Page 26 of Matrimonial Merger
“Yes. Jesus Christ! Everything is fine. Calm the fuck down, dude,” Chloe said.
I relaxed. “Sorry. You just never call unless someone has died.”
“Okay, fair. No, this is not a life emergency—well, it’s not a dangerous thing. It’s more… well, your future wife fell in love with a wedding dress today.”
“Okay… and the problem?” I asked, confused. “Is this a fight between Daphne and Danna, because I do not have the bandwidth?—”
“No. I mean, yes, Danna preferred another dress but Daphne laid into her—rightfully so. Nah. She found this dress, Cal, and it wasperfecton her. She cried happy tears. It was the first smile I’ve seen on her face in ages.”
“So tell her to buy it,” I said. “I’m not sure?—”
“She won’t. It won’t fit her in June. She’s being a realist, brother. But everything that they could make fit in six months made her want to cry sad tears. Your girl wants to lookhotnot matronly and it’s… fucking sad.”
I rubbed my left temple. “So why are you calling me? I can’t fix that. It’s very sad, but I cannot fix it, Chloe.”
“I don’t know. But… I’m letting you know.”
I didn’t know what to do with that information.
“Look, if there was any way to change the wedding date… could you? Move it up? Weddings are about the bride and yours issad, Cal. I want to see her be happy. She fucking deserves that. Sitting in that courtroom with her tells me just how much she went through. Is there any way you could do it?”
“Chloe, that’s… I’m not a miracle worker. Trust me.”
“Think about it. Try your mayoral magic.”
“Mayoral magic?” I laughed. “I cannot get alderman to agree on hotdogs or Italian beef for a luncheon. You flatter me, sister.”
“Get it done. I believe in you.”
And with no goodbye, she was gone.
I turned back to the day’s agenda and a speech at a sustainability event. I arrived and chatted with people but my mind was thousands of miles away across an ocean. Kristy pulled me aside, sensing something was up.
“Are you okay?” She laughed.
“Unsure,” I answered. “Honestly, I am worried about Daphne. This trial has been so hard on her. And my sister called me this morning. Anyhow, it’s silly and I should let it go, but I cannot.”
“What’s silly?”
“Daphne fell in love with a dress and Chloe said it’s the only genuine smile she’s seen in ages. I know what she means. Daphne has been so down. This trial is wearing on her.”
“It would wear on anyone. Reliving that all? No thank you.”
“Sure. But Chloe said she came out of it for a minute, only to turtle back inward. And that’s all I’ve seen. She beats down her feelings. The wedding meant a lot to both of us, but now it feels like she is just going through the motions to say she did it.”
“So don’t get married. Cal, you don’t have to?—”
“No. I’m not explaining this well. We both want this. She just would like to do it not seven months pregnant. And she’d like to do it in the dress of her choice. Chloe says she can’t buy it because it won’t fit her.”
“Then get married sooner,”Kristy said. “Does it even matter if you walk away married? This is why marriage is silly to me. It’s about the wedding?—”
I rolled my eyes, “Kristy, I know it doesn’t matter to you. It really doesn’t matter to me, but it matters to Daphne. Her mother steamrolled over everything she wanted and she wasbasically forced to marry a man who betrayed her to save face. She makes herself so small.”
“I remember,” Kristy admitted. “But I am serious. Get married sooner.”
“That is a logistical impossibility. You sound like Chloe! She thinks I have mayoral magic.”
Kristy laughed until she snorted. “That’s fucking great. Oh, I miss Chloe’s wit in my life. She’s right, though.”
