Now, it was Penny’s turn to cry, but not tears of happiness. Penny was melting down right in front of Alexa. Her mother reached across the table for her daughter’s trembling hand. “My dear, you don’t have to have any wedding at all. You and Chase can go to City Hall and then we can go out for Chinese food. Isn’t that what New Yorkers do?”

Penny couldn’t respond, so Alexa continued, “Is this about the wedding? Or the marriage? Maybe this is all going too fast. Maybe slow down. There’s no need to rush because of Chase’s schedule.”

That was exactly the wrong tack. Penny pounced. “It’s not Chase’s schedule. You’re so against marriage. Why is that? Every other girl I know has a mother that is breathing down their neck for them to get married. But you . . . you seem annoyed that I’ve found a life partner.”

“That is not true. Not at all. I am happy for you and Chase. We just bought your dress and mine. You and I are different in one very big way. You’ve always wanted to be part of something bigger than yourself. The cheerleaders in high school. The sorority. You stay in touch with your old boyfriends and your cousins on Patmos. It’s admirable. For me, I prefer to be part of a small group. You know that. And I saw what happened to my mother. She was thrown out of her own family for her life choices. I’m glad she came to Greece and found my father, but I never wanted to be in that position. I like my independence,” Alexa finished with a sharp edge in her voice. Penny was thirty years old. She had to own her choices. She didn’t get to dump her angst on her mother.

“I’m sorry.” Penny had gathered herself, much to Alexa’s relief. They were a pair who didn’t spar often, especially not in public. “Remember my sorority sister Kelsey who married Cade in that over-the-top wedding in Mexico? I was in the wedding as, like, the tenth bridesmaid. That’s what Kelsey did, she ranked the bridesmaids. Well, they’re divorcing after three years of marriage. I spent five thousand dollars on that whole fiasco and for what? Three years. And she was the one that had the affair. It’s freaked me out.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. At least you don’t have to invite them to the wedding.” Alexa was nothing if not practical.