“You’re t-twins?” Zane’s eyebrows rise up.
“Actually, we’re two parts of triplets.” Ivy giggles at his shocked expression.
Even though I knew Ivy had two other sisters, I’ve never met them, and it’s surreal to see her face on someone else.
“We have a third sister, Holly. Noel is the best hairstylist I know.” Ivy flops onto the couch next to me and pulls Noel down on the recliner and says, “Noel will first show you what she plans to do on a mannequin head. Go on, sis.”
Noel looks between us and then opens her travel bag. She takes out a head mannequin and places a black wig on it before grabbing her scissors.
Carefully, she gives the wig a haircut like mine, even shaving off a part of it. Trust and confidence rise in my mind as she works with expert fingers.
Looking away from the mannequin, Noel says, “What I want to do is take some hair from this side and style it so it naturally falls over this shaved area.” She starts explaining and working her magic.
Adrenaline shoots through me when she’s done. I feel like my familiar giddy self for the first time since Monday, knowing that Zane’s family won’t suspect anything…at least not due to my crazy hair. “This is amazing. You’re crazy talented, Noel.”
Watching her cheeks turn pink, I can’t believe she’s Ivy’s sister.
* * *
“Vienna, who gave you this haircut?” Hope asks as she unzips the bag holding my wedding dress. “It looks so pretty.”
It’s a day before the wedding, and Clementine sent my dress with Hope for a final fitting.
“My friend’s sister,” I reply with a smile.
It’s only two days after the biopsy, but I’m already feeling much better. Watching the excitement of Zane’s family, I often forget about my illness. It’s when I’m lying alone in bed that my brain starts to conjure images of my reality. That’s why I’m really dreading the lonely night these days.
“Wow!” Hope’s voice, filled with wonder, grabs my attention away from my misery to the most beautiful wedding dress I’ve ever seen. She helps me put it on, and my breath hitches at the sight of myself in the tall mirror of the guest bedroom.
The off-shoulder dress in ivory with an overflowing skirt looks so…me. The net sleeves loosely rest over my arms, and the small train in the back makes it perfect.
“There couldn’t have been a better dress for you. Do you know Clementine makes one-of-a-kind dresses? She designed this with you in mind.”
My hand grazing the bodice halts. My chest expands as I look away from the mirror and toward Hope. “This is…amazing. Thank you so much, all of you, for everything.”
A pang of guilt hits my stomach as she straightens the skirt. “You’re very welcome.” Hope smiles and turns me around to face her. “I’m so happy Zane found you.”
“I don’t know if he found me or if it was my lucky day when I found him. It seems my life has taken a one-eighty turn since then.” Amid all the lies, I tell her some truth.
“Believe me, I know what you mean. But these Teager men are like modern-day princes plucked out of a fairy tale.” Hope hesitates for a second before adding, “Zach and I started our marriage in a very unconventional way, and somedays I can’t believe where we are now.”
Before I can ask what she means by unconventional, she clears her throat and smiles. “I’m so happy to see how much you and Zane love each other.”
Once again, guilt eats at me. I’m still thinking over what to say so I don’t lie to her more than I already have when my cell phone vibrates on top of the dresser. I notice an unknown number.
Is it the hospital?
I glance up at Hope, who is straightening the dress bag.
But doesn’t the hospital usually call Zane after we gave his number as the primary contact?
“Hello,” I answer tentatively.
“Hi, Vienna. It’s Zander.”
“Oh, hi.” Zander’s unexpected call hits me with trepidation and worry. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Zane just told me that your family, the ones you went to see two days back, aren’t coming to the wedding.”