Chapter 24
“M s. Sunny, that’s your cue!”
Daisy blew out a sigh as Sunny jogged over to the beginning of the aisle.
“Sorry, sorry!” she said with a smile. “I was distracted.”
That was an understatement. Mark had been giving her the eye and she missed her cue.
“Where’s the groom?” Daisy said. “God help us. This…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
“I’m here,” Davion said as he walked up. “Sorry.”
“Okay, so I’m to understand we changed this?” Daisy glanced at her iPad. “Your father is walking in alone, and you’re escorting your mother. Is that right?”
“Yep.” Davion took his mother’s hand, glancing behind him at his sulking father. “You ready, Mama?”
As they made their way down the aisle, Sunny elbowed her son playfully. “One more day. You ready?”
“I’m here,” he said softly. “Participating.”
“And you’re sure about walking me down?”
“A hundred percent.” He led her to her chair in the front row, brushing the seat off before she sat.
She squeezed his hand, giving him a smile as he took his place at the altar.
Daisy nodded. “Okay. Bridesmaids! Groomsmen! Places!”
Sunny turned to her parents, who had arrived just a couple of hours ago.
They all smiled, doing little wiggles in their seats as they anticipated the actual day. Just one more day, and Sunny could relax. One more day until Davion walked down that aisle.
The bridesmaids and groomsmen did their thing like professionals, then Brooklyn’s cousin Jade’s kids came down the aisle with the ring pillow and a basket of fake flowers for practice.
“Perfect!” Daisy said. “Ready for the bride and her father!”
Sunny turned to watch Mark, but after a few minutes, it was clear he wasn’t coming.
Daisy stalked up the aisle, her ankle rolling a bit on top of her espadrilles. Aunt Sadie met her in the middle, her face pinched.
“She needs a minute.”
“Is she okay?” Daisy asked.
“She’s upset.”
Davion took off, sprinting up the aisle to get to his bride. Sunny was hot on his heels.
They found Brooklyn on the patio, pale, trembling, eyes wide and wet. Her practice bouquet sat on the table next to her, forgotten. Mark knelt at her feet.
“What’s wrong?” Davion demanded as he approached. “You okay?”
“I don’t know,” Brooklyn croaked out. “I…I can’t b-breathe.” She sucked in a breath that clearly didn’t satisfy her need for oxygen, and Sunny recognized it immediately.
Panic attack.
Davion knelt next to Mark, staring up at his bride. “Look at me. Baby. Please. Look at me.”
As much as it pained him, Mark stood to his feet and stepped aside. She wasn’t his little girl anymore. She was a day away from being Davion’s wife, which meant it was his job to take care of her.
“You’re okay,” Dav assured. “Take some deep breaths for me. Here.” He put his hand flat against her heart. “You gotta calm down, Brookie. Breathe in for me.”
She did what he asked.
“Hold that. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Now blow it out. Good. Again.”
Sunny’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her son, her baby, being what Brooklyn needed him to be. It was like a switch had flipped. She wasn’t acquainted with that young man, Davion the husband, but she sure was proud.
“What happened?” he asked his bride.
She sniffed, tears running down her cheeks. “She…she’s supposed to be down there. In that first ch-chair,” she hiccupped. “But it’s just…empty. And I can’t…” she trailed off, finally breaking.
“Shit.” Mark turned away, putting his hands on top of his head. Sunny wanted to go to him. Touch him. Reassure him. But she couldn’t.
Dav moved to sit next to Brooklyn on the settee, pulling her into him. “She’s here, baby. I promise. She’s with you. She’s still in you. She always will be.”
Brooklyn’s breathing slowed. Dav wiped her cheeks with the pads of his fingers, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead.
“And I’m here. And when you walk down that aisle tomorrow, I’ll be there waiting for you. I’ll always be here waiting for you.”
Brooklyn clutched his shirt, burying her face in his neck as Davion rocked her gently, like a newborn who needs soothing.
Sunny watched with a hand over her heart, a tear slipping silently down her cheek. Mark turned around, his own eyes moist as they met Sunny’s. Something passed between them before Daisy’s voice cut through the air.
“Five minutes?” she said timidly.
Davion looked up. “Maybe. I’ll let you know when she’s ready.”
Daisy nodded, took a deep cleansing breath, and reminded herself she was being paid by the hour.
Her gaze moved to the parents of the couple. Their eyes were weird…locked on each other, but soft and melancholy. Daisy was confused, but then she noticed something else.
“Ms. Sunny. Don’t move.” She pulled a tissue out of her purse and moved toward her. “You have something in your hair. Let me just…”
Sunny froze, staring at Mark as he choked back his laugh.
“Looks like mayonnaise…” Daisy mumbled as she wiped at Sunny’s hair with the tissue. “There! All done.”
Sunny nodded, flustered and embarrassed, while Mark grinned behind Daisy’s back.
Sunny knocked softly.
It was muffled and weak, but Brooklyn’s, “Come in,” was audible enough. Sunny pushed the door open, entering a room that looked like a mini palace.
Brooklyn lay in her pink tulle canopy bed, her arm thrown over her face.
“I brought you some chamomile tea,” Sunny said softly. “I’ll just set it here on the nightstand just in case.”
Brooklyn sat up. “Can you stay here for a second?”
“Of course.” Sunny set the mug and saucer on the nightstand, moving to take a seat at Brooklyn’s desk.
“You can sit on my bed,” she said. “I don’t bite.”
Sunny chuckled as she took her seat. “You scared me earlier.”
“Why?”
“You seemed overwhelmed. And I’ve had anxiety attacks, so I know what that looks like.”
“Not fun,” Brooklyn mumbled.
“Not at all.” Sunny sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I always feel drained after. Achy, too.”
Brooklyn nodded. “Somebody’s on the way to give me a vitamin cocktail shot.”
“Somebody?”
“One of my dad’s friends. A doctor.”
Sunny nodded.
“You can lean back on the pillow,” Brooklyn said. “Please. I want you to feel relaxed and comfortable.”
“Well, okay.” Sunny reclined, crossing her hands over her stomach, staring up at the canopy. “Such a pretty room. And this bed. You live like a princess.”
Sunny took a sip of tea before laying down beside Sunny. “My mom designed it like this.”
Silence stretched between them.
“Grief is a strange thing,” Sunny finally said. “It can come out of nowhere. It doesn’t need a reason. It doesn’t respect your plans.”
“So true.”
“I know people keep saying, ‘she’s here, she’s watching over you.’ And I believe that’s true. But I think…maybe we could all stand to be more empathetic.”
Brooklyn turned her head to look at Sunny.
“Because it doesn’t mean a damn thing to you when you hear that, right?”
Brooklyn chuckled. “It really doesn’t.”
“People mean well, but what we probably need to be saying is that you have the right to grieve the absence. It’s hard. It feels awful. And it’s okay. It will hurt a little less as time passes, but for now, you get to feel however you want.”
Brooklyn nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“If you want to talk about that with me right now, I’ll listen. And I won’t say a thing.”
Brooklyn swallowed the lump in her throat. “I think…it’s pretty simple. I thought she’d be here for this, and she’s not.” She blew out a sigh. “ Eff cancer.”
Sunny nodded, reaching over to wipe Brooklyn’s cheek.
“I want my big day to be happy and joyous and all that good stuff. But I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Having a breakdown in the middle of my wedding.”
“Well, you know what’s the best part of a wedding? It’s all about you.”
Brooklyn smiled through her tears.
“The groom, okay, it’s kinda his day too, but everybody knows the wedding revolves around the bride. So if you break down, we will all sit there and wait until you’re done. And it’ll be fine. I promise.”
Brooklyn nodded. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me, too.”
Brooklyn rolled onto her back, and the two lay side-by-side, staring up at the canopy. Brooklyn wanted to put her head on Sunny’s shoulder and have a good cry, but she didn’t think it was appropriate. Sunny didn’t know her well enough, yet.
“I need to tell you something.”
Sunny turned her head to look at Brooklyn. “I’m listening.”
A deep breath. A slow exhale. And then, “I saw you. The other night.”
Sunny froze. “I…what night?”
“You know what night.”
Sunny closed her eyes, swallowing hard.
Brooklyn stared at her profile. “Was that what I think it was?”
Sunny’s non-answer was the answer.
“I’m not mad, if that’s what you think.”
Sunny opened her eyes, fixating on the canopy. “You have the right to be.”
“I don’t think I do, actually. He’s my dad. He’s lonely. I want him to be happy again.”
“Okay…”
“Davion doesn’t know.”
Sunny sighed in relief.
“He’s already on edge,” Brooklyn continued. “And he’s extremely protective when it comes to you. Like, OD. He’d burn this whole damn villa down if he thought somebody was bothering you.”
Sunny smiled at that.
“Yall are grown, and it’s grown folks’ business, but I do have to ask one thing.”
“Okay.”
“What’s the deal with Luke? Because the way you and my dad look at each other feels like a lot more than just…you know. Physical,” she whispered. “And if that’s the case, what is Luke to you?”
“Oh God, this is so embarrassing,” Sunny mumbled.
“I don’t want my dad getting hurt. I don’t play about him, okay? I’m protective, too.”
“Of course you are, sweetheart.” Sunny blew out a breath. “Okay. Long story short, Luke is just a plus one to keep my ex-husband from…winning.”
“Oh! You’re being petty.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I get that.”
Sunny burst out laughing. “Why is everybody so understanding about my foolishness?”
“Because it’s relatable. Nobody wants to be alone while their ex parades his new thing around.”
“Truth be told, I was gonna slip Luke your friend’s number when we leave.”
“Jules?”
Sunny nodded.
“Be careful. If you consider him a friend, you may wanna rethink that. Jules is about her bag, and that’s all .”
“Noted.” She grabbed Brooklyn’s hand. “I’m not playing games with your father. I have feelings for him.”
“After three days? He works fast.”
Sunny didn’t answer that.
Brooklyn turned onto her side facing Sunny, holding her hand tight.
“I’m gonna take a quick nap,” she said softly. “Can you stay until I drift off? My alarm’s already set.”
Sunny nodded. “Get some rest, pretty girl.”
Sunny didn’t realize how tired she was until the alarm rang an hour later.
They were still holding hands when they woke up.