Free The M Word by Beverly Farr

can’t believe it,” she said weakly,
then laughed. “So much for my quiet, simple wedding.”
    Kelly sat next to her on the bed. “I always
knew Steven was a selfish jerk, but how did he find out?”
    Brenda thought for a moment. “Facebook?”
    Kelly frowned. “Probably. I didn’t mention
it, but one of our friends probably did.”
    Brenda sipped her lemonade, wishing that she
had something stronger to bolster her, but knowing that she needed
to keep all her wits about her. “Did you see the way Lars and
Marius immediately responded? I was so stunned, I just stood there
like an idiot.”
    Kelly said, “It happened so quickly, you were
in shock.”
    Brenda said, “I’m just glad no one got hurt.
I was afraid it was going to turn into a brawl.”
    “You watch too many movies.”
    “You don’t know my father,” Brenda said.
“He’s never liked Steven.”
    “Well, it’s over now, and everything’s
okay.”
    “But I have to go back out there and face the
crowd.” Brenda sighed and rested her head in her hands. “It’s going
to be embarrassing.”
    “You’ve survived worse,” Kelly said.
    “When?”
    Kelly laughed. “Okay, this is pretty bad. But
what choices do you have?” She looked at her closely. “Do you want
me to go outside and cancel the wedding?”
    “No. I’m going to marry Marius. I will not
let Steven ruin my life.” She smiled wryly. “At least not any more
than he’s ruined it already.”
    Kelly hesitated. “Is Marius an
immigrant?”
    “Yes.”
    “And you’re marrying him to help him get a
green card?”
    “Partly,” Brenda admitted. “I also want a
baby.”
    Kelly gasped. “You can’t do that.”
    “It’s not illegal. We’re going to have a real
marriage. It’s practical, like an arranged marriage, but it is a
real marriage.”
    “That’s crazy.”
    “Maybe.”
    Kelly didn’t say anything for a full minute.
“I don’t like it,” she said finally.
    Brenda nodded, appreciating her friend’s
honesty. “You must admit, though, that Marius is better than any of
the other guys I’ve dated.”
    “That’s not saying much.”
    Brenda laughed. “You’re right.” She stood and
checked her reflection in the mirror over her parents’ dresser. She
looked a little wrinkled, but not bad. She smoothed her wig and
retouched her lipstick. She squared her shoulders and smiled.
“Let’s go.”
    #
    In the end, the wedding and reception were
better than Brenda had expected. Steven’s dramatic appearance had
broken the ice, and once he was safely gone, everyone was in a
better mood. The minister made a few jokes, vows were exchanged,
papers were signed, and the party began.
    Everyone talked and ate. Her dad’s onion
burgers were popular. Children ran around and only one nephew fell
in the pool, quickly retrieved and unharmed. A brother-in-law
rigged speakers to his iPod, and there was dance music.
    Marius met more of her friends and she met
some of his. Marius introduced her to half a dozen graduate
students and a few professors. Brenda was surprised to learn that
Marius was a teaching assistant.
    “I thought you tuned pianos,” she said
quietly.
    “I do that to help the Music department. My
real job is more academic. I grade papers and teach review
sessions.”
    That made sense, since he was getting a
degree in Music History. I’ve married a future college professor,
she thought, imagining him in a v-necked cardigan sweater and
writing on a white board in front of a large classroom. She smiled,
thinking that none of her teachers had ever looked as good as
Marius did now. She had a feeling his classes would be very
popular.
    Deborah’s cake was delicious and although she
appeared a little flustered when she talked to Marius face to face,
she managed to say, “I hope you’ll be very happy together.”
    When the fireworks started, Brenda slipped
back into her parents’ bedroom to change into traveling clothes: a
watermelon colored sheath dress with matching heels.