Andrea gave her a skeptical look.
“I’m just going for a walk, nothing more,” she promised.
Her mother looked away. “Okay.”
With that, Rory descended the three steps and headed in the opposite direction of where Julia had gone. She didn’t make it back to the house until dinner time.
The minute she stepped through the door, the aroma that infiltrated her nostrils caused her to salivate, and her stomach growled in anticipation. She hadn’t realized she was that hungry until now.
“Oh, good. You’re back,” her mother greeted her when she entered the kitchen. “We’re about to sit to eat. You can wash up and come to the dining room,” she instructed. She removed the apron she wore and lifted the green bean casserole into her hands and headed for the dining room.
Rory did as instructed, then headed upstairs to freshen up before returning to the main floor and into the dining room. When she entered, everyone was already seated around the table. She hurriedly took her seat.
“Could you pass the salt, please?”
Rory reached for the saltshaker and handed it to Julia before concentrating on her own plate.
“Don’t you think that’s a little bit too much, Jules?”
“Are you going to monitor my diet like everything else now?”
Rory looked up, surprised at the argument ensuing between mother and daughter. All other chatter ceased as the focus remained on the two.
“That’s not… that’s not what I’m trying to do, honey,” Cora sighed defeatedly. “I only said what I said because, from experience, a high intake of sodium can affect your pregnancy and you.”
Julia’s hand tightened around the porcelain bottle she held, her knuckles appearing white. “You know what?” She placed the saltshaker back on the table and stood. “I think I lost my appetite. Please excuse me.” Julia turned, then walked out of the room.
Cora, who had stared at her daughter’s retreating back, slack-jawed, shook herself out of her stupor and stood to her feet. “Please excuse me.” She left the table and went after her daughter.
“So, Rory, I’m really excited about baking the cake for your wedding,” Kerry, who was also at the dinner, spoke up, trying to recenter the conversation. “I can’t wait to show you the samples and have you taste them,” she continued, her green eyes sparkling in excitement.
“I can’t wait,” Rory returned, her lips slightly upturned. She shifted her eyes to her plate.
“Have you found a dress yet?” Josephine asked.
“Not yet,” she responded, stabbing a piece of the chicken, and putting it in her mouth.
Andrea stared at her daughter until their eyes locked. Rory noticed how her mother was watching the slight furrowing of her brows and probably how short her answers were the more they spoke about the wedding. She knew her mother thought something was definitely not right.
After supper, Rory flopped face down on the bed, exhausted. She hadn’t anticipated all the questions about James and the wedding that she would be fielding and how taxing it would have been. Her vibrating phone caught her attention. Reaching her hand over to the bedside table, she ran her hand along the surface until it came in contact with the object.
“Hello?” she answered, not bothering to look at the caller id.
“Hi.”
Rory sat up alert.
“Hey,” she replied, her voice coming out breathy.
“How is Oak Harbor?”
“It’s great…it’s been great.” After a short pause, she continued. “I’m glad I left the city. I needed this time away from our situation and from your mother to clear my head and put things into perspective.” Her grip tightened around her cell phone; her breath held hostage in her chest as she waited for him to say something.
“And are they any clearer now?” he asked, his voice even.
Rory released her breath. “They are. Yes.”
“What about our wedding?”
