A server finally brings the check and Richard and my dad squabble over who should take it. Dad wins in the end. So Richard insists on paying for the taxi ride home. My parents are staying in my spare bedroom and my sister’s sleeping in mine. I usually stay at Richard’s house, but Kassandra insisted on me staying here with them tonight.

“Are you coming back with me?” Richard asks after saying goodnight to everyone else.

“No, not tonight. Kassandra asked me to stay.”

Richard purses his lips.

“You know something?” He leans in to give me a goodnight kiss. “It’s your hen party tomorrow,” he whispers in my ear, “but I didn’t say anything.” He winks at me and hops back into the cab to go home.

***

“Shouldn’t you be further ahead with the packing?” Kassandra asks once we’re both tucked into my queen bed.

“Nah, my lease doesn’t expire for another three months. I’ve all the time in the world to pack.”

“Okay, but shouldn’t you at least have started? Aren’t you moving in with Richard next week?”

“Why are you so concerned about my packing?”

“I’m not. You’re a bit touchy, you know?”

“Sorry. It’s all this wedding planning… I hate it. It’s like having a second job on top of mine. Why couldn’t I get one of those butt-in mothers-in-law who wanted to organize everything?”

“You mean Richard’s mom refused to help?”

“No, no. Not at all. I never asked, and she never offered. She doesn’t even live in London, so there’s not much she could’ve done, anyway. I just wish I had a party planning mother-in-law, that’s all.”

Kassandra throws me a piercing stare and I know we’re both thinking what we’re not saying: “Like Jake’s mom.”

“We should sleep now,” my sister says.

“Why?” I pretend not to know anything.

“Because we have an early start tomorrow.”

“Why?”

She beams at me. “It’s your bachelorette party. We have a full schedule so you’d better get your beauty sleep.”

“What have you planned?”

Kassandra closes a phantom zipper over her mouth. “My lips are shut.”

“Oh, come on. Tell me.”

“Nope.”

I tickle her sides. “Tell me, tell me, tell me.”

She squeals like a pig but doesn’t spill the beans. As the screeches increase in volume, my dad pounds a fist on the wall, yelling, “Be quiet, girls.”

“Yes, Daddy,” we chorus.

Just like old times.

Kassandra turns off the light and we fall asleep, holding hands like we used to do as kids when my baby sister sneaked into my room because she was afraid of the dark. Only tonight, I’m the one who’s afraid. Of the dark, of where my life’s going. I’m scared I’m about to make the biggest mistake of my life.