Lucky Charm (10 page)

“
I don't want to drag it out for too long
. T
he sooner we tell them, the sooner it will be over. I bet Meredith is going to be most upset
. S
he's put so much energy into this wedding. She even offered to bake the cake.
”

“
Oh, no! I completely forgot. I swear I'm losing my mind these days!
”

“
What's wrong, Mom?
”

“
Meredith was supposed to come over today
. S
he was all excited about this new recipe for your wedding cake. She's supposed to be over at three.
”
Mrs. Green looked up at the clock on the wall
. I
t was a quarter to three. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

“
And
,
of course
,
she's early
. S
he's always early.
”
Mrs. Green threw her hands up in desperation.
“
Annabel, go hide in your old room, and I'll tell her that something has come up.
”

Annabel felt herself smile for the first time since last night
. T
he situation was starting to resemble a family sitcom.

“
It's
okay
, Mom. Don't panic
.
I think I can handle Meredith.
”

“
Are you sure? Just say the word
,
and I'll get rid of her.
”

“
Positive.
”

Her back perfectly straight, Mrs. Green marched to the front door. From the kitchen
,
Annabel could hear her mother exchanging pleasantries with Meredith.
Breathe
, she thought
.
H
ow bad could this be?
Of all people
,
Meredith was bound to understand her
. B
y now she probably wished she had called off her own wedding to Doug all those years ago.

“
Annabel! What a surprise!
”
Meredith ambled into the kitchen. She was carrying a huge parcel that obscured her face from view almost entirely.
“
Where should I put the cake, Aunt Jane?
”

“
On the counter is fine.
”

“
It might not fit over there,
”
Meredith objected
.
“I
wouldn't want my masterpiece to tumble on the floor!
”
Meredith carefully placed the bundle on the kitchen table.
“
Just wait till you see it, Annabel
. Y
ou will be blown away.
”

“
Meredith, just wait a minute...
”
But before Mrs. Green could finish her sentence, Meredith took off the package cover with a flare, akin to a magician introducing a circus trick.
             
“
It’s vanilla cake with butter cream and pistachio marzipan,
”
Meredith announced proudly.

The cake was indeed magnificent
. It was
a three-tiered concoction of white cream with a delicate trim of pale-green pistachio marzipan. On top there was a tiny sculpture of
a
Precious Moments couple dressed as
a
bride and groom.

“
I could always change the top ornament to something more traditional,
”
Meredith added hurriedly.

“
Meredith, I think you're getting ahead of things,
”
Mrs. Green began.

“
It's
okay
, Mom,
”
Annabel cut in.

“
Of course
,
you don't have to decide right now,
”
Meredith added chirpily, oblivious to the heavy tension that filled the kitchen.
“
I understand that it's a big decision, but I just wanted you to have another option to consider. How about we have a taste right now?
”
Meredith offered.

“
Meredith, it's a beautiful cake,
”
Annabel started, her voice shaky despite her resolve to stay calm
. T
he sight of the wedding cake reminded her of the day she went shopping with Meredith
. I
t was only a few day
s
ago
,
and she and Jeremy had still been together then, but now it seemed like centuries ago.
“
There won’t be a wedding.
”

“
What? Did I hear you right?
”
Meredith's flailed her arms
,
akin to a ruffled hen.

“
Yes, you heard me right.
”
Annabel did her best to contain a sigh.
“
Jeremy and I broke up.
”

“
When did this happen?
”

“
Last night.
”

“
Well, why? The two of you have been together for so long!
”

“
Look, Meredith, now is probably not the best time to rehash this,” Mrs. Green cut in as she placed her hand on Meredith's shoulder. “Suffice it to say, Annabel had a change of heart
. S
he has her reasons for it
.”

“
What kind of reasons? You can't just go off cancelling a wedding on a whim! Not after we made all these preparations! The caterers, the florist, not to mention the reception hall and the cake!
”
Meredith looked to be on the verge of tears, as though it were her own and not Annabel's wedding that was being cancelled.

“
Irreconcilable differences, Meredith,
”
Mrs. Green voice grew firmer.
“
Annabel doesn't feel like Jeremy is the right person for her to spend the rest of her life with.
”

“
Well, when did she decide on that?
”
Meredith demanded, as though Annabel were not in the room.
“
Why did she suddenly realize it yesterday out of the blue?
”

“
Because I saw him kissing his agent,
”
Annabel blurted the words out before she could come up with a more discreet reason.

“
Are you sure?
”

“
Yes, Meredith
.
I sa
w the two of them going at it
in a sidewalk cafe.
”
Reliving the memory, Annabel felt the tears welling up again.
“
They were kissing and laughing and having a great time — the kind of time we no longer have together.
”

“
Well, did you talk to Jeremy about it? Was it just a one-time thing or has it been going on for a while? Do you know if it's serious?
”
Meredith took a seat in one of the kitchen chairs, gearing up to impart advice
. A
fter all,
a
husband
’s
infidelity was her expertise.

“
What difference does it make if it's serious or not? And yes, it's been going on for a while.
”

“
You know, no relationship is beyond saving,
”
Meredith announced authoritatively.
“
Did you think about trying couples therapy? Maybe he's just getting pre-wedding jitters
. T
here's no need to call off the wedding because of a small fling.
”

Annabel struggled hard to keep a smirk off her face
. I
n her opinion
“
pre-wedding jitters
”
was too strong a euphemism for Jeremy's shoving his tongue down Athena's throat.
“I sho
ved his clothes into garbage bags and threw him out of the apartment
.
I think it's too late for couples
’
therapy, Meredith. Anyway, it's done with and over. Now, can we please change the subject?
”

“
And what on earth possessed you to do that? You just made it easier for the other woman
. N
ow, he is all hers. It's clear that Jeremy was not ready to leave you
. H
e was not the one to break things off, was he? And now you've made the decision for him.
”

“
Now, Meredith,
”
Mrs. Green interrupted,
“
I think you're taking this too much to heart
.
R
emember, this is Annabel's decision, not yours.
”

“
Yes, it certainly is. I guess she likes the idea of spending the rest of her life as a spinster.
”

“
Better a spinster than
the
wife of a cheating husband,
”
Annabel snapped.

Meredith gasped, her face growing red.

Immediately, Annabel regretted her words
. S
he knew how hurtful they were, but then so was Meredith's
“
spinster.
”

“
Meredith, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I don't know what came over me
.”
Annabel tried to reconcile, but Meredith was already getting up from her chair
.

“
Meredith, I understand that you’re upset, but there’s no need to overreact. Annabel is certainly in no danger of becoming a
‘
spinster’. Personally, I thought this word was long out of use
.
I'm surprised to see that you're so much more old-fashioned than your aunt here
,”
Mrs. Green attempted to lighten the tension.
“
Well, the wedding is off, but there's no reason why we still can't enjoy this wonderful cake that you made
. S
hould I put the kettle on?
”

“
Frankly, Aunt Jane, I don't see any reason for having cake
. I
t is clear to me that I'm not wanted here, so I'll be going, and I'll be taking the cake with me, if you don't mind. There is a cake show that I'm scheduled to be at tomorrow, and I'd much rather take my masterpiece there.
”
Meredith shot Annabel a loaded look.
“
Goodbye, Aunt Jane.
”
Meredith hastily put the cover on her cake
,
and with a martyr expression on her face, walked out the kitchen door.

“
I'll be right back,
”
Mrs. Green murmured as she hurried to see Meredith out.

“
I trust you will relay the news to the rest of the family, Aunt Jane,
”
Annabel heard Meredith's chilly words echo from the hallway.
“
I certainly would not want to be implicated in any of this. I still think that Annabel is making a huge mistake, and despite the way she acted, I want you to know that I'm still willing to help.
”

“
Goodbye, Meredith.
”

Annabel heard the sound of the front door snapping shut,

“
Boy, that girl's got some nerve!
”
exclaimed Mrs. Green once she was back in the kitchen.
“
I should have turned her out right when she showed up with that ridiculous-looking cake. Who wants to have Precious Moments figurines on their cake – it’s so cheesy!”

“
When we went looking for invitations, the other day, there was a card with
a
Precious Moments couple dressed as
a
bride and groom
. I
t looked so adorable!
”
Before she knew it, Annabel was sobbing again.

“
I shouldn't have let Meredith come in
. I
t would have been better if you had listened and hid
den
in your room instead.
”
Mrs. Green placed her arm around Annabel's shoulder.