Wedding Tea Read online

  “A.J. said he was sure it would be okay.”

  “It’s better than okay. I’m glad you’re here. You can help me keep Teagan and her crew under control.”

  “Her crew?”

  Teagan explained it takes a village to make anyone look perfect for a photo shoot or their wedding. She allotted as how if a village is needed for most, it would require a major metropolis to get me camera ready.

  When the kettle boiled, I made tea and prepared a huge mug, and we all tromped upstairs.

  I assumed we would be in one of the extra bedrooms, but Teagan has a bathroom some would kill for, and it was explained to me the lighting in there is absolutely perfect. The walls have been painted a truly neutral color. I guess it’s important because whatever color you have on the walls affects the way your eye sees your makeup.

  To think I painted my bathroom a color I liked, simply because I liked the color.

  Teagan started. “You guys have both seen the dress.”

  Really? I haven’t even seen the dress.

  I gave my sister my best you’re gonna pay for this look.

  Teagan ignored me and instructed her team. “I think if Cara doesn’t have any objections, this first time, we should just let you two show us your vision. If you’re going to do anything permanent, maybe it’s best if you talk to me first.”

  Talk to Teagan? What about me? And just what are they talking about? Permanent what? First time?

  Before I could say or do anything, Teagan arranged me in a comfy chair. At least I had a big mirror in front of me and another behind me. I could monitor what they were doing and if it got out of hand, stop them.

  Wrong.

  Not ten seconds after my comforting thought, Teagan walked out of the room and came back in with a black twin-sized sheet. The one she uses in her car to hide stuff, probably. She covered the mirror, walked out, came back with another sheet, and covered the other mirror.

  I was about to argue, even in front of company, when Guy started to talk. “Cara, do you like your hair up or down? Full or close to the head? If I had a magic wand, and girl I do, what would you want?”

  Okay. At least they’re going to take my wishes into consideration. This might not be too bad.

  What followed was a ten-minute conversation about what I like, what I don’t like, and the fact I have crappy hair, and I don’t like to overdo makeup.

  What it came down to was, “I want to look like me, but better.”

  Guy and Jenny smiled.

  Teagan had to comment. “Oh, hell. We can do better than that!”

  She got a laugh, at my expense, but what really scared me is they all seemed to agree.

  While Guy was doing one thing, Jenny was doing another. She did nails while Guy did hair. She did eyebrows while my hair was processing. Once Guy was done incubating the color — yes, incubating, I’d never heard the term with hair color before — Jenny used a scalpel to exfoliate my entire face.

  Yes, a scalpel on my face.

  She said she does her version of a mini dermaplaning session. She takes off the top layer of skin, and it has the advantage of taking all the hair off your face as well. She said this approach really helps the makeup be flawless. I didn’t ask for her medical license — not sure you would even need one — or make her stop.

  Falling to peer pressure?

  At my age?

  Really?

  I still can’t believe I let her basically do surgery on my face in my sister’s bathroom.

  What if she had slipped?

  When Jessie came home with the barbeque lunch I’d ordered earlier and thought I’d be available to pick up myself, I was more than ready to eat.

  Being completely tense can work up an appetite.

  It was explained to me I would be eating in Teagan’s bathroom. We were at a sensitive time in my transformation. I required the portable lights Guy had set up and a humidifier thing, and it just wouldn’t do if I jostled anything.

  Eating in a bathroom.

  The old Cara could never handle it.

  The new Cara was so hungry she could live with just about anything as long as the payoff was copious amounts of food.

  Suzi stayed with me.

  Bless her heart.

  She sat on the counter and told me how amazing it was I was doing all this and that A.J. would have the most beautiful bride in the world. I could tell she was nervous. She kept taking infinitesimal bites of barbeque when she couldn’t think of exactly what to say.

  I let her process through the small talk.

  I reminded her we were supposed to be having a simple little thing in the backyard, and Teagan had lost her mind.

  Suzi laughed and suggested maybe all of this was a dress rehearsal for Teagan’s wedding and really had little to do with me.

  That made more sense.

  It also made me relax.

  A lot.

  If I hated it all, and it was just a dress rehearsal for Teagan, it wouldn’t matter if I went home and took a shower and washed my hair and called it done.

  “I talked to A.J. Now I need to talk to you. Is it okay to talk now, or do you want to wait until you’re done with all of this? I don’t want to upset you.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  “No, I just want to make sure we’re all thinking the same way. I know A.J. thinks I had something to do with Barry showing up, and I want to make sure that if you have any questions, we talk about them. I don’t want any of this stuff to get in the way at home, and I don’t want anything to be upsetting to you or A.J. at your wedding. I’ve messed up enough already. I don’t want to mess up any more.”

  I was so glad she was referring to our house as home.

  “You don’t have to do this, Suzi.”

  “Yeah, I do. To start, I didn’t give Barry our address. I would never do that.”

  “Okay. I believe you.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that.”

  “But, why? If anyone has the right to doubt me, it would be you. I screwed up and got you beat up, and then I screwed up and defended Barry, and then I screwed up and didn’t have anywhere near enough faith in you or your family. You guys have proved over and over and over again that you deserve all my faith and so much more. When it comes to Barry, what I didn’t mishandle, I mismanaged, and at every turn, it was you that got the short end of it. From paying my bills — because I loaned Barry money I couldn’t afford to lend him when we were first dating — to running out on our roommate arrangement to, well, everything.”

  Suzi didn’t cry, but I could tell she was on the edge.

  “The roommate thing worked out in the end.” I smiled at her. Had it not been for her walking out on me, I’d probably never have gotten together with A.J.

  She gave me a sad smile. “I’m so sorry for all the problems I’ve created for you and for your family. I would never, ever knowingly do anything to hurt you.”

  “I know, Suze.”

  “I swear to you on my life, Cara. I didn’t tell Barry where we live. I didn’t send him any mail. I haven’t talked to him on the phone. The only contact I’ve had with him is through my lawyer, and that ended as soon as the divorce was handled and all the custody issues were figured out.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you believe me?”

  “I do.”

  “I’m gonna find out how he found out where we live.”

  “Don’t contact him, Suzi. It isn’t going to help anything. Like Teagan pointed out to me earlier, we don’t play by the same rules as Barry.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “With everything being so crazy, I never challenged what Barry said to me. I didn’t think you would tell him where we lived, but I didn’t stop to think about it. When Teagan and I were talking about it, she said something that makes total sense. She asked me why I would take anything from Barry at face value. She pointed out he was wearing non-prison-issue clothes. He knew where we lived. He must hav
e stuff going on we don’t know about. We aren’t going to know. We can ask, but he’ll just lie. We should just let it go. The cops and guards are not going to let him escape again. We’re good.”

  “Do you really believe that?”

  “Actually, I do. My mom always said you have choices to make. You can choose to worry, or you can choose not to. I choose not to. I’m still going to be aware. I’m still going to pay attention. I’ll always keep Evelyn safe, but I’m just not going to worry over things I can’t control. If Barry escapes again, well, we’ll deal with it then.”

  “Your mom actually makes sense, but I don’t think I can do it.”

  “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

  “Another Mom-quote?”

  “I think it was Benjamin Franklin, but who knows?”

  “You better eat. The glam squad will be back in a minute, and I heard Teagan say Agatha should be here in about an hour.”

  “Another hour? How do people do this?”

  Once my blood sugar was somewhere back to normal, having eaten way too much barbeque, I felt better.

  The rest of the hair and makeup session was actually kind of fun.

  Maybe it was because Suzi seemed so much more relaxed.

  In any event, when the doorbell rang and it was Agatha, I actually felt pretty excited to see the whole look.

  When Teagan came back into the room and told me that she didn’t want me to look in the mirror until I had my dress on, I got annoyed all over again.

  Everybody but Teagan left while I pulled on my chastity belt system.

  Teagan sounded a little frustrated when she said, “You know, you don’t wear underwear under your underwear, right?”

  “Don’t start.”

  “I’m just sayin’.”

  That made me smile. When my brain can’t catch up with my mouth, that’s my go-to phrase. How many times has Teagan pointed that out?

  “On my wedding day, I will remember not to wear underwear under my underwear, but today, let it go.”

  “We wouldn’t want to interfere with the evacuation system.”

  “Something is wrong with people these days. Can I put my dress on now?”

  “Yes, but close your eyes.”

  “Teagan, you’re being an idiot.”

  “I know. Now close your eyes. I want you to see the whole look at once, so you’ll see what A.J. will see, since he won’t be here when you’re getting ready.”

  “Here?”

  “We’ll talk about that later. Now, close your eyes.”

  Agatha came in the room, and the two of them got me in my dress. It is really disorienting when you dress with your eyes closed. I’d tried on the experimental version of the dress, but this felt completely different. It pulled in weird places and was a lot heavier than I thought it would be. Not sure heavier is the right way to describe it. It isn’t heavy like the dress Adeline bought for me to wear in Las Vegas, but it wasn’t what I expected, either.

  Agatha and Teagan pulled and twisted, and I started to really dread opening my eyes. I’m sure they used up all my Mom’s fabric, and it felt totally different than we discussed and the one I’d tried on made out of muslin. Teagan told me they had made a couple of changes, but I was beginning to panic those changes constituted a completely different dress.

  Teagan can always read my mind. “Don’t panic, dingleberry.”

  “I’m not.”

  She must have rolled her eyes at Agatha because they both chuckled.

  “Okay, we’re going into my dressing room so you can look in the big mirror. Don’t open your eyes, Cara. I swear I will hurt you.”

  “Fine.”

  Agatha took one hand and Teagan took the other. She called to Suzi and the glam team, and when everyone was in place, she said, “Okay, dingleberry. Open your eyes.”

  Sweet Jesus, I wish Mom was here.

  I think I may have actually said that out loud.

  Teagan’s voice was soft. “What do you think?”

  “Perfect.”

  Suzi was crying.

  Teagan was crying.

  I refused to mess up my makeup, so I just felt like I was going to faint. I feel like that a lot lately. I even took a pregnancy test. Our next baby is not going to sneak up on me. I’m not pregnant. I’m just losing my mind.

  The truth is, I’m not sure how to explain the dress. Agatha is a genius.

  I know I can’t do it justice, but clear your mind, and let me see if I can explain it.

  It’s really simple, which is exactly what I wanted, but it’s so sophisticated it could be worn in the most extravagant cathedral or my backyard.

  Teagan read my mind again. “We figured you might want to hand it down to your daughter or daughter-in-law one day. You’re traditional like that. Agatha left plenty of fabric so it can be taken out if they turn out to weigh more than twelve pounds. The lines are designed so if it needs to be taken in, that’ll work too.”

  I almost started to cry. My daughter. What a lovely thought.

  I’ll start at the top. Guy did a great job with my hair. I’ve been growing it out for a while, so it isn’t as out there as it was, but it’s still not long enough to really do anything with. Well, I can’t do anything with it. He sure did. The short parts on the side and back, he curled and braided and added fake hair and swept it all up in a really complicated updo. Braids are important in my tradition. They symbolize strength for the bride. Braids are a symbol of power and of luck. I’m not sure if Guy knew that or if it just happened to be the way he chose to try to do something sophisticated with my hair, but it’s working for me. He also took little bits of baby’s breath and tiny little crystal encrusted shamrocks and tucked them in here and there. Just a hint, really.

  Teagan gave me a hand mirror, and I got closer.

  “What do you think?” Guy sounded genuinely concerned.

  “It’s perfect.” It came out as a whisper. “Perfect.”

  He moved forward with my veil in his hand. “We could go high or low, it’s really up to you.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I would go high. It’s only about a four inch difference, but it would keep the veil clear of the ground, and I wouldn’t want anything in the garden to prick this beautiful lace.”

  “That’s what we’ll do.”

  The makeup was stunning. I know that sounds completely conceited, but my face really had nothing to do with it.

  When Jenny was putting on my makeup, I felt like she was putting pounds of gunk on me. I figured if I removed about two thirds of it, we’d be good. But the finished product was beautiful. I really didn’t look like I had much makeup on.

  “How do you like it?” Jenny smiled. She was proud of her effort, as well she should be.

  “Perfect. Just perfect.”

  She’d somehow put on foundation that covered every flaw, but didn’t cover my freckles. I don’t have a lot of them, and they aren’t dark, but they’re a part of my face I would miss if she’d covered. She did something wonderful with my eyes. My eyes are bright blue, and they’re always my favorite part of my face, but today, today I was mesmerized.

  Jenny explained she’d done a pink and gray smoky eye with plum undertones and a bright tear duct. She’d done two sets of lashes. A pink natural blush and a matte lip with gloss to change the dimension. She said if I chose to use her for the wedding, she would carry the makeup down my neck and on my back if we had any issues. I’m not even sure what issues means. I’m guessing issues means some flaw. She has no idea how flawed I usually feel.

  Then came the dress.

  I’ve never seen anything like it.

  Ever.

  Me. Cara Siobhan O’Flynn, soon to be Cooper, at a loss for words.

  The dress is to the floor. It’s a fitted princess A-line. It has sharp lines but is totally romantic.

  I’m not doing this well.

  I’m sure there are technical terms for everything, and I’m sure that Teagan will
use every one of them later when we’re talking about it, but for right now, all I can do is stare.

  The top of the dress is like a simple sleeveless top over a top.

  I’m not sure what Agatha actually did, but if I were trying to re-create this dress, I think I would build it in layers. The first layer would be a beautifully tailored strapless gown. It fits me perfectly. It doesn’t show any cleavage — not that I actually have any — but highlights my clavicles, which are a body part I’ve always liked. I think they make my neck look graceful.

  Over the top of the perfectly fitted strapless dress is another layer with very sharp lines. It kind of comes up from the hipbone in a straight line to the shoulder on the outside, but on the inside it connects with the other side and forms a beautiful deep V over the first layer. According to Teagan, the neckline is an “exaggerated jewel.”

  The neckline on this layer comes up higher so you get the scoop of the top layer and then a real hard line at the corner, creating a dramatic effect that is both simple and sophisticated.

  It kind of looks like you put on a perfectly fitted strapless dress and then you pulled on a perfectly fitted sleeveless floor length vest over top. The resulting neckline and sharp angles of the armhole are just magic, and it’s actually all one piece.

  And my favorite part — it’s probably just me — is that Agatha got the placement of my locket perfect. If you look at me head on, the locket A.J. gave me when he asked me to marry him is exactly in the center of the cutout created by the vest thingy and the strapless part.

  The back of the dress has pleats and an overlay of the same fabric as the dress that mimics the scalloping of the veil. Again, it’s all one piece, and subtle, but I love it.

  I couldn’t talk.

  It’s so completely me.

  Everything about it.

  I can’t explain it any other way than to say if I were a dress, this is the dress I would be.

  I know how stupid that sounds.

  I’m okay with it.

  Agatha pinned a couple of things. She marked where she was going to hem the dress. I explained that I like everything I wear to actually touch the ground. When you’re tall, and all your sisters aren’t, and you live in hand-me-downs half your life, you have this thing about all of your clothing being long enough.