“You look tired,” Eddie said, interrupting her thoughts.

“Do I?”

“Yeah, you look like you haven’t slept for days.”

Antonia checked herself in the mirror that hung in her office. Eddie was right. Her skin, which usually shone in a healthy nutmeg brown, was dull and ashen. The dark circles under her eyes started to show beneath the hurried concealer job she did that morning. She’d make certain to do a quick touch-up when she met with Derek. She smoothed down the wild black curls that escaped her librarian bun and made a mental note to get her hair relaxed before the wedding. Vivian Rogers didn’t approve of her natural hair and often noted back in her day, “black women kept their hair pressed and professional at the office.”

“I don’t think I like my in-laws.”

“Duh,” Eddie said with a grin. “No one likes their in-laws.”

Her gaze flew to his before she chuckled. “No, I suppose that isn’t unusual.”

The tension of Wild Hare Publishing disappeared for a moment as she and her friend shared a laugh. “But you’re not marrying his parents; you’re marrying Derek.”

Antonia gave her friend a weak smile. She’d love to believe that, but Derek’s imposing father and harpy mother were a package deal. It was hard to argue with her mother about those two because Diane’s observations were correct: they were the old money Talented Tenth who expected the best. Antonia often wondered if she had what it took to impress them with her common education and regular literary job. “Please, Eddie, tell me everything is going to be okay.”

Eddie stood up and walked around her desk, his arms outstretched. “Toni, everything is going to be okay.” She accepted his white lie as she stood and hugged him tightly.

“I’m doing the right thing?”

He returned her hug before pulling back to peer down at her. “Getting cold feet?”

Antonia shrugged. “You like Derek, right?”

Eddie gave a strained smile before replying. “Derek...is cool. We don’t exactly run in the same circles, but that won’t stop me from supporting you guys.”

“I do love him.”

“I know you do,” Eddie said quickly. “You two are great together. It’s just the wedding that’s stressing you out. And I’m sure I haven’t made it any better with my speculation and conspiracy theories.”

She nodded. Wild Hare business bothered her, but this wedding, which took only four months to plan, bothered her more. She loved Derek, but something about the whole “affair” nagged at her. Antonia let her mother’s words settle in her brain.

“It’s just a whole bunch of extraneous shit that’s coming at you,” Eddie assured her. “You’re due for another drinking night with me and Meg anyway. She’s the wedding expert who can talk you off the ledge.”

He was right. His girlfriend had supplied Antonia with boxed wine and coaxed her into relaying all of the wedding plans in excruciating detail. Megan loved all the stuff that Antonia didn’t want to think about. Why don’t I want to think about the details?