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I step away from the bed and give my mother a reassuring nod. “He’ll be fine,” I say, trying to convince myself, just as much as I’m trying to convince her.
“I hope so,” she whispers, her eyes still focused on my father, worry etched into every line of her face.
The self-indulgent thoughts I had on the way here now seem like a mockery. I don’t need love. What I need is to get married to Andrew and have Bennett Construction come in and save my father’s company. All that matters is for my father to wake up and see his beloved company up and running like normal.
Chapter 10: Emily
The Bennett Estate had been converted into a wonderland. My mother held my hand all the way from the house. As the driver parks the car in front of the house, she tightens her hold.
“It’s going to be fine Mom,” I tell her.
“I know,” she whispers, though her voice is laced with the exhaustion we’ve both been feeling.
The past two days have been a blur of sleepless nights watching over my father as his fever finally broke. We’re both drained, but at least he’s stable now.
My phone shrills from my purse and I gently loosen my mother’s hold to dig it out.
It’s Lisa. “Where are you?” she asks.
“We’re coming in right now,” I tell her, amused at the note of panic in her voice. I might be dead tired, but there’s no chance that I would not show up at this wedding. My family’s future is depending on it.
Barbara, Andrew’s mother, opens the front door just as we step out of the car, her face lighting up as she hurries down the steps. “We thought you’d never get here.”
I manage a smile.
“Go on up, Emily,” Barbara says, gesturing toward the house. “I’ll keep your mother company until it’s time.”
Lisa appears at the top of the staircase inside, her eyes widening with exaggerated impatience. “Finally,” she says, throwing her hands up dramatically. “Come on, let’s get you dressed.”
I laugh, a real laugh for the first time in days. Lisa’s organized the whole thing; making sure people are here to do my hair and makeup—because she knows there’s no way I had the energy to pull this together.
As I make my way up the stairs, I take one last glance at my mother. She smiles at me, a weary but reassuring look in her eyes as she moves toward Barbara.
“Go on,” she mouths silently.
I nod and follow Lisa up, my nerves kicking in, but at least I know I’m in good hands.
Lisa’s already in full maid-of-honor mode by the time I step into the room. “I’ve got everything ready,” she says, motioning toward the small vanity where a team is waiting to get to work. “You’re going to look stunning.”
I smile, touched by how much effort she’s put into today. It’s a relief to sit down and let other people take care of me.
An hour later, my hair and make-up are done and Lisa is helping me put on my wedding dress.
“I’ve never met a woman who switched her grooms and kept the same wedding date,” Lisa says, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Why should we waste all the arrangements?” I retort, then suddenly burst out laughing. The absurdity of the situation hits me full force. It is ridiculous, and for a moment, we both laugh.
“You know, I really admire you,” Lisa says after a moment, her voice softer now. “The way you go for what you want, not a single thought or worry for consequences, and somehow, things always work out in your favor.”
I do worry about the consequences but this is not the time to go into that. “Let’s hope this one does. I want to see my father’s company prosper.”
Lisa raises an eyebrow. “Still on business, even on your wedding day.”
“That’s the only reason we’re here,” I say in a light tone.
Before Lisa can respond, my mother enters the room, waving a hand and scrunching her face at the overwhelming smells of hair spray, makeup, and perfume that fill the air.
“You look beautiful,” she says, tears pooling in her eyes.