The Part of Me with You

Chapter 2: Libby

It was unnerving how quickly and completely the main level had been transformed into a scene right out of a Spring issue of a bridal catalogue. Lavender streamers and silvers balloons framed a buffet of delicate hors d'oeurves, scattered with gaudy fake diamonds between the dishes. Her aunt Sadie, the bride, breezed from person to person in a white maxi dress and tiara, feeding on the buzz like a social vampire. Looking at her, you would have thought today was the Big Day, but they still had weeks to go. Libby was exhausted just thinking of all her maid of honor duties still to come. She loved Sadie, who at twenty-eight had always felt more like a fun older cousin than an aunt to her, but the timing of this whole extravaganza couldn't have been worse. She'd never been in a less celebratory mood.

Sadie spotted her from between Libby's two grandmothers, little old ladies in pantsuits of yellow and peach respectively. They looked like walking easter baskets, and she made note to avoid any hints of pastels coming her way. She didn't need questioning about her own marriage-and-babies timeline or lack thereof, and one of them would no doubt bring Miles into that conversation, sensitivity be damned. Gracefully detaching herself from their fussing, Sadie hurried over with a look on her face that was quickly explained by the first words out of her mouth.

"You had some guy over last night?" she hissed into Libby's ear, guiding her through the throng of guests toward an abandoned corner of the living room.

Libby scoffed and pulled her arm away, waving politely to a couple onlookers from her father's law firm. "Of course not," she whispered. "Don't be ridiculous."

Sadie's eyes narrowed, concern mingling with intrigue and suspicion. "Then why did your mom just storm down here claiming she caught you in the act?"

Libby groaned. "In the act? Are you serious?"

Sadie pouted, a look that had won her many battles in life, especially within the family. "Fine then, don't tell me about it."

"There's nothing to tell! Even if there was, I wouldn't talk about it right in the middle of brunch."

Sadie took this as a hint that Libby wasn't trying to give. "Gotcha," she winked. "We'll talk later. Phew, for a second there I thought you were icing me out of the good gossip because I'm getting old.

Libby rolled her eyes. "Sadie, you're twenty-eight."

"Yeah, but I'm getting married. It all feels very adulty. I'm just waiting for you to decide you're too cool to hang out with me.

If anyone was uncool between the two of them, it was Libby. "Well, if it didn't happen when I was teenager, I think we're in the clear now."

Sadie laughed like she always did whenever Libby turned to sarcasm. Dry cynicism delighted her aunt almost as much as it irritated her mother.

At that moment, a group of Sadie's friends called out from the open door to the deck in voices that sounded like they were very much enjoying the mimosas this morning. Sadie looked toward them eagerly.

"Go," Libby urged. "Like you said, we'll talk later." Sometimes it was just easier to play into her aunt's love of drama.

Sadie grinned conspiratorially and slipped through the crowd of guests who seemed to part for her like water.

Libby took a steadying breath and walked herself down the buffet line, eyeing all the plastic with distaste. Plates, forks, tablecloths, monogrammed disposable water bottles... so much waste. Not to mention all the trees that went into making the bags and the ribbons and the tissue paper...but who cared about any of that, right? Sadie Darwin was getting married; the planet could step aside.