A Nantucket Wedding(38)

“Here’s the doughnut, Luke,” Ingrid said, reaching into her bag and handing it toward the little boy.

Felicity intercepted it. “We’ll wait until he’s strapped into his car seat. Otherwise, you’ll have crumbs all over the floor. Luke, what do you say to Ingrid?”

“Thank you,” Luke said, not entirely convincingly because he didn’t have his hands on the doughnut yet.

Felicity did a one-arm pickup of Luke, tucked him onto her hip, and with the doughnut in the other hand, she headed back to the parking lot, smiling all the way.



* * *



—

    Alison had never spent much time with Poppy before, and in all honesty, she never wanted to. She understood that David’s daughter’s arrogance and hard edge came from being the vice president of a large company. Jane was like that herself, often. But Alison needed to talk this over with someone before she called Poppy and discussed wedding gowns. Her daughters were busy with their own lives, plus it seemed unfair to Poppy to keep talking to Jane and Felicity about Poppy, and David would think they were ganging up against Poppy, which maybe they kind of were…so she asked her best friend, Margo, to meet her at Boston’s Legal Sea Foods for lunch.

Over white wine and wild-caught salmon, she explained the situation. She knew Margo would laugh. During the thirty years of their friendship, they’d seen each other through divorces, deaths, and rebelling—Margo had called them revolting—teenagers. This, a disagreement about gowns for Alison’s third wedding, seemed trivial in comparison.

“But it’s not trivial,” Alison insisted. “I don’t need Poppy to love me, but I’d like to think we could like each other. She’s a grown woman, she has children and a high-powered career. I can’t understand why she’s making such fuss about the length of her gown.”

“You know what people say,” Margo told her. “It’s never about the gown.”

“Well, what does that mean?”

“Think about it. Maybe Poppy will never be friendly. You’re taking her mother’s place.”

“Her mother died—”

“Still. Before you, Poppy was the number one female in her father’s life. Now she’s pushed back to number two. And not only does she have to share her father with you, you’re bringing along two pretty daughters.”

Alison shook her head. “I thought when David said he’d have Heather take care of everything that I could handle an exciting wedding. But I’m doing things all out of order. Now I’ve got to deal with Poppy about the gown, and we haven’t even approached the subject of flower girls and their dresses.”

    “Well, there you are,” Margo said, lifting her hands. “Ask her about her daughter, if she’d like to be head flower girl and what the flower girls should wear. That will give her some control over the wedding, and she might be more reasonable about the gown.”

“Hm. But what will Felicity think about that?”

“Who’s the older of the two?”

“Daphne, Poppy’s daughter. She’s eight.”

“So there’s your reason—”

“But shouldn’t the bride get to choose the flower girls? Aren’t flower girls the bride’s attendants?”

“Well, right. But why not choose Daphne? That will make a kind of bridge between your family and David’s.”

“That’s an optimistic way to see it,” Alison said. “I’ll think about it.”



* * *



—

Poppy told Alison she was too busy for lunch, but if she could come to the Belmont park playground at five, Poppy would meet her there and they could talk while her children played.

Alison brought graham crackers and cartons of juice for everyone, and when Poppy said, “I’ll take those and give them to the kids later,” Alison smiled and let Poppy take them. She felt like a dog rolling over on her back, showing her vulnerable tummy.

They settled on a bench in the shade. For a few moments, they watched Daphne and Hunter run for the slides and monkey bars.

“Your children are adorable,” Alison said.

“Thanks.”

Alison dove right in. “I wanted to ask you, Poppy, whether you’d like to have Daphne be head flower girl for the wedding.”

Poppy didn’t gush or even smile. “Is that appropriate?”

“Appropriate?”

“Aren’t the flower girls part of the bride’s side?”

“Well, yes, I suppose, although I haven’t read a rule book. But you know, my wedding to David is more about a wonderful celebration. We can kind of throw the rule book away.” When Poppy didn’t respond, Alison continued, “And I’m hoping my grandchildren and David’s will become friends.”

    Still watching her children, Poppy said, “That depends on how my father changes his will.”

Alison straightened her back. “I don’t understand.”

“Dad’s told us he’s changing his will. He wants to be certain that you’re taken care of in case he dies before you.” Poppy snapped her head around to glare at Alison. “And of course he will die before you, it’s a statistical reality that men die before women.”