Page 39 of Third Time Lucky
LUCY
The backyard of Mitzi’s place is vast and well-manicured, with a sprawling green lawn surrounded by colorful flower beds and perfectly trimmed hedges. Tall mature trees dot the property, and in the distance, a sparkling pool glows under the starry sky.
In the back corner, away from everything, stands a middle-aged man named Jayson with a hose lying at his feet as he watches a fire he built in a gravel pit he usually uses for burning yard debris.
‘I can’t believe we got this all in one trip,’ Madi says, pulling the suitcase behind her – the box of Brandon mementos gripped in one arm.
‘Just tell me if I’m going to faceplant,’ I say, unable to see over the wedding dress wadding in my arms.
We’re doing this. And I brought marshmallows because when Ash heard what we were planning – after he laughed and wished me luck – he gave me some, knowing how much I adored the cake he made.
‘A wedding dress?’ Jayson asks, his face contorted in a way that says – you girls are nuts. ‘Please tell me you ladies aren’t summoning demons tonight?’
‘We’re incinerating them. The dress is cursed,’ Madi tells him matter-of-factly. ‘We’ve got to break the spell so she can move on. Be glad it’s not a body.’
Jayson takes a few steps back, shaking his head in disbelief. He picks up the hose and squeezes the handle, spraying water away from the fire as if testing the thing works just in case.
‘Maybe toss things in one at a time so you don’t burn down the neighborhood or get the fire department out here,’ he suggests.
‘Excellent idea,’ Madi says, dropping the box without care onto the ground and parking the suitcase beside it. ‘Maybe we should chant that Lil Jon song like Sandra Bullock in that movie with Betty White.’
‘If we’re out here hollerin’ about balls to the walls, I bet the police would be called, so – no.’
I drop the dresses from my arms. They land at my feet with a swoosh.
‘OK… What do you want to start with first?’ she asks.
Without hesitation, I reach for the wedding dress, a strange mix of excitement and trepidation surging inside me. It’s still beautiful and looks so innocent, yet it carries a weight of sorrow that I can feel in my bones.
As I hold the cursed garment in my hands, memories flood back of shattered dreams – dreams that, in reality, were nightmares – but it took the most humiliating moment of my life for me to see them.
But tonight, right here in this backyard, with the warm glow of the fire casting dancing shadows around us, liberation awaits.
I step closer to the fire pit, the flames crackling and reaching out as if eager to consume the dress.
With a deep breath, I let go of all the pain and heartache the dress represents as I toss it into the heart of the fire.
The tulle of the skirt catches quickly, and sparks flare into the air around us as flames devour it voraciously.
‘My God,’ Madi says, clapping her hands with glee. ‘It’s like we doused it in gasoline.’
‘Curses must burn hot.’
‘Next up, Vegas,’ Madi says. ‘Do you want to burn the entire suitcase?’
I shrug. ‘It’s not like I can’t afford to replace it, and the last thing I want is to go on a future vacation and be reminded of the last place it went.’
She lifts the suitcase and tosses it on the dress without another question. The fire roars to life as the leather catches, sending black smoke billowing into the air. I watch as the flames consume the remnants of a life I once thought I wanted, a life that turned out to be a mirage.
Madi and I stand side by side, watching the flames dance and flicker in the darkness. The heat warms my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the warmth spreading through my chest, a feeling of release and renewal.
The engagement dress is next. I bought this thing specifically because I knew he was proposing that night, and I wanted to look amazing.
I did, according to Mitzi and Brandon. What I don’t understand is how he had so much emotion while asking me to be his bride (tears were involved), when later that night, he probably screwed some other girl without a care in the world that his actions could destroy me.
‘I can’t believe that bastard was so charming while blatantly lying for two years,’ I moan, tossing the silky garment into the flames. ‘I hope he’s feeling this like a voodoo doll right now.’
‘By way of a burning bush in his pants – like an STD,’ Madi says with a laugh.
For a moment, Jayson’s look is pure fear as we cackle like witches around the fire.
The fire eagerly devours the engagement dress, the delicate fabric igniting quickly and disintegrating in a whirlwind of flames.
We glance down at the last burnable. A brown Louboutin shoebox – it’s a small size (6), much like Brandon’s honesty.
‘Do you want to do this one memory at a time, or should we just toss the whole box in?’
In a sudden burst of determination, I grab the box from Madi’s hands, and without a word, I fling it into the fire pit.
I don’t want to see a single thing in it again.
The sound of crackling cardboard mixes with the roar of the flames as the box is engulfed.
Embers fly into the air, carrying with them the last remnants of a relationship that should have never been.
As we watch the box burn, I feel a weight lifting off my shoulders. A strange mix of emotions swirls inside me – relief, sadness, anger and freedom.
‘One more thing,’ I say, pulling a pack of photos from my hoodie pocket.
‘What’s that?’ Madi asks.
‘The photos Here Comes the Bride magazine sent,’ I tell her, ready to pitch them into the blaze.
‘You got them?!’ she asks with surprise.
I nod. ‘A while ago. Mitzi paid them to kill the story, but with her generous offer to make up for it, they asked if she’d like the photos.’
‘Wait!’ she says, grabbing my hand. ‘Let me see those really quick.’
I hand them to her.
‘Why?’
She speeds through the prints, pulling one from the stack before handing them back to me. ‘Proceed,’ she says.
‘Which one did you take?’
‘I’ll tell you when this is over,’ she answers, holding the photo.
When I toss the photos into the fire, they flutter like a deck of cards landing in random places. The glossy paper catches quickly, curling at the edges as the proof of the most humiliating day of my life is consumed.
Madi’s eyes glitter with mischief as she holds the one photo close to her chest, a secret smile playing on her lips.
‘That’s it,’ I say, staring into the flames – a sense of finality washing over me as remnants of my past life turn to ash.
Madi turns to me, her eyes reflecting the fire’s flickering light.
‘How do you feel?’
‘Like Mitzi’s a genius and now I want to know what she’s burned.’
Madi laughs.
My phone dings in my hoodie pocket.
‘Ooh, who is it?’
His words create a bubble of desire inside me.
Asher
Hope the burning of Brandon’s soul is going safely.
Call me later, gorgeous. I’ll wait up.
My heart swells in a way that makes me suck in a breath.
Madi reads the text over my shoulder.
I told him we were doing that earlier – burning Brandon’s soul – if he even has one. I thought maybe it would scare him from getting involved with me, but here he is, checking in, complimenting me and requesting a call anytime. I am smitten.
‘My God, he’s exactly your type of cute. Clearly, this worked,’ Madi motions at the dying fire.
He is my type of cute, and it’s doing something to my insides that I can’t explain.
‘Here,’ she says, handing me the photo she kept. ‘Anytime you feel like you can’t do something – look at this and remember you are a badass who laid a guy out with a single hit in front of everyone he knows and a magazine to boot.’
I take the photo from her – one I’ve never seen because after I got the package, I hid it away in the top of my closet and forgot they existed.
No way was I looking. My heart couldn’t bear it.
I probably shouldn’t take the bait now, but of course, I’m going to.
And I laugh at what I see: me punching Brandon, with fury all over my face – perfectly manicured nails and wearing a ten-thousand-dollar dress.
A smile grows on my face. I am a badass. Never again will I make a mistake as big as Brandon. Every single thing Asher makes me feel is something new to me, which tells me I’m on the right track.
‘Thank you,’ I say to Madi.
Like the good friend she is, she pulls me in for a hug, and I stare at the photo over her shoulder. This thing is getting framed and going somewhere important.
I am so glad she kept this.
‘Pics or it didn’t happen?’ she asks, holding her phone up.
‘Yes,’ I say gleefully.
We press our cheeks together, me proudly holding the photo on display, fire blazing behind us, and Jayson hose in his hand, directed at the fire, watching like we’ve snapped. Madi clicks a photo, then sends it to me.
‘I don’t see a single demon,’ I say, inspecting the photo.
‘Fire works,’ she says, impressed as she stares at the fire.
Just for fun, I tap into Ash and my text thread and attach the photo.
Lucy
Lucy-1 Brandon-0 turns out fire trumps demons.
Asher
Maybe flames escorted them back to hell. LOL. Congratulations. I just set that as your contact photo. Never have I ever been more attracted to you than I am right now.
Is that so? I can’t say I hate the sound of that. But there’s one more thing I need to do.
God, Ariana Grande says you’re a woman, and if that’s true, you know exactly what I’m thinking right now.
Please – let this work. Maybe let him be the one, too.
Asher, to be clear – if you need his demographics and social I could probably get it.
I really like him. Like giddy like. He’s just…
everything I ever hoped for, and at this point, if we don’t work out, that’s gonna hurt real bad.
That’s a lot to ask for, I know, especially for a girl who’s prayed about a dozen times in my life. Sorry for that. Amen. Namaste. The End.
I do a quick Hail Mary, just in case – of what I’m unsure.
I stare at the starry sky above, glad I didn’t just say any of that out loud.
I feel like a new chapter is unfolding – one where Asher is present in a way teenage me could never have imagined.
I just need to do one more thing. I type out the text on my phone, hesitating before I hit send – maybe he’s not ready for this part?
Nope. Stop questioning your heart, Luce. Take the leap.
Lucy
Meet me in an hour at Tom McCall Park, near the fountain. Bring Kris.