They Voted I'd Beg. I Left.

After the email went out, Lily turned her phone sideways and aimed it at me again.

“That last part doesn’t count. Let’s get a better ending.”

She pointed at the ring on the table.

“Put it back on and give Rowan a hug. Otherwise, when people see the video, they’ll think you two actually broke up.”

“Then don’t post it.”

Lily’s smile froze for a second.

“I spent all afternoon setting this up.”

Mom adjusted her shoulder strap for her.

“Everyone knows it was a joke. You’re the only one taking it seriously. It’s embarrassing.”

I picked up my napkin and wiped a bit of cream off the back of my hand. There were still nail marks where Mom had held me down.

Rowan pulled out the chair beside him.

“All right, no more filming.”

I looked up at him.

“She’s pissed right now. It won’t look good on camera,” he went on. “We’ll shoot it again at home.”

Lily finally put her phone down.

“Then you’re in charge of calming her down.”

“Got it.”

Rowan picked up the ring and held it out by my left hand.

I pulled my hand back into my lap.

“Put it away for now.”

He let out a laugh, put the ring back in its box, and shoved it into my purse.

“There. I’ll hold on to it for you. Stop throwing a fit.”

The waiter brought dessert.

On top of the almond cake were chocolate nameplates with our names.

Lily reached over and snapped off my name.

“This one’s too long. It’s blocking my picture.”

She popped the half piece of chocolate into her mouth and raised her phone.

“Rowan, move a little closer.”

He got up and went over.

The cake in front of me was left with only his name.

As the dinner broke up, Dad handed the car keys to Rowan.

“You take Lily. She can’t walk well in heels.”

Mom handed me a few gift bags.

“Come back with us and carry these.”

I was wearing heels tonight, too.

To match the dress Rowan had picked, they were half a size smaller than my usual.

I set the bags back on the table and changed into the spare flats in my purse.

Rowan saw and frowned.

“The party isn’t over yet.”

“My feet hurt.”

“Can’t you hold out for ten more minutes?”

I stopped a waiter and asked him to call me a car.

Mom lowered her voice.

“We have a car. Why are you making a fuss?”

“I want to go back first.”

She was about to say more when Lily called her over to look at photos by the door.

Mom let go of my arm and went.

In the car, Noah replied to my email.

“Glad to have your confirmation. The on-site residency prep starts in three days, and you’ll need to arrive that day. Does that work for you?”

I stared at the last line, then typed, “Yes.”

Back in my room, I took the document pouch down from the top shelf of my closet.

My passport was tucked next to my School of Architecture diploma.

After the engagement, I’d put all that away and cleared off my desk for wedding sample books.

There was still a half-edited menu on the desk.

Rowan didn’t like fish, Lily didn’t eat mushrooms, and Dad wanted the soup changed.

I’d filled the margins with revision notes.

I closed the menu, put it in a drawer, and made room to go over the project materials.

A little before eleven, Mom pushed the door open.

“Dress fitting tomorrow. Meet at the house at eleven. Don’t make everyone wait.”

She saw the passport on the desk.

“What are you looking for that for?”

“I need it.”

“The honeymoon isn’t for a while. Focus on the wedding first.”

After the door closed, I sent my ID photos to the project assistant and filled out the housing application.

The last question asked whether any family members would be accompanying me.

I checked “No.”

Then I opened the transit page and looked up the northbound train for three days from now.