We'd go to the amusement park, and Ada would say she felt down and wanted the crispy fried crab cakes they used to eat as kids, so Guy would drop me and go buy them.
We'd celebrate an anniversary, and Ada would say her kitten was sick, so Guy would drop me and go with her to the vet.
We'd go on a trip, and Ada would turn up somewhere in the middle of it, and under Guy's doting eyes she'd take every bit of his attention until I was the one left standing alone.
I cried over it. I made scenes. And still I couldn't bring myself to let the relationship go.
He'd grin and coax me out of it, and the next time nothing ever changed.
The reason was always the same one. She's your little sister, just give in to her.
And I gave in, all the way up to now. My wedding. The celebrity makeup artist my mother paid a premium to book, and even she had to "give" the first slot to Ada and Ada's mother.
There was no elaborate bridal look to do, so the artist finished in a little over half an hour.
The sky at the horizon was already turning pale.
My brothers arrived one after another, offered me a few words of comfort, then found places to sit until the living room was packed.
The younger cousins, who'd been prepped to block the door for the bride pickup, sat there stiff and proper, faces grave.
Harper and Chloe flanked me, one on each side, like two temple guardians ready to charge into battle for me at any second.
Mom and Dad sat in the seats of honor.
Dad's face was stern; Mom smiled and told everyone to have some tea first, saying she'd be counting on all of them for what was coming, her tone as calm as if she were remarking on the fine weather.
Nora wasn't picking up and wasn't answering his texts, and unease started to creep into Guy.
But he was confident Nora loved him to death and knew how to keep up appearances, so she'd never blow up her own wedding.
He pushed that flicker of worry down and set out with the party for the bride pickup as usual.
Ada climbed into the car partway and said she wanted to come along to fetch the bride.
He opened his mouth, some instinct telling him this wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't hold out against the girl's wheedling and said yes out of habit.
The moment they reached the Simmons family villa,
the big red double-happiness characters were pasted up, the red carpet was rolled out, and yet outside the door it was dead quiet. No people, not the faintest sign of a wedding.
The feeling in his gut turned worse.
He led everyone straight through with no one to stop them, right into the Simmons living room,
and saw a room black with people,
and Nora in a plain white dress.
He knew this was bad,
and on instinct he pleaded with Nora, the softest-hearted one of all:
"Nora, what is all this? I'm here for the pickup. Come with me. The relatives are all waiting."
Ada, wearing the dazzling, radiant face the celebrity artist had poured everything into,
stepped forward in small steps and said, soft and sweet:
"Guy told the artist to do my makeup first. Are you upset, Nora? Then I'm sorry. Please don't make a fuss today. Just go with Guy first, okay?"
My brothers looked itching to step in. I waved them off and gave my dad a small nod.
Then I picked up a glass of water myself, walked forward, and did something none of them saw coming.
