in again. Cars had been rocking up all morning, and the street was lined with beaten up, paint-challenged vans and Utes. Surely there was not s

out. I am sure if you call one of the brides who were also on that waiting list, someone will want

g to be pushy. People who had been only too happy to be helpful and answer any question they had, who h

g, when Owen was the one who had ended their engagement. There was an unfairness with being left to untangle

mily had withdrawn half the money from their joint savings account and changed her pin on her personal account. It had felt odd doing

ret whether him not doing anything was a sign that this separation was just transitory. A phase. Cold feet. An early midlife crisis. All the things her friends and family ha

things was she going to have to change that she had not yet thought of? The breadth of what lay before her was overw

d. "Hey!" A woman ca

e had been pacing with her notebook befor

framing her against the green of the front lawn, like arrows of accusation. Cordelia's face fell. "O

s the lawn in platform high heels and a too tight pleather mini-skirt to the other house. How dim-witted did you have to be, Emily wondered mali

ering, washing cars, walking dogs... watching their houses for the ever

am starting to think I am the only one who is. My fiancé called off our wedding, moved into the house next door, and quit his job. He is joining a band with our wedding singer, yes, you heard that right. He is sleeping

as she di

wall in frustration, fighting back tears and wanting to tear her hair out

was Cordelia back again, as she wanted to unleash her outrage on someone. She could feel it building u

ubble on his cheeks, which gave him a dangerous, slightly rough edge, and set off his blue eyes. He w

ic. "Cordelia said she had knocked by mistake, and I wanted to say that I am sorry

away with the back of her hand, almost dropping her phone in the process. "Having this house on constant availability for the real estate agent to bring potential buyers through? Trying to ring around all the

his chin on her head, the way he had done since he'd had his growth spurt in the fourth grade and begun to tower over her. "I am sorry. I have been

As always, he seemed to read her mind. She laughed w

when they head off to go get food, I will come over here, instead. We will order pi

do need to talk to you about things, like the credit card, and

or the afternoon, hey, Em? I will come back, and we will sort it out

m chilled out, if she touched

etchedly, as if she were an unpleasant task he h

nd she groaned and fled throu

t gifts, the bridal magazines. Gone were the wedding boards and lists she had been using to keep track. The fabric samples, the