A week sounds about right.
“How about that tour?” Mom asks.
“Follow me,” Mason invites, crooking his arm. “I’ll grab the rest of Amie’s things afterwards.”
“I’m gonna set up my new phone,” I mumble, sitting down on the couch with the wine glass, my new phone, and my old one. “Not that anyone is listening to me these days, so not sure why I’m bothering to even say anything.”
I pull my legs under myself and watch Mom pass Mason a mug, take her own, and then the two of them go upstairs together, wearing conspirator smiles.
***
I’ve skimmed all recent text messages and listened to all the voicemails on the old phone, including skipping and deleting some Sheila messages, rolling my eyes at the passive-aggressive older Carla messages that fake-inquire about my wellbeing while reminding me Sheila needs answers on this or that. Then I listen to a voicemail from Gloria, Rick’s sister, asking me to please call her. She left that message after my wedding cancelation announcement.
I bite my lip as I delete her message.
Besides his sweet grandmother, Rick’s sister has been my favorite Bullock family member since Grampa Bullock died, though I haven’t seen Gloria since their grandfather’s funeral, which was before we got engaged as she and her wife live in England where they have their jewelry business. But she’s one of my bridesmaids so she’s on the group chat. I feel bad for ignoring her, that she rearranged her busy schedule to be here next week, but it’s probably best to make a clean break from that family.
I only program Mom and Ivy into my new phone for now and send Ivy a text message with my new number from the old phone as Mason and Mom go downstairs to the bottom level. He’s already toured the top two levels and this one while I ignored them and after the basement, he’ll undoubtedly take her to his fabulous private beach and dock.
I’m about to turn the phone off and take the sim card out, thinking I can add my other contacts to the new phone after I’ve detoxed from this situation. But my phone announces that Gloria is video calling me. I hit the command that declines.
But I don’t hit it properly I guess, because suddenly Gloria’s face is on my screen. Fuck. My life!
She exclaims, “Oh God. Whoops! I didn’t mean to video call you.”
She’s wide-eyed, trying to smooth her hair with her free hand. She has her reading glasses on, and it looks like she’s in bed. She lives in England, so it’s got to be late over there.
“Well, I didn’t mean to answer, if I’m honest. I’m not trying to be a bitch, Gloria, but it’s all a bit soon for me to talk to anybody.”
She waves her hand and then she’s on the move, going to a different room. “This is me, here. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
I don’t get the chance to answer before she adds, “What did he do?”
I blink hard, surprised. We are sort of friends, but not really, considering I’ve only met her a handful of times and mostly because she’s his sister.
“Or are you just so determined to not join this crazy family. I wouldn’t blame you.” She rolls her eyes. “If it wasn’t him, it was her that turned you off, am I right?”
“Her?”
“My mother.” She rolls her eyes. “I know how hard you’ve tried to be kind. You’re both type A personalities, too, but she’s just… ridiculous.”
“It just wasn’t going to work out,” I tell her. “The whole thing was a big ball of stress and things happened that… that I don’t really want to get into. I’m just taking time to decompress. I’ll send the ring back, I know it’s no longer mine to keep and since you designed it, I’m sure you’ll want to-”
“I designed it?” She points to herself.
“Yeah,” I say unsteadily. “Rick told me you designed the engagement ring for me.”
Her head jerks back. “For you?”
“Are you saying you didn’t?”
“I made a ring for… wait. Show me?”
I stare at my naked finger. “I’m not wearing it right now. It’s … uh… not where I can get to it right now, but…”
I really need to find that ring. I’m dumbfounded at her reaction. I never said anything to her about the ring. Rick told me he told her I loved it, but I haven’t seen her since we got engaged, only had a few text conversations including one I was sure would be uncomfortable when Carla insisted I invite Gloria to be a bridesmaid. Gloria has never made me feel uncomfortable, though.
“Describe it,” she demands, and her eyes have gone razor sharp.
“Uh, it’s got a very large diamond. It’s shaped sort of… marquise cut I guess, I’m not a jewel expert so that might not be right, but it has blue sapphires on the sides…”