Party of Four

Settling In - Riley

We spent so much time together already that it didn’t really take any time to get used to living with Nica. Her more proactive moving style though did force Cole and I out of procrastination, and we actually got our boxes unpacked.

We let Nica decorate, wanting her to feel like this was her home as much as it was ours. Though, now that she lived there, it did make it a little harder to sneakily plan wedding stuff with my mom. At least she and Cole often worked mornings, and I was usually night shift, except on the weekends.

“Is she sold on pink?” my mom asked one afternoon while I was over at their guest house. She sat at the counter that separated the kitchenette from the living area, the laptop screen reflected off her glasses as she gazed at me over the rim. The planning binder was out and open next to her.

I sat opposite of her with a book of stationary samples in front of me. “It’s her favorite color,” I told her, arching an eyebrow as I shifted my gaze up to her. “Why?”

Her nose wrinkled, causing her glasses to shift. “I’m looking at gothic wedding ideas on Pinterest, and there’s not a lot of them that have pink in them. This one is almost exactly what she’s written down, it’s just more jewel-toned, and the pink is more of a dusty rose.” She turned the computer to face me.

“You don’t have to copy it exactly,” I reassured her. “Just use it as a guide. I think Nica picked the colors based on our favorites.” The color palette was really nice though. Deep crimson red, royal purple, midnight blue, emerald green, and it was all tied together with dusty rose, silver, and black accents. “I’ll ask her if she wants a specific shade of pink though. Or if that shade is okay.”

“Thank you.”

“How old is this book?” I asked, flipping through another page of invitations, barely skimming them.

“I don’t know. It’s what they gave me at the stationary store.”

“With all the DIY stuff and online vendors, I can’t believe this is even a thing. These invitations look like they haven’t been updated since 2003.”

“You were a kid in 2003, how would you even know what was trendy for weddings then?”

“This one has a fake velvet leopard print band around it. Very Paris Hilton.” I opened the card, “And the date inside is April 25, 2003. They’re all 2003.”

She sighed heavily.

“In 2003, most people’s idea of an alternative wedding was the fact that Gwen Stefani had pink in her dress. We’re not going to find wedding stationary for Nica’s dream wedding in one of these books.”

“Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black wedding dress,” my mom pointed out, “but you’re probably right. Even the customizable invitations in there don’t have the same sort of feeling as the ones on here.” She tapped a few keys, then turned the computer around again. “Like look at this one.”

The invitation on the screen was definitely on the right path. It was white card-stock with dark purple and red roses in the corners. The font was a stereotypical goth calligraphy, and even the wording -you are summoned to attend- was trying. It was so plain compared to what I had in mind though. “It’s a good start,” I agreed. “Maybe we should look into having the stationary custom-designed? I mean…we do have three names going on it instead of two. Even with online and DIY options, it still might be hard to really get what we’re looking for.”

She nodded, “I’m still going to add ideas to the stationary board, that way we at least have some reference photos.”

My phone went off and I checked the time. “I have to get ready for work,” I stood and stretched before walking around the counter to kiss her cheek.

“Okay,” she smiled. “I’m going to switch over to baby shower planning. We only have two months for that, and I need to get invitations ordered and sent. Have y’all started a registry yet?”

I nodded, “Nica set it up on Amazon.”

“Thank you. Have a good night at work.”

While mom was planning the baby shower, Nica was planning the nursery. We were going to maintain the fairytale garden theme throughout both, that way some of the shower decor could double as nursery decor.

Between the two remaining bedrooms, the one closest to us was going to be Poppy’s. Nica had picked a paint color for the nursery, but we managed to keep her out. Cole and I insisted we’d paint and for her to stay out until we were done so she didn’t breathe in any paint fumes. The reality was that the sales girl at Sherwin Williams insisted that the paint was safe, but we wanted to surprise Nica with a custom mural.

Dad had drawn it out on the wall, and mom was actually painting it. There were massive poppies along the bottom of one wall and fairies flying around wearing magnolia petal dresses. “Persephone Magnolia” was written out across the mural’s sky.

I couldn’t stop thinking about all of these things as I drove to work. Everything was coming together. Everything was becoming real. I still couldn’t believe it at times. A year ago, Cole and I were trying to figure out if Nica was even interested in either of us, let alone both of us. I certainly hadn’t expected such a whirlwind romance. Now I got to wake up beside her most mornings. Even when we didn’t sleep in the same bed, I still got to wake up knowing she was in the same house.

When I pulled into the parking lot, Cole was already leaning against the half-wall separating our parking lot from Sonic’s, a cigarette between his lips. I parked and joined him since I still had a few minutes.

“Has it been busy today?”

“Inside, no. But to-go has been popping.”

I groaned. At least tomorrow was my day off.