“The wedding's going for an understated-luxury look. Bringing this stuff really isn't appropriate.”
My mom's hand froze in midair.
The smile on her face faded, bit by bit, then she forced it back up.
“Oh. Right.”
“I just don't know any better.”
She hurried to pull the bag back, hiding it behind her.
“Then I won't bring it. I don't want to be any trouble for you.”
My throat felt stuffed with a wad of cotton, aching so much I couldn't speak.
On the other side, Nellie's mother gave another two soft little coughs.
Karl went straight over to steady her.
“Ma'am, sit down first.”
“Did you not eat anything this morning?”
He turned and sent his assistant off to buy hot porridge, then pushed her luggage off to the side with his own hands.
Gentle. Patient. Attentive.
A completely different man from the one who'd been so cold to my parents a moment ago.
That was when Nellie's Aunt Carla let out a low laugh.
“Old folks who've never flown before, of course they get nervous.”
“And bringing these country knickknacks, really, it doesn't suit an island wedding at all.”
My mom heard it.
She clutched the bag in her hands, her head dropping even lower.
“It's our fault, we don't get out much. We've made a mess for everyone.”
Karl acted like he hadn't caught the humiliation in my mom's words. He only glanced at the car parked outside.
“Nellie's got a lot of relatives.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson, why don't you ride in the van behind.”
I looked outside.
The car behind, the back was piled full of suitcases.
One look and you could tell it was the staff van.
My voice went cold.
“My dad's back is bad. You're putting him in the luggage van?”
Karl's brow furrowed.
“Alice, can you not make everything sound so ugly?”
“There's just a little extra luggage in the car.”
“We'll be on the island tomorrow. Do you really have to nitpick about this now?”
I looked at him.
In that moment, I suddenly understood.
Karl hadn't forgotten to respect my parents.
He had simply never thought they were worth respecting.
My mom hurriedly grabbed my hand.
“Alice, stop. Don't say anymore.”
“Your dad and I can sit anywhere. The wedding's what matters.”
The wedding's what matters.
Even now, they were still afraid of holding up my wedding.
But I looked at my dad's pale face, looked at my mom clutching that bag of crumbled peanut brittle, and the last bit of hope in my heart finally went out, little by little.
I didn't argue anymore.
I just walked my parents to the hotel beside the airport.
My dad apologized the whole way.
“Alice, I'm really fine.”
“Back there, did I make things hard for your husband-to-be?”
My mom was still clutching that bag of broken peanut brittle, and said quietly:
“Maybe we just shouldn't bring this stuff.”
“Don't let his family laugh at you.”
I watched how flustered they looked, my nose stinging hard.
They hadn't done a single thing wrong.
Yet they looked like two people who'd committed some crime.
After we got into the room, I told them to rest first.
Then I took out my phone and canceled the original flight to the island.
I bought three new tickets to Northport instead.
Once the tickets were booked, I messaged the wedding planners.
“The wedding is canceled.”
They called back quickly, their tone startled.
“Ms. Donaldson, the wedding is tomorrow. Are you sure?”
I looked at my parents, already so exhausted they'd fallen asleep on the bed, and my voice was very soft “I'm sure.”
At ten that night, Karl came back.
When he pushed the door open and walked in, his face didn't look good.
Probably because the scene at the airport today had soured things and upset Nellie's whole family.
He stood in the doorway, looking at me.
“Alice, tomorrow everyone flies together.”
“And quit putting on that sour face.”
He paused, then added:
