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Chapter 24
SETH
WhenRacheltoldme we were all going to her mother’s wedding, I didn’t believe her. I thought the whole “kicking Sarah out of the hospital room because she was being an unsupportive bitch” thing was a good enough excuse not to go. So when Rachel told me a month ago that she was going to let bygones be bygones, I thought: Fine. Her mom being the person she is, she will do something to fuck everything up, and then we won’t have to go.
Unfortunately, that did not happen. Rachel didn’t speak much to her mother. Nothing bad has happened since she talked with her mom on the phone. Which is a good thing! I wouldn’t wish ill will on Rachel or Sarah. Well…maybe Sarah, since she did try to convince Rachel to give my daughter up for adoption.
So the fact that we are here, in New York, after everything that has happened, has me wondering: What the hell is up with karma? Is it on vacation? Is it taking a nap? Shouldn’t Sarah be getting some sort of karma for being so cruel to Rachel? I mean, why does Rachel have to go through all this? Why did I have to go out of my way to pack a reasonable suit and spend five hours searching for the perfect burgundy tie?
And how is burgundy different from red?
Flying with an almost six-month-old is no easy task. Sure, it’s only a few hours in the air, so one would assume Maria would be napping the whole way.
Well, everyone would assume wrong. Poor Maria hated flying. She didn’t like the beginning, middle, or end. I think the pressure hurt her ears. And her screaming definitely hurt mine. I tried to calm her down to the best of my ability. I sang her songs, bounced her, and cradled her, but nothing worked. And the mean looks from the other fliers definitely didn’t help.
Now we’re at JFK, waiting for the hotel shuttle, surrounded by our suitcases, looking like we’ve all been hiking Mount Everest for the past six hours rather than flying. Rachel’s eyes are swollen from crying. She was trying to put on a brave face through it all, but unfortunately, it got to be a bit much for her. And the poor woman felt so guilty for flying with Maria. She actually blamed herself, thinking she was the one harming Maria, when it was no one’s fault.
Alex wavers on his feet, looking like he’s about to pass out. He sat next to me the whole flight, trying desperately to help and failing miserably. Hunter looks pretty much over it. He’s holding Maria, who is much happier now and tugging on his hair. I think Hunter is so out of it he doesn’t even notice. Lucas looks annoyed.
“Where the fuck is the shuttle?” Lucas grumbles while looking at his phone.
I raise an eyebrow. “I thought we weren’t swearing in front of Maria.”
Lucas casts me a dark look. “I think after all we’ve been through, a little swearing here and there is a must.”
I chuckle and shake my head. Rachel perks up. “There it is!” she shouts while pointing at a small, white, bus-looking vehicle heading our way.
It parks in front of us, the doors sliding open. A thin man who looks about eighteen hops on out and asks cheerfully, “Are you the Rachel Miller group?”
“Yes,” Hunter says gruffly, already making a move toward the suitcases.
“Oh! I got those,” says the man, his voice grating to my ears. “Go ahead and grab a seat and we’ll be on the way.”
We let Rachel enter first, followed by Hunter, who sits next to her in the back. I sit in front of Rachel. Alex grabs a seat next to me while Lucas takes the last seat in the back next to Hunter.
“Oh, this hotel better be nice,” I groan.
“What will you do if it’s not?” Alex asks teasingly. He takes my hand into his and gives it a gentle squeeze. For once, I don’t look around. I think I’m getting better at this whole boyfriend thing. Or maybe I’m too tired to care.
“It’ll be nice,” Lucas grumbles.
“How do you know?” I ask
Lucas rolls his eyes. “Because I looked at the pictures. The foyer has a chandelier. And, even if it wasn’t nice, our room is a giant suite with a small dining room if we decide we hate everyone at the reception.”
Rachel groans and Lucas grimaces. I see the instant regret in Lucas’s gaze. I watch him grab her hand across Hunter. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
“It’s fine,” Rachel says, her voice unusually quiet. “This will definitely be…weird.” Her frown deepens as she stares out the window. “I’m honestly shocked I’m going.”
“Well, that makes two of us,” I say as pleasantly as I can muster.
“Three,” Alex adds.“Four,” Lucas says.
Hunter nods and cradles Maria closer to him.
“I’m kinda wishing I canceled now,” Rachel says with a chuckle. “It probably would have been believable to say we all came down with the flu.”
“We still could,” I pipe up. “Or food poisoning. We all ate sushi and got food poisoning.”
