Shattered Ice

Happy for her but…

*Virginia*

I’m sprawled out on my couch, the afternoon sun streaming through the wide windows, when my phone buzzes on the coffee table. It’s a FaceTime call from Caylee, my younger sister. I can’t help but smile; I adore my sister to bits, but whenever she calls, it’s always kind off a coin toss on how it will go… we are very different people and not always getting each other.

“Hey, you!” I answer, propping myself up on one elbow. “What’s going on?”

Caylee’s face fills the screen, her eyes sparkling with a secret she can’t wait to share. “Ginnie! You won’t believe what just happened!”

I lean in, an inkling of anticipation curling in my stomach. “Okay, spill it!”

“I mean, I can’t even believe it myself, but… Ryan proposed! He asked me to marry him!” It comes out as an excited squeal, and I can’t help but join in.

“No way! Are you serious?!” I bounce a little on the couch, my heart racing. “You’ve been waiting for this… and mom, She must be over the moon.”

“Right? And I said yes!” She beams, and I can see the ring glinting on her finger, a beautiful vintage piece that must’ve cost Ryan a fortune. “I need you to be my bridesmaid. It wouldn’t feel right without you.”

“Oh my gosh, of course! I’d be honored!” I am truly excited and happy for her. And I actually like Ryan, he seems a good guy. “This is amazing! You’re really doing it!”

“I know, I can’t believe it either! But I need your help planning everything. You’ve always had the best taste!” She bites her lip, a mix of eagerness and uncertainty. “And Mom will probably drive me crazy, so I’ll need you to keep her in check.”

I laugh, picturing our mother’s unfiltered enthusiasm for wedding planning. “I’ll be your secret weapon. Just send me all the Pinterest boards, and we’ll make this the most fabulous wedding Old Money has ever seen!”

She seems to freeze for a moment, looking nervous, “Ryan is going to ask Stephan to be his best man… are you gonna be okay with that?”

I breathe in slowly, part of me wants to scream ‘hell no’, but this is my sister's wedding. Stephan is Ryan’s brother. I can swallow my resentment for a day or two. “Yeah, just… do not expect me to small talk with him.”

“Of course,” She says. “Even though it has been forever, maybe you could…”

Holding up my hand I stop her, “No, don’t start this please… let's just focus on giving you the perfect wedding, okay?”

Caylee rolls her eyes playfully. “Okay… You know it’ll be the talk of the town, mom will accept nothing less. But enough about me! How’s the new job going? Anything exciting or is it all paperwork?”

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “It’s… well, it’s a lot to handle at times, but I also get a lot of versatile experience. Right now I’m working with Caleb Mackinnon on a community project, and let me tell you, he’s a handful.”

Caylee raises an eyebrow. “Oh, he is one of the hockey player’s right? I have heard about him. He is quite… charming looking isn’t he?”

“Exactly.” I can’t help but smirk, remembering our playful banter earlier. “He’s definitely charming, but he’s also a bit of a distraction. I mean, how am I supposed to focus on organizing a beach volleyball tournament when he keeps flashing that grin of his? Not to mention the non stop flirting.”

“I can’t believe you’re working with him! You’re like a real-life romantic comedy!” Caylee laughs, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. “Is there any chemistry there? Are you gonna bring him as your plus one for the wedding? Come on, spill!”

I roll my eyes, but my heart races a little at the thought. “It would not really be professional, and can you imagine mom?”

“Oh Lord, yeah,” She says with a nervous giggle.

I put on my best mom impression. “Virginia, what were you thinking? No sane woman are bringing a savage like that to a wedding… we need class, we deserve class, right Caylee?”

“Oh class and good breeding is all that counts,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“A daughter of Charles Harrington would not be caught dead in the company of a hockey player with no pedigree.”

“I am happy she approves of Ryan’s pedigree,” Caylee laughs. “But I would love him no matter what… seriously Ginnie stop caring about mom’s approval.”

“I know I should,” I admit, feeling a warmth creeping into my cheeks. “But I’m really focused on my career right now. So I don’t need distractions anyways.”

“Whatever you say, Miss Independent,” she quips, her voice dripping with mock seriousness. “But don’t forget to have a little fun too. Life’s too short for all work and no play.”

“Okay, okay, I promise I’ll try to find a balance.” I can’t help but laugh, grateful for her persistent optimism. “But right now, I really need to get my head around this project. We have a lot to plan, and if I’m going to help you with your wedding, I need to be on top of my game here.”

“Deal! But you better not make me plan this wedding all by myself,” she replies, her expression turning serious for a moment. “I need my big sister by my side, even if you are busy charming the pants off of every hot hockey player around.”

“I’ll be there, I promise.” I smile, my heart swelling with warmth for my sister and the journey she’s about to embark on. “Now, let’s talk details. When’s the wedding? Have you set a date?”

She practically beams at the question. “That is the tricky part… it is in three months! We want to have a winter wedding, at that vineyard we both love. You remember?”

“Of course! It’ll be beautiful there! Imagine if there would be snow?” I can feel the excitement bubbling up again, this time for her special day. “And think of all the wine!”

“Exactly! I’ll need you to keep me sane while I deal with all the stress and mom, which is kinda the same thing.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep the wedding planner on a short leash. No tacky stuff!”

“Good call,” I say. “We’ll turn this into something that’ll make even Mom satisfied.”

As we continue to chat, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement for both my sister and the new project. Maybe life is about to get a lot more interesting, and I’m ready for it. With Caylee’s wedding plans and the beach volleyball tournament, there’s a whirlwind of fun ahead. I will be hard work too, but I have no doubt it will be rather satisfying.