Exes & Us

Spending my birthday at my ex and ex-best friend’s wedding wasn’t how I’d envisioned starting my thirties. I also didn’t expect my period to arrive a week early, making me bloated and not able to fit in the red dress I spent $250 on. I guess no one cares that I’m wearing my designated funeral-black dress. In a way, I am burying my past self. God knows 29th-year-old Claire Schmidt would never have set foot here. She would have screamed, probably thrown something at Ethan’s head, and deleted his number before he even thought about inviting me to his wedding with Millie.

But that Claire is gone.

The new Claire is all about forgiveness, paying it forward, and all that good karma crap. Maybe it’ll pay off in the future.

For now though, the February sun seems to be punishing me. So much for good karma. It’s frying my skin as I weave through the garden, searching for my designated seat. This setup has Millie written all over it. That woman has never been relaxed, not a single day in her life. That woman has never relaxed a day in her life. Since we met at ten years old, she’s always called the shots in our friendship—deciding which kids we’d play with, what sports we’d try, which clubs we’d join, even which classes we’d take in college. I never cared much. Until I did. Until I started dating Ethan.

And suddenly, Millie wanted him too.

I finally spot my seat. It’s tucked in a back corner, almost the last row, and it looks like they ran out of decent chairs because I’m stuck with a clunky white plastic one. On the bright side, there’s a tree right next to me offering very much needed shade. And the seats around me are mostly empty, save for a few distant relatives that are glued to their phones. I place my purse in my lap and take out my sunglasses. I just need to get through the ceremony. Then it’s free food, free drinks, and dancing.

“Is this seat taken?”

A deep voice pulls me from my thoughts, startling me just a bit. A young man stands to my right.

“Well, I’m not sure if Wilhelmina Jean is making it today.” I reply, reading the name on the place card. I don’t recognize it. Definitely not one of Ethan’s relatives.

“Then I guess we’ll find out.” He says, unbuttoning his blazer and sitting down.

He runs a hand through his blond hair, and I have to admit it’s quite sexy. Then he pulls a hair tie from his wrist and gathers it into a man bun. Very sexy.

“Bride or groom?” - He asks, his voice low.

“Both. What about you?”

“I was Wilhelmina’s date. Unfortunately, her walker needed some oiling today, and she didn’t feel like coming.”

I snort. Maybe he even has a sense of humor.

“Kidding,” he adds with a smirk. “I’m Ethan’s friend from university.”

I frown. I’ve never heard of him before, and Ethan’s social circle isn’t exactly big.

“I’ve been living in Iceland for the past seven years,” he explains.

“Just got back to Australia two days ago.”

“Wow, just for this wedding? You and Ethan must be really close." I reply, waiting for a clear explanation.

“Believe me, a wedding is the last place I want to be right now. So yeah, I really love the man."

He glances at Ethan, his expression unreadable. I realize his icy blue eyes have some warmth to them.

“Daniel,” he says, offering his hand. “But everyone calls me Dan.”

“Claire.”

We shake hands. His grip is warm, steady.

“So, Iceland, huh?” I ask. “How come you were living there for so long?”

“I wanted a break from sunny Australia. And I might have run away from my own wedding.”

I laugh but he doesn’t.

“Oh. You’re not joking.”

Now he laughs. A hearty, full laugh that makes his eyes crinkle and almost disappear.

“I am joking, but you should have seen your face.”

I shake my head in disbelief, hiding a small smile. This man is actually making me forget that this should be one of the worst birthdays of my life.

"No, I actually met a really nice and beautiful girl who happened to be from Iceland. And I was crazy enough about her to move across the globe. Even leave behind good weather and great beaches.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I hope she’s not Wilhelmina.”

He chuckles but I catch a glimpse of sadness in his eyes.

“No. She’s not Wilhelmina. But she did ran away from our wedding.”

I wait for his melodic laugh again. But he doesn’t laugh.

Oh.

Then the irony hits me. I walked into this wedding feeling like the most miserable person here, but this man—this total stranger—was literally left at the altar.

Before I can say anything, the music starts, and all heads turn. Millie appears at the back, dressed in white. And for once, I’m actually grateful for the interruption. I wouldn’t have known what to say to Dan.

We stand, and I have to admit it—Millie looks stunning. No matter what’s happened between us, there’s a part of me that’s genuinely happy for her. Since childhood, she’s always known exactly who she is—fierce, brave, intelligent, ambitious. And I? I was Millie’s friend. Her presence alone made me cooler by default. But she was always the star.

And now, she’s finally getting everything she wanted.

I feel my eyes getting teary and I remind myself that she still slept with my ex boyfriend. The tears dry right up.

The crowd claps, some people even shouting compliments, and Ethan breaks down sobbing as Millie approaches the altar.

“Do you think they’ll last?” Dan whispers, leaning in close.

“I give them a year. Tops."

He chuckles. “You’re generous. I was thinking six months.”

I let out a laugh and we sit down again in our uncomfortable plastic chairs.

--

My original plan was simple: show up, survive the ceremony, grab a free drink, dance a little (maybe flirt a bit), and leave. Because if there’s one thing worse than going to your ex and ex-best friend’s wedding, it’s going alone.

But I’m not alone now.

The ceremony was better than expected. Sure, the vows were way too long, and Ethan cried a little too much. But that jealousy that I’ve been carrying for months? Gone now. Maybe thanks to Dan, who’s managed to provide the perfect commentary at every moment. I have to admit it, the man is funny. Way funnier than any of Ethan’s friends I met during our three-year relationship.

Now we’re making a beeline for the open bar and I take a look at Ethan. He’s good looking in a kind of rugged way. Not my type, I’ve always been into preppy boys but that has clearly not worked out for me. It might be worth giving the surfer type a go.

He orders us both a whiskey, and we clink glasses. “To surviving this wedding,” he says.

“To surviving,” I echo, taking a sip. The whiskey burns, but it’s a welcome distraction.

The rest of the evening passes in a blur of laughter and conversation. Dan is easy to talk to, and I find myself opening up to him in a way I haven’t with anyone in a long time. For the first time in months, I feel like myself.

As the night winds down, I realize I don’t want it to end.

“Do you want to get out of here?” I ask, surprising myself.

He looks at me, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I thought you’d never ask.”

We leave the reception and find a quiet spot in the garden. The cold night air around us. We sit on a bench, and he takes my hand.

“I’m glad I met you today,” he says softly.

“Me too,” I reply, feeling a warmth spread through me that has nothing to do with the whiskey.

His blue eyes flicker with something unreadable.

“What’s her name?"

Dan looks at me, his head slightly tilted.

“The stupid girl who left you at the altar."

A small smile tugs at his lips. “Eva. But to be fair, we were both stupid and young. We thought we had life all figured out."

“So, what happened?"

He sighs and takes a long gulp from his beer, looking at the dark sky now.

“We had been together for a few years, running a bed and breakfast in Iceland. I loved that job, but sometimes I think that working and living together really burnt us out."

He pauses and looks at me, a hint of sadness in his blue eyes. “She wanted to stay in Iceland, and I wanted to come back to Australia, do something different. We tried to make it work, but in the end, she called it off.”

“That must have been tough."

Suddenly, I feel connected to him. Desperately wanting something to work, even when it’s not meant to be. I can relate to that suffocating feeling all too well.

“I guess it was for the best, we both needed to find our own paths."

I smile at him. “And look where your path led you. To a wedding in Australia, sitting next to a girl in a funeral dress.”

He laughs—a genuine, big laugh—, and I join him.

“So what’s your story?" He asks, breaking the silence.

I let out a short sigh. “Well, Ethan and I dated for a few years. We were happy—or at least I thought we were. We broke up briefly, just a dumb argument. Then Millie, my best friend since childhood, decided he was the guy she wanted to marry. It was a mess. They got together, and I was left picking up the pieces."

His eyes widen, a look of shock in his face.

“I’m sorry." He replies, lowering his voice. “Are you trying to murder then tonight? Is that what the funeral dress is for? Because honestly, I’d understand. Hell, I’d give you an alibi."

I laugh, shaking my head. We briefly clink our beer bottles together and take a sip. He watches me for a moment before speaking again, his voice softer.

“I’m really sorry you had to go through that. I never thought Ethan could be such an asshole."

“Well, aren’t we fun? Talking about failed relationships in the middle of a wedding."

He grins, a naughty expression in his eyes “I think you’re the funniest and sexiest girl in this wedding. And for what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re here."

“I’m glad you’re here too." I say, giving him a honest smile. “And it’s all thanks to our exes—mine planning a wedding with my ex-best friend, and yours, leaving you single to attend it. To our exes."

I raise my beer bottle and tap it against his with a satisfying clink.

“And to us." Dan replies, offering a warm smile.

I smile back, and we sit in comfortable silence. And I realize that maybe, just maybe, this is the start of something new. Something good.