Fed Up - By Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant Page 0,75

to another in the tent. Astonishingly, my mother was eventually satisfied. The ceremony would take place on one side of the tent, where white folding chairs were set up for the guests. The other side of the tent already had some tables and chairs in place. Fifty or so people made for a fairly small wedding, but additional tables would have to be added once the ceremony was over. Long tables covered in white tablecloths were ready for Josh’s food. Another table would serve as the bar.

Adrianna roused herself in the late afternoon. To my relief, she looked thoroughly refreshed and even energetic. Nodding at a monstrous blue box that she held in her hands, she announced, “Nail time, ladies!”

My mother and I let Ade paint our fingernails in a shade called Sheer Tutu Pink. Meanwhile, my father prepared the grill for tonight’s dinner. I called Josh, who muttered something about “crazy lamb” and “stupid pot’s too small.” Otherwise, I got barely an intelligible word out of him except a promise to be at the house for the rehearsal.

Josh and Owen arrived in Owen’s refrigerated fish truck, which held some of the food that needed to be stored at my parents’ house. “Your fridge is filled to capacity, Chloe,” Josh said, “and this stuff I won’t need until tomorrow.”

“How is everything coming?” I asked.

“We’re in good shape. Risotto is ready, squash puree is done, soup is ready. Everything. It’s all good. Dinner will be fantastic tomorrow.”

At six thirty, the wedding party assembled in the tent. I stood at the front of the aisle, flanked by two empty white podiums. Tomorrow, they’d hold floral baskets. Owen, Ade, Mom, Josh, and my father all sat before me in the white chairs while I went over the ceremony.

“Tomorrow,” I said, “the guests will mostly seat themselves, but Evan and Willie will be here to act as ushers if needed.” Owen had refused to have either of his brothers in the wedding party; he’d maintained that the risk of their misbehaving was simply too great. “Owen, come stand right here. Don’t fidget, pick your nose, touch your hair, or otherwise move unless I tell you. Stand there and watch the back of the tent for your bride. Mom and Josh, when the music starts, you will walk down the aisle together, followed by Adrianna and Dad. Let’s do that now.” The music would be provided by nothing fancier than my MP3 player hooked up to outdoor speakers.

The members of the wedding rushed to their places, and then Josh looped my mother’s arm through his and escorted her down the aisle. “Now Adrianna and Dad . . . Good. Dad, you kiss Ade’s cheek, pass her off to Owen, and sit down. Wait! Owen, you don’t kiss her now!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Owen beamed. “I couldn’t help myself!”

I continued. “The music will stop, and I’ll begin the ceremony. That part is a secret until tomorrow, so all you need to know is that at some point I will get to the vows and ask you both to repeat what I say. And, Owen, let me dash your hopes right now. There is no rhyming. Then I will pronounce you husband and wife. That’s when you get to kiss. Then Mom and Josh walk back up the aisle, followed by the bride and groom. That’s it.”

I received a small round of applause for leading such a quick rehearsal, and all of us moved to the patio by the grill. Because tomorrow would be so busy, tonight’s dinner was simple: Dad was grilling chicken, and Mom had made a big salad. Josh, I could tell, was having to struggle to restrain himself from taking over at the grill. Inevitably, Dad was singeing some of the chicken pieces.

I filled a paper plate for Adrianna, who was seated next to Owen. “You got your tux, right?” I asked.

Owen nodded. “All set. I picked up mine and Josh’s today.”

“Can I see them?” Ade spoke nonchalantly, but I knew that she wanted to make sure that Josh and Owen would, in fact, be dressed in black and not blue.

“They’re back at the apartment. I didn’t want to leave them in the fish truck and take the chance they’d smell like seafood.”

Adrianna looked surprised and impressed that Owen had had the foresight to avoid smelling like fish during their wedding. I felt skeptical. I didn’t expect him to go out of his way to stink of seafood, of course. Still, I didn’t trust him