Chapter Twenty-Nine Violet
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Violet
“You all right?” I asked Velveteen after I’d cleaned her hands and put some clear bandages on her palms so they wouldn’t show in the photos people would be taking tonight.
Montana had already taken the bridesmaids back to the reception, but Velveteen had several cuts on her hands and two on her left leg where she’d slipped.
That fucker Ralph was going to get a piece of my mind.
She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, this wasn’t your fault,” I said, pushing to stand and setting the box of bandages on the desk beside the chair.
“I’m sorry for being such a bitch to you all the time.” She shrugged. “When you were talking about that hotel room in New York, I didn’t know that’s what happened, Vi. Mom had told us that you didn’t want to stay in a room with us.”
“Listen, that’s not on you, and this is your wedding day. We don’t need to deep dive into why your mother doesn’t like me.” I chuckled.
“Please, my husband hasn’t even come to check on me.
I’m in no rush to get back. He’s living his fraternity days out tonight, and I knew who I was marrying when he proposed.
He’s a good guy when it’s just us. When the party is going, that’s another story.
” She smiled and then pointed at the bottle of tequila sitting on the desk beside the box of bandages. “Can I have a sip?”
My eyes widened. My sister was always a little uptight, and this was out of character. I handed her the bottle, and she took a long pull before handing it to me.
I shook my head. “I’ve got a wedding to oversee. And believe it or not, it’s one that’s important to me. It’s my sister’s special day.”
I sat in the chair beside her as she took another pull. “Why’d you keep coming around when my mother was so cruel to you?”
“Because I wanted to know my siblings. I don’t have a lot of family. My mom is no walk in the park,” I chuckled. “I guess I just wanted to fit somewhere.”
“Shit. I’ve been such a jerk to you.” She took another swig from the bottle, and I couldn’t believe that we were actually having this conversation.
On her wedding day.
“We were kids, Velveteen. We were pitted against one another at a very young age.” I shrugged.
The truth is, she was pitted against me.
I was always just flying solo.
“I want you to feel like you fit.” She reached for my hand.
“You know, I finally do. I mean, I fit here, in Blushing. I fit with Charlie and Harper. I fit with Montana and Blakely. This is my home. I’ve spent most of my life trying to force something that was never going to work.
I don’t have to do that anymore. I didn’t have to try when I finally found my home.
Found my people,” I said as a single tear rolled down my cheek.
It wasn’t falling because I was sad.
This tear was falling because I was happy.
“Mom and Dad are such dicks sometimes. They could have united us.” She shook her head with disgust. “I always resented you for being so cool. Like you didn’t care what anyone thought, and I cared so much.”
I chuckled. “I cared. I’m just better at hiding it.”
“Maybe it’s not too late for us,” she said.
“Crazier things have happened.”
She laughed. “Yeah, like my jackass husband smashing two bottles of champagne on the dance floor and bringing a raging lunatic to DJ at our wedding?”
“I mean, your mother-in-law also went into anaphylactic shock before you walked down the aisle.”
“There was that, followed by a downpour of rain,” she said as the door cracked open and Paris peeked her head in.
“Oh. What’s happening here?” She strolled into the room and grabbed the bottle before taking a long pull.
“Just some sisterly bonding,” Velveteen said.
“It’s about damn time.” She smiled. “And everyone wants to eat, but Mom insisted that they wait for the bride. Ralph is getting shit-faced, so I think you’d be wise to get him fed.”
Velveteen nodded. “Okay. Sisters’ dance on the dance floor after dinner?”
“Count on it,” I said as we made our way out of the house and back to the tent.
They both walked inside, and I said I’d meet them at the table, but I needed to talk to Montana and Blakely first.
“This goes down as the craziest wedding we’ve ever thrown,” Montana said, keeping her voice low as we huddled beside the entrance of the tent.
“Well, I did ride in the ambulance with a hot medic, and he asked for my number. So this is my favorite wedding to date.” Blakely chuckled.
“It’s been a lot. Are you sure you guys can handle this on your own?
I feel bad bailing on you, but I sort of hate to leave Charles and Harps alone with my family.
” I glanced across the room to see Charlie laughing at whatever Paris had just said.
Harper was sitting between my brothers now, and they looked perfectly comfortable.
“The only people who look awkward at that table are your stepmother and your father. They’ve looked out of place the entire time,” Montana said.
“Missy had the balls to try to stop me from riding in the ambulance,” Blakely huffed. “She told me I should stay back and manage the weather. That woman is completely unhinged.”
“Yes. She scolded me about the rain, as if it were my fault the clouds finally gave in.” Montana laughed.
“What did she say?” I asked.
“She said, ‘Shame on you ladies for botching this ceremony with this ridiculous rain.’” Montana rolled her eyes. “I was like, ‘Take a seat, Pissy Missy.’ That woman is the biggest rain cloud I’ve ever met.”
We all three shared a laugh, and then they insisted that I get to my table, since the food was being served.
“Love you guys,” I said.
“Love you big.” Montana kissed my cheek. “Go eat dinner with that sexy man of yours.”
“Yeah. He’s looking awfully sexy in that suit of his,” Blakely added with a grin.
I made my way over to the table and took the seat on the other side of Charlie. He tugged my chair closer and kissed me, right there in front of everyone. “I missed you, Firefly.”
I moved closer so only he could hear me. “Missed you too.”
Fillets were set down in front of Harper and me, and Charlie had the salmon. Everyone was raving about how good the food looked.
DJ Crazy Ass had quieted down for dinner, thankfully, and we could actually have a conversation.
My brothers were asking Charlie all about his business, and Paris was going on and on about what a great job he’d done over at my house.
“That was all your sister. She tortured me with all the changes,” he said with a laugh. “But in the end, her eye for design has made that place look like something out of a magazine.”
“I’d like to come see it tomorrow,” my father said, surprising everyone, as it was the first time he’d spoken since I sat down.
“We’re doing gifts in the morning, and then we’ve got plans for lunch in the afternoon,” Missy said as she cut into her steak.
“I don’t mind skipping lunch. I’d like to see Violet’s new home. Is there a time that works best for you?” he asked, turning his attention to me, as Missy’s eyes widened.
“I’m around in the afternoon, and you’re all welcome.”
“Well, we’re staying over there, and I have no desire to watch Velveteen and Ralph open toaster ovens, so I’ll be there when you come over,” Huntington said as he winked at Harper.
“Yeah, Mom, Ralph is not going to be waking up and opening gifts in the morning,” Paris said. “I’ll be sleeping in at Vi’s house, and we can all go have breakfast at the diner. I love downtown Blushing. It’s so cute.”
Missy’s gaze locked with mine, and I could see the panic.
Why did I care that she was upset? She’d always been terrible to me.
“Count me in. I promised Charlie and Harper I’d sleep over there tonight, but we’ll meet you guys at the diner in the morning. And you’re welcome to join us,” I said as I looked at Missy and my father.
“Yes!” Harper pumped her fist. “The Brown Bear Diner has the best pancakes. And then we can all go to Vi’s house after. Maybe we’ll see Chompers. He lives in her trees.”
“I’d like that. I’ll meet you there,” my father said. “And then we’ll go see your house.”
“What’s a Chompers?” Missy asked, her shoulders relaxing as if she wasn’t going to fight anyone about their plans for tomorrow.
“He’s a groundhog,” Charlie told her, and then he filled them in about all the damage he’d done to my house during the renovations.
We laughed and talked, and for the first time, I didn’t feel like the outsider.
I felt like I was exactly where I should be.
We finished up dinner, and Harper was having the time of her life with my siblings.
They’d taken her out to the dance floor, and she kept waving at us.
Charlie and I had danced a few times, but we’d spent some time moving around and chatting with people as well.
He’d followed my lead, and every time I’d ask if he was okay, he’d say the same thing.
“I’m exactly where I want to be, Firefly.”
We came back to the table once the cake was served.
Ralph actually surprised me by not slamming the cake into Velveteen’s face, as I’d expected him to do.
Instead, I noticed the way he’d inspected her bandaged palm and planted a kiss there.
It was the most tender thing I’d ever seen that man do.
He then pulled her onto his lap and shared a piece of cake with her.
It gave me hope that maybe they’d be okay.
Because even when Velveteen had been unkind to me, which was most of my life, I still loved her.
And tonight it felt like we’d made progress. Like we might find a new normal that worked for us.
But either way, I’d be fine.
Charlie carried an exhausted Harper out of the reception, and we dropped Paris, Huntington, and Brenton at my house before we drove the short distance to his.
Sweet Harper fell asleep in the back of the truck, and we got her inside and changed her into her jammies before tucking her into bed. We made our way out of her room as her little voice called out.
“Daddy, Vi,” she whispered, and we both turned around as we stood in the doorway.
“Yeah, baby girl,” Charlie said as I made my way back to her bed and sat beside her.
“I had fun tonight,” she said.
“I did too.” I leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I love Daddy and I love you. But most of all, I love that we feel like a family. A real family,” she said as her eyes fell closed.
I placed a hand on my heart, because I felt her words so deeply, it was difficult to speak.
Because we were a real family.