My mouth drops open, and I can’t help but smile, seeing the way she’s pulled my fine, limp hair back—just enough—to give it an elegant look. I’m afraid to move.
“Oh my gosh! It’s perfect! But is it going to get messed up?”
“Every window in this trailer is open for a reason, love. I only used an entire bottle of hairspray. There’s no moving that. Not for nothing. Go ahead, shake your head and try it.”
Reluctantly, I do as she says, but am pleased to find Pam is a pro. My hair doesn’t move at all. “Pam, this is art!”
“Why thank you! I try. Okay, so we can do this and add a calla lily to it. It’ll be perfect. You’re going to be a beautiful bride. Austin’s very lucky.”
I stand to give Pam a hug. “Thank you. Really.”
I wish my grandmother could see it. I know she’d be pleased. It reminds of how she wore her hair without even trying. Blessed with natural curls that eventually turned a snowy white, Grandma would get ready for any occasion in under ten minutes. She said it was a woman’s right to be fussy, but also a waste of time.
“Any time. I’m so excited for the wedding. I’m going shopping this weekend to find the perfect dress. Might bring my new friend along too…”
“Yes. I think it will be a really fun time. Low key. Casual. Honestly, though, I think I’m most excited to finally see Austin. Four months seems like a really long time.”
“I don’t blame you on that one bit! He’s going to be so excited. Ya’ll make such a sweet couple. Even back in middle school. It was just so obvious. Meant to be, I guess.”
“Yeah. I’m really lucky.”
I say my goodbyes to Pam, thanking her again and reminding her not to spend too much on a dress.
“Don’t be a stranger, Callie! Come visit again soon. And give Maggie my best.”
“Will do.”
2
Esmeralda—Es for short—Boswell is a psychic. She’s been doing readings for as long as I can remember. For years, she did them out of her trailer to raise money for her daddy, who had Alzheimer’s. Seasonal residents or week-long guests paid her a fortune, literally, to hear what Es saw in her magic crystal ball. I’ve missed her.
Es moved out of Happy Endings for a bit, but has finally returned. I’ve waited more than six weeks for this reading; a gift from Maggie. I tell my stomach to knock it off as I wait for Es to return to her living room with cards. Out her trailer window, I spot Willow, a woman in her seventies—at least—walking her dog. Her fluorescent jogging suit and spray tan remind me of something out of the 80s movie Flashdance. I slide to the edge of the couch to get a better look at her. Didn’t she already run this morning? She’s practically jogging. Why can’t Drake walk her dog? And who wears all those bracelets to exercise? One of a kind, that’s for sure. I want to be like her someday. Or, no. All that exercise seems like a lot of work. No wonder she’s so darn skinny. I rub my temples, wishing Es would just start the reading. I feel a headache coming on.
“Relax, love. This is supposed to be fun!” she says, appearing from behind a metallic china cabinet, sitting across from me, and resting her hand over mine.
“Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”
“Well, you have big things ahead! This isn’t like when you were a kid,” she says. “How are wedding plans going, anyway?”
“Great! I’m waiting for my dress to come back. They needed to take it in. And Julie and I are working on favors. I just need to get the invitations printed and check in with Brandon and Jason about the trellis. So, things are progressing. I just wish Austin was here.”
“Oh, I’m sure! When is he back?”
“Two months. He’s home a week before the wedding. He reckons it’ll be enough time. Not so sure about that, but you know Austin. He’s a guy…”
Es fidgets with the cards, sucking on her bottom lip and mumbling. I almost expect her to break into a chant and wonder why Maggie was so insistent I did this. It felt way different as a kid—more magical or something. Maybe I don’t want to know what the future holds. She probably can’t see the future anyway.
“Two months isn’t so bad. Ya’ll have the rest of your lives together. Time will pass quickly,” she says. She looks up at me, her long dark hair pulled tight behind her ears and a warm gleam in her emerald eyes. “Ready?”
Maybe she can see the future. “Yes ma’am.”
In thirty minutes, Es answers every question I have. She tells me that Austin and I are perfect for each other. She assures me that his relationship with Anna, a soldier he’s grown close to at boot camp is on the up and up and not to worry about her. She tells me that Austin and I will be together forever. But, she says, it won’t be easy.
She warns me to expect bumps along the way and reminds me that I need to stay open-minded. She tells me to concentrate—for now—on the wedding.
“I can certainly do that,” I laugh. “Aside from taking care of Maggie, I don’t really have much else to focus on. Classes don’t start until September.”
“That will be a busy time for you.”
“I know. The wedding. The honeymoon. And, let’s face it, by then, Austin will be begging me to leave Endings. I’m sure that will be one of the bumps.”
Es nods. “Yes. One.”
“I don’t get why he wants out of here so bad.”
She shrugs, looking—not so casually—at her watch. How she can see the time with the myriad of dangly bracelets on her arm is beyond me.
“Okay, well, I should get going. Thank you so much! That was fun!”
“Anytime, dear. Have fun planning that wedding!”
“Thanks!” I stand, turning toward the kitchen to leave, when she stops me. She grabs my arm and tells me “one last thing.” Her deadpan expression makes my heart skip. “Yes?”
“Callalily, remember that I said this. It may sound silly now. But it’s important.”
“Okay.”
“Just remember, every wedding needs a ‘something blue.’”
“A something blue?”
“Yes. You know. Something old, something new, something—”
“Of course. I was thinking a blue garter. I’ve got the rest. My new, of course, is my dress. My old is Grandma and Pappy’s rings, my borrowed is Julie’s shoes from her wedding…”
“Just remember that, okay? It will help you.”
“Got it. Don’t forget the something blue. Like I said, I was thinking a gar—”
Es smiles. “Exactly. A wedding’s no good without it. The blue will be essential. Think of it like the blue is for good luck.”
“I never took you for so traditional. It’s kind of cute.”
“Blue isn’t always traditional, dear. But sometimes, traditions are traditions for a reason. In your case, it will really apply.”
“But what does that mean?”
“Nothing, dear. Just remember your something blue.”
Wow. A lot of fuss about a garter belt. But, it’s Es. Why am I surprised? She’s always been quirky. “Okay. I won’t forget. It’s not a bad thing, right?”