The Golden Girls

That was not the plan. That was the first thought Jenna had as soon as she saw that wedding invitation in her mail pile.  She put the invitation at the bottom of the pile and threw it on her dinner table. She didn’t need another reminder of her failure in life.  I need a drink. She went to her fridge and grabbed a bottle of Zinfandel that was almost empty. Of course , she thought.  

She grabbed the bottle anyways and headed towards her couch as her cat, Ginger ran towards it as well as if it was a race. If anyone was keeping score, Ginger won easily. Jenna petted her softly as the cat began purring as of on demand. Jenna took her phone out and noticed a notification on it. 

Well, I will be damned. She thought as soon as she saw the name.  It was her old friend Katie. The third and final member of the group. They tried many nicknames from “acute triangle “ to “3 little birds” but finally settled on the Golden Girls because it was their favorite show after all.  A flood of memories rushed Jenna but she quickly regained her composure and touched the notification to open the message. 

“Can you believe this bitch ?” Katie messaged 23 minutes ago. Jenna could believe it. Faith may not have been the prettiest or the funniest but she was the smartest.  She was also the nicest and and most social and guys always liked talking to her so yes she can believe it. What she couldn’t believe or understand is that they were invited to her wedding. 

Faith was shunned from the group that summer after high school. The three were inseparable since 6th grade when Mrs. B sat them together in social sciences. By 9th grade they made a plan to move to NY together. Jenna was going to be a model, Faith a lawyer and Katie a chef.  By Junior year, the girls were looking up apartments. During senior year, the three were accepted in colleges in New York. Unfortunately, Stanford University had another idea. During the second week of June, they sent a letter of acceptance to Faith after she was put on a waiting list. A waiting list that she never told the other girls about. Faced with the toughest decision in her life, Faith decided to abort the New York plan.  You simply do not say no to Stanford. So, just a few weeks after the end of High School, the Golden Girls broke up and went their separate ways. Jenna and Katie went North East and Faith went Southwest. They couldn’t be any farther apart. To her credit, Faith apologized, and tried everything to keep the friendship in tact but it was to no avail.  A year later Katie had to return home after her dad passed away to help her family. Jenna, alone in NY and without any success in getting her modeling career to go anywhere also returned home.  She now works as a nail technician while Katie managed to become a sous-chef last year in some fancy downtown restaurant.  

“I’m assuming you got the invitation. Are you going ?” Jenna finally responded. Katie was already typing a response before Jenna could even switch apps.  

“IDK part of me says yes and part of me says no. You ?”

“I think I will. It’s been too long and maybe I can find me a nice husband at this chichi wedding. Drake Hotel sign me up please. Do you think I can book some nail appointments?!” She added a laughing emoji 

“ IKR ? I looked up the dude she is marrying on social and he is a doctor at Northwest. I don’t even know why she is inviting us. Like it has been forever. Also, I don’t want it to be awkward. You know ? Anyways, how are you ? I haven’t seen you in forever .” 

The messages went back and forth for a good hour and by the end they already decided on a theme and decided to go out next weekend. The theme was the golden girls. 

Faith was nervous just like every bride. It was not the fact that her whole entire life was going to change forever, nor the crazy idea that Tom might not show up or the other million worst-case scenarios that can happen on a wedding day. Unlike every other bride, Faith was nervous about reuniting with Katie and Jenna. It was insane. She knew that fully and she dare not tell anyone about this. The moment those two RSVPs showed up in her mailbox she was apprehensive. She thought of all the things she wanted to say to them but was never able to. She wondered how would they act. Would they ruin her wedding day? Would they be supportive? What would they say? Would they just stand her up and not show? The questions and the thoughts kept getting interrupted by people throughout the day. But as planned and expected, everything went flawlessly minus some scattered showers during the photo shoot after the church ceremony. Faith was now officially Mrs. McKenna.  

During the short drive from the church to the Drake, the new Mrs. Mckenna gulped three glasses of Moët & Chandon Rosé Champagne just to start the night. She was already giggling by the time she was walking inside. Despite the Champagne she still had that nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. And as she walked in dancing with Tom to MC Hammer’s “Can’t touch this” she couldn’t help but look at the table were she placed her former best friends. Alas, as everyone was standing and clapping for the newly weds she was not able to see much. 

Once the bride and groom sat down, everyone began to sit accordingly. The lights were dimmed almost immediately and the DJ asked everyone to clap again. He then narrated a funny story of how the couple met while a slide show of pictures showed up on few screens across the room. Faith watched the show for a few seconds even though she went over it with the DJ about a million and one times before. She glanced again at the table where Katie and Jenna are supposed to be sitting but thanks to some humongous dude she didn’t know she wasn’t able to see behind him. She nudged Tom to ask who that was and he told her it was cousin Bobby who was the new line-backer for Notre Dame. As the lights turned on, her Dad walked over for his speech which she never heard before so she gave it her whole attention. She knew how difficult for him to do this. She did not know why because he did an amazing job. By the end of his speech, everyone was either tearing up or barely holding it. Two speeches later, Faith decided to take matters in her own hands and go to see the table on her way to the bathroom. Unfortunately, Father McCallister stopped her to congratulate her and give her some words of advice. By the time he was done, Tom was right beside her. It was time for the first dance.  

Jenna and Katie were not surprised that the first dance was so early. Faith probably wanted it over with. She never liked to be the center of attention. Nevertheless, they watched as Faith swayed with Tom on the dance floor and could not help but smile. Weddings usually have that effect on people despite how you feel that day. Once the speeches, the food, and the alcohol roll in and once the music start playing, unconsciously your fingers begin tapping. Your feet start moving under table. You start uttering a few words from that song and smile forms on your face and maybe even a tear is shed. They were both surprised how nice and inviting everyone was. Mrs. Campbell, Faith’s mom, even gave them both the biggest hug as soon as she saw them and talked to them for what seemed like forever. Both were still pretty nervous about what they were about to do but they knew it was the right thing. Everything was set up. They were just waiting for the right moment. 

The first dance was followed by the Father-Daughter dance and once again Faith couldn’t go anywhere. Everyone told Faith that weddings were so hectic and pass by quickly but she never believed it until now. There was no mother & son dance as Tom’s mom died from cancer years ago while he was in college. So she took the opportunity to get closer to her former friends table but as she looked she realized that their seats were empty. Before she had a chance to be disappointed, Tom gently grabbed her hand as the DJ announced that it was time to cut the cake. She drank another glass of champagne as they cut the cake together and fed it to each other; a symbol of their commitment to provide for each other.  

After a resounding applause, the newly weds walked slowly back to their table and to Faith’s surprise, the lights were dimmed to almost darkness as the DJ’s voice boomed over the microphone: “Attention, ladies and gentlemen, I know you are all waiting to show off your moves on the dance floor and trust me I’m all ready for it but we have a very special request and also a big surprise as we have very special guests tonight. Please put your hands together for the two merry widows.” Before Faith can ask Tom or her maid of honor for clarification, the tune of a whimsical jazz song started playing and as the piano commenced a spotlight shown two women in the center wearing a sparkly black sequin tailcoat jacket, black high-waist leggings, a white bra top, white bowties, a black sequin fedora and of course a black cane. The two ladies began tap dancing immediately while everyone looked either confused, in awe or with a huge smile on their face. Faith knew the connection immediately. It was season one, episode 18, of the Golden Girls when Dorothy could not perform a dance because of a foot surgery, Rose and Blanche dance without her instead and change the name of their group from the Tip Top Trios to the Two Merry Widows.  Faith couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time at her two friends from school as they crushed it on the dance floor. As the song ended, a wild applause erupted and Faith ran screaming to her two friends who were still getting applauded. Once Faith reaches them, they all scream, cry and laugh together as they embraced in the middle of the dancing floor while everyone continues to smile and clap not knowing what is happening but assuming there is a great story here,  The DJ plays “It’s my party” almost immediately and calls everyone to the dance to get the party started. 

The Golden Girls decide to go to the bathroom together, just like old times, while talking about how epic that was. Faith closes the door and begins apologizing but Jenna stops her right away and tells her that she apologized enough in the past. They needed to move on and this wedding was the perfect opportunity. They all hug again. Faith hugs them both extra tightly and thank them and she tells them that they were always going to be her sisters. They return to the dance floor and dance together the whole night to make up for lost time. At the end of the night, they hug each other one more time and agree to meet again when she comes back from her honeymoon. They actually do.