“It feels real now,” I told him, wiping my face and laughing at the same time. “It feels earned.”
Everyone seemed excited! Texts came in, calls followed, and people made plans. Everyone, that is, except for my sister, Lola.
Lola had always been complicated. She was two years younger than me, beautiful in a sharp, striking way, and convinced the world owed her something extra just for existing. Growing up, she took up a lot of space. If I got praise, she demanded more. If I achieved something quietly, she found a way to redirect the attention to herself. “Did you hear what happened to me today?” was her favorite line.
I learned early that peace with Lola usually meant giving in. “Just let her have this,” my mom would whisper. “It’s easier.”
So when Lola called me after realizing our wedding date was this month, I should have known it wouldn’t be simple. She literally said nothing for a whole year and only spoke up at the last second. That’s the kind of sister I have. I remember seeing her name light up my phone and thinking, Please just say congratulations. Just once. Instead, the moment I answered, she exploded.
“What?!” she shouted, before I even said hello. “But I’m supposed to celebrate MY WEDDING this month! How could you do this?”
I was stunned. I sat there, phone pressed to my ear, staring at the wall. “What wedding? Lola, you’ve never said anything about getting married.”
She scoffed. “That’s because you never listen to me.”
I ran through my memory. Lola had never announced an engagement. There was no fiancé or ring, and my sister had spent years saying marriage was outdated and unnecessary.
“You always said you didn’t even need marriage,” I said carefully.
