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Lena nods, clearly approving. “Where are you thinking?”
“The Middleton estate.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, you mean the massive mansion in the Hollywood Hills that almost broke you and Hunter up?”
“The very one,” I smirk.
“You want to live there now?”
“I didn’t say I wanted to live there, but he bought the damn place already. And now it’s just sitting there doing nothing, which is a sin because it has the most beautiful courtyard. I think it’d be perfect for the ceremony.”
“You visited it?”
“No, I looked it up online on one of those real estate listing sites. There were a lot of pictures. I have to give it to him. It’s gorgeous.”
Lena twirls a loose thread on her hoodie. “That actually sounds amazing. And very…you and Hunter. Classy, but not over-the-top.”
“Exactly.”
“Have you told Hunter about your idea?”
“Not yet.”
We walk a little further, the sounds of birds chirping and palm leaves rustling filling the space between us.
“So what else?” she asks. “Colors? Dress? Do you have a theme?”
“God, you sound like a wedding planner,” I tease.
She grins. “Hey, I take my role as Maid of Honor very seriously.”
I glance at her warmly.
It still floors me sometimes—how far we’ve come.
How a girl who was once just a quiet presence in the background of my life has become family.
Lena is the closest thing I have to a sister.
And maybe that’s why what she says next hits me harder than I expected.
“So,” she starts, a little hesitantly. “How are you feeling about… you know, not having any family from your side at the wedding?”
The question sinks into my chest like a stone.
I don’t answer right away.
Instead, I focus on the sound of the stroller wheels rolling over the pavement. I should have expected the question, but hearing it out loud makes it feel more real.
More…final.
When I marry Hunter, the only real family that will be there for me is Deuce. My father, stepmother, and sister won’t be there, and I don’t want them to be, but it also would be nice to have someone on my side of the pews.
She offers a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I just—I mean, I know you and Hunter have his whole family presence covered, but… does it ever bother you?”
I exhale slowly, adjusting Deuce’s blanket even though it doesn’t need adjusting.
“It’s not like I ever imagined my parents walking me down the aisle,” I admit. “And my sister? Yeah, that’s a hard no.”