Nobody's Fool Y'all

18

 "Do you think Maury will ever forgive me for picking you as my matron of honor instead of her?"

"I think so," said Hadley. "After you told her I'd be wearing chartreuse and magenta, I think she's pretty much cooled off."

"You don't think that combination is a bit much, do you? I love it. You're going to look like a million."

"Oh," said Hadley, "they'll be able to locate me in the dark. But seriously, I think if it makes you happy, I'm fine with it."

"Well, it's not like I can wear white, Hadley. I mean, I could, I guess. Women who've been married before do it all the time. But for me? I just wouldn't feel right. I'm old-fashioned about that, I suppose. And chartreuse is one of my favorite colors. The groom's wearing black, so I really need to add some spice to my color scheme if I don't want my wedding to look like a funeral procession."

"You're going to be spicy, alright," said Hadley. "Especially with that gown. It's a doozy."

"It's a dream, isn't it? I fell in love with it the minute I laid eyes on it in the catalog. Did you know that a third of couples married in a year have been married before?"

"No, I didn't. But that dress is really something, alright," Hadley said. "You're going to shine, Cuz. You're really going to shine."

"I wish we could take a honeymoon," she said. "Ninety-nine percent of newlyweds do. But we have to get back to the island right after the ceremony is over."

"Honeymoon there. After all, it isn't the place that makes the honeymoon special. It's who you're with."

"You're right, Hadley. I hadn't thought of it that way."

"And let me know if Brinkley can't get your car fixed. You can use mine anytime."

"Thanks. But Brinkley's a wizard when it comes to fixing them. I probably won't need you, but I'll keep that in mind."

She filled up at the station. The mechanic also did a quick check of the fluids and assured Hadley the hoses looked fine. Slamming the hood down, he took a moment to admire the car. Hadley glowed with pride. This was Harry's baby, and she kept it as close to perfection as possible.

"Anytime you get the notion you want to sell this baby, you call old Brink. I'll give you a fair price for it."

Hadley winked.

"Ain't you heard, Brinkley? I'm gonna be buried in this thing."

"What a waste of a beautiful Dee-troit work of art, Hadley!"

He always admired the shiny original Skyline Blue and India ivory paint scheme. Hadley loved it, too. She couldn't help but notice the glimpses of the town's folk as she cruised down Main Street. She let her memory wander over the many trips she and Harry had taken in this car. The scenic journeys to view the splendor of the fall leaves, getaways to the beach to bask in the sun and the hundreds of Sunday drives with no destination in mind all came flooding back. Good memories.

Keepers, she thought. Thank you, Harry. We had a good life together, and I wouldn't have wanted to share mine with anybody else.

She pulled up into her sister's driveway, honked the horn, and waited for Maury to exit the house.