We're Not Related Anymore...

Distance

Maddie: Present Day

Mom and I head down to meet with all those who've arrived. Everyone's huddled down in the lobby looking all dressed up for the day. I look around, trying to spot Jacob. I'm still holding one of my yellow daisies. I let it droop in my hands when I don't see him.

"Hey, everyone," my mom announces loudly as we join the guests. I can see my brother, his fiance, a few of her friends, and the twins. "Isn't this so exciting!"

I move over to my brother, plastering a smile on my face. "Hey, Josh."

"Hey, Maddie," he says and he looks down at his feet.

"So... how do you feel? In less than forty-eight hours, you'll be a married man. How cool is that?"

"So cool," he murmurs and it takes everything in me not to reach out and shake him. I'm really trying right now and it's like scraping my nails against a chalkboard. Well, if he isn't going to try and exchange pleasantries with me, I'm just going to get straight to the point.

"Where's the best man?" I ask and that gets his attention.

He snorts. "Well, subtle. He got a call about a really important internship or something."

"He won't miss the wedding, will he?" I ask, folding my hands behind my back nervously. Why is it the one time I desperately want to see him, he's gone?

"No, it's just an interview. He should be back by tomorrow." Hope sparks back up in my chest. I turn away from him, hoping he can't see the delight on my face. Play it cool, for f's sake. "Why do you want to see him so bad?"

"No reason... just wondering why an important member of the wedding party isn't here."

"So this has nothing do to with the fact that he saw you in L.A. a few weeks ago?" he asks, looking bored.

I perk up. "You know about that?"

"Yeah, he told me. He told everyone. And when Lilian got upset about it, he told her to keep her unwanted opinions to herself."

"Really?" But before Josh can answer in the affirmative, I see my mom clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. She's standing near Shelley and I almost want to laugh when I realize they're wearing the exact same pair of ripped jeans. Shelley is looking at my mom like she can't decide whether it's cool or if she wants to run to her hotel room and burn the ones she's wearing.

"As much as mamma loves standing around catching up, I'd really love to know what the plans are for today."

"Please don't do a Southern accent," Josh and I beg at the same time.

Betty purses her lips at my mother. "Didn't you get the itinerary I sent?"

"There's an itinerary?" My mom says, her lips curling in disgust. She's more of a spontaneous kind of person.

"We're just going out to eat while Betty and her bridesmaids go for the final fitting," Josh says, looking between our mom and his fiance.

"Mm," Betty says. "We'll be out most of the day so I won't get to see much of you guys. But you have fun with the lunch!"

"Ok, well, you have fun too," my mom says and when they don't immediately leave, my mom turns to me with a panicky expression. The group of us down here is such a hodgepodge. Half of us don't know each other, and the other half don't like each other.

"Er... hi, Betty," I say and regret my words the moment she turns her false cheer on me. Why do I suddenly want to be a peacemaker and be the one to make conversation to kill the weird silence?