The Day You Never Came

Mom has terminal cancer, and her dying wish is to see me in a wedding dress. After I beg my boyfriend and my best friend 88 times, they finally agree to help me stage a wedding so I can make her wish come true. But on the wedding day, Mom holds on with the last of her strength, waiting until her eyes can barely focus. The groom never shows up. Neither does my bridesmaid. Then my best friend, Jolene Cohen, posts a photo. Isaac is in his tux, and Jolene is still in her bridesmaid dress. They're posing with a cake, both grinning at the camera. "My bestie was so nervous about her wedding that her groom came halfway across town with me just to pick up a cake. She's seriously lucky to have a guy like him." The location tag is a popular cake shop across town. I call Isaac and confront him, but he sounds completely unconcerned. "Isn't this whole thing supposed to be about fulfilling your mom's last wish? I'm just helping Jolene loosen up so she'll seem more natural when we do this later." Jolene laughs from somewhere beside him and chimes in. "Come on, Lily. We're just messing with you. We'll be back in a bit. Tell Ms. Page to wait a little longer." That's when I realize that all my desperate pleading and even Mom's dying wish mean absolutely nothing to them. I watch the line on the monitor go flat as tears blur my vision. I end this whole charade on my own and walk away from them for good. Chapter 1 After taking care of everything at the hospital, I went back to the small room we'd set up for the wedding. The guests were long gone. A large wedding banner still hung in the center of the room. I'd put it up myself the night before, making sure it was perfectly straight. Mom had insisted on that. She always said if you started things right, everything else would fall into place. The cake she'd picked out was still on the table, already starting to melt. The frosting had sagged into a shapeless mess, which pretty much matched how I felt. I changed out of my wedding dress and started cleaning up on autopilot. I was halfway done when Isaac Hudson and Jolene Cohen finally showed up, still carrying a bag from the popular cake shop. "Lily, we're back! We even got Ms. Page a low-sugar cake. It's one of their specialties…" Jolene's cheerful voice trailed off as she took in the empty room. She looked stunned. "Where is everyone? I thought there was supposed to be a wedding. Why is it so quiet in here?" Isaac frowned. "Lily, Jolene's talking to you. Where did everyone go?" I didn't answer. Jolene seemed to sense the tension and quickly tried to smooth things over. "Lily, is Ms. Page upset? This is my fault. I messed up the timing. Isaac only came with me to get the cake—" Isaac cut her off and immediately tried to reassure her. "Don't worry about it, Jolene. Ms. Page is such a nice person. Even if she found out, she wouldn't blame us." My eyes stung at his words. Of course Mom wouldn't blame them. Even at the very end, she was still making excuses for them. Ten years ago, when Isaac's parents were going through a divorce, he was pretty much left on his own. One day, the pain from a stomach perforation got so bad that he passed out. Mom was the one who rushed him to the hospital in the pouring rain. The hospital needed a deposit up front, so Mom covered it herself with two months' pay. Later, not wanting Isaac to feel awkward about owing her money, she just smiled and said, "I'm your teacher. Of course I was going to help. Don't feel bad about it, Isaac. You've got a bright future ahead of you. Pay me back when you can." Isaac lay in the hospital bed, clutching her hand and crying for what seemed like forever. He swore he'd spend the rest of his life paying her back for everything she'd done for him. After that, Isaac was practically part of the family. He was always the first to show up for the holidays, and whenever Mom got sick, he worried about her even more than I did. Everyone said he treated her better than most sons treated their own mothers. But when it came to this final act, he couldn't even play his part. I tossed my wedding dress onto a chair. My voice was so hoarse I barely recognized it. "The wedding's off. There won't be another one." Chapter 2 Isaac froze for a second, then scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean, Lily? Are you trying to hold the wedding over my head now? I came back to play along, didn't I? What else do you want?" I said, "I don't want anything. I'm just telling you the act is over." Isaac's expression darkened. He tore off his boutonniere and slapped it onto the table. "Fine! No wedding, then! It was fake to begin with anyway. You begged me to put on this whole act for Ms. Page. So if you're canceling it now, don't come begging me later to go through with it." Jolene quickly grabbed his arm. "Isaac, don't talk to Lily like that." Then she turned to me, her eyes red. "Lily, come on. Isaac was a little harsh, but you know how he is. Just talk to him nicely for a minute. He'll calm down, and this will all blow over." Whenever Isaac and I fought, it didn't matter who was at fault. I was always the one who backed down. If he gave me the cold shoulder, I'd bring him his favorite takeout. If he ignored my messages, I'd wait outside his office until he came out. If he called me petty, I'd bend over backward to prove I wasn't. Even when he deliberately made a show of being close to Jolene right in front of me, I never said a word. But this time, I was done. I just said, "If you're going, then go." Isaac flew into a rage, jerked free of Jolene's grip, and stormed out. Jolene turned back before hurrying after Isaac. "Lily, I'm really disappointed in you. You're making a huge deal out of nothing. If Ms. Page saw you acting like this, she'd be so upset." The door closed behind her, and the room fell silent again. My eyes landed on the wedding photo by the entrance. It suddenly seemed like a cruel joke. They had no idea Mom was already gone. She couldn't be upset anymore. By the time I finished cleaning up the wedding mess, it was already dark. I gathered the last of the odds and ends into a bag. Then I headed back to the place Isaac and I shared. I checked my phone and saw another post from Jolene. This time, it was a nine-photo post with the caption, "Another day of being dragged into action. The wedding got called off, but at least the outfits didn't go to waste." In the first photo, she and Isaac were sitting together at a dessert shop, grinning at the camera. The cake in front of them read, "Happy Wedding." The second photo was from an amusement park. Jolene posed in her bridesmaid dress while Isaac stood beside her, holding up the hem. The third was taken at the beach. The wind caught Jolene's veil, and Isaac reached out to keep it from blowing away. In the last photo, he was adjusting her veil. They were standing so close they looked like they might kiss at any second. They were all smiles in every photo, looking every bit like a couple. They were dressed for my wedding, but they looked like the bride and groom. And somehow, I was his girlfriend, yet I was the one who looked ridiculous. Isaac almost never posted, but this time he actually uploaded a whole set of photos with Jolene. His caption read, "At least the outfits didn't go to waste." The comments were full of teasing. "Wait, are you two getting married?" "You two look perfect together." "Isaac, that look in your eyes is way too real." "The vibe between you two is unreal. Just get married already." Every teasing comment felt like a slap in the face. Jolene jumped into the comments. "Stop, you guys. Isaac is Lily's boyfriend. I only borrowed him for a few pictures." Someone else kept the jokes going. "You two are literally taking wedding photos together. Who are you kidding?" Jolene replied, "Oh, stop. There's absolutely nothing between Isaac and me. He just didn't want me to make the trip for nothing, so he hung out with me for a while. We were just taking some fun pictures. "We thought Lily would be happy to see them too." I stared at her reply and laughed, even as the tears kept falling. They had taken couples' photos in the outfits from my wedding, then claimed they'd done it to make me happy. Chapter 3 I liked Jolene's post. Not even two minutes later, she called. She sounded uneasy. "Lily, you saw the post? Don't get the wrong idea. We were just messing around and taking a few pictures." I said nothing. She hurried to explain, "Don't worry. I made sure Ms. Page couldn't see the post." So she knew exactly how it might look to Mom. What she didn't know was that Mom would never see it anyway. Jolene kept going. "Lily, don't stay mad at Isaac. I've already talked to him. We'll find somewhere even nicer and make sure Ms. Page gets her wish. She's one of the most important people in my life too." Those words made my chest tighten until I could hardly breathe. Jolene had been one of Mom's students too. Her family always put the boys first, and there were times Jolene barely had enough to eat. Mom would quietly make sure she had money for lunch. During Jolene's senior year of high school, her family tried to make her drop out and get a job. Mom went to their house three times and fought for her, arguing and pleading until they finally agreed to let Jolene stay in school. That day, Jolene threw her arms around Mom and sobbed, "Ms. Page, you've been more of a mother to me than my own mom ever was." And now, after everything Mom had done for her, Jolene had spent the entire day fooling around with my boyfriend. She was even wearing the bridesmaid dress I'd picked out for her. Then she acted like hiding the post from Mom made everything okay. Jolene went on. "Lily, don't be so sensitive. Everyone in the comments was only joking. If the posts bother you, I'll delete them. But please don't fight with Isaac over this. He's tired enough already." My eyes stung, and I couldn't listen to her go on anymore. I hung up. I sat on the couch, staring at the few things Mom had left behind. I cried until I couldn't make a sound anymore. A long time later, my phone lit up again. It was Isaac. "When you're done with your tantrum, apologize. Jolene's crying. She was only trying to make you feel better, so stop being so ungrateful. Ms. Page wouldn't want to see you behaving like this either." I stared at the screen and suddenly felt like the past few years had been one big joke. Jolene cried, and suddenly it was the end of the world. Mom died, and somehow I was the problem. It took me less than half an hour to pack. The irony was that even though this was the place Isaac and I shared, Jolene had more things here than I did. Her stuff was everywhere, in the bathroom, the closet, even the fridge. I even found one of her hair ties in the nightstand beside our bed. I stood there holding it for a long time, and the memories started coming back. Jolene and Isaac had both been Mom's students, but they never got along. Put them in the same room, and they'd be arguing within minutes. Mom would play peacemaker while serving dinner. "You two are both good kids. Why can't you just get along? Isaac, give her a break. Jolene, don't take everything so seriously." Then she'd turn to me. "Lily, they're your friends. Make sure they're taken care of." Back then, the house always felt so lively. Mom, my best friend, and the guy I loved were all gathered around the same table. But somewhere along the way, Isaac and Jolene developed an understanding that seemed to leave me out. When Jolene worked late, Isaac would pick her up. If she got caught in the rain without an umbrella, he'd check on her before I did. When she got drunk after a breakup, he'd stay up with her talking until the early hours. Whenever I got uncomfortable with how close Isaac and Jolene were, he always said the same thing. "She's your best friend. I only look out for her for your sake. Why are you getting jealous? Don't be so petty, Lily." Then Jolene would get teary-eyed and ask, "Lily, are you saying you don't want me as a friend anymore?" So once again, I was the one who apologized. I was scared of losing Isaac, scared of losing Jolene, and most of all, scared of making Mom worry. But in the end, I lost them all anyway. Chapter 4 The sound of the door unlocking pulled me out of my thoughts. Isaac walked in with Jolene right behind him. The second he spotted my suitcase, his face darkened. "Seriously, Lily? Ms. Page is critically ill, and now you're packing up and leaving?" Jolene stood behind him with red-rimmed eyes, looking at me like I was the one who'd hurt her. "Lily, is this about me? Whatever's bothering you, we can deal with it later. Don't get upset right now. You know Ms. Page's condition comes first." My throat tightened. Funny how Mom suddenly mattered now. Where had they been yesterday when no one could reach them? And somehow, I was the one being childish and unreasonable. Jolene came over and reached for my hand, but I pulled away. Her eyes reddened even more, and her voice caught. "Lily, are you upset about the pictures? I'm really sorry. I promise I'll keep my distance from Isaac from now on. But this isn't the time for this. "You know how sick Ms. Page is. Imagine how upset she'd be if she knew you and Isaac were fighting like this." My chest tightened. Upset? Mom had never been more heartbroken than in those final moments, waiting for them to show up. Neither of them did. I answered flatly, "You don't owe me an apology, and you don't need to worry about my mom." Isaac scoffed and moved between us, putting Jolene behind him. "Why wouldn't I worry about her? She's my future mother-in-law, and she was my teacher. Of course I care." I stopped what I was doing and looked him straight in the eye. "So now you remember she's your future mother-in-law? Where were you yesterday when she was waiting for you? Where were you when all she wanted was to have you there as part of the family?" Isaac's expression darkened, and his voice grew harsher. "Lily, do you have to make everything sound like an accusation? I told you, I went with Jolene to pick up a cake for Ms. Page. "It's not like I was planning to stay out all day. Who knew you'd blow it completely out of proportion and cancel the wedding?" Jolene saw the argument getting out of hand and rushed over to grab his arm. "Isaac, stop. Everyone's upset enough already. This is my fault. I'm the one who messed everything up." She always knew how to read the room and exactly when to play helpless. Sure enough, Isaac looked at her with obvious concern before turning a cold look on me. "Fine. Leave if you want. Don't use Ms. Page's illness to make me back down. I'm not going to give in to you every single time. He took Jolene's hand and walked out. Just before they left, Jolene glanced back at me. She still looked hurt, but there was a smugness in her eyes she couldn't quite hide. The door closed behind them, and I was alone. I stood there for a long time without moving. After every fight, I was always the one who waited. I'd wait for Isaac to come back, calm down, and finally let me explain. I'd wait until he gave me some way to patch things up. But this time, I was done waiting. I grabbed my suitcase, set my key on the console by the door, and left without looking back. I'd barely made it downstairs when I got a call from the hospital. "Ms. Summers, we need you to come in and finish the paperwork for your mother's death certificate and the transfer of her remains." I simply murmured, "Okay." Once I took care of everything, I'd have nothing left to worry about. The next morning, I got to the hospital early. After I signed a stack of forms, the doctor asked me to wait in the hall. Just before I stepped out, she handed me an envelope. "This belonged to your mother." Chapter 5 I opened the envelope and found the speech Mom had written for the wedding. Her handwriting was shaky, but she'd clearly taken her time with every word. "Isaac, the one thing I can't stop worrying about is Lily. She grew up without a father. She may seem easygoing, but she's always been more afraid of loneliness than she lets on. "You're the more levelheaded one. When she gets stubborn, just be patient with her. Don't take every stubborn thing she says to heart. When I'm gone, please love her a little extra for me." Below that was another note, the handwriting even fainter. "Jolene, I have one favor to ask of you too. Lily can be stubborn, but underneath it all, she's softhearted. You two have always been like sisters. When I'm gone, I just want you two to look out for each other. Then I won't have to worry. A tear splashed onto the page, and I couldn't read any further. Even at the very end, Mom was still thinking the best of Isaac and worrying about Jolene and me. She was still trusting him to look after me. She had no idea she'd entrusted me to the wrong man. Before I could pull myself together, I saw Isaac and Jolene hurrying toward me. Isaac looked furious. The second he saw me, he came charging over. "Lily, what did you do? Ms. Page isn't even answering her phone. What did you say to her?" Jolene trailed behind him, giving me a disapproving look. "Lily, I know you're mad at us, but Ms. Page is already so sick. You can't give her one more thing to worry about. "We've already lined up another venue, and we'll make sure everything goes smoothly this time. We really are trying to make Ms. Page's wish come true." When I still didn't answer, Isaac grew even more annoyed. "Quit acting like this. I gave you a chance to drop it yesterday, but you insisted on making a scene. And now you've come to the hospital to get Ms. Page on your side? Lily, can you act like an adult for once?" I looked at him and suddenly felt too exhausted to explain myself. I gave a bitter smile. "Isaac, my mom died," I said quietly. The hallway fell silent. Isaac's face drained of color. Then he slapped me. My head snapped to the side, and my ears rang. He froze the second he realized what he'd done. He looked down at his hand, clearly regretting it for a second, but he still wouldn't back down. "I didn't mean to do that, but you took it too far. You'd actually say something like that just to get an apology out of me? Ms. Page is still in there, and you're saying she's dead?" For the first time, the tears in Jolene's eyes looked real. "Lily, I'm so disappointed in you. Ms. Page was always so proud of what a good daughter you were. How could you joke about something like her dying?" My voice came out so cold I barely recognized it. "Then why did you make a joke out of the wedding yesterday?" Jolene faltered for a second, then lowered her head and started crying. "I know. It was my fault. But I really didn't mean for any of this to happen. I was so nervous I'd mess up my part that Isaac took me out to help me relax. We had no idea we'd be gone that long—" Before she could finish, Isaac stepped in front of her. "That's enough! Jolene already feels guilty enough. Do you have to push everyone until they snap?" I laughed, and only then did I realize my face was wet with tears. "She feels guilty? Then what was she doing taking couples' photos with you in her bridesmaid dress?" Isaac hesitated, and his voice wasn't quite as firm anymore. "Are you done yet? We've spent the last two days running around getting everything ready. We already have another venue lined up. This time, we'll make sure everything goes exactly the way Ms. Page wants." My vision blurred. I was about to say something when the doctor stepped out of her office. "Ms. Summers, there's just one more signature I need from you for Leah Page's death certificate." For a moment, everything seemed to stop. Isaac and Jolene slowly went pale.