I opened the door and she kissed me as she walked out. “Bye, Holden.”
“Bye, Luci.”
I watched her go, relieved that she’d finally left.
This morning I’d wanted to go over to Maisy’s, where all the girls were getting ready, to try and catch Liv before she went to the church. But Luci, being Luci, had been running late. Her car service was supposed to pick her up at seven a.m. but she’d pushed it back. In fairness to her, she was experiencing morning sickness, which was why she’d showed up in the first place.
The reason she’d been trying to contact me was not because she wanted to have some big relationship talk. She’d reached out to me because we were friends and she wanted to get my advice on her situation. She’d gotten pregnant by her soccer player boyfriend and she was scared if she had the baby he wouldn’t be there, and she’d be a single mom.
Since I was one of the only people, she knew who had grown up in a happy family, she’d wanted to talk to me to see if I thought she could do it on her own. I’d shared some of the stories of the kids I’d met at my brother’s ranch and said that no parents are perfect. Kids just need love and stability and she could provide both of those things. I reminded her that she’d come to this country, alone at age sixteen and hadn’t spoken the language. She’d traveled the world the past fourteen years and learned not only English, but also French and some Japanese. She was an intelligent, resourceful, strong woman with a lot of love in her heart to give and any kid would be lucky to have her.
And I was telling the truth. Anything that Luci set her mind to, she achieved. She was going to be a great mom.
I think that’s all she really needed to hear. Once she explained why she’d been trying so hard to reach me, it made sense. Her circle of friends were more interested in how many Instagram followers they had, and where the next party was, than they were in real life and real people.
Even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, it felt sketchy that my ex had been here last night, and Olivia didn’t know. I’d slept at Olivia’s and let Luci crash at my place, just to be even more on the safe side, but it still felt wrong.
I needed to talk to her before the wedding. It was almost ten and the wedding was at eleven. I was already dressed in my shirt and slacks, I grabbed my tie, jacket and my cane and was out the door. Not as fast as I wanted, but at least I was walking.
It was so strange the perspective change I’d had over the past week. I felt like a different person. I was a different person. And it was all because of Olivia.
I drove by Maisy’s and saw that no cars were in the driveway. The girls must already be at the church. I flipped a U-turn and headed toward the church. I may have rolled through couple of stop signs on my way, but I couldn’t shake this urgency that I needed to talk to her.
It wasn’t like her to not text me back and to send my calls to voicemail, even if she was busy. In my gut, I knew something was wrong.
My tires ate up the gravel as I took a short cut and pulled up in the back of the building. I figured the girls were in the children’s church area because that’s where all the brides got ready before their ceremony.
I just hoped the back door was open. I got out, grabbing my cane and did my best to push past the pain I felt when my feet hit the ground. I wanted to rush in but I knew it was going to be a long day, so I took the time to breathe until the pain subsided. My restraint was rewarded when I turned the knob of the back entrance and it opened.
Now I wouldn’t have to make it past any early arrivals who wanted to stop me for chit chat.
When I got to the double wooden doors I heard laughing and talking and there was music playing. It sounded like a party in there. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I knocked