because she had still not taken it from me. "It's your right to wear it. And I want to share my day with you, if you want to."
"Of course I do," she said, like I was crazy for thinking otherwise. "I know you still don't really underst and what exactly the dedication wedding is for. But I do, and for you to ask me to share that with you and my brother is… I'm honored."
" I'm honored." I let her hug me to her . " Don't worry about anything," I told her and when I felt her breath catch a little, I realized I had inadvertently brought up the unavoidable future. The vision I saw of Bish and Jen played in both of our minds and I leaned back. I mouthed, 'I'm sorry.'
She shook her head and mouthed, 'I trust you.'
'I won't let anything happen to you. Or Bish. I haven't forgotten, I promise.'
'I know.'
I saw Gran watching us curiously. Jen wrapped her arm around me and said, " Sister stuff."
I felt my heart ski d a beat or two at that. She squeezed me. "So Fiona and Lynne and you and me. What a pretty bunch of ladies we're going to be," she joked and flipped her hair. "They should rename Saturday Diva Day 'cause that's totally what it's going to be."
I laughed along with Rachel and Gran, even though I knew she was trying to take her mind off the vision. I took a steadying breath. I refused to let the vision come to fruition. I refused to let something so beautiful and needed for our family and our race end so pointless ly by a jackass with a God complex. That bastard had ruined enough already and I refused to let him take one more thing from me or this family.
"Did someone tell a knock-knock joke?"
I turned to find Maria.
And Bish.
And my goodness was the man glowing from the inside out .
I smiled at him and he smiled back. I went to him, expecting him to be different now somehow. Like the way Beck had called me a freak and ran, he would be different since he'd seen me in all my Visionary glory in London and had finally found his way into Jen's life the way he wanted…and now things wouldn't be the same. But I was proven wrong when he lifted me i nto a bear hug. I sank into it and felt not just relief, but a sense of rightness wash over me.
I peeked back to see his face, to see if he was feeling the same thing as I was. His face said he was and then I heard him.
She look s so…happy and… free. I feel kinda terrible about everything I did.
" You're my brother," I justified. "It would have been weird if you hadn't been worried about me."
"Yeah, but…all the things I said to Caleb. If you had just given me a couple mi nutes alone with the guy , I would've laid him out."
I chuckled. "I have no doubt. But it's over now."
He touched my cheek. "You have no idea how beautiful you look when you're this happy. I know it's because of him."
I blushed and pressed my lips in a line. "It is."
He sighed and moved back. "How was the viewing?"
"Oh, uh…fine."
"I'm sorry."
"It's OK," I hurriedly said and looked back at Gran. "Are you going to go shopping with me? I'm gonna need a new dress."
"Heck no!" She sized me up. "I'm gonna make you one, pretty girl. And Fiona's and Lynne's, too."
"There's no way you can make them all in-"
"Are you doubting me?" She cocked her little eyebrow and waited.
"N-no, ma'am," I stuttered.
"Good." She looked past m e to Bish. "Out, beefy. The wome n folk have work to do."
Bish laugh ed and pointed to himself. " I'm beefy , I suppose."
"Well, no one else in this room has his arms stuffe d into his sleeves like sausage casings , now do they?"
He laughed. "No, ma'am." He turned to Jen and I thought he 'd do a simple wave and tell her goodbye since he definitely didn't seem like the type for PDA, but he shocked us all when he walked up to her and held her chin as he placed his lips on hers. She smiled softly up at him as he said, "I'll see you in a bit."
She nodded. He took Maria's hand and turned back to me. "We'll go hang out with Dad. You're coming for supper tonight, right?"
"Yeah,"
"Of course I do," she said, like I was crazy for thinking otherwise. "I know you still don't really underst and what exactly the dedication wedding is for. But I do, and for you to ask me to share that with you and my brother is… I'm honored."
" I'm honored." I let her hug me to her . " Don't worry about anything," I told her and when I felt her breath catch a little, I realized I had inadvertently brought up the unavoidable future. The vision I saw of Bish and Jen played in both of our minds and I leaned back. I mouthed, 'I'm sorry.'
She shook her head and mouthed, 'I trust you.'
'I won't let anything happen to you. Or Bish. I haven't forgotten, I promise.'
'I know.'
I saw Gran watching us curiously. Jen wrapped her arm around me and said, " Sister stuff."
I felt my heart ski d a beat or two at that. She squeezed me. "So Fiona and Lynne and you and me. What a pretty bunch of ladies we're going to be," she joked and flipped her hair. "They should rename Saturday Diva Day 'cause that's totally what it's going to be."
I laughed along with Rachel and Gran, even though I knew she was trying to take her mind off the vision. I took a steadying breath. I refused to let the vision come to fruition. I refused to let something so beautiful and needed for our family and our race end so pointless ly by a jackass with a God complex. That bastard had ruined enough already and I refused to let him take one more thing from me or this family.
"Did someone tell a knock-knock joke?"
I turned to find Maria.
And Bish.
And my goodness was the man glowing from the inside out .
I smiled at him and he smiled back. I went to him, expecting him to be different now somehow. Like the way Beck had called me a freak and ran, he would be different since he'd seen me in all my Visionary glory in London and had finally found his way into Jen's life the way he wanted…and now things wouldn't be the same. But I was proven wrong when he lifted me i nto a bear hug. I sank into it and felt not just relief, but a sense of rightness wash over me.
I peeked back to see his face, to see if he was feeling the same thing as I was. His face said he was and then I heard him.
She look s so…happy and… free. I feel kinda terrible about everything I did.
" You're my brother," I justified. "It would have been weird if you hadn't been worried about me."
"Yeah, but…all the things I said to Caleb. If you had just given me a couple mi nutes alone with the guy , I would've laid him out."
I chuckled. "I have no doubt. But it's over now."
He touched my cheek. "You have no idea how beautiful you look when you're this happy. I know it's because of him."
I blushed and pressed my lips in a line. "It is."
He sighed and moved back. "How was the viewing?"
"Oh, uh…fine."
"I'm sorry."
"It's OK," I hurriedly said and looked back at Gran. "Are you going to go shopping with me? I'm gonna need a new dress."
"Heck no!" She sized me up. "I'm gonna make you one, pretty girl. And Fiona's and Lynne's, too."
"There's no way you can make them all in-"
"Are you doubting me?" She cocked her little eyebrow and waited.
"N-no, ma'am," I stuttered.
"Good." She looked past m e to Bish. "Out, beefy. The wome n folk have work to do."
Bish laugh ed and pointed to himself. " I'm beefy , I suppose."
"Well, no one else in this room has his arms stuffe d into his sleeves like sausage casings , now do they?"
He laughed. "No, ma'am." He turned to Jen and I thought he 'd do a simple wave and tell her goodbye since he definitely didn't seem like the type for PDA, but he shocked us all when he walked up to her and held her chin as he placed his lips on hers. She smiled softly up at him as he said, "I'll see you in a bit."
She nodded. He took Maria's hand and turned back to me. "We'll go hang out with Dad. You're coming for supper tonight, right?"
"Yeah,"
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