Don't Need A Man

in which the best friend marries

-one month later-

"You get married tomorrow but we're getting his tuxedo and her dress today?"

London looks through rack after rack of little tuxedos before finding the one she wants, in the size I told her Basil is. The two kids look utterly bored in the David's Bridal but it has to be done since London has been procrastinating.

"Shut up, Rosemary. I've been very stressed. My parents refuse to pay for anything because of my aunt coming and Sidney stutters every time he speaks to my older brother who is walking me down the aisle. I can't think straight so sorry if I am an inconvenience to your perfect life."

She shoves the tuxedo into a dressing room and tells me to stay with Basil while she takes Prim to find the dress she wants. Basil comes out in the tuxedo looking like it was fitted just for him. His shoes are what we need next. After four pairs are tried on and we find a pair that look good with the tuxedo we head back to London and Primrose.

Primmy is in an A-Line, full length, princess style dress. She spins to see the skirt of the dress burst into what looks like a flower. She giggles and does it again and again.

"C'mon, let's get out of this place." Basil has never sounded so angry before and it's quite hilarious in my opinion.

London pays for the dress, and I for the tuxedo, before she announces she's dying from hunger and needs carbohydrates. Leave it to London White to demand carbohydrates on her prewedding night when any other bride would rather be hanged than even smell a french fry.

➖✖➖

"Inchy."

"You mean, itchy."

"Tat's what I says, Momma, inchy." I'm just going to let her win. Prim scratches, or at least tries to, her stomach and hips without anyone noticing. The entire ceremony she was wiggling around.

Basil dances the night away with one of Sidney's cousin's daughter. Prim picks at her sauteed green beans. She sticks her fork into the vegetable, smells it, scowls, and drops it again.

"Yuck!" She whines. "Chicken, gimme chicken."

"You had three pieces of chicken. Eat your vegetables or I'll tell London no cake for you." Her blue eyes widen at the threat. She hesitantly puts the stabbed green bean in her mouth. There are only five or so on her plate, but she's a drama queen and makes everything seem worse than it really is.

I watch her frown and chew, frown and chew, frown and chew. Finally she eats the last green bean and sips on her apple juice. I can tell from the way she's avoiding my eyes that she liked them. Stubborn baby, why can't she see that I know what's best?

The bride in white flops down on the chair beside me. "My Aunt Frieda is a freak. She gave me a book of sex positions and a pair of pink handcuffs!" The book and handcuffs are dropped on the table. London huffs. "I just wanna go honeymoon. But since I can't drink--."

I raise an eyebrow, a dirty thought in my head. "And why can't you drink, Missus London Grey?"

"I-Uh-What-Psh--Don't tell anyone!"

Suspicion confirmed: London is pregnant.

"You have my word."

She looks relieved, almost too relieved. "My mom thinks Sidney and I got engaged because of the baby, but we got engaged three months ago and I'm only a month along." She faces me again, the redness in her face dying down. "How about you? Any news about the insemination?"

I shrug and pile my plate on top of Prim's. The little girl skips off to annoy her brother. "I went in a couple days ago for the test, I should get a call any day now whether or not I'm pregnant."

London's skinny arms pull me into a hug. I'm happy for her and Sid, happy they're starting a family. I've always been jealous of the stereotypical family with a mom, a dad, two kids, a dog. I always wanted to give my kids a dad, maybe a dog, but giving them a dad that's active in their lives would make me miserable. It's selfish, I know that, but I can't stand the idea of having to turn to someone else on how to raise my children.

Basil and Prim come back to my table around ten o'clock at night. Both tired and danced out, not to mention coming down from their sugar high from the chocolate cake London served. Basil collapses on his chair. "Dead. I'm dead."

I scoop Prim into my arms. "Come, let's go say goodbye to London and Sidney and you can sleep in the car."

Sid pulls me into a hug first, kisses my cheek, and kisses the sleeping Primmy too. Him and Basil do some handshake and share a hug. London, however, pulls the three of us into a group hug, sobbing.

"I'll see you in two weeks, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll miss you."

"Not as much as I'll miss you."