Chapter9
The day of Yolanda and JoJo’s wedding started out great. They’d gone out with a group of their girlfriends the night before, and after they slept in we made them a huge brunch. The mimosas, laughs, and conversation flowed, and the brides looked happy and relaxed.
They really wanted the hours leading up to the ceremony to be as calm and stress-free as possible, so after brunch Yolanda surprised not just JoJo but our entire household with a visit from a mobile spa. Lark was more excited about this than any of us.
The technicians set up their stations on the patio, and we all put on facemasks and took turns getting mani-pedis. Owen wanted to be a part of everything that was happening, so I let him splash in some water and then I rubbed lotion on his pudgy little feet, which he thought was hilarious. After that, the brides enjoyed a couples massage while the rest of us went back inside.
The cake and flowers had already been delivered by that point, and the caterers were planning to arrive in the late afternoon to get set up for that night’s dinner buffet. We’d all been helping clean and get everything ready for days, to make sure we didn’t have to scramble at the last minute. That meant all we really had to do for the next few hours was hang out and make sure the brides didn’t need anything.
Around three, I answered a knock and was surprised to find Lucky on the porch, holding two pink bakery boxes. “Hi! What a nice surprise,” I said, as I stepped back and held the door open. “Come in.”
He handed me the boxes on the way in and kissed my cheek before saying, “I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop off some snacks. I thought things might be hectic over here, so maybe you wouldn’t have a chance to eat. There are savory tarts and mini sandwiches in the bigger box. I got a bunch of cookies too, because they looked delicious.”
“You went to Mr. Chen’s! I love that place.”
“I remember. I was visiting my friend Ana-Sophia at the diner and thought of you when I saw it across the street.”
“Thanks, that was really thoughtful.”
He followed me into the living room, where Owen was playing with blocks and Lark and Dylan were cuddling. After everyone exchanged greetings, Lucky said, “It’s so calm. I expected chaos.”
“Yeah, everything’s totally under control,” I said. “The brides finished getting massages a little while ago and are relaxing in their room with a bottle of champagne. The rest of us are just hanging out. We probably have a couple of hours until things start getting busy.”
As soon as Owen saw Lucky, he raced over and grabbed the leg of his jeans. “Hey there, buddy,” Lucky said with a smile, as he picked him up.
Lucky had brought enough food for twenty people. We all moved into the kitchen and grabbed some plates, and I cut up half an egg and cheese tart for the baby and put him in his high chair. Then I texted the rest of my housemates to let them know about the snacks, and Eliot and Kel came downstairs and joined us.
A few minutes later, as we sat around the table eating and chatting, Lark whipped his head around and asked, “Does anybody else hear that?”
A tapping sound was faint but getting louder. I looked out the window at the sudden downpour and blurted, “How is it raining? The forecast said there was only a ten percent chance of rain today, and it was barely overcast when we were out on the patio!”
Dylan checked the weather app on his phone and frowned. “Yesterday’s ten percent chance was upgraded to a hundred percent through ten o’clock tonight. This is definitely a problem.”
Lucky asked, “Can the wedding be moved into the living room?”
I shook my head and explained, “It might still work for the reception, because the guests could spread out all over the house. But there’s no way sixty people would fit comfortably into one room for the ceremony, even if we took out the furniture.”
My optimistic brother said, “Okay, so the rain isn’t ideal. But it could be worse, right?”
A moment later, there was a faint boom somewhere in the distance, and the lights went out. I picked up Owen automatically, even though he seemed oblivious to the fact that it was suddenly much darker, and Lark exclaimed, “I cursed Yo-Jo’s wedding day by saying things could be worse!”
I muttered, mostly to myself, “Maybe lightning hit a transformer or something. I wonder if it’s city-wide.”
The pink Victorian wasn’t exactly brightly lit at the best of times. That was the thing about being hemmed in on both sides by other houses—there were only windows front and back, and with overcast skies, they weren’t letting in very much light. “We need to find some candles or something,” I said. “It’s depressing in here, and that’s the last thing Yolanda and JoJo need.”
Eliot told us, “There are some battery-operated lanterns in the garage,” and he and Kel went to get them while Lark turned on the light on his phone.
The brides joined us a minute later. They were holding hands and dressed in bathrobes, and JoJo’s blonde hair was up in curlers. As she dropped onto a kitchen chair, JoJo said, “Well, shit.”
While we tried to come up with some ideas on how to salvage the wedding ceremony, Lucky messaged someone. Once he got a reply, he turned to the couple and said, “I’m sorry all of this is happening on your wedding day. But if it keeps raining and the power doesn’t come back in time for the ceremony, I might have a solution.” He pulled up a photo on his phone and showed it to the couple as he asked, “Would you like to get married here? I just checked with a friend of mine, and the power’s still on in that part of town. Also, this house has a huge, empty room on the top floor, so you’d have plenty of space for your guests.”
I leaned over to take a look and recognized his landlord’s Spanish-style mansion. “It’s beautiful,” Yolanda said. Then she brushed her fingers across JoJo’s cheek as she asked her, “What do you think?”
“I think I need a glass of wine. Other than that, I have no idea what to do here.”
As Yolanda grabbed a bottle and some glasses, Dylan got up and said, “We’ll let you two talk in private. Let us know what you decide, and all of us will help make it happen.”
On the way back to the living room, I told Lucky, “That’s a great idea, but before the brides get their hopes up, shouldn’t you check with your landlord to make sure this is okay with him? I assume you offered because he’s out of town and you’re still housesitting, but he might not want a bunch of people in his home.”