2: 2
The officiant looked at me with pity.
"Ms. Sullivan, I'll go handle it the way Mr. Delgado asked, then."
I nodded, the motion stiff and automatic,
while my mind circled numbly around what Warren had said.
That not one member of my family would show up today.
Warren knew better than anyone why that was.
And he still chose those two words to cut me with.
The air conditioning in the lounge was turned up too high. Why else would I be shivering like this.
I picked up the ill-fitting ring off the table and turned toward the dressing room.
I'd realized the ring was too big the moment I accepted the proposal.
My fingers are long and thin, and it slipped off a dozen times a day,
but I could never bring myself to take it off, as if keeping it on could keep the whole thing alive.
Now I understood. Even the ring size had been Nanette's.
Passing the trash can, I stopped.
A light toss, and the ring dropped in, clean.
I didn't look again. I kept walking.
Back in the dressing room, I typed out a few lines and sent them to the hotel manager.
The officiant had already announced to everyone that the ceremony was postponed.
The makeup artist hovered, not knowing what to do,
and my two best friends, both bridesmaids, looked at me with worry.
I pulled off the veil that kept getting in my way
and, with a bitter smile, told them what had happened in a few short sentences.
"This is unbelievable!"
Maggie Matthews paced back and forth, furious.
"What kind of precious cat is worth a groom ditching his own wedding to go see it in person? Are you really going to swallow this, Gigi?"
Mercedes Walker's face had gone red too, her fists clenched.
"Of course not."
I took Maggie's hand.
"Which is why there's one important thing right now that only you can do for me."
"Take my ID. While they're off collecting Nanette's cat, get Hudson out of the hospital for me."
"Leave it to me!" Maggie nodded at once.
"But what do we do after? The special medication for Hudson's condition only exists at their hospital."
Mercedes was gripping her phone, a flicker in her eyes as she thought it over.
"Get him out first! There'll be a way!"
Maggie left without even changing out of her bridesmaid dress,
while Mercedes rubbed my back, aching for me.
"I never would have believed Delgado could do something like this."
"Back then you bet everything on him. Was it really worth it?"
At the mention of that old wager, I stayed silent.
I only found myself remembering the Warren from back then.
The Warren who would run halfway across the city to buy me roasted candied chestnuts and carry them back tucked against his chest so I could eat them warm,
the Warren who, when he was down to his last hundred dollars, borrowed another two hundred from a friend just to scrape together three hundred and take me out for a big dinner,
the Warren who drove five hundred miles just to watch the sunrise with me, who wanted to grant my every wish, whose whole heart belonged to me alone.
Somewhere along the way, that Warren had disappeared completely.
I finally admitted it: the Warren worth betting everything on had died somewhere in the years, and I hadn't noticed when.
I let out a slow breath,
stood, and started toward the changing room.
But Carrie Delgado pushed the door open and closed in with the groomsmen, blocking the way.
Seeing that I wanted to change out of the wedding dress, she folded her arms and spoke with contempt.
"Warren's only gone to treat a cat. It's not like he's not coming back."
"Gail Sullivan, it's your big day, and you're throwing a tantrum like this. Have you no manners at all?"
The groomsmen chimed in.
"Come on, you're the one marrying Warren. He said himself this wedding is something you begged hard to get, so stop making a scene."
Someone got Warren on a video call.
On the screen he listened quietly, the corner of his mouth curling as he nodded along,
still wearing the limited-edition watch I'd bought with half a year's salary.
I let out a scoff,
my eyes moving over the groomsmen's faces one by one, passing over the video of Warren, and finally settling on Carrie.
"So your son abandoning his bride right before the ceremony to go treat his childhood friend's cat, that's good manners?"
Carrie's aging face flushed, and she snapped in humiliated rage,
"You live off my son and eat for free. You've got no right to say a word!"
Warren's cold voice came through the video at the same moment.
"How dare you! Is that any way to speak to my mother?"
"Gail Sullivan, do you still think you're the high-and-mighty eldest Sullivan daughter you used to be?"
