he held her gaze. She had never stared so openly at him before, and she noticed that his hazel eyes had little flecks of gold at the center. His full lips were curved up in a slight smile, and for a moment, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. And from the way he’d begun to lean in to her, ever so slightly, she could have sworn he was thinking the same thing.

  A customer came in, jingling the bell over the door. Just like that, the moment broke. Laura cleared her throat guiltily, sitting up straighter in her chair. Vince blinked and shook his head a little, as if coming back to himself.

  “Thank you for the pep talk,” Laura said, feeling a little unbalanced.

  “Anytime,” he said too loudly, before changing the topic to some prank a wide receiver had pulled on the football water boy.

  Laura smiled along and soon the tension dissipated, as did the knot of guilt in her chest. It had just been one errant thought and Vince had caught her at a vulnerable moment during the rockiest time in her relationship. With Vince she had the luxury to be her freest self, away from the tension of filing appeals, saving money, and navigating nosey in-laws.

  What she had with Brian was hard but real. And, she reminded herself, with the insurance paperwork in the mail and nearly ten thousand dollars in the bank, they were the closest they’d been to their dream life since he’d collapsed on the field all those months ago.

  24

  gabrielle

  “I’M SO HAPPY you’re here.” Elaine reached her dry, cracked hands across the square table. The fluorescent lights of the visitation room made her mom’s skin look dull and yellowed. Since the last time that Gabby saw her, the lines around Elaine’s eyes had deepened, and her frown lines had grown more pronounced.

  The room buzzed around them—families reunited, husbands and wives talking in hushed voices, visitors trying to cheer up their imprisoned friends—but Gabby tried to tune them out and focus on her mom.

  “It’s been months,” Elaine said, lowering her eyes. “Why didn’t you come for Christmas?”

  “I’ve been busy, Mama.” Gabby squeezed Elaine’s hands. Busy lying about you, a guilty voice said in her head.

  The prison guard walked past them, her boots clicking on the gray tile floor.

  “You’re glowing.” Elaine’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “Who’s the guy?” Her mother put her elbows on the table and leaned in eagerly.

  Though Gabby hadn’t visited recently, she and her mom had been keeping up with their regular biweekly calls, but Gabby knew she’d been distant on the phone. She hadn’t told her mom about the engagement yet—hadn’t even told her about Tony—and was afraid that she’d hurt her mom’s feelings. Here, finally face-to-face with Elaine, she wouldn’t be able to hide the truth.

  Gabby took a deep breath. “Mama . . . I’m getting married next month.” She leaned back, bracing herself for her mom’s reaction.

  Elaine’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she said softly. “I just thought you might be dating someone. But marriage? Wow. I can’t believe . . . I can’t believe I’m going to miss that.”

  Gabby paused, her shame intensifying. She didn’t know what to say to that. “It all happened so fast,” she confessed. “We just picked out the venue last week.”

  Elaine sat up straight and pushed her curly brown hair behind her ears. “Well, tell me about him.” She was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Tell me about my new son-in-law.”

  Gabby lowered her head. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” I’m sorry about so much more than I can tell you. . . .

  Elaine put her hands across the table, her eyes looking deeply into Gabby’s. “I understand. This . . . it’s hard. But I’m really happy for you.” She softened her tone. “Tell me about him.”

  “Well, his name is Tony, and he’s a lawyer,” Gabby said, fidgeting with her engagement ring. “He’s so smart, Mama. And funny.” She smiled, thinking about him. “And kind . . . and has a wonderful family.”

  “That’s great, darling. That’s so great.” Elaine swallowed, glancing away. “So, tell me about the wedding. Where’s it gonna be?”

  Elaine’s words felt weighted, and Gabby realized that her mom might be jealous. She was spending time with another family, making memories that had nothing to do with Elaine.

  Gabby took a deep breath, trying to squash her guilt. It wasn’t her fault that her mom was in jail. “Tony found this gorgeous antebellum home—it’s got huge oak trees and a ballroom. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

  “Wow! Sounds so classy.” Elaine paused, as if steeling herself. “Have you picked out a dress yet? Is . . . is his mom going to go shoppi
ng with you?” Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t believe I don’t get to be there when you pick out your dress.”

  Gabby’s heart sank. She hadn’t thought about how painful this would be for her mom. “I’m not going with his mom. No one will ever replace you, okay?” She swallowed, trying not to cry, too.

  Elaine gave her a watery smile.

  Gabby continued, “I’m going with Laura tomorrow.”

  “The girl who used to do pageants? Wasn’t she Miss Maple Bacon Praline Pie or something like that?” Elaine laughed, wiping the tears away.

  Elaine and Gabby had gone to that pageant to support Laura, and it was about the cheesiest thing they had ever witnessed. So much off-key singing during the talent competition, and one too many answers about world peace during the Q&A. Needless to say, Laura won by a landslide.

  Gabby nodded, smiling nostalgically. “That’s her. She’s taking me to a store a half hour out of town that she used to get her pageant dresses from—she says they had a whole section of wedding dresses.”

  “Well, that’s just lovely,” Elaine said, looking like she meant it. “You’re gonna be such a beautiful bride.” She sighed. “I just wish I could be there to see it in person.” She began to cry again.

  “You’ll be there with me in spirit, Mama,” Gabby said, her stomach twisting.

  “Well, it’s my own fault,” Elaine said, shaking her head.

  Gabby couldn’t deny that, but she felt for her mom. It was hard to imagine getting married without Elaine by her side—she couldn’t even imagine what Elaine must be feeling. She reached out and grasped her mom’s hand again, giving it a supportive squeeze.

  “So, you’ll come back here with Tony soon?” Elaine asked, brushing away tears with her other hand. “I’d like to meet him.”

  Gabby nodded slowly, but she knew there was no way that could happen. She’d been trying not to think about this. Eventually Elaine would be out of jail, and Gabby could only hope that she and Tony had been together long enough by that point that she’d have come clean to him . . . or that he would be so committed to her that he wouldn’t care. It was a problem, she kept telling herself, for another day.

  “Well, I can’t wait to meet him.” Elaine paused. “He’s a lucky guy.” She smiled.

  Gabby lowered her head, unable to keep holding her mother’s heartfelt gaze. Something like that.

  • • •

  “AND THEN AS the reception ends, they’re gonna hand out sparklers to everyone, and Tony and I’ll run through them to the car,” Gabby told Laura as she drove them into the parking lot of Lilah’s Gowns. After the visit with her mom, she’d been feeling down, but talking about the plans with Laura was getting her excited for the wedding all over again.

  “That sounds gorgeous!” Laura said, unbuckling her seat belt. “So, what kind of dress are you hoping to find today?”

  “I have some pictures,” Gabby said, reaching for the wedding book in the backseat. She looked down at the black three-ring binder and pursed her lips in embarrassment. “Please don’t make fun of me, but some of these might be a little outdated—I’ve been collecting pictures since I was eight.”

  “Um, amazing,” Laura said, grabbing the book. She began flipping through the pictures and stopped on a three-tiered magnolia cake. “Beautiful!” She turned the page to a curly-haired bride wearing an A-line chiffon dress with intricate beading on the back. “Oh my goodness.” She gasped. “Gorgeous.”

  “You think they’ll have something like this here?” Gabby asked, looking up at the store.

  “Let’s go find out!” Laura said, opening up the car door.

  Inside, pristine white carpet covered the floor, and racks of clear plastic garment bags holding sparkly dresses lined the walls. The store was bustling. A tween held on to a red rhinestone gown, crying, as her mother tried to coax her to try on something more conservative. Two older teens, spray-tanned an impressive orange-brown, teetered around the racks in five-inch heels.

  Laura took Gabby’s arm and guided her to the wedding section in the back of the store.

  “Oh, look—a sale,” Laura said gleefully. “This one’s only a hundred-ninety-nine. That’s amazing.” Upon closer inspection, the girls realized the hem was lined with dangling pom-poms. “Oh dear,” Laura said, raising her eyebrows and sliding it back on the rack.

  “Can I help you?” A tall slender woman with a pixie cut approached them.

  “Aw, hi, Miss Kathie. Do you remember me?” Laura asked in her sweet high-pitched tone. Gabby recognized the voice she was using: it was one Laura saved for important adults and customers at the Sea Shack.

  “Well, if it isn’t Miss Maple Bacon Praline Pie herself!” The woman hugged Laura. “How are you, sweetie?”

  “I’m good! Just shopping with my friend Gabby for a wedding dress.” She grabbed her arm and pulled Gabby closer. “Can you help us find something?”

  “I certainly can! Now, what style are you looking for?”

  “Long, flowy, maybe a beaded sash or a sexy but classy cutout back.” Laura turned to Gabby and put her hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take over. This is your day. You should answer.” She shook her head and let out a laugh. “Look at me pretending I’m the one getting married.”

  Gabby smiled, glad for the guidance. “Oh, please. That’s why I brought you! You know more about this stuff than I do.” She turned toward Miss Kathie. “Everything Laura said is right. I’m just looking for something simple but elegant, like this.” She handed her the tear-out of the A-line dress Laura had admired in the car.

  “Oh, wow—this is definitely a beautiful style,” the woman said, looking at the model. “When’s the big day?”

  “Next month, actually.” Her stomach fluttered with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

  The woman’s eyes widened. “Quite the time crunch. Well, that just makes it more fun, doesn’t it?” She smiled and put her hand on Gabby’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry—we’re gonna find you a dress today.”

  The three of them began pulling dresses off the rack that they thought might work: a sleek halter with a tulle bottom, a lacey off-the-shoulder, and Gabby’s favorite—an elegant cap-sleeved with a sheer low back. As Laura assisted her in the dressing room, Gabby twirled and posed in front of the mirror, feeling as chic as Kate Middleton.

  “Girl, you look amazing!” Laura squealed. “Now, for the final touch.” She placed a veil atop her friend’s head.

  Gabby gasped. The deep sweetheart neckline—outlined in lace and beading—made her neck look long and regal. A belt covered in clear jewels hugged her slim stomach. Her back peeked through soft sequined netting, looking somehow both sexy and demure. And the veil, elbow length and dotted with fake pearls, completed the picture.

  She looked like a bride, a real bride.

  “Oooh! What do you think?” Laura asked excitedly.

  Gabby studied herself in the mirror, proud of the girl staring back at her. Not just the dress, but everything. This was how Tony saw her every day—the perfect bride, the perfect future wife. Finally, that little voice in the back of her mind that chanted fraud, fraud, fraud went silent.

  “So, how’s it going in here?” the woman asked, popping her head into the fitting room area.

  “I think this might be the one,” Laura said with a beaming smile.

  Gabby smiled and nodded slowly, awed into silence by her own appearance.

  “It sure is beautiful,” the woman said. “Now, do you want to try on any more? Or are you sure?”

  Gabby kept her eyes on her reflection in the mirror and smiled. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  25

  claire

  “CHEERS!” CLAIRE, GABBY, Madison, and Laura cried as they clinked their glasses together, but for some reason, the energy seemed anything but cheery. Maybe it was the thunderstorm brewing outside, but Claire got the feeling none of them wanted to be there—including her, even though it was her belate
d birthday celebration. They were at Willy’s Crawfish and Catfish, a small kitschy seafood restaurant that had just opened up near Darby Lake, toasting to her twenty-second year.

  “So, did you have a good birthday?” Gabby asked, twisting the tail off the boiled crawfish.

  “Not really,” Claire admitted, looking out the window at the clouds over the water. “Sadie was sick, so Gavin and I stayed home with her. He cooked us breakfast for dinner—which was so sweet—but bless him, the bacon was burned, and the eggs and grits were too watery.” She grinned. “I could have sworn it was Laura in the kitchen.”

  “Not funny,” Laura said, throwing an empty tail across the table. Claire ducked just in time.

  “Well, Gavin will just need to make it up to you,” Gabby said. “Tell him to take you to that nice Italian place next to the used-car dealership on Stanley.”

  Claire slouched against the booth. “Gavin’s been working like a madman lately. I don’t think I’ll get a rain check.” She tried to pretend it was okay, but Gavin had always been one to go overboard for her birthday. Last year he had surprised her with a romantic backyard picnic under the stars, and the year before that a scavenger hunt around town with twenty small gifts—one for each year of her life. This time, nada. Just some burned food that gave her indigestion later that night.

  “What’s he so busy with?” Madison chimed in. “Aren’t you the one writing his book and running his social media?”

  Claire popped a crawfish tail in her mouth and gave the excuse he’d given her. “He’s running the entire operation, though. We have a thousand members that he’s taking care of.”

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, you deserve a lot of credit, too. We know how hard you work.”

  “I don’t need credit,” Claire said, taking a sip of her sweet tea. She thought about all the retweets she got, and how preorders of the ebook were already flooding her inbox. People were inspired by her words, even if they were under Gavin’s name. Her latest tweet— @Pastor_Gavin: “A relationship with God can be the most fulfilling one in your life. #SwipeRight”—already had three hundred favorites.