Page 42 of The Wedding Situation Romance

“I am. Five years next month. We have a baby together and just bought a new home and–”

“Let me guess, you’re looking into golden retriever breeders in the area,” I say, and it’s not the nicest thing to spout off to Quinn’s best friend. But in my defense, I never wanted to come to lunch today. I wanted to get fitted for an abhorrent colored tux and go home.

But Allegra just smiles. Meanwhile, her eyes study me as if they’re mentally peeling back the layers, trying to figure out my attachment style and diagnose my childhood trauma.

“Already have one. A doodle though. His name is Banjo.”

“I love doodles,” Drew chimes in, and I am relieved when our food comes. It’ll give my mouth something to do besides scowl.

After everyone dives into their food, I hope that we can switch to a more tolerable subject. The weather. Football pre-season. The war. Anything but this. Unfortunately, I’m not that lucky.

“Speaking of second chances,” Quinn says, dabbing her perfect cupid’s bow and smiling at her friend. “Allegra and her husband are about to renew their vows!” she beams.

“Are they expiring?” I tease, and Quinn tosses me a look along with a playful smack on the arm.

Drew chuckles. “Marriage vows don’t expire. They’re not like car registrations.”

“We are renewing our vows as a symbol of recommitment,” Allegra goes on. “With the divorce rates being what they are, we want to keep our love centered. And what better way to do that than a big party with friends?”

“What they really want is an excuse to party with friends,” Quinn teases, and everyone laughs. Everyone except me. Because I can’t seem to wrap my brain around the concept.

“I don’t want to sound ignorant,” I say. “But what’s the point of that?”

“Jesus, here we go,” Drew mutters. “You’ll have to excuse Reid. He’s a divorce lawyer, and the concept of love is a bit foreign to him.”

“No, no,” I shake my head and hold my hand up. “It’s a genuine question. If you said your vows when you got married, or even when he proposed and you said yes, why do you have to reiterate it? Doesn’t that negate the promise to love them until death do you part?”

And while I’m sure my question sounds idiotic to everyone else, no one makes any jabs. They just wait for Allegra to respond.

“Because it’s complicated. It takes patience and selflessness, and work. But also, people change. They evolve and grow and become. The vow renewal isn’t just restating the love you already declared. It’s promising to love the new version of them. The new season of your marriage. And every version they will become.”

That…seems needlessly complicated.

“That…is so beautiful,” Quinn says as she uses her napkin to dab her eyes.

With that, my phone buzzes with a text. “Speaking of that,” I say, typing a quick response before shoving it back in my pocket. “I have a new client.”

“Please, darling, can’t you get through a single lunch with friends without ruining another marriage?” Quinn jokes.

“To you, I’m ruining a marriage. To me, I’m saving someone from ruining their life,” I say, and as expected, everyone rolls their eyes. Everyone except Allegra, who studies me again.

“I’m curious,” she says. “When people come to you at the end of their rope and looking to end it all, what gives you purpose in that process? A genuine question.”

“Of course,” I say. “Contrary to what the poets might think, marriage isn’t always sweet good nights and vow renewals. I’ve been doing this for a long time. And I’ve seen a lot of hurt. A lot of ruin. A lot of people have been destroyed by a lack of love, a lack of patience and kindness, and a lack of honesty. I’ve helped people in broken situations, situations involving infidelity and gaslighting, and abuse, both emotional and physical. To you guys, I might look like the devil. But I’ve actually had clients in grave scenarios tell me I saved them. That’s why I do it.”

As expected, no one has anything to say to that. At least until I take another bite of my food and Quinn mutters under her breath.

“Damn. You really are a lawyer.”

And I don’t know whether it’s a compliment or an insult.

Chapter 17

Reid

“Why are you so…chipper?”I ask as we drive to wedding number three out of four. Though it kind of only feels like wedding two. Wedding one, Justin’s wedding, wasn’t part of our deal. Only AJ, Nick, and Drew are part of the deal, which makes this feel like wedding two…but I digress.

“I am excited about this wedding,” Quinn says, and I can’t help but notice her wrestling with her dress. It’s a deep burnt orange, flowy and floor length and the bodice looks almost like a bra. A bra that her B cups don’t seem to want to stay inside of, hence the wrestling.