Untie the Knot

Chapter 1

"Engaged?" I stare at my mother as if she had just grown two more heads. "Again? Aren't you getting too old for this?"

"One is never too old to find real love, honey." My mum gives me a pitying look before turning back to the mirror on her vanity. "Although, I'm starting to be a bit worried about you. When I was your age, I was already through my first divorce."

The way she talks about her failed relationships as if they were trophies makes me cringe.

"Mum, I'm only twenty-three, and I'm not interested in getting married any time soon." I peek at my watch. I'm already running late for my coffee date with Lucy.

"You just haven't found the right one, sweetie-pie," she says, applying a bit more mascara than necessary. "I know that this time, I have."

"That's what you said the other three times, too." I roll my eyes, knowing that while Mum is busy with her makeup, she won't notice.

"I'm only human. I make mistakes too." She lets her mascara brush sink and turns around. Her thick brown hair is tied into a sleek bun and beneath the too many layers of makeup, there appears to be a smile somewhere. "The wedding will be in three weeks, and I'd love for you to be there. You can bring a friend too."

I open my mouth to say something, but she cuts me off. "No, and I don't mean your friend Lucy. I already invited her and her boyfriend, Dave. Such a sweet guy, and successful too. I hear that he is going to take over his father's law firm soon." She throws her perfectly manicured fingernails an assessing glance. I swear it's a shade of red I've never seen before, and I've got a hunch that she's got a matching purse and shoes somewhere.

"You don't have to—"

"Just try to bring a guy with you for once and don't scare him away with your unconventional views."

"Mum, it's your wedding, not my engagement party. If you want me to be there, then you'll just have to accept that I'll show up on my own. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need a guy to watch out for me." I really don't want to hear the same old litany again.

Ever since I've turned eighteen, she's been trying to push me into the haven of holy matrimony, and I've been busy fending off her insistent matchmaking skills. A job and a place to stay are all I need, and I have both, even if my flat is tiny and my salary just enough for me to get by. My only dream is to one day run the most wholesome flower shop in town, a place where people come not just to buy flowers, but rather to select their new leafy companions while sipping coffee and browsing through a selection of scented candles and fairy lights. But at the pace I'm going, I might have to push back this idea to my next life. Saving money for an upcoming business isn't exactly easy when everyday expenses are eating up everything like a hungry monster.

Mum raises an elegantly plucked eyebrow, the left side of her face doing a weird upward motion. "Fine." She sighs dramatically. "Always the stubborn one. I don't know from whom you got that, certainly not me."

"How should I know? You have never told me who's my dad, so I can only assume I got it from you." I have a hard time keeping the ice from my voice. Right now, I really don't want to go to that dark and empty place inside my heart.

"Penny, I told you I was dating several guys at the time of your conception. I was a bit of a wild one back then."

"Mum, I really don't need to hear this again." I pinch the bridge of my nose and check my watch. Envisioning my mum's escapades in her wannabe-hippie times isn't on the top list of my priorities. "Listen, I need to go now. Lucy is probably already waiting for me." I pull up my hoodie and glance at my jeans and faded trainers, both of which have definitely seen better times. It might be time to ask Bessie for a raise, if I can work up the courage to do so. Last time didn't go so well.