Emily’s mind whirled as Jayne spoke in her characteristically fast over-caffeinated way, barely pausing to give her time to answer any of the questions.
“We’re going to be your bridesmaids, right?” Jayne finished, in her typically blunt, straight-talking way.
“I haven’t thought about it yet,” Emily admitted. Jayne and Amy may indeed be her oldest friends, but she had made so many more since moving to Sunset Harbor; Serena, Yvonne, Suzanna, Karen, Cynthia. And what about Chantelle? It was important to Emily that she played a pivotal role in the whole thing.
“Well, where’s the venue, then?” Jayne asked, sounding a little grumpy that Emily was even considering other people as her bridesmaids.
“I don’t know that yet either,” Emily said.
It suddenly hit her how enormous the task ahead of her was. There was so much to organize. So much to pay for. She suddenly felt very overwhelmed by the whole thing.
“Do you think you’ll have a big wedding or small one?” Amy asked. Her questions were less loaded than Jayne’s but she still had an air of judgment about her. Emily wondered whether Amy was still upset about her own failed engagement to Fraser. Maybe she resented Emily for having a ring and fiancé when she herself had lost both.
“We haven’t worked out any of the details yet,” Emily said. “It’s brand new.”
“But you’ve been dreaming about this for years,” Amy added.
Emily frowned. Marriage, yes. That had been something she’d wanted for a long time. But she’d never pictured the way her life would go. The love she had with Daniel was unique and unexpected. Their wedding ought to be the same. She needed to rethink everything to make it perfect for them, for this specific relationship, this life.
“Can you at least tell us the date?” Jayne asked. “Our calendar is packed.”
Emily stammered. “I don’t know.”
“Just the month will do for now,” Jayne pressed.
“I don’t know that either.”
Jayne sighed with exasperation. “What about the year?”
Emily grew frustrated. “I don’t know!” she cried. “I haven’t worked any of this out yet!”
Silence fell. Emily could just imagine the scene: her friends exchanging a glance, sitting in leather office chairs at a huge glass table, the sound of her outburst emanating from the phone in between them and echoing around the vast conference room. She cringed with embarrassment.