Chapter 3 #2
“What about you, Jane?” Elise asks me, likely to change the course of the conversation. I’d be happy about it, except for I can already feel in my gut where this topic of conversation is going. “Are you seeing anyone?”
I tense up once again. I know it’s an innocent question—Elise doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body—but I still hate being the focal point at these brunches, because I always know where the line of questioning is going to go.
Kate and Lydia both look at me with amusement plain on their pretty faces.
As much as I’m used to this line of questioning from my mom to my grandma to every aunt and uncle we have, they still get a kick out of my being the only single Sinclair. Even if Lydia is only ever in short-term relationships that she consistently thinks are “the one.”
I slowly put my mug of coffee back on the table as I consider which response to go with today. Finally, I land on, “No, not right now. With my new job and everything, it doesn’t really seem like the time to be dating.”
Elise nods sympathetically, reaching out a gentle hand and patting the back of mine. “It will come along at the right time.”
Coming from anyone else, it might feel like a sarcastic jab, but from my sister-in-law, I know she truly believes it. She’s optimistic where I sometimes become a pessimist, and I always appreciate her for it. Especially in situations like right now, when I feel like the odd one out.
Kate tilts her head. “You have a new job?”
I bite back a sigh. The only flaw Kate has is her terrible memory—or more specifically, her terrible memory about other people’s lives. Even more specifically, her memory about my life. I try to brush aside the sting it leaves in my chest.
“I told you about it the other week,” I remind her, used to this song and dance by now. “I started working as a food critic.”
The blank expression on her face is enough to tell me she has no memory of this at all, even though it hasn’t even been a whole seven days since I sent the “Wish me luck on my first day!” text in the family group chat.
The message was only met with a heart reaction from my mom, a thumbs up from my dad and Charlie, and a “Good luck!” from Elise.
It went otherwise, unsurprisingly, ignored.
“Never mind,” I say. By now, I know that no amount of reminding her will jog her memory, so I just give in immediately. “You must have been in the bathroom or something at the time.”
“So, how–” Charlie starts to ask, but he’s cut off by the sound of a spoon tapping against a glass. I almost can’t hold back an eye roll as I look to Kate, who is holding her cup out primly, as if she’s at a royal dinner or a wedding instead of a casual siblings’ brunch.
“Before we start catching up on everyone’s lives and whatnot,” she says dismissively as if our lives are all meaningless chatter, “I have something to say first.” Charlie takes it in stride, nodding at her even though it was a little rude of Kate to interrupt.
I turn my full attention to my youngest sister. That’s when I notice the extra glow on her and the taller posture. They both look so into each other, smiles wider than I’ve ever seen before. Kate shifts her left arm and I’m fully prepared to see the ring on her finger.
I’m not prepared for how large and sparkly the giant emerald cut stone is.
“We’re engaged!” she squeals.
“Holy crap!” I shout loud enough that two tables over both turn to look at us. Kate preens at the extra attention. I reach out to grab her left hand and examine the ring. Facets of light bounce off the stone as I twist her hand back and forth.
“Oh my gosh!” Elise claps. “Congratulations!”
“Oh, yeah. Congrats,” I add as an afterthought. I drop her hand so she can extend it to the others. “When did this happen?”
“Last night!” Kate squeals.
I watch Lydia out of the corner of my eye with extra concern as she politely reaches out and grabs Kate’s hand.
She drops her hand after exactly two seconds and slumps back in her seat with a muttered “congratulations.” I’m sure Lydia is happy for her twin sister, but they’ve always had a very competitive nature, so I’m sure Kate being engaged first stings a little for her since she’s only been with her current boyfriend for about two months after a nasty break-up last year—especially since she thought that boyfriend was the one, just like all the boys before him.
“Tell us the story!” Elise demands excitedly, clearly the only one at the table giving Kate the excitement she craves.
“Well . . .” Kate begins, shoving her hand toward Charlie and Elise.
Charlie nods at her hand to signify that he’s seen it and will not be fawning over it.
I zone out as she talks about dinner and a sunset and whatever grand speech Jason gave.
My eyes keep catching on the sparkling stone like it’s a pocket watch hypnotizing me as it sways back and forth.
“So everyone mark your calendars,” Kate says. She puts a hand on Jason’s arm and I focus again without the shining rock in my line of sight. “We are thinking, August.”
“August?” I ask, my voice high-pitched and squeaky. I try to clear my throat so I sound less thrown. “That’s only four months away.”
Nope, my voice is still high and squeaky.
“Oh,” she continues, not even stopping to reply to me, “and get your passports immediately because we don’t want anyone forgetting until the last minute!”
“Passport?” Charlie asks suspiciously. “Where is this wedding going to be?”
“Hopefully somewhere all-inclusive,” I mutter, taking a sip of my drink. If I’m going to be buying a plane ticket, I hope I can at least count on food and drink packages and a poolside room.
“Italy!” Kate shrieks.
And then I proceed to choke on my mimosa.
Kate states at us all with a wide smile, completely unaware of the bomb she just dropped. “Well, more specifically, the Amalfi Coast. Positano.” She looks at Jason dreamily. “The city of love.”
“That’s Paris,” I say automatically, but my mind is spinning elsewhere already. “And Kate, I’m not sure I can afford a trip to Italy right now.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” she cries, flinging her left hand across the table to grip mine with surprising strength.
“I can’t have this wedding without you, Jane!
I’m sure you can find a little extra cash to come to your favorite sister’s big day.
You can always make back your money. You can’t make back your baby sister’s wedding. ”
She’s looking at me with puppy dog eyes and I just know that saying no to something as massive as her wedding would crush her, which would effectively crush me too. I wiggle my hand against her vice grip and she finally lets me go, her ring sparkling with the movement.
I sigh, rubbing my hand as I lean back in my seat. “I guess I'll see what I can do.”
I could sell a kidney, right? Or my shoe collection. No, I’ll look into the kidney first. I can’t part with my shoes.
“Great! And mom’s already started planning the engagement party for this weekend,” Kate chirps, magically happy again. Kate claps her hands together and turns to her fiancé. “Jason, did you bring in the boxes?”
“Of course, my love.” He lifts her hand to his lips and presses a kiss to it. Jason grabs Kate’s massive tote bag from the chair of my nonexistent plus one and Kate passes tiny boxes to all of us.
“I have one more special thing to tell everyone.” She drags out the word like she’s a game show announcer amping the crowd up for the special prize. She looks to Jason expectantly and he eagerly bangs his hands on the table like a loud, grating drumroll. “You’re all standing up!”
She gestures for us to open the small boxes she just passed out. We all oblige. Inside the tiny box is a pair of pearl earrings with a label saying bridesmaid.
Lydia squeals beside me. “I get to be your maid of honor?”
And apparently one that says maid of honor.
“Of course!” Kate gushes. She reaches a hand across the table to grip Lydia’s hands. “You’re my twin! Who else would I ask?”
Me? I want to say, but I swallow back the retort. Lydia is her twin, it only makes sense to ask her.
Kate turns to me now, bright eyed and beaming. “And Jane, I’m going to need all your help planing.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re so good at all this stuff. I have no idea where to start.”
“Last I checked, I haven’t been married yet, so I’m not sure where to start either.”
She laughs and waves a hand. “Yeah but we used to play wedding all the time as kids. And you had all those dream wedding boards.”
“Yeah for my dream wedding, not for some game.”
“But even that was so organized. So you know how to do this!”
I gesture to my sister-in-law still smiling beside us. “Elise is literally married.”
“I know, but you’re my sister. It would be so much if you could help. Plus, you know me so well! Come on, please? For me?” She puts on her best puppy dog face, the one she knows everyone is incapable of saying no to.
I sigh, knowing this is a losing battle. “I’ll do my best.”
She squeals. “Thank you! This is going to be the best wedding ever.”
I look at the maid of honor box in Lydia’s hands, then back down to the bridesmaid one in mine.
I can say right now with the utmost certainty that I know I will be taking on pretty much every maid of honor duty other than standing beside her on her wedding day.
That’s what I do, after all. Reliable Jane, taking on all the work that nobody else wants to.
Anything for my baby sister, right?
With a sigh, I sit back in my chair and down my mimosa, mentally calculating how much plasma I’ll have to donate to afford this wedding on a journalist’s salary.