Free Our Favorite Days (My Favorite Mistake #3) by Chelsea M. Cameron

beseeching a higher power.
    “Why did I say anything?”
    Honestly. He was ridiculous sometimes.
    “Hate me?” I asked and he smiled slowly. It was the question he used to ask me. Back when we’d first met and had that other bet.
    “Not even a little,” he said. “Not even a little.
    “Love me?” I asked, knowing the answer.
    “More than the stars,” he whispered and then carried me upstairs to show me.
     

     
    “S o, have you figured out when the big day is going to be?” Mom asked and I nearly choked on my grilled cheese sandwich. Tawny patted me on the back as I swigged some water from my glass.
    “You gonna be okay?” Hunter said from my other side.
    “Yeah, fine,” I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. At first when I’d told her that I was getting married, she’d been shocked and had definitely tried to talk me out of it. She didn’t lay off until I assured her that no, I was not pregnant, and no, I wasn’t getting married until after I graduated. So this abrupt turnaround was… shocking to say the least.
    “Um, are you wanting me to get married now?” I asked and Tawny tossed me a dirty look.
    “Well, you’re engaged, so I figured you’d want to set a date.” She didn’t give anything away as she sipped at her tea. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but it was freaking me out.
    “Uh, no. We’re not getting married until after I graduate,” I said slowly and carefully. I risked a glance at Hunter and he looked as puzzled as I felt.
    What was happening?
    “Oh, well, I just assumed that you’d move it up.” Mom was still giving me nothing to go on. I tried Tawny, but she just shrugged.
    “Why would you assume I’d move it up?” I asked.
    “No reason. Just figured,” she said. “I mean, I know I wouldn’t want to be engaged for over a year. Thought maybe now that you’d had a taste of being engaged, you’d be ready to go all the way.” Did she know me at all?
    “No. We’re still getting married after graduation. Right?” I turned to Hunter and he smiled at me.
    “Right.”
    But there was a little tremor to that smile. I really wished my mom hadn’t brought this up. It was just another reminder that Hunter and I had different ideas of when our wedding should happen.
    “Just checking, just checking. I don’t want to get an invitation in the mail without a warning,” Mom said, narrowing her eyes. Oh. I got it. She thought I was going to plan everything without her. Because I was up at college and had friends to help me.
    She didn’t want to be left out.
    “Mom,” I said. “You know you’re going to be the first one to know when we set a date. I’m not doing anything without letting you know or getting your approval. You know that right?” I reached across the table and touched her hand.
    She finally smiled.
    “I know, I know. It’s just hard to think about you so far away.” I snorted.
    “Mom, I’m less than an hour away. I’m not going to plan this wedding without you. I can’t plan this wedding without you. My brain would explode. Or I’d die from stress.” She scoffed.
    “You always underestimate yourself, Kid.” She squeezed my hand and her eyes were a little misty.
    “Don’t make me cry, Mom,” I said, wiping my eyes.
    “Group hug!” Tawny said and we all got up from our chairs. Hunter looked a little bashful, but I yanked him in with us. Someone started laughing and then we were all laughing.
    “Now that that’s over, tell me how classes are going and about your new job,” Mom said. I filled her in on the nicer aspects of my work at the crisis center. I didn’t think she would like me doing a lot of the things I was going to be doing there, so I left those parts out.
    “And Hunter, how are things going for you?” She was really making an effort to include him and I was going to have to pull her aside and thank her for it later. She’d come a long way since that first weekend when I’d brought him over.
    Hearing Mom and Hunter