Where we rest
I was literally drowning in my own things. I certainly knew I had a huge wardrobe, but not this much!
— Just pick something! — Ella yelled at me, as she too was trying to sort through the pile of my clothes. We were speaking in Ukrainian, and Sara, who was standing nearby, was shifting her gaze from me to Ella and back, not understanding anything.
— Easy for you to say, we helped you and Nick.
— This is a wedding, not a red carpet, — my friend continued, and I just clicked my tongue at her.
— Is there really a difference, apart from the occasion? People come in lavish outfits, take photos, spend time together, drink, eat, pay attention to some event, and then go home. And does it really matter if that event is a wedding or an awards ceremony? — Just pick something and that’s it. We have a flight in the morning, — Ella reminded me tiredly. After half an hour, I finally emerged with an appropriate dress in my hands. An ivory satin, almost heart-shaped neckline, hang-down straps, and a thin sheer material at the bottom of the skirt for an airy look. I even knew that my almost white pointy-toed and open-heeled shoes would perfectly match.
— You're going to outshine the bride, — Ella warned me.
— Only if you don’t do it first, — I smiled back at her. — Sara, what did you pick, show us already.
— Oh! Yes! — the girl dragged a garment bag from the hallway and pulled out a dark green knee-length dress with feathers and ruffles around the neckline and I was almost sure I had seen this dress at one of the latest fashion shows.
— Looks like we've got a competitor! — I turned to Ella.
She nodded enthusiastically.
— We all look fabulous, — Sara waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes.
— My suitcase won't close! — I declared, raising my hands in surrender.
— Let me get that, — Sara said. With a single motion, she closed the suitcase that I had struggled with for almost twenty minutes. — Voila! No need to thank me!
— Thank you, — I replied in disbelief.
I felt like I had stuffed a brick in there, as I nearly died dragging my luggage into the hallway. Lilia (I hope you haven't forgotten about Lilia De Ville) asked us to arrive early because she and Philip had rented the estate for the wedding for a whole week.
— It’s a pity our seats on the plane are far from the guys, — Elizabeth noted, — it's so sweet that they invited us, — she had been almost dreaming about this wedding from the start, attributing everything to how much she admired Philip and Lilia, but we all knew she was really daydreaming about Nick.
— It wasn't them that invited me and Sara, — I cut in.
Ella couldn't argue with that. A week ago Lilia texted me and asked if she could call. She invited me to the wedding and assured me that she and Philip would handle everything, from the flight tickets to dining. This seemed a bit odd to me since we had only met once, and I had the thought that perhaps Leo was behind all this. Still, I gladly agreed, I liked Lilia. She and her husband made an incredible impression of a genuinely happy couple. The very next day, Nick invited Ella to the wedding as his +1, and Sara received an invitation from Leo's and Philip's parents as a family friend. That's how it led to Leo granting me and Ella a little vacation a week ago (it sure is convenient to have a boss you’re on good terms with), so that on Thursday, we could gather our things together at each other's houses in turn. We firmly decided we would go together, and since it was closest to the airport from my place, Sara and Ella brought their suitcases to my home.
We only finished packing by the evening. Now, we could sit down and calmly discuss all our plans and anticipations over a cup of fruit tea that I had bought the day before.
— By the way, my parents will also be at the wedding, — Sara had a very good relationship with her parents, and I had enjoyed how easily they could discuss various topics.
Every spring, her parents invited me and Ella for a picnic lunch in the open air. Those meetings were very rich and warm, it felt like the world itself understood what I truly lacked.
— Oh! You mentioned your parents, and I remembered something. Delly, my mother says hi to you. She’s coming for Christmas!
— That’s great, — I truly tried to squeeze a smile out of myself. No, don’t get me wrong, I love Ella's mom, she is a very charismatic woman, that’s where her daughter got it from. But I struggled with the fact that I no longer had such warm relationships with my own parents. But Ella’s mom supported her in everything and supported me too, making her seem like my second mother.
— Delly, I didn’t mean to touch a nerve, I’m sorry, — Ella pulled me into a hug.
— No, it’s all good. Besides, I plan to visit the US after I graduate.
— As always, our Delly, planning everything a year ahead!
Sara waited a moment and then asked:
— Do you want to sleep? — we shook our heads in disagreement. And then she quickly grabbed the remote and turned on “Harry Potter.” Ella groaned, but Sara and I just laughed: we adored “Harry Potter.”