The Bridesmaid by Julia London

and pretend there wasn’t a world out there, or two lives on different paths.
    She twisted in Joe’s arms to face him, kissed his chest. Last night had been magical. Surreal, even. She hated when authors described sex as surreal, because she could never imagine how it could be so. To her, sex had always been very concrete. But last night, she’d existed outside herself, had ridden along on an enormous wave of pleasure Joe gave her. He was an excellent lover, a man of many talents, and thinking about them made her smile. She kissed his lips gently and eased off the cot.
    “Hey,” he said groggily, reaching for her.
    “Shh,” she reminded him, and touched her fingers to his lips before scurrying across the library. She opened the door, listened for the sound of anyone coming her way, and stepped out.
    By the time Joe appeared—showered and dressed—Kate’s extended family was present and accounted for, grazing on the leftovers from the bridal banquet.
    “Honey, leave your dress,” Mom was saying as Joe sauntered in, clean-shaven and impossibly handsome. “Good morning, Joe! Did you sleep well?”
    He glanced at Kate. “I slept great ,” he said, and Kate almost laughed.
    “There’s coffee,” Kate’s mother said, pointing to the pot. “Anyway,” she continued in Kate’s direction, “I’m going to have it cleaned and boxed.”
    “Why, Mom?” Kate asked. “I’m never wearing it again.”
    “Never say ‘never.’ There may come some event where you need a fancy evening gown.”
    “You could get married in it,” Cassidy offered, wiggling her eyebrows at Kate.
    “Mom,” Kate said wearily.
    “Cassidy, leave your sister alone. She is very sensitive about peach dresses.”
    Kate rolled her eyes at her little sister.
    “Hey, did you hear the news this morning?” Colton asked. “They say the strike will be settled today, the blizzard is about done, and air traffic should be almost normal by Tuesday. Airports are finally opening back up.”
    “I guess that means no trains or cars to New York this time, Katie-Kate,” her father said with a chuckle. “So, Joe, when do you start work?”
    “Ah… tomorrow,” he said.
    “Joe, have some beef filet,” Kate’s mother said, steering him in the direction of the buffet where the food had been laid out. “Never accuse the Prestons of being predictable in their breakfast choices.”
    “Thank you,” Joe said uncertainly, and peered into the big aluminum pan.
    “He doesn’t have to eat that,” Kate tried, but her mother was already waving her away.
    “He doesn’t mind, do you, Joe? Live on the edge, I say.”
    “So life goes back to normal for you two, I guess,” Kate’s father said from behind the morning paper.
    “Oh, but Joe will come for dinner now and then, won’t you, Joe?” Kate’s mother chimed in.
    Joe smiled, but Kate could see he wasn’t feeling it. She wasn’t either. What would be the point? “I’ll sure try,” he said, and thank God, that seemed to satisfy Kate’s mom.
    “It’s such a shitty day,” Cassidy complained.
    “Language!” Kate’s mother said sternly.
    “Hey, Joe, do you play cards?” Colton asked. “We like to play Spades on days like this.”
    Kate expected him to say no, that he had to go, but Joe surprised her. With a plate laden with filet of beef and twice-baked potato, he said, “Sure!”
    They spent the day with Kate’s family playing cards, then working on an enormous puzzle her father had started in the dining room, and occasionally glanced at the big picture window and the rain rivulets racing down the glass.
    The air felt heavy. Kate had felt a weight pressing on her all day. She knew what it was—it was the sense of an impending loss.
    Late in the afternoon, as her family buzzed around the kitchen and the living area, Joe looked at Kate with sorrow in his eyes, and she knew the moment of loss had come. “I should go,” he said.
    Her heart sank. This was it, then, the end to the most