Chapter 3

I sat on the couch for ages before my parents finally came home, each carrying two big bags of wedding candy.

"Look at this, red packaging, isn't it festive?" Mom held the bags up to me, her smile impossible to hide. "Your dad and I went to so many stores to find these. They're way better than the ones you saw last time."

Dad was changing his shoes behind her, grumbling about her buying too much, but he still took the bags with a smile and set them on the coffee table.

I stared at those two big bags of candy, bright red with the words "Forever Together" stamped in gold.

Mom kept turning the bags over and over, saying this one should go on the main table, that one should go in the gift boxes, sorting them out one by one.

Dad stood off to the side, not really able to help, just smiling, his eyes crinkling with happiness.

I could see how much they were looking forward to this wedding.

"Mom," I said, my throat tight.

"Yeah?" She didn't look up, still busy counting the candy.

"I..." My fingers curled into a fist. "I don't want to get married anymore."

Mom's hands froze.

Dad stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me.

"Did you guys get into a fight?" Mom set the candy aside and came over to sit next to me. "It's normal for couples to hit a few rough patches before the big day. Don't make any hasty decisions"

"It's not a fight," I said.

"Is all the wedding planning just wearing you out? Don't worry, I'll help you with everything. I can even redo your seating chart if you want. Don't put so much pressure on yourself, okay?"

"Mom," I cut her off, looking right at her. "Ryan wants me to talk to you guys about dropping the part where you walk me up the aisle. He says I should just go by myself, or maybe have Claire do it instead."

Mom froze for a second, then laughed and waved it off. "Oh, that's it? I thought it was something big. Kids these days, always wanting to do things their own way.

"If you want to change it, that's fine. I'm too old to be up there in the spotlight anyway."

Dad grinned and chimed in, "Yeah, weddings are all about new trends now, no one cares about the old ways. We'll just watch from the audience, it's all the same."

They made it sound so easy, but I knew they were just trying to make things easier for me, giving me an out before I even had to ask.

After all, it was Mom who first suggested that both she and Dad should walk me down the aisle together.

After she came back from someone else's wedding, she said, "Why is it always the dad who gets to walk the bride down the aisle?

"Why does the mom just have to sit and watch? I want to be the one holding your hand when you walk down that aisle."

I just laughed and promised her that when I got married, both she and Dad would walk me down the aisle together. She was so happy, her eyes turned red with tears.

But now, just to spare my feelings, she claimed she never liked being in the spotlight.

My nose stung, and finally, the tears started to fall. "It's always about Claire... Everything he does, it's for her."

I finally couldn't hold it in anymore. I spilled everything I'd been holding back lately, all the hurt and frustration.

Mom's eyes were rimmed with red, and Dad kept balling his fists and letting go, his chest heaving with emotion.

By the time I got it all out, everything that had been stuck in my chest was just gone.

Mom suddenly stood up, grabbed Dad's arm, and headed for the door.

"I'm going to find Ryan," she said, her lips trembling. "I want to ask him how he could do this to my daughter. Did he forget all the promises he made to me?"

"Don't, Mom. I don't want to get into it with him right now. I just want to get out and clear my head," I said, grabbing her arm and wiping my face. "Since he wouldn't go see the aurora with me, let's go together, the three of us."