Then six weeks before the wedding my younger sister Kayla called me, and her voice sounded almost too cheerful to be natural. “Guess what,” she said excitedly, “Brandon just proposed and we are throwing an engagement party.”
At first I smiled because I was genuinely happy for her and wanted to celebrate the news. That feeling disappeared the moment she added, “The party is on June fourteenth and you can come after your ceremony, right.”
My stomach tightened immediately because June fourteenth was not just a random date. It was the exact day of my wedding.
“Kayla,” I said slowly, “that is my wedding day and you already know that.”
She laughed lightly as if I had misunderstood something obvious. “It is not a big deal because our party starts at seven and your wedding is what, around two in the afternoon.”
Logan was sitting beside me on the couch when he saw the expression on my face change. He leaned closer and quietly mouthed the words, “She did that on purpose.”
I wanted to believe my sister had simply made a careless decision instead of a calculated one. I wanted to believe she was not the kind of person who would intentionally compete with my wedding.
The next call shattered that hope.
My mother called later that evening and her voice already sounded defensive before I even spoke. “Sweetheart, Kayla’s engagement is a once in a lifetime moment and we cannot miss celebrating it.”
I felt my hands tighten around my phone. “My wedding is also a once in a lifetime moment,” I replied quietly.
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