Page 23 of Somehow You Knew

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I know. But my vision always included Dad walking me down the aisle, and that’s not going to happen now, so…”

My mom pulls me in for a hug. “I’m so sorry that was taken from you, Hazel.”

A tear slips down my cheek. “Me too, Mom. But maybe since I won’t get the fairy-tale wedding, it makes sense that I don’t get the fairy-tale marriage either.”

When my mother releases me, she brushes my hair from my face. “No marriage is a fairy tale, Hazel. But I think as long as you go into this with the right expectations, you’ll come out as unscathed as possible.”

“Believe me, that’s all I want. I’m still swearing off men, Mom. Gage isn’t going to change that.”

The corner of her mouth lifts as if she doesn’t believe me, and I hate that it makes me doubt myself as well. “So when do I get to meet him?”

“I’m thinking about introducing him to everyone at Michael’s birthday party.”

Her eyebrows raise. “That’s a big day.”

“Well, that way I can get introductions over with all at once.”

“And when are you getting married?”

“Gage and I texted about that last night. When he gets back from Florida in a few days, we’re going to the courthouse. The sooner we get married, the faster the six months will end.”

Mom purses her lips. “Well, can I at least be there?”

“Of course, Mom. But that’s it. I don’t want to make a big spectacle of it.”

As soon as the words leave my lips, a crack fissures across my heart. All of my dreams as a little girl, all of the visions of wearing the perfect dress and walking toward the perfect man vanish like a cloud of dust in my mind.

“So, what are you going to tell your brothers?”

I take a seat on the stool next to the counter as my mother returns to the stove. “The truth. There’s no point in pretending it’s real.”

She nods, unsurprised. “Probably for the best. Parker’s fake engagement was exhausting enough for everyone involved. At least this way, you don’t have to keep up appearances.” I roll my eyes. “God, I just can’t wait to hear their thoughts about it.”

Mom chuckles. “I think they might be more understanding than you think. It is a lot of money to inherit. Do you think any of them would pass up that opportunity? Money makes people do crazy things, Hazel.”

“Are you saying I’m crazy, Mom?”

She eyes me over her shoulder. “No, honey. But I do think that this is affecting you more than you care to admit.”

I stare out the window to the deck on the back of my parents’ house. Even though my dad is gone, it will always betheirplace. “I’m hoping once the wedding part is over, I won’t feel so torn up about it.”

“You can always back out.”

I shake my head. “No. Gage deserves this money too. I just wish Diane had spoken to us about this beforehand.”

My mother turns to me and places her hands on her hips. “Right…because when she tried to set y’all up all those other times, you were so receptive to the idea,” she says, sarcasm lacing her words. Then, her expression softens. “I think this was just Diane’s way of taking care of the two people who meant the most to her.”

I nod, blinking back tears.

She sets the spoon down and crosses the kitchen to where I sit. Gently, she squeezes my shoulders, her gaze meeting mine. “I know this isn’t what you pictured for yourself—”

Before she can finish, the front door swings open and Penn, Astrid, Bentley, and Lilly scramble through, their voices filling the quiet space.

“Guess our private time is over,” Mom says, kissing me on the cheek before greeting my second oldest brother, his wife, and their two kids.

“You’re here early,” Penn says as he walks into the kitchen and over to me, pulling me in for a side hug as I remain perched on the stool.

“Yeah. I finished editing early today, so I figured I’d come help Mom.”