Chapter 3

After the rehearsal.

I asked Cornelius to drive Mom and me home.

He frowned.

"Kay, I'll book you a cab. You take your mother home first, and I promise I'll come pick you up right on time tomorrow."

Something felt off.

"And you? The rehearsal's over. If you're not leaving, what are you still doing here?"

Cornelius paused.

"Kay, Teresa and her mother live far away. I really should drive them home, or I won't be able to relax."

But Mom and I live even farther.

A full six miles farther from the wedding hotel than Teresa's place.

Lately it had always been Cornelius driving us.

"So my place isn't far?"

Cornelius stiffened, and his voice went cold.

"Kay, can you not make a scene? Teresa and her mother are a widow and a fatherless girl, and she's your best friend. I have a duty to make sure they get home safe. Don't read so much into everything."

"You're like this all the time. I'm honestly exhausted."

I let go of his hand.

"Cornelius, when you're like this, I'm exhausted too."

Teresa heard us arguing.

She walked over to Cornelius and gave his sleeve a light tug.

"Neil, it's fine for Mom and me. We're used to being overlooked. Kay and Aunt Myra matter more. Take them home first. Don't fight over us."

"And this way we can stay and go over the wedding setup and the schedule a bit more."

I looked at Teresa.

Under that fragile expression there was a flicker of triumph.

Nothing like the simple, grateful look she used to have as a child.

I couldn't stop myself from answering back.

"Who's overlooking you?"

Teresa bit her lip at once, her eyes reddening.

"No, no one..."

Cornelius raked a hand through his hair, irritated.

"Enough, stop it. Aunt Myra, Kay, let me take you two home first."

With everyone urging us on.

Mom and I were bundled into Cornelius's car.

But the moment we pushed the door open and got out.

Cornelius didn't even turn his head. He left me with one line.

"Kay, Teresa and her mother have it hard. Don't hold your kindness over them and target them."

Then the car sped up and was gone.

Not one glance back.

Mom gripped my hand, her lined face full of ache for me.

"Kaykay?"

I didn't say a word.

I just helped Mom into her room.

Then I sat quietly on the living room couch.

Looking at an old photo on my phone, the three of us, Dad, Mom, and me.

Before we got engaged, I'd told Cornelius.

He had to love me properly, because I couldn't accept a love that wasn't faithful.

He had to be good to my mother, the most important person in my life.

Back then Cornelius held me and promised.

"I'll love only you my whole life, and I'll treat your mother like my own. I'll never let Aunt Myra be unhappy."

Yet now, at my own wedding.

My fiancé had given his attention and his favor to someone else.

And my mother had been branded as bad luck.

I held back the tears, my chest one dense, prickling ache.

I typed and deleted on my phone.

The words call off the wedding kept vanishing and reappearing in my chat with Cornelius.

Then, suddenly.

A message came through in Cornelius's thread.

[Babe, I bought you and Aunt Myra the Baker's Corner buns you both love.]

[The courier should be there any minute.]

[Eat something and stop being mad, okay? Tomorrow you're going to be my most beautiful bride.]

A knock at the door.

A heavy bag of buns was pressed into my arms.

I sighed.

And called Mom out.

Mom picked up the buns.

So happy she couldn't stop smiling.

"See, I told you Neil didn't mean it. Look, he's still thinking of the two of us."

I nodded with a bitter smile.

Then, when I found three crab-roe buns mixed in among them.

My hand stopped.

I'm allergic to shellfish.

I never eat Baker's Corner's crab-roe buns. One bite and I end up on an IV.

Cornelius knows that.

He's always been careful about it.

Unless this wasn't something he bought for me.

I picked up my phone.

And pulled up Teresa's posts.

The most recent one was half an hour ago.

[So grateful to Neil, who's busy with the wedding and still drove Mom and me home, and even got us our favorite Baker's Corner crab-roe buns!]

The comments below were all "Congrats," "A match made in heaven," "So jealous of your wonderful husband."

Cornelius had liked it too.

Teresa didn't explain anything.

She just replied with a shy little emoji.

So that was it.

Even his apology had just been an afterthought.