You're okay

•18•

I was sat at my desk working on an assignment. My door knocked.

"How hungover are you?" Mom asked.

"I'm perfectly sober," I said.

"And you're doing homework? Did I wake up in a parallel universe?" Mom asked.

"I don't think so," I said.

"Come on we should start getting ready," Mom said.

"Am I just curling my hair?" I asked.

"Yes," Mom said.

"Then I'll do my hair and come to your room," I said. Mom left. I curled my hair and walked to her room. Sam was writing his speech seeing as he was now officiating the wedding and Kirby was helping Mom decide on what shoes to wear.

"No," Mom said. Kirby tossed the shoes at the larger of two piles.

"Okay," Kirby held up another pair.

"Mm. Maybe," Mom said.

"What bride doesn't have her shoes picked out before the wedding day?" Sam asked.

"Well, I did. But that's when the ceremony was in a church. Different venue, different footwear," Mom said.

"Does this mean I'm allowed to wear sneakers now?" I asked.

"No," Mom said.

"Well, maybe you should just go barefoot so we don't miss the actual ceremony," Kirby said.

"She does have a point. Also, you'll be walking on grass now. Maybe stilettos aren't the best idea?" Alexis asked.

"Oh, please. All I need is the right Sherpa and lots of oxygen and I could climb Mount Everest in heels. Okay? I'm not trading beauty for comfort on my wedding day. Let me see those," Mom said.

"Is there some kind of ...wedding program that I can look at? I don't want to mess things up in front of a crowd," Sam said.

"Aw. Preshow jitters are normal. I remember when I played Fantine in Les Mis, I was always nervous preshow. But once the curtain came up, I killed it," Mom said doing her shoes up.

"Les Mis? Like on Broadway?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Like on Broadway but, you know, in high school, which is, uh... which is harder than Broadway. Besides, you'll be great. Oh, Liam and I will be reading our own vows. Actually, I will be singing mine, assuming I finish writing them. Speaking of, let me show you what I have," Mom stood up and lost her footing twisting her ankle.

"Do you happen to remember who your understudy for Fantine was?" Sam asked. Kirby went to get ice.

"Does it hurt when I do this?" Sam asked twisting Mom's ankle.

"Ow! Yes!" Mom said.

"Note to self, don't do that," Sam said.

"Maybe it's broken," Alexis said.

"It's not broken," Mom said pulling her foot from Sam's grip and resting her ankle on the floor causing her to gasp in pain. "Okay. But it's not great. Oh. I thought we were done with bad things happening. This wedding is clearly cursed. What if my whole life is cursed? What if nothing good ever happens to me again? What if I peaked in high school?" Mom said.

"You couldn't have peaked in high school. You didn't know me yet," I said. Sam smacked me in the head.

"Fallon, you're spiraling. And it's not good for your worry lines. And where is Kirby with the ice?" Alexis asked.

"Mm. She's probably having a drink first," Sam said.

"Come on, let's get you up," Sam said.

"Okay," Mom said. Sam pulled her up.