Chapter 29
Morgan
The women began filing out of the room, a sea of dusty sage heading to the space behind the church where the photographer was waiting for them. The maid of honor held back to help carry Felicia’s train, but Morgan intervened.
“I’ve got this.”
The woman shrugged and told Felicia she’d see her outside.
“Sorry,” Felicia said, turning to Morgan once her best friend left the room. “I didn’t mean to make you feel left out. I asked Liz because I figured you wouldn’t want to do all of—”
“No, no. It’s not that.” Morgan walked over to her bag, the dark blue canvas a sore thumb amidst the elegant clutches and makeup bags surrounding it.
She pulled out the little white box and handed it to Felicia.
“Not for today. I know you picked out yours special for this. But I just wanted you to have them. My pre-wedding gift.”
Felicia opened the box and let out a tiny gasp. “Morgan, they’re beautiful.”
“They’re tanzanite. It’s a December birthstone,” she said. “It helps with speaking emotions into words.”
Felicia’s eyes widened. “You remembered we wrote our own vows.”
With a soft laugh, Morgan added, “I have an actual gift for you, too.”
“This is an actual gift.”
Felicia lifted the card holding the delicate-looking earrings up near her ears. The deep indigo stones each dangled below tiny clear quartz beads hung from silver fishhook wires.
“They’re perfect.” Felicia handed Morgan the box and slipped one earring off the card. “Here, hold this.”
She reached up and removed one of the diamond studs from her lobe, then held it out for Morgan to put in the box. She slipped on one earring Morgan had given her and looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
Her sister was truly gorgeous. With her nearly black hair piled into a loose bun on top of her head and her angular facial features softened under layers of makeup perfection, Felicia looked like a princess version of Morgan in a poofy white dress.
Growing up, people had always commented on how much they looked alike.
Now? Not so much. But Morgan could see herself in her sister.
Even after all these years. As much as they’d grown apart, there was still a deep connection there. As deep as the blue in that tanzanite.
“Really, I didn’t mean for you to feel like you have to—”
“I want to,” Felicia said. “They’re perfect. And they’re my something blue. Better than that sad little ribbon under my bouquet.”
Morgan laughed and took the other diamond earring Felicia held out for her. She handed Felicia the second of the new earrings and closed the old ones in the box. When she found Felicia’s clutch, she slipped the box inside and turned back to her sister.
“They’re titanium, too. So they won’t irritate your ears.”
Felicia turned from the mirror with a warm smile. “You remembered.”
“Of course, I did.” She smiled back. “I know we haven’t been super close, and we’ve had our issues, but you’re still my sister.”
Felicia’s eyes glistened, and she immediately started fanning them. “Enough of that. It’s too late to be ruining my makeup.”
Morgan laughed again. “Fair enough.”
Felicia continued to fan her eyes. “So, is your date still coming?”
She said the word “date” with a conspiratorial whisper.
“She’s my plus one,” Morgan said, not yet ready to call her a date, but not sure friend quite fit anymore. “And yes. She’ll be here. I told her she could meet me at the reception, so she isn’t alone during the service, but she insisted on coming to the church, too.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. And you can stop pretending she isn’t your date. At least around me.”
Morgan sighed. “Jen thinks I have to stop kissing her if I won’t call her my date.”
Felicia snorted. “You think?”
“She’s right. I know that. But I don’t want her to be right.”
“Then kiss her and call her your date. Easy solution.”
It sounded so easy when she put it that way. But none of this was easy.
“We should get you out there,” Morgan said, picking up her sister’s train.
“They can’t do this thing without me, so I’ll take as long as I want,” Felicia said with a defiant huff. “And I want to boss my sister around some more before I have to stand still for God knows how long to take all of those pictures.”
“I thought you were supposed to like all the attention or whatever.”
“Or whatever is more like it.” Felicia pointed a finger at Morgan. “What is wrong with you? Why are you hesitating? You don’t hesitate.”
She was right, of course. Morgan was always one to jump in with both feet. Heck, that’s how she’d ended up inviting Danielle to this wedding in the first place. So why was she hesitating?
“It’s way too early to even think about what a life together might look like, but Danielle needs someone who thinks ahead. Someone who can plan with her and be organized and fit into her life. There’s too much at stake for her and Lila to not consider all of that.”
Felicia waved a hand to dismiss the thought. “There are plenty of impulsive parents out there. Besides, your brand of doing things might be a great addition to their little team.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Morgan said, shaking her head. “I’m not carrying on Mom’s shitty parenting legacy.”
Felicia put her hands on her hips. “I’m not letting that woman have any sway over what I do as a fully grown adult, and you shouldn’t either.”
“I just… I know how much you want kids, and I know you’ll be a great mother one day,” Morgan said. “But I don’t think I can be like you. Or like Danielle. Or like anyone who would be halfway decent at this job.”
Felicia turned and put her hands on Morgan’s shoulders. “Then be like you. That’s enough.”
That’s enough.
But was it?
“Seriously, we should get you outside,” Morgan nodded toward the door. “That photographer looked mean.”
“For sure. I picked her for her photography skills, not her personality. Clearly.”
Morgan laughed. “Let’s go, anyway.”
“I’ll go if you promise me you’ll think about what I said before you stop kissing this woman.”
Morgan put a hand on her sister’s back and gently nudged her toward the door. “Promise.”