Chapter 4

Rachel's POV 

Friday afternoon, I was summoned to the Hedger’s residence. It was set in an aesthetically pleasing corner of an elite neighbourhood, and the serene vibe of the sight eased the tension we’d carried throughout the ride.

Before Alan could use his chivalry to impress me, I opened the door for myself. My eyes continued to admire the beauty of the mansion as Alan walked up to me.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, mesmerized.

“It’s better inside,” That seemed impossible. “Come on.”

He guided me toward the entrance door with a hand on the small of my back. Although I’d not preferred it, I didn’t make any conscious effort to escape the intimacy. Once we’d reached the doorstep, Alan spread his arm over my shoulder to reach the doorbell, but I’d quickly turned around and blocked his path. He looked at me quizically.

“Should I be worried?”

“Of what?”

“Your parents.” I said, “Are they going to like me?”

“Just be yourself,” He said, leaning closer to me so he could get to the buzzer, “They’ll love you.”

Turning my back to him, I faced the door with an appreciative smirk. Now that I was aware of the kind of traits that impressed them, I’d be displaying everything but them to earn their disapproval.

Alan’s sister opened the door with a creepy smile that a doctor gives you on the OR bed before knocking you off with anesthesia. At least there you know you might wake up to good news.

“Hey, Rachel, it’s so good to see you!” She pulled me into a hug so tight that I feared I might need a supplementary breathing aid to restore my balance. “Look at you, you look so pretty! Prettier than last time!”

I cleared my throat and looked over my shoulder to catch Alan looking down to hide his smile.

“It’s so good to see you too, Sasha! It’s been so long!” I grinned back at her.

I had always been quite fond of Sasha and had actually known her better than I knew him. Sasha and I grew close over a weekend getaway when a few of us from our friends’ circle went camping. We’d shared the same tent, and that led us to forced conversations and eventual liking.

Over the course of two days, I’d realised that Sasha was completely opposite to me personality-wise, but something about her triggered my tolerance levels to rise. Quite a feat that was as I generally never got along with people like her.

But, regardless of those two days, we drifted apart and never met each other to pick up things where we left off. So naturally, I assumed she was no longer as fond of me, but her evident delight upon reuniting with me warmed my heart. I wished her brother learnt a thing or two from her when it came to respectfully preserving old friendships.

“Kids, come on in!” Natalie, Alan’s mother, waved us over from a distance.

Circling her arm with mine, Sasha pulled me with her. Onto my right I noticed a huge wall painted grey, along which hung innumerable photos. I recognised some were from Alan’s childhood, some recent, but they were all happy ones. Alan was closely following behind us, but he was not the male specimen who was attracting my attention.

“Hello, Rachel.” Alan’s father’s grin stimulated my own.

“Hi, dear, so good to finally meet you,” Natalie said immediately after.

“Hi, Kevin,” I’d first addressed him and then turned to his wife, “Pleasure’s all mine.”

Once we’d settled around the centre table, Natalie said, “I’m glad you could take some time to visit us. With the wedding fast approaching, I can only imagine how stressful it must be.”

“We’re managing,” I shrugged with a chuckle, “Just trying to keep my head above the water.

“Well, with wedding preparations, that’s all you can do,” Sasha said in amusement, “I’ve once volunteered to help plan a friend’s wedding and one month into it, I’d realised how much of a daunting task that was. But it was highly rewarding and interesting.”

“It was surprisingly simpler during our times,” Kevin said, “We never had to go through so much hustle. I mean, I barely remember choosing the flowers for decoration.”

“Honey, that’s because I did all the planning. Your job was to just show up in a tux. And you had somehow managed to mess that up too.” Natalie said.

Kevin jerked back to frown at her, “Don’t blame me! It was Cameron who hid my tux so he could enjoy my agony.”

She playfully rolled her eyes at him, “Well, I just hope everything goes smoothly for our son’s wedding. Since the guest list’s pretty concise, I’m not expecting as much trouble and hustle.”

I watched the couple in wonder. There was no hint of hostility in their voice, and the truth of it was not settling well with me. Were they pretending to be good to each other just because I was there?

“Well, I’m actually quite worried about the idea of Alan handling everything,” Sasha said as she looked at her brother, “Do you even know what a wedding is?”

“I know there are flowers, food and a ceremony,” he replied. “None of which will need your assistance so you might as well rest the idea of you taking over the task from my hands.”

“Honey, he’s right.” Her mother said with a playful smile, “We love you, but we can’t let you plan Alan’s wedding.”

“But why?” She pouted.

“It’s going to be an intimate affair, darling.” Kevin said with a tender smile on his lips, “I don’t think you can keep yourself from turning it into a grand one.”

Scoffing, she turned her head to glare at her brother, “You’re just scared I might outplay you.”

I turned my head to catch Alan’s next comeback but instead, I caught him staring at his sister with humoured fondness in his eyes. It was something I’d never found myself subjected to. It was only then I realised that I had been robbed of such a bond, and the sudden longing for it had constricted my heart.

Dazed by such bewildering sights, I hadn’t foreseen what was coming for me.

“Rachel, have you booked the date for wedding dress shopping?” Sasha asked from beside me.

“No, I’ve actually-”

“Well! I know a friend of mine who is a great designer and I’d be more than happy to book an appointment for you,” She beamed, “In fact, I’ll even accompany you!”

My mind screamed at me to come up with something rude to say to her and I did, but I couldn’t let them out of my mouth. For some reason, I was being prevented from saying anything mildly hurtful from inside. Begrudgingly, knowing full well that I was going to regret letting this chance at sabotaging my relationship go, I said, “Sure. I’d love that!”

The entire evening, I wondered why I could not execute my prior plan. The answer was right before my eyes, but I hadn’t realised it until much later that the four of them were essentially depicting a perfectly functional family I often watched in unrealistic TV commercials. Young and naive, I had spent the better part of my childhood longing for it, only to grow up and realise that that was the stuff from fantasies. Two decades later, I was watching everything coming to life.

Enchanted, I watched them in awe.

Not once had I noticed Kevin publicly degrade his wife, nor have I seen Natalie regard him with disappointment she’d piled over the years. There was no sign of hesitation before Sasha spoke her mind, and her opinions were acknowledged, respected and validated; something I’d never experienced growing up.

Their eyes spoke the truth of the love they held for each other, and it was a sight so rare to my eyes, yet so pleasing. A hollowness had formed within my chest, and it persisted to strive all through the evening. No matter how hard I tried, I failed to have the heart to disrupt their harmony. Afraid I might not indulge in this bliss forever, I buried my qualms and dwelled in its solace. Comfort and security of a family was a luxury I could never afford in the past, hence I rejoiced their presence that evening, for as long as they lasted, as I knew I wasn’t going to be lucky forever.