We sold or gave away our furniture before we moved, as Rose Bloom Cottage already had furniture. We didn’t have much stuff anyhow; military families know how to travel light. My grandfather was no longer at the cottage. He had fallen in love with a tourist named Yvonne with bright red hair. Yvonne was a teacher. He had moved to Arizona. We loved funny, friendly Yvonne.

So Rose Bloom Cottage was ours to stay in.

I met Emily my first day of school. I sat right by her in class. Emily had brown curls, blue eyes like cornflowers, and a huge smile with a dimple in her left cheek. I met her mom, Patsy, after school the first day. She had brown curls, blue eyes like cornflowers, and a huge smile, too. Emily was an only child to a single mother.

Emily liked cats, and when she met Cupcake and Turtle and Sir Eats A Lot, she liked them, too. She liked our dog, Mr. Whale. My mother, as a self-trained floral designer, and Emily’s mother, who was a potter, were friends, too. Both artists, my mom simply worked with flowers.

Then I had a premonition and I forgot about it and something terrible happened and I have never, ever forgiven myself.

* * *

“What do you think of your maid of honor dress?”

I was on Skype with Jules. She held up my dress.

Wow.

Whew.

Unique.

Daring, sort of scary.

Breathe deeply.

Okay!

She was smiling, so sunny, so hopeful, her blonde hair swinging, Mack’s tattooed face staring right at me from her arm.

“I love it!” I said, with as much gush and mush as I could, as my insides quivered. I was going to wear that?

“I am soooo glad, Evie! You’re going to look spectacular in it! It’s perfect for that perfect figure of yours. I had the same woman make your maid of honor dress who made my wedding dress. They’re different, but they belong together, like you and I belong together, as sisters, as best friend sisters! As love-sisters. I’m so excited, Evie!” She burst into tears.

“Jules, don’t cry, please. You’ll make me cry. You know when I cry I get carried away.” I started to cry. I don’t like seeing Jules cry even when she’s happy. She started to sob in front of the computer. I started to sob. Her nose got red. I had to blow my nose. Her makeup was smearing down her face. I grabbed tissue and wiped at my cheeks. She made funny sounds, choking on her happy tears. I made a gaspy sound, too, that sounded like a frog choking.