Lead & Follow

Step 5, Jazz

In-Between 5/5
Summer 5 | Step 5, Jazz

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You are cordially invited to the wedding of Jude Eckert and Scott Adams.

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To say that you're jazzed to receive this invitation in the mail one hot summer's day is an understatement. 

"What's got you so excited, sweetie?" your Ma asks with a gentle smile. You're currently visiting with her in a rare moment of free time, and shuffling through the mail addressed to you which somehow still ends up here by mistake sometimes. 

Mixed in with a bunch of random junk mail and notices that could have been an email had been a particularly fancy envelope with your name scrawled in elegant script. 

"Miranda's oldest brother is finally getting married!" you gush, and hand her the envelope's contents, a printed invitation against pretty stationary. "Looks like he was too lazy to ask Randy my new address, typical."

Like you, your mother reads over the invitation quickly. Her expression is pleasant, but somewhat retrospective. "My goodness! That's right, people your age are already getting married."

You know that it's not intended to be a needling gesture, but it feels like a shot to the heart, anyway.

You flinch, and sheepishly reply, "W-Well, he's older than me and Liz, you know."

"Oh!" she blinks, and digests your awkward reaction. "I know that, baby. I just can't believe how much time has passed. Seems like just yesterday teeny tiny you waltzed through the front door and declared that you were gonna marry the neighbor boy."

Her tone is light-hearted and somewhat nostalgic, and you flush at the memory. " Ma! I was like eight years old. I didn't know any better then."

"Sure, sure," she agrees in an amused timbre. "But you know, living with him and going on dates comes pretty–"

" Lani ! Aren't you the one always berating me for giving the girls a hard time?" your Mom interjects as she returns to the room with a tray of beverages for your small assemblage. 

Usually, you have Liz with you for parental visits to help diffuse all the good-natured ribbing, so on this day of one-on-one time with your folks you're grateful for your Mom's sudden intervention.

"You got me," Ma sighs overzealously as if she'd been caught in the midst of something truly egregious. "I just thought it might be a good segway into boy talk–you know, you're never too old to use me or your mother as a listening ear."

"First of all," you grumble, reaching forward to swipe a glass of iced coffee from your mother. "They weren't actually dates, and we room together because we're best friends ."

It's far from subtle when your moms share a pointed glance in response to your fervent dismissal, and you huff. "I'm serious!"

" Okay, " Mom relents, though the way she draws out the vowels makes it seem like she doesn't believe you. "What was the segway again?"

"Miranda's big brother is getting hitched," Ma supplies as she plucks a jar of iced tea from the platter. "Wedding talk always leaves me nostalgic, you know."

"Now there's an idea!" Mom exclaims with a devious grin. She takes the remaining beverage, a chilled cup of orange juice. "I know just the plus-one–"

" Moms! " you groan loudly, and you hop up from your seat abruptly. "I'm gonna go give Randy a call so you two can keep all your boy talk to yourselves and get it out of your system without me!"

"Oh, honey!" Ma pouts against the rim of her cool glass. The thin wedge of lemon attached barely conceals her pitiful expression. "You don't have to rush off! I promise we'll behave for the rest of your visit."

"Yeah!" your Mom snorts, and she slings an arm around your Ma affectionately. "We're more than capable of Holden ourselves accountable!"

" Mom!" you exclaim, pink faces and noticeably irate. "That's it! The next time I go somewhere cool with Cove, you two will be the last to know! Ugh!"

You're out on Poppy Hill and you're hoping the gentle ocean breeze which sweeps through the linen flowers tempers your fluster; you have a partially-consumed iced coffee nestled in your lap as you dial a familiar number.

"Hello?" Miranda greets. She's picked up in the third ring, and you're relieved to here her gentle, comforting voice after having to endure your parents teasing again.

" Randy! " you exclaim, barely containing your excitement. "I heard you're getting an extra brother!"

" I know! I know!" she squeals into the receiver. " I take it you got the invitation." 

"Yes!" you exclaim, equally stoked. "Though Jude mailed it to my folks' place instead."

" Oh, about that," she begins, and her tone takes on a more serious edge. " That was my doing. I figured you didn't want him knowing that you and Cove live together. It's bad enough that he assumes you're together every time you reunite."

You sigh into the phone, relieved to be in the company of such a considerate angel. "That's actually the best, thank you! You wouldn't believe how much grief my parents still give me about him too!"

" Oh, I believe it," she giggles. " Sometimes, of the four of us, I can't believe that it's me and Terry who got together."

Your gratitude evaporates like the ice in your poor glass, and you groan. "Et tu, Rand-e?"