To Have and to Hold by Laura Dower Page A

was intact, except for most of her clothes. Those, of course, were wrinkled beyond recognition.
    “Well, you and your suitcase can get reacquainted,” Dad said, opening the divider door that linked their two rooms. “I’m hitting the hay. But I’m right next door if you need me.”
    “Have a good sleep, Dad,” Madison said.
    Dad closed the door gently and disappeared into his room.
    Madison felt as though she’d been shot full of electricity—or something just as powerful. Her bag was here! That made up for the bad party, the crowds of people, the stress—all of it. She picked through her clothes and pulled out her tried and true Lisa Simpson T-shirt that she often wore in place of pajamas. Then she pulled off the shorts and top she’d been wearing all day long.
    “Ahhhh!” Madison said to herself when she’d finally washed her face and put on some clean clothes.
    She sorted through some of her other outfits and collapsed onto the bed next to the hotel phone. The clock said nine-fifteen, which meant that it was after eleven back in Far Hills, but Madison picked up the phone and dialed anyway.
    “Um … I’d like to make a collect call, please,” she said into the receiver. “From Madison.”
    The operator put her on hold and asked her to wait until the party on the other end accepted the charges.
    Madison sighed with relief when she heard the voice on the other end.
    “Mom?” she said.
    “Maddie?” Mom said with a yawn. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
    “I’m just in the hotel, Mom. I had to talk to you,” Madison said. “Are you asleep?”
    “Yes. But don’t worry. What’s going on? How is Texas?” Mom asked.
    Madison grunted into the phone. “Fine.”
    “Well!” Mom said. “That certainly doesn’t sound too good.”
    Madison sighed into the phone. “Dad is fine. Stephanie is okay. But there are, like, a million people at this wedding, Mom. I don’t know anyone. I am completely out of it.”
    “That is not true,” Mom said. “You’re one of the stars.”
    “Oh, Mom,” Madison said.
    “Phinnie misses you,” Mom added. “Tonight, he went into your bedroom and curled up on top of your pillows. I think he must still smell you there.”
    “I miss him, too,” Madison admitted.
    There was silence on the phone.
    “Mom?” Madison asked. “Can you get on the next plane and come here?”
    Mom laughed. “Sure,” she joked.
    “I mean it,” Madison said.
    “What are you talking about?” Mom said. “Madison, trust me. This weekend will be over before you know it. And I know you will meet new people and have a lot of fun before it’s done.”
    “Highly unlikely, Mom,” Madison said.
    “Well, you should try to meet people. Doesn’t Stephanie have a bunch of nieces and nephews your age?”
    “I don’t care,” Madison said.
    “Well, you should try,” Mom said, trying to be encouraging. “Have you been practicing your reading for the wedding?”
    Madison felt her cheeks get hot. She hadn’t even looked at the book of poems in two days! It was packed in the suitcase that had spent the last day flying over Wisconsin.
    “Sort of,” Madison said. “I need to look at it again.”
    “Well, do that,” Mom said. “And ask Stephanie if you can help her with anything around the wedding. Maybe she needs something….”
    “Why would she need me to help? She has a hundred other people to help her,” Madison said.
    “Sometimes it’s good just to ask,” Mom said.
    “Okay, fine,” Madison said. She was getting a little impatient. Her mom could hear it in her tone of voice.
    “Now what’s the matter?” Mom asked.
    “It’s just that—don’t you feel strange at all about Dad getting married again?”
    “Maddie, we’ve been through this. I am happy for Dad. He’s happy. And it’s natural for you to feel strange,” Mom said.
    “He’s going to be different now,” Madison said.
    “What do you mean?” Mom asked softly.
    “He’s not going to have time for me or Phin