Chapter 2 - Fourteen Calls Before Noon
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“What about it?”
Chloe laughed softly.
“Bellamonte is ambitious.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“I didn't need it to be.”
For once, the old instinct to explain myself never arrived.
I didn't tell her about the cancellation rate.
I didn't justify our finances.
I didn't explain that Daniel and I were paying for it ourselves.
I simply waited.
Chloe hated silence.
“You know Mason's family has connections there,” she finally said.
“No, I didn't.”
“Well, they do.”
“Congratulations.”
“Avery, stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Acting like this isn't about me.”
That sentence clarified more than she intended.
“My wedding isn't about you.”
“You booked Bellamonte one week after what was supposed to be your wedding at Villa Serenity.”
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Everyone will compare them.”
I leaned back.
There it was.
Not concern.
Competition.
I remembered childhood birthdays when Chloe cried if my cake was taller.
Graduations when Mom insisted we avoid celebrating my honors because Chloe was “having a hard year.”
Even my engagement had somehow become a family discussion about whether Chloe felt left behind.
Now she had taken my venue and was furious that I had continued without collapsing.
“Chloe, I'm not competing with you.”
“Then change venues.”
“No.”
Silence.
She wasn't used to hearing that word from me.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“Avery—”
“You wanted Villa Serenity. You have Villa Serenity. Enjoy it.”
“You're making me look bad.”
“I haven't said anything about you.”
“You don't have to!”
Her voice rose.
“Everyone knows Bellamonte. The moment people see that invitation, they'll think your wedding is better.”
“That's their opinion.”
“You knew this would happen.”
“No. I knew I needed somewhere to get married after my family gave away my venue.”
She went quiet.
I continued.
“You got exactly what you asked for. Why isn't that enough?”
She hung up.
At lunch, Dad called.
I almost ignored him.
Then I answered.
“Avery.”
“Dad.”
“Your mother is upset.”
“I noticed.”
“You should have discussed Bellamonte with us.”
“Why?”
“Because weddings affect the whole family.”
I nearly laughed.
“Did my wedding affect the whole family when you gave away my venue?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“Chloe needed it.”
“And I needed a wedding venue.”
“You always manage.”
The words landed harder than he intended.
I always manage.
That was the excuse.
They hurt me because I survived it.
I looked through my office window at traffic moving below.
“Dad, I'm going to tell you something once.”
He waited.
“Daniel and I are paying for Bellamonte. We chose it together. We aren't asking anyone's permission.”
“Nobody said permission.”
“You said I should have discussed it with you.”
“As a courtesy.”
“Like you discussed giving away Villa Serenity with me?”
He had no answer.
Finally he said, “Your sister feels humiliated.”
“By what?”
“By the comparison.”
“There hasn't been a wedding yet.”
“You know how people are.”
“No, Dad. I know how Chloe is.”
He exhaled.
“Avery.”
“I have to go.”
That evening Daniel arrived home carrying takeout.
He found me sitting on the kitchen floor.
Not crying.
Just exhausted.
He sat beside me.
“How bad?”
I handed him my phone.
Twenty-three messages.
Mom.
Dad.
Chloe.
Even Aunt Melissa had written:
Honey, maybe you could choose something less extravagant. Family harmony matters.
Daniel read it.
Then looked at me.
“Do you want me to say what I'm thinking?”
“Yes.”
“This isn't about harmony.”
“I know.”
“They expected you to lose.”
I looked at him.
He continued.
“They thought they'd take Villa Serenity, you'd find some smaller place, and Chloe would have the big family wedding.”
I hated how accurately he described it.
“What do we do?”
“We get married.”
“That simple?”
“That simple.”
He handed my phone back.
“And we stop letting them help plan it.”
The next morning I called Elena.
I explained everything.
She listened carefully.
Then said, “I need to ask you something.”
“What?”
“Has anyone besides you or Daniel been authorized to make changes to your reservation?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Someone called yesterday claiming to be your mother.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“They asked about cancellation policies.”
I stood.
“Did you tell them anything?”
“General information only. Nothing specific to your account.”
“Did they try to cancel?”
“They couldn't.”
I closed my eyes.
“Elena, password protect everything.”
“Already done.”
We created a verbal password.
Only Daniel and I knew it.
For two weeks, things quieted down.
Then something unexpected happened.
Our guests began responding.
And nobody complained.
Daniel's former platoon sergeant wrote that he hadn't taken a vacation in eight years but wouldn't miss it.
My college roommate said she'd already booked flights.
My elementary school teacher, Mrs. Hayes, who had somehow remained part of my life, mailed back her RSVP with a handwritten note:
Go where you're celebrated.
I taped it to the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, Chloe began posting increasingly elaborate wedding plans online.
Imported flowers.
A champagne tower.
A string quartet.
A custom dance floor.
I muted her account.
Then Mom called.
This time she sounded unusually gentle.
“Could we have dinner?”
“Why?”
“Because I miss my daughter.”
That nearly worked.
I agreed.
Friday night, Daniel and I met my parents at a restaurant downtown.
Chloe wasn't supposed to be there.
She was already seated when we arrived.
Daniel stopped.
I touched his arm.
“It's fine.”
It wasn't.
Dinner began politely.
Then Chloe placed a folder on the table.
“I have a proposal.”
Daniel looked at me.
I looked at Chloe.
“What proposal?”
“Mason's parents think Bellamonte would be better for our wedding.”
I stared at her.
Mom looked down.
Dad studied his water glass.
Daniel said slowly, “You already have Villa Serenity.”
Chloe nodded.
“And we'd give it back to you.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then I laughed.
I couldn't help it.
Chloe's face hardened.
“What is funny?”
“You took my venue.”
“We switched.”
“Without asking me.”
“Fine. We handled it badly.”
“And now you want my new venue.”
“It makes sense.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“For whom?”
“Our guest list.”
I looked at Mom.
“Is this why you wanted dinner?”
“Avery, hear her out.”
“No.”
Mom flinched.
Chloe's jaw tightened.
“You haven't even heard the offer.”
“I don't need to.”
“We'll cover the difference.”
“No.”
“Mason's father can—”
“No.”
Chloe slammed her hand against the table.
People turned.
“You always do this!”
I stared at her.
“Do what?”
“You act like you're better than everyone because you stay calm.”
“No, Chloe. I stay calm because whenever I get angry, this family uses my anger as proof that I'm wrong.”
Mom went pale.
Dad finally looked at me.
Daniel said nothing.
He didn't need to.
Chloe pushed back her chair.
“You're going to regret embarrassing me.”
“I didn't embarrass you.”
“You will.”
She grabbed her purse and walked away.
Mom followed.
Dad remained.
For several seconds, he looked older than I remembered.
“Avery,” he said quietly, “there's something you don't know.”
I waited.
He glanced toward the restaurant entrance to make sure Mom was gone.
Then he reached into his jacket.
He pulled out an envelope.
My name was written across the front.
“I should have given you this months ago.”
“What is it?”
His hand shook.
Before I could take it, Mom appeared behind him.
Her face drained of color.
“Robert.”
Dad froze.
Mom stared at the envelope.
May you like
Then at me.
“Don't give her that.”
