“So, this is weird,” Liza said to her friend three weeks later under the dingy fluorescent lights of the district courthouse. Colin had had ten dozen roses delivered and also handed the guests expensive cards with his and Chicho’s information on them. It was a perfect combination of putting on airs and extreme haste. Chicho’s mother cried the entire time, but Liza wasn’t sure if it was despair or happiness. The flowers were just about the only thing that was nice about Chicho’s ceremony. Colin signed the papers with the flair of a man signing the Declaration of Independence.

“You made it weird by not being happy for me,” Chicho said. Her eyes were flat and narrowed. Liza’s smile was as brittle as spun sugar. She didn’t want to focus on unpleasantness on a day like this.

“I was shocked, Chicho,” Liza said.

“You need to admit that you preferred me single so I can attend to you and your love life. All the time.”

“Lucia.” Liza rarely used Chicho’s proper name. “I will admit no such thing. Look, I have been complaining about that boy since we were kids. You can’t expect me to fall out of my chair with excitement because he gets to marry my best friend. You’re the best of all of us! Why does he deserve you? What has he done?”

“For one, he’s going to give me a career and a respectable zip code, give my brother a stable home and an excellent school system, and put my father in rehab. For those of us without your body or your face—”

“Whoa, whoa, why am I suddenly a plastic Barbie when you want to make a point?”

“Or your brains, I was going to say—if you would have let me finish.” Chicho took in a slow breath.

“So now I’m astronaut Barbie and can’t possibly understand actually wanting a better life? All the ways my life is fucked up is my fault because I won’t activate the cheat code?” Liza tried to keep her voice down. It was her best friend’s quickie wedding, and she should put on a cheerful face.

“Liza, I don’t need you to like my choices. But a little understanding would be nice. I’m not trying to find the perfect love. I’m trying to change the circumstances of my life. Do you see the difference? You assumed we agreed on that, and we never did.”

“Just know there is no shame in backing out. Call me if you ever feel in over your head.”

“Oh, I will. I still need your help with the podcasting stuff.”

Liza bit down on her tongue. “Why did you even take the job?” God, she didn’t want to do this here.