An Odd Day To Get Married

My phone chimed about six times, each in quicker succession than the last. I put down the coffee in my left hand, feeling the skin cool as it left my grip, pulling the phone towards my face to open it and receive the messages.

u there yet, Henry?

which table are we reserved for?

hey

ill be there in 20

i love you

I scrolled down the chats from Sara, halting the device at my sides to focus on what I sent back.

table 12, cant wait :) love u too

I shut it off, leaning back into the lush cushioning. The intricate patterns, as fancy as they came, didn't change the deep relief it pressed into my spine.

The cafe itself was pristine. Wooden, tan floors with carefully placed designs aligning the wall bases. Each wall, further up, had paintings and tapestries, all neutrally color coded to not steal too much spotlight from the cafe's show. There were news articles in crystal clear boxes: I don't remember the last time I saw someone genuinely reading from the newspaper. Sometimes the thought of a more simple, calming time with no electronics would sneak it's way behind my eyelids before I slept. Like if there were no posts and just word of mouth, and if nobody had mass followings on social media and instead were on newspapers: sitting on the walls proudly while passerby would point in awe. Maybe at me, if I were fortunately born in that time.

I took a sip from my steamy paper cup of coffee, the lid comfortably fitting my lips as the tolerably hot liquid rolled down my tongue. I sighed once it was finished, my phone on the table top buzzing and vibrating.

I picked it up.

heyy u busy? can i call

I smiled, and a small blockage in my throat began to form. I deeply swallowed before texting back.

yea, just not for too long. i got a ton of work stuff to keep up with, yk?

I let the phone ring for a couple seconds until I picked it up. I inhaled deeply, gathering all my voice and merit.

"Hey I'm kinda double knotted right now, whatcha need?"

"I have the biggest surprise ever for you." She spoke gently, her little excited giggle behind the phone making me grin from ear to ear. It was easy to picture her wavy black locks of hair, those green eyes and glossy lips.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"So, don't be mad, but I totally talked with Theresa about what your plans were today. She said you were gonna drop by the, uh, cafe near the movie theater? I know it's so random and you have probably been sitting there for awhile already, but please stay put! I'm like thirty minutes out." She seemed so excited. I wished for the mutual feeling, but truthfully I was tongue tied. This was awful timing for a long-distance visit: Sara was maybe a set of ten minutes from walking in that door. Montana was thirty. I muted myself to curse, hands relaying onto my temple as she spoke out of happiness and delight to see me. Early.

"Montana, honey, that is..." I froze, begging not to lie. I couldn't possibly lie. My mother had told her where I was, and leaving would likely confuse Sara enough into following me. I'd scheduled this date with Sara a couple days ago, and canceling was very uncharacteristic of me. I had to work fast. "Wonderful. That sounds wonderful."

"I know! It's been ages. I don't know how I could possibly live off of FaceTime and messages any longer." Montana heaved a breath of stress-free air, following up her next words. "Well I'll call you when I'm pulling in, 'kay? Love you."

"Love you, bye. Can't wait."

I shut off my phone, slamming my fist into the table without much hesitation. The set shook, my coffee barely hanging onto the table by it's base. This was bound to get bad relatively quickly: unless I think. Fast.

The door at the entrance of the cafe dinged as it opened, and Sara walked through it with a nervous grin. She scanned the tables in front of me through the small population of people. Her pearl eyes locked onto me as her hand raised and she hurriedly weaved through the thickness.

"Henry!" She almost cooed in my direction, sliding into the booth cushions across from me. The smile across her cheekbones gleamed more radiant than the sun outside.

Sara was reserved, sweet, and unbearably pretty. She loved reading, talking on her low-roll podcast and having her breakfast in bed. She wore secretly expensive Chanel perfumes but would never ask for them out of my pocket: she always sneaked and bought them on her own when I didn't know. A wave of it's scent struck me as she took a seat across the booth.

"Traffic was awful. I swear people buy cars just to not drive them right." Sara chirped, her soft-spoke tone gracing my ears. I let my worries fade, and I put a hand across the table onto hers. The coldness of her skin made mine tingle, and she let my wrist topple onto hers.

"I'm just so glad you made it in good time."

She let off the tension in her face, and I felt her hands caress mine as if they were her only safe place. My phone began to ring, and checking the time, I felt needles growing in my skull.

"Hey love, one second while I take this? If the waiter comes by, tell them I just want a small bowl of potato soup or something. Thank you." I got up, pacing between the tables and booths as my forehead beaded in sweat. The green button on my phone clicked, and I rose it to my ear when I got enough distance from my table.

"Hey, you here early?"

"Yeah! Saw some traffic where I was gonna drive down but I took like a back road? Super twisty but I made it! Can't wait to see you." Montana beeped into my phone, and I shut the phone off as she finished speaking.

I would meet her outside and simply ask her to meet another time. If only it were that simple, though. Montana wouldn't give in that easily: she was stubborn as hell, and extremely vocal and outgoing. It'd been forever since we hung out: now would be an awful time to tell her to go. I needed a way for her and Sara to be happy, but stay far, far away.

I'd corner them both in different parts of the cafe.

I rushed to the door, chiming the bell as I exited. Montana's large, black Subaru had just pulled into the closest parking spot.

She got out, racing to me with open arms, and I reconciled her hug. I'd never been happier that a cafe didn't have windows directly out front.

"Hey! So I also got it picked up for you on way, do you want it now or?" Montana raised one eyebrow, and in her hands was a small, velvet-red bag with a fancy name brand on the side.

"Just..." I groaned, my hands pocketing the phone as I forced the package into her purse. "Just come in, keep it in there for now, okay? I can carry it later."

"Whatever you say. Is this place walk-in?" She asked, bludgeoning her way past me and into the glass opening. I walked in beside her as she checked in, and realized ten minutes had already passed since I left the booth and Sara.

Montana began to walk towards the tops in the back, with Sara in one of them, but I quickly grabbed her shoulders and turned her around towards a small table for two behind a small divisor wall instead.

"Here! I actually got us these seats. Thought the view was nicer." I lied, the weight on my shoulders making me stumble as I pulled out her chair.

"How sweet! It seems nice."

I nodded with an awkward grin before turning to the booth with Sara for a glimpse. She was speaking to a waitress gently, her formality and manners very clearly being expressed with her crossed hands and rich laughter. I had time whilst she spoke.

"So, how was the drive?"

"Awful, honestly. I hate road trips unless it's to the beach. But seeing you is nice." She joked, her sarcasm rippling through the space between us. "What have you been up to, Henry?" She put an extra syllable in my name, stretching the 'y' as if it were an 'e'.

"Great! Are shades the new fashion?"

Her blackout, dark sunglasses were tinted well beyond five percent. She nodded, a proud folding of her hands at my words.

"Yes, and I am the first to really pull it off. Like what you see?" She flipped them up and down from the bridge of her nose, and I rolled my eyes at the playful behavior. I looked down at the time on my camera once more. Twenty short minutes had flown by.

"Hey, I'm gonna pick up a drink. Want me to grab you one?"

"Tea has never sounded better." She replied, likely sighing at the thought of a sweet drink.

"Heh. I shouldn't be long."

I hurried back around the bend, behind a wall as to not be in Montana's vision. I made my way behind figures of people, getting weird looks as I cowered my way to the booth, sliding into the seat.

"Hey! Gosh I'm really sorry. It was about our condo in Florida, it should be ready for us next weekend when we leave. At least it was good news." I chuckled.

She seemed okay, for the most part. She had a knack for knowing when I was lying. But just this time she seemed to miss it.

"Oh it's alright! Our food won't take much longer. That lady was so sweet to me!" She whispered as if the information was potentially offensive to the people sitting close to us. "How nice do you think the beach will feel compared to here?"

I felt her shoes underneath the table beginning to meet at mine. The warmth of even her slightest touch made me want to jump. Relaxing my legs was the only response I could manage that didn't include screaming in joy.

I looked at her loose strands of hair at the crease of her head. So unapologetically pretty: and then behind it, Montana on her way with the velvet gift bag in hand.

Her eyes were locked with mine: both Sara's and Montana's, and I tried to think up a liable excuse for the two of them meeting like this. And the bag. I let down my feet, trying to scatter out of the booth and drag Montana elsewhere, but I knew better than that. Sara's eyes followed me in confusion, her lips parting in a frown as I abruptly rose. Montana was closing the distance, with a frightening speed.

"Babe?" Sara spoke as I tried turning the corner of a tall counter, and she rose. Montana swiftly changed direction, tying me between her and Sara without even knowing it. My phone was shoved into my pocket, and Sara came up to me just as Montana arrived.

"Henry."

"Honey."

They both met in the middle, both speaking to me like a disappointed mother. A deep, exaggerated sigh dipped from within as I began to try and explain. I wasn't swift enough to catch Sara before she unexpectedly spoke first.

"And who are you?"

"Montana. You?"

I grumbled, and Sara looked down at the boxy, perfect gift bag. Her eyes trailed down, up, down up. From my face to Montana's, to the both of us, and then anger shrouded all her previous affection for me.

"Henry. What the hell is this?"

Montana butted in, setting the bag on an empty booth table beside us as we spoke.

"Never answered my question, sis, who are you?"

"Sara! His girlfriend."

Montana began to laugh, a hand slapping my shoulder as she removed her sunglasses and leaned onto my tense body.

"This is Sara? You really are so pretty!" Montana grinned. Sara almost had steam spouting from her ears, and instead turned to me, as if my explanation were long overdue. I felt the discipline of a child, and the embarrassment of high school presentations.

"What. Is. This?"

"Babe, this is Montana. My sister."

Sara paused, her brows furrowing in waiting for more words to spill from my mouth.

"She's been living with her husband in Florida for like, years now. You two haven't met until, well, now." I spoke silently, sighing as I felt my whole plan had been ruined. "She surprised me here, to get me this." I placed a hand on the bag, removing some of the stuffing from the top. Pulling out a small, leatherette box with an opening gap along the middle, I held it in my hands delicately.

Sara still seemed confused, but was easing into less frustration and more understanding. Her darts of eyes pointed at Montana finally dulled as I continued to explain.

"Sara, I wanted to do this next week, during our trip in Florida. I rented out the condo from Montana and her husband." I grabbed the little box, and Montana began to squeal as she got her phone out. The whole cafe diverted it's focus towards us, and even the music playing in the background was suiting our moment. "I know it's been a roller coaster the past twenty minutes, babe, but..."

Sara began to cry as the realization hit, and her hands instinctively reached to her mouth. Montana giggled behind the phone screen, the flash blaring from behind me.

I dropped to one knee, an awkward feeling as it was my first ever proposal. Sara exclaimed in joy, the smile overthrowing any previous judgment she had for me and this wild, wild night out. it was a bold, probably naive decision to rush and marry this woman at the wrong moment. But I guess love always had that frantic way of working out.

"Will you marry me?"

She paused, some clock work clicking behind her forehead. She grinned, able to sniff up the sobs, as she said through teary eyes and shrugged arms.

"Yes. Why would it ever not be yes?"

I rose, meeting her in my arms for a deep, well-needed hug. Her body limped into the front of mine, and our arms interlocked.

Montana screamed, the phone shaking as she finished recording, and she pressed the STOP RECORD button.

And I have to admit, although I don't have a single regret: what an odd day to get married.