She tucked a piece of unruly blonde hair behind her ear. “When you started being so blind.”

I grumbled under my breath. I wasn’t blind. I saw what was right in front of me and it was blatantly obvious that he didn’t love me. Or, he did, but not in the way I wanted him to.

I finished peeling off the stickers and set the plates in the sink to wash them later.

“Can you do these?” I asked Emma, handing her the bag with the cups.

“Sure.”

“Oh, and here’s this.” I grabbed a spare key off the counter. “I wanted you to have this just in case.”

She smiled and tucked the key into her pocket.

While she was helping me with the cups I made my bed since it’d been lying bare.

The place was starting to look better. Even still, I missed Ezra’s cozy little cottage on the lake. It felt like home. This still didn’t feel quite right, and I was reminded of a quote I’d once seen that said it’s the people that make the place, not the things.

After another hour of unpacking shopping bags and putting things away, Emma and I walked the two blocks over to my store for her final fitting.

Remy and Arden were already waiting, because they needed to try on their bridesmaid dresses.

I put Emma in her dress and stood back to admire my handiwork. I might have to add custom wedding dresses as something I offered in my store. It had been hard, but worth it.

Emma spun around, admiring her reflection. “This dress is so beautiful, Sadie. I can’t thank you enough.” She hugged me fiercely. Into my ear she whispered, “You’re going to get your happily ever after too. You’ll see.”

I wanted to believe her, I really did, but at some point you have to grow up and stop believing in fairytales.

She patted my cheek in a gesture similar to something my mother would do.

“Chin up, buttercup.”

I giggled and she smiled at having had her intended effect.

I helped her out of her dress and put it away in its garment bag.

“Alright ladies, you next.” I motioned Arden and Remy over.

Originally Hayes wasn’t going to escort anyone down the aisle since Emma didn’t have another bridesmaid in mind, but after our vacation she’d asked Arden to be in the wedding. Arden had been surprised at first, but quickly agreed. Arden fit into our group seamlessly.

“Don’t forget you have to try on your dress too!” Emma warned.

“I burned my dress.” I said it as straight-faced as I could.

Her mouth fell open. “Sadie! You better not have!”

I began to laugh and she eased. “You know I would never do that.”

“You scared me there for a second. I think my heart stopped.” She put a hand to her chest.

“You’re feeling okay, right?” I asked, suddenly worried as I pulled the dresses out of the closet in my office.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been a lot better since I was in the hospital.”

“I’m so excited that our kids will be the same age,” Remy beamed, taking the dress from my hands.

“Me too,” Emma agreed. “I hope they’ll be really close.”

“Best friends,” Remy agreed.

It was a happy moment, but my heart sagged. I’d once dreamed of having that same conversation with Emma. Only we’d been older and both married. Now she was moving on and starting a whole new chapter of her life without me.

I handed Arden her dress and grabbed mine. We didn’t bother with modesty as we all stripped down and slipped into our dresses.

Emma clapped her hands giddily. “You all look beautiful!”

“I feel fat,” Remy grumbled, putting a hand over her swollen stomach.

“How far along are you now?” I asked her.

She fanned herself with a spare piece of paper. “Almost eight months.”

“You’re getting close then,” I commented.

“Not close enough,” she sighed. “I’m ready to get this baby out. He’s killing my back.”

“If you’re trying to scare me,” Emma gulped, “it’s working.”

Remy laughed. “It’s not that bad…sometimes.”

Emma took a deep breath. “No more baby talk. I have enough anxiety at the moment.”

I looked over Remy and Arden’s dresses and everything seemed fine. I hadn’t made these, but I had done the tailoring.

I stood so the three of us were lined up in front of Emma. “Do they get the bride’s approval?”

She clapped her hands giddily. “They’re perfect!” Standing, she threw her arms around us in a group hug. “Guys! I’m getting married in three days! This is it!”

“I still think you should have a bachelorette party,” Remy said, grinning widely. “We could go to the bar where I used to work. I’m sure I could bribe Tanner into doing a striptease.” She cackled.

Emma wrinkled her nose. “I never wanted a party, and definitely not any stripping.”

“You suck.” Remy stuck out her tongue and then reached for the zipper on the back of the dress. When her arms didn’t reach Arden slid it down for her.

“Maddox and I wanted to keep everything low key.” Emma reminded us. “You know us. We don’t like to cause a fuss.”

“That’s okay,” I piped in, trying to be positive, “when I get married I’ll have the strippers.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Then I’m not coming.”

“More strippers for me then.” I laughed heartily. I hadn’t laughed this much, or this genuinely, since everything blew up with Ezra.

“Amen to that.”

I glanced over at Arden in surprise. “What?” She batted her eyes innocently. “Just because I have a kid doesn’t mean I’m dead.”

We all laughed at that and I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face if I wanted to. Everybody needed girl time now and then.

CHAOS.

That was the only way to describe the mess surrounding me.

For a “small” wedding there sure were a lot of people running around.

I sat in a chair, trying not to wiggle so much as the makeup artist expertly applied my makeup. Across the room someone was doing Emma’s hair. Beyond this room people ran through the Wade’s house trying to get everything set up in time. The wedding was being held in the backyard, but they were decorating the interior for the event as well.

“I’m so nervous,” Emma confessed, her fingers dancing along the arm of the chair. “What if they tell me to say ‘I do’ and I say ‘I don’t’ by accident?”

I wanted to laugh, but the makeup artist was applying false lashes and I really didn’t want to incur her wrath.

“That’s not going to happen, Emmie.” Her mom breezed into the room already dressed with her hair and makeup done.

“Looking good.” I told her mom.

“Thanks, Sadie.” She smiled in my direction.

“I’m sweating so bad right now,” Emma continued, “I’m going to look like a hot mess, literally, when I walk down the aisle. Oh my God, what was I thinking telling that boy I’d marry him?” She rattled. “We would’ve been fine without all of this.” She waved her hands wildly and the hair stylist scolded her.

Emma’s mom pulled out a chair across from her. “Honey,” she took Emma’s hand, “he loves you and you love him. Stop worrying so much about everything else and focus on that fact, okay?”

Emma nodded. “I think I can do that.”

“Alright,” she stood, “I’m going to go find Karen and see what I can help with.” She turned towards me. “Keep her calm.”

“I can do that,” I assured her.

The woman doing my makeup finished and went on to Remy.

I’d already done my own hair and the other girl’s in a simple fishtail braid.

I slipped into my dress and went to sit beside Emma. Her hair was being styled back in a simple bun with a few strands framing her face.

“Have you talked to Ezra yet?”

I glared at her. “Today is your wedding, Ezra and I should be the last thing on your mind.”

“I’m worried about you guys,” she confessed with a frown.

“Don’t be. Seriously, don’t waste your time worrying about us.”

“I’ll try,” she mumbled, but I doubted she’d be able to let it go.