3: 3

I went to the window and looked down, and sure enough there was a line of wedding cars waiting below, the one in front decked out in the yellow roses I loved most.

Once, I'd told Peter I wanted the cars and the ceremony done up in yellow roses, but he'd said a wedding was a joyful occasion and only red roses were festive enough.

So I'd let it drop. And now here was a man who hadn't needed me to say a word, and he'd chosen my favorite flower on his own.

A moment later, he was shown up to the room.

His name was Luke Farley. We'd met on a trip through the Rocky Mountains. He'd come down with altitude sickness and I'd given him medicine, and after that he'd started pursuing me.

I told him I already had a boyfriend, but he wouldn't give up.

Even when he heard I was getting married, he didn't back off. The day before the wedding he came to find me and said that the moment I changed my mind, he would drive the wedding car over to collect me at once.

I'd thought he was just sore about it, throwing out a bold line.

So when I called today, I only meant to test him. I never expected him to agree on the spot, and to have everything prepared so completely. It seemed he really had put together a whole wedding for me somewhere else.

He held a bouquet of yellow roses, his eyes full of nerves, sweat even beading on his forehead. "Nora, I'm here to take you."

My parents could see how much thought he'd put in, and they said nothing.

Sitting in the wedding car, I took out my phone and sent a message in the bride's side family group chat, telling the relatives who were heading straight to the hotel to go to a different one instead.

The group chat blew up at once.

"What's going on?"

"Isn't the wedding at this hotel? The welcome photo by the door is Nora."

"Right, by rights you should be about at the hotel by now. Did something happen?"

I typed out another line. "I've changed grooms today. It's at a different hotel. Sorry for the trouble, everyone."

Then I sent a big cash gift into the group.

"Consider this to cover your travel, and thank you all. I'll explain the reason at the wedding."

Seeing me say that, and hand out an envelope so freely, everyone figured it had to be something serious for the groom to be swapped out this suddenly, and for the moment no one pressed further.

Then, out of nowhere, Peter's mother called me.

Her voice carried both worry and probing. "Nora, did something happen? Why did your side's relatives suddenly leave, and why are they saying the reception's at a different hotel?"

"What on earth is going on? Today's the big day. If Peter did something wrong, I'll scold him for you myself, just don't lose your temper today."

"Alberta, you'd better ask Peter about the details. I can't go through with this wedding to him."

And with that I hung up.

Right after, Peter's call came through. There was a note of awkwardness in his voice. "Nora, it'll be a little while before I can come get you. Joanna suddenly got bad cramps, so I'm taking her to the hospital first."

4: 4

"Don't make a scene. Calm your parents down. I'll apologize to them the moment I get there."

So he still hadn't gotten the call from his mother.

"You go do your thing."

My flat tone caught him off guard. Peter sounded puzzled. "You don't mind?"

"I don't mind."

I was about to marry someone else. Who he went off to take care of was none of my business.

"I have things to handle too. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

He went right along with it. "Right, you still have to explain things to the relatives. Go on then, get to it. I'll take Joanna to the hospital first."

Just then Joanna's coaxing voice drifted over. "Peter, my stomach hurts. Come rub it for me."

Then the fumbling click of the call ending.

My heart still ached, out of nowhere.

Barely a few minutes later, his call came again.

This time his tone had turned furious. "Nora, what's the meaning of this? You already agreed to let me take Joanna to the hospital first, so why did you send the relatives away and tell my mother the wedding's canceled?"

"Do you have any idea? My mother tore into me. She yelled at Joanna too."

"You're about to be my wife. Can't you show a little sense?"

On his end, Joanna spoke through her sniffles. "Peter, don't worry about me. Your wife's already angry. Just let me off the car, I'll go to the hospital myself."

"I'm fine, really. Even if I pass out on the side of the road later, I can't hold you up from going to fetch your bride."

Peter got even angrier at once. "Nora, are you set on driving Joanna to her death? The wedding matters, and Joanna doesn't?"

"Hurry up and explain to my mother. The wedding isn't off today, it's just running late. Can't you stop kicking up a fuss and show some sense?"

Even now he was still calling it a fuss. I glanced at the time on my watch. My voice went cold. "Peter, do you know what time it is right now?"

"Why are you asking that?"

Hearing how clueless he sounded, I couldn't hold back the sneer. "It's almost midnight. You're still off taking Joanna to the hospital, so what day exactly do you plan to come fetch me?"

His tone turned guilty in an instant. "Didn't we say even if it's late—"

I cut him off. "At first you said ten minutes to take Joanna to buy pads. Then it was buying clothes. Then it was going to the hospital."

"If she needs to be admitted in a bit, are you going to stay in the hospital with her too? Do you actually intend to hold the wedding today? Have you ever once put me in your heart? "

"There were plenty of people in the wedding party. You're telling me not one of them could take her to buy pads, buy clothes, go to the hospital?"

Battered by one question after another, he had nothing to say. In the end he could only manage weakly, "She's not comfortable with other people, I—"

"Enough, Peter. Since she's only comfortable with you, then just marry her."

I hung up the moment I finished.

He called again. I blocked the number outright.

Then his message came through.

"Nora, I'm rushing back right now to apologize to you and your parents. It won't take long."

I blocked him again.

Then the car came to a smooth stop. We'd reached the hotel where the reception was being held.

Luke got out to help me down, while over on his end Peter had already turned the car around and was driving toward my home.

But when he got there, he found the front doors shut tight, not a single family member in sight.

He was baffled. Even if I was angry, I should still be waiting at home for his apology now. How could there be no one? And right then his phone rang.

"Peter, I sent you some photos. Take a look at how Nora's marrying somebody else."

He fumbled his messages open, and when he saw the photos his friend had sent, panic seized him at once.