Amber
When I opened my mum’s bedroom door, I was speechless. I’d seen the dress before, hanging on its padded hanger in a garment bag, but never on her—never like this, with the afternoon light slanting through the window and catching every seed pearl stitched into the bodice.
The colour sat somewhere between ivory and cream, warm against her skin.
Small white flowers embroidered the bodice, dipping in delicate clusters past her waist before the fabric flared into a full, puffed skirt that pooled slightly at her feet.
The two straps were simple, understated, nearly disappearing beneath the loose auburn curls tumbling over her shoulders.
“Third time lucky,” she murmured, catching my eye in the mirror.
“Eh, you gained a kid out of each one,” I said, crossing the room to stand before her, the floorboards creaking softly underfoot.
I took her hands and turned her gently, inspecting every angle. It was perfect. No one would ever guess she was pregnant.
“You look stunning, Mum.”
“Oof,” she said, waving me off, though her eyes shone. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”
“Because you met the man of your dreams.”
Rhea snorted from her spot by the window, champagne flute already in hand.
“She met a man with a massive—”
“Rhea! This is my daughter.”
“Who is an adult.”
Mum pressed her finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose, the diamond on her ring catching the light as she did.
“Please don’t listen to my ex-best-friend. It’s too late to disown her this close to the wedding ceremony.”
“Please. I would stalk the shit out of you until you relented and took me back. You always fold, that’s why Sadie’s a fan.”
I tried my best not to laugh, but I was glad, for my mum’s sake, that Luke was well equipped. I could never tell her about the way I’d felt Zach’s dick alter my organs.
“I saw you and Zach yesterday at the rehearsal,” Rhea said, wiggling her eyebrows.
No. She couldn’t know. Damn it, the woman was like a bloody witch.
We were both dressed in gold, though Rhea’s outfit came with stunning Indian jewellery layered over hers—both arms stacked with decorative bangles that chimed faintly whenever she moved.
Her earring and necklace set came with a delicate addition nestled in her hair, a small pendant resting against her forehead, catching the light every time she turned her head.
“You look stunning too, Rhea.”
“Oh, here. I brought you some bangles too,” she said, turning toward my mum’s dressing table.
We were walking Mum up the aisle, so it would be nice to have matching jewellery.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the boxes from her, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
“You are most welcome, my darling. They’re yours to keep,” she beamed. “We just have some finishing touches before we head to the church.”
I opened the boxes to find two sets of gold bangles, similar to Rhea’s own, but these had diamantés set into the thicker outer bands, catching the light every time I tilted the box.
“Rhea, these look expensive. I can’t keep them,” I gasped.
“I had them imported. They aren’t that expensive.”
“Trust me. Rhea is frugal. Take them and run before she changes her mind,” Mum whispered.
I grinned as the two of them fell into easy bickering, the sound warm and familiar, filling the room.
I carried the boxes to the window and set them down on the sill, sunlight catching the gold.
My thoughts drifted to the men, who’d all stayed at Luke’s house overnight, much to Zach’s dismay. They’d be at the church by now.
Navy suits, gold and ivory ties, matching pocket squares—I couldn’t wait to see him in it. The night apart had come as a surprise, given how attached they’d become. Every other text I’d gotten from Zach had started with fucking Luke.
I listened to Mum and Rhea trade barbs behind me, their laughter rising and falling like an old, comfortable rhythm.
That could easily be Zach and Luke, in a few years.
My phone buzzed against the windowsill.
Maybe in a few decades.
? ? ?
My mum had her arm looped through her bouquet, held at her midriff. Rhea and I held her arm on either side as we stepped inside the church. Three men, all dressed in navy, turned toward us.
“Ooh, who’s the hottie?” Rhea whispered.
“A friend who flew in for the wedding,” Mum whispered back.
“Is he single?”
“You’ll need to ask him.”
“Are you sure that’s the right question to be asking?” I whispered loudly over the organ.
“She’s got a point,” Mum whispered.
Rhea went quiet, probably trying to size him up. My eyes were on Zach. God, he looked good in a suit. I wondered if we could sneak away again.
Someone screamed behind us.
I turned and saw Sadie running up toward my mum. I didn’t hesitate—I dropped my mum’s arm and jumped on Sadie.
“Not on my watch, bitch,” Rhea screamed, diving on top of both of us.
“Fuck,” I gasped, trying to breathe. “Get to Weight Watchers, Rhea.”
She rolled off me and nudged me aside to sit on top of Sadie instead. Zach was at my side a second later, helping me up.
Sadie started swearing, but Rhea began bouncing up and down, cutting her off mid-curse. My poor mum looked horrified.
“She stole my husband,” Sadie managed to wheeze out.
Luke stood beside my mum, expression unreadable. His friend held a hand out for Rhea, but she just glared at him and bounced on Sadie’s belly some more.
The priest hurried over to the scene of the—whatever the fuck this was.
“Are you okay?” Zach whispered.
I stared at Sadie, and hysterical laughter began to bubble up inside me. Rhea’s beautiful golden ass was still bouncing on her.
“Yeah,” I whispered, before I began to laugh.
I could not take my eyes off Rhea’s butt.
Luke was consoling my mum while instructing his friend to eject Sadie from the church. The friend was busy trying to coax Rhea off a flattened Sadie, one hand hovering uselessly near her elbow like he wasn’t quite brave enough to actually grab her.
I turned to face my mum, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.
“Best wedding ever,” I said, before cracking up again.
Zach moved in to help pull Rhea away. She rose like nothing had happened, smoothing invisible creases from her golden sari with the calm of a woman who tackled wedding-crashers on a regular basis, then flicked her hair back over one shoulder, bangles chiming with the motion.
She strutted across the aisle toward her purse—still lying exactly where she’d flung it—hips swaying with an air of triumph, as if she’d simply won something rather than assaulted a stranger in a house of God.
She scooped the purse up, checked her reflection in a compact mirror pulled from inside it, and reapplied a slick of lipstick without so much as glancing at Sadie, still sprawled and wheezing on the floor behind her.
Everyone waited until we were composed and the men had returned before finally proceeding down the aisle.
“You need to get laid,” my mum said, as we reached the altar.
The priest’s eyes widened at Rhea’s reply. She was quite creative.
I don’t think we’ll be welcomed back into this church.
Pity.