beside her when everything went wrong, championed her right to follow her heart, dried her tears, done everything a best friend should do—even though the two had really just met.
“I know it’s confusing. I’m confused too. I just know that there are some things I have to deal with here before I can face what’s going on there. It’s … unfinished business.”
“As long as that unfinished business isn’t named Michael.”
April wanted Ivy to be happy, but Elliott was still hercousin. “No, nothing like that.” Was she lying? “It’s with my sister, my mom. The way we left it from before. The wedding’s brought it all back up again.”
“So you’re playing the role of dutiful daughter and loving sister and hoping that fixes it?”
“I guess.” She thought about exactly what she was doing there. And the truth was, she didn’t know. She was just taking the next step without knowing exactly what the destination was. Kind of like five years ago. Which wasn’t very wise, considering. “I’m going to help out my aunt Leah too. You remember you met her?”
“You always did have a way with frosting.” Though her responses weren’t effusive, Ivy could feel her friend softening the longer they talked.
“Yeah.” She grinned at the thought of having a job that didn’t involve spreadsheets and contracts. “And I’m helping with the wedding stuff.”
“Gonna carry her train for her?” April quipped. “Throw flower petals everywhere she walks?”
Ivy laughed. “I’m going to take care of the wishing tree.”
“The wishing tree?”
“It’s a tradition that’s been in our family as long as anyone can remember. You put up a tree at the wedding, and people either send tags or write on them there. Everyone hangs their wishes on the tree, and then after the wedding the bride and groom take them with them into their new life.” She couldn’t keep the wistful sound out of her voice. Every woman in her family, it seemed, had their wishing tree story—except her.
April was silent on the other end.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said to fill the silence. “I’m not the best person to be handling people’s wishes for a happy marriage.”
“I didn’t say that, you did,” April countered.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Actually, what I was thinking was that it might be too painful for you. And also, how insensitive it was of your mom and sister to make you deal with something so emotionally charged. They know what you’re going through—”
“Well, actually …”
April’s scream through the phone was so loud that Ivy had to hold the phone away from her ear. “You didn’t tell them? What kind of person leaves her husband and doesn’t let her family know?”
“The kind of person who doesn’t want to see her family gloat,” she said quietly. “I’m just too ashamed to tell them.”
April was silent for a moment. “Okay, I get that, I do.” Her voice softened as she spoke again. “I’m just sorry for all of it. If I could make it better for you, I would.”
Ivy dragged her spoon through the bits of soggy cracker left in her soup bowl. “I’m glad you’re there for me.” She was past the hurt she’d felt over April defending Elliott—if that was even what she’d done. April had been put in an impossible position, and she’d done pretty well, considering. Whatever happened, Ivy knew her friend would be waiting there, on the other side of the gauntlet.
“Well, there’s one thing I do have to tell you. Because if I didn’t I wouldn’t be the friend you think I am.”
Ivy felt her whole body tense. “What now?” Her mind was already running through possibilities—April met theother woman, Elliott showed up at her house and confessed more awful stuff, he had already put the house on the market.
“He started a Twitter account.”
She let out a sigh of relief. That was just his way of getting on her nerves. He knew she loved Twitter, and he’d made so
“I know it’s confusing. I’m confused too. I just know that there are some things I have to deal with here before I can face what’s going on there. It’s … unfinished business.”
“As long as that unfinished business isn’t named Michael.”
April wanted Ivy to be happy, but Elliott was still hercousin. “No, nothing like that.” Was she lying? “It’s with my sister, my mom. The way we left it from before. The wedding’s brought it all back up again.”
“So you’re playing the role of dutiful daughter and loving sister and hoping that fixes it?”
“I guess.” She thought about exactly what she was doing there. And the truth was, she didn’t know. She was just taking the next step without knowing exactly what the destination was. Kind of like five years ago. Which wasn’t very wise, considering. “I’m going to help out my aunt Leah too. You remember you met her?”
“You always did have a way with frosting.” Though her responses weren’t effusive, Ivy could feel her friend softening the longer they talked.
“Yeah.” She grinned at the thought of having a job that didn’t involve spreadsheets and contracts. “And I’m helping with the wedding stuff.”
“Gonna carry her train for her?” April quipped. “Throw flower petals everywhere she walks?”
Ivy laughed. “I’m going to take care of the wishing tree.”
“The wishing tree?”
“It’s a tradition that’s been in our family as long as anyone can remember. You put up a tree at the wedding, and people either send tags or write on them there. Everyone hangs their wishes on the tree, and then after the wedding the bride and groom take them with them into their new life.” She couldn’t keep the wistful sound out of her voice. Every woman in her family, it seemed, had their wishing tree story—except her.
April was silent on the other end.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said to fill the silence. “I’m not the best person to be handling people’s wishes for a happy marriage.”
“I didn’t say that, you did,” April countered.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Actually, what I was thinking was that it might be too painful for you. And also, how insensitive it was of your mom and sister to make you deal with something so emotionally charged. They know what you’re going through—”
“Well, actually …”
April’s scream through the phone was so loud that Ivy had to hold the phone away from her ear. “You didn’t tell them? What kind of person leaves her husband and doesn’t let her family know?”
“The kind of person who doesn’t want to see her family gloat,” she said quietly. “I’m just too ashamed to tell them.”
April was silent for a moment. “Okay, I get that, I do.” Her voice softened as she spoke again. “I’m just sorry for all of it. If I could make it better for you, I would.”
Ivy dragged her spoon through the bits of soggy cracker left in her soup bowl. “I’m glad you’re there for me.” She was past the hurt she’d felt over April defending Elliott—if that was even what she’d done. April had been put in an impossible position, and she’d done pretty well, considering. Whatever happened, Ivy knew her friend would be waiting there, on the other side of the gauntlet.
“Well, there’s one thing I do have to tell you. Because if I didn’t I wouldn’t be the friend you think I am.”
Ivy felt her whole body tense. “What now?” Her mind was already running through possibilities—April met theother woman, Elliott showed up at her house and confessed more awful stuff, he had already put the house on the market.
“He started a Twitter account.”
She let out a sigh of relief. That was just his way of getting on her nerves. He knew she loved Twitter, and he’d made so
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