"What kind of nonsense is this? I've been to plenty of weddings and I've never seen anyone hijack the bride's makeup artist! Have they no shame?"
The clock on the wall ticked on. Two and a half hours until the groom's party came to fetch me.
The videographer hovered with his camera, choosing his words.
"We really need to get the makeup started, or there won't be time for the morning-robe photos."
The photographer spoke up too, careful and quiet.
"Do we keep filming?"
I was so furious I almost laughed. My nails bit into my palm.
"Film. Film me. I'm calling Guy Harding again right now."
He picked up, and it all came out of me in one breath, hurt and rage.
"Guy, my mom paid a hundred thousand for this makeup artist. She called in every favor she had and booked her a full year ahead."
"This is my wedding. The most important day of my life. Today, the most beautiful person there has to be me. You know how much this wedding means to me!"
"Do you know your precious little sister has her hoarding the artist, refusing to let her come? Tell them to send her over right now, and the wedding can still go ahead!"
For this wedding, Mom and I had started planning a year and a half in advance. My gown was a custom piece a designer had spent six months making by hand. We'd hired an online photography team to record it. I'd even bought ten versions of the party favors, going through them one by one until they were right.
Guy soothed, slow and easy.
"Okay, okay, baby, don't get worked up. I'll go tell Ada to hurry, all right?"
My voice cracked.
"No! I said now! The artist has to come now! Do you understand me? Not one more minute!"
Guy let out a sigh.
"Baby, be reasonable. She's almost done over here. I'll be quick, all right?"
Something went slack in me, the helpless feeling of a fist that can't punch through a phone.
I hung up. Tears fell in fat drops onto the back of my hand.
Ada was the little sister who had to be indulged, so Guy always made me give way. At dinner I had to let her order first. On outings I had to let her go first. And now, at the one wedding I would ever have, I was supposed to give up the makeup artist too!
Seven years of dating, a husband I chose myself, and on the most important day of my life, in front of my best friends and my relatives, he was tearing my dignity off my face and grinding it into the floor.
I finally broke and sobbed into Chloe's shoulder.
Harper and Chloe started crying too, but they held me and comforted me, telling me a bride mustn't cry on her wedding day.
Dad, who'd stayed up all night without sleep, heard me and set down the double-happiness cutout he was pasting up.
He hurried in to calm me.
"Don't cry, sweetheart, Dad's here. No one gets to bully you."
Just then Mom's phone rang.
Judith Pruitt the makeup artist's voice came through, a little bewildered.
"So, the thing is, I've finished the sister's makeup, but they won't let me leave."
"They say since I'm already here, I should do the mother's makeup too."
"You're the client. Our package only covers one mother's look. Do you want me to do hers?"
"No!" Mom said before she'd even thought.
"Judith, please, just come over to the location I already gave you for my family, and hurry. You don't need to do makeup for anyone who isn't part of this."
"All right, understood." Judith gave the short reply, but she didn't hang up. She left the phone on speaker.
There was a stir on the other end, and I heard Ada's soft voice come through.
"Guy, I'm fine, really. Judith can go do Nora's first."
"But my mom watched you grow up, and she cares so much about your wedding. She wanted to get her makeup done so she'd look presentable there."
She must have been on the phone with Guy.
Before I could say a word, the makeup artist's line went dead.
