Chapter 3 - Three Phone Calls
The next morning I made three calls.
First, the planner.
"Diane!" Roxanne sang. "Big day tomorrow. Are we panicking yet?"
"Not even a little," I said, bright enough to unsettle her. "But I want to add something."
"Tell me."
"A voice-message booth. One of those 'leave the couple a note' setups. And a short video montage to play right before the first dance. A sweet little surprise."
A pause. "That's precious, hon. Consider it done."
Second call: my cousin Wes. He worked at Riverbend Credit Union and was honest to the point of being annoying.
"I need my credit frozen," I said. "And I need the trust for the twins and Cody locked down tight. Nobody touches it but me."
Wes went quiet. "Diane. Is somebody trying to get at that money?"
"Somebody tried. Grant thinks the house and savings are sitting in my name."
"They're not."
"I know. I want it ironclad anyway. Not the kids either — not until they're eighteen, or unless something happens to me."
"Nobody's getting near those kids' futures. Not while I'm breathing."
The house was already in the trust my sister set up before she got sick. I'd added Cody a year later and matched what she'd put in. Grant never knew. He thought I was the payout. He had no idea he was the one about to walk away empty-handed.
Third call: the county clerk's office. I asked them to void the marriage license. Told them there'd been a mistake.
"Happens more than you'd guess, ma'am," the man said.
On the morning of the wedding I got dressed like a woman walking into weather.
The house was loud with getting-ready. Bella spun in front of the mirror, tugging at her jumpsuit.
"Do I look weird? I feel weird."
"You look beautiful, baby girl," I said, pinning a curl behind her ear. "You look just like your mom."
Cody yanked at his collar. "Why do we gotta wear this stuff? Can't we just stay home?"
"And leave me out there alone? No chance. A couple hours, then pancakes — sprinkles, extra chocolate sauce, the works. Deal?"
He squinted at me. "You're smiling weird. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You three stick close to Aunt Paula today. Promise me."
May you like
Nora leaned around the doorframe. "Is Grant in trouble?"
I brushed nothing off Cody's shoulder. "Grant made some choices. Today everybody gets to see them."
