She shakes her head. “I have no idea. But it should be interesting!”

We grab muffins off a platter on the bar, then head to Olivia’s car.

It’s slow at the shop. Painfully so. Olivia has ditched me and is walking through the greenhouse with Drew. I’m sure they’re making out behind the azaleas. Papa has Wes and Charlie busy out back, deciding which plants are going to be used as decorations for the party tonight.

My phone dings with a text from Margot. I’ve been careful not to bug her, since she’s got so much going on, but I’ve really missed talking to her.

MARGOT: Good news! They started reducing the amount of oxygen Anna was getting from the vent last night and right now she’s only getting 25 % from the machine and she’s doing great! Hopefully the tubes will be out tomorrow!

ME: THAT IS THE BEST NEWS!!!!!!

ME: I’m so relieved!!!

MARGOT: You have no idea. It’s awful to see your tiny little baby with so many machines attached to her

I wish I was there to hug her. And Anna, too.

MARGOT: So I hear you’re as bad as Nonna with the matchmaking

ME: This family has a serious gossiping problem

MARGOT: I hate we’re missing Nonna’s party. Any idea who Papa picked?

ME: No. And I’m a little concerned

Nonna walks through the front of the shop, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Well, I’ve got good news,” she squeals.

She must be waiting for a reaction from me, but we just stare at each other. Finally, she says, “I found your date for tomorrow night!”

“Just now?” I ask. “You’ve been at the nursing home visiting Gigi.”

“Yes, I know! Funny how things work out. It was meant to be.”

And then she dances off toward her office, and I’m left wondering who in the world she saw at the nursing home.

It’s close to lunch before I see Wes. He looks really cute today in his jeans and Greenhouse Nursery T-shirt. He leans against the counter while Charlie drops down on the stool next me. Charlie’s covered in potting soil.

“Did you have an accident?” I ask.

He brushes off the loose dirt. “Let’s just say I went two rounds with a sago palm and the palm won.”

Wes laughs. “I didn’t think it was possible for someone to get into a fight with a potted plant, but Charlie proved me wrong.”

“That plant weighed about forty pounds! And I didn’t see that last step,” Charlie says.

Olivia drops her phone inside her purse and says, “Well, boys, y’all can have it. We’re out of here.”

Charlie jumps up. “What? How’d you get the rest of the day off?”

Picking up my bag off the floor, I say, “We’re taking Nonna for hair and nails.”

“Totally unfair. I would be willing to run Nonna around all day.”

Olivia and Charlie bicker all the way to the front of the store about who is the favorite and why, but I hang back to talk to Wes.

“Any chance you were at Garden Park Nursing Home this morning?” I ask.

I can tell the answer by his expression before he even says it.

“No. Why?”

I shake my head, hoping my disappointment doesn’t show. “No reason. Never mind.”

Olivia yells from the front door. “Help me get Nonna in the car! She’s saying she doesn’t want to go.”

“I’ll see you later,” I say to Wes, then hurry outside to help Olivia. We all but bully Nonna to get in Olivia’s car.

“It’s ridiculous to spend the entire day at the beauty shop,” Nonna says once she’s finally in the passenger seat. “I should be at the club helping them set up for tonight.”

Her party is being held in one of the banquet rooms at Eastridge Country Club. Nonna wanted to keep it small, but even just our family is a crowd, so we needed the space.

“Mom and all the aunts are taking care of it,” Olivia says. “They want to surprise you.”

Nonna lets out a pfff sound but finally stops complaining.

“Has Papa told you who he’s setting me up with yet?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “No, and I’ve been after him all morning about it. I mean, who does he know that isn’t related to you?”

I let out a sharp laugh. “I can ask you the same thing about my New Year’s Eve date!”

She glances back at me and winks. “That date will be the best one. You just wait!”

I don’t even try to hide the groan.

My phone dings and a smile bursts across my face when I see Margot’s name. Four pictures of Anna appear one right after the other. I pass the phone to Nonna so she can see her. It’s pretty awful to see that big tube going into her little mouth, and she’s still sedated, but she’s a healthy rosy color. I’m taking that as a good sign.

Nonna passes the phone back to me. “Won’t be long before she’s as fat and happy as the rest of y’all were.”

“I hope so.”

MARGOT: The doctors are going to start weaning!! Her oxygen saturations levels are looking good. Fingers crossed!!

ME: Crossing fingers and toes and anything else I can manage!!

At the salon, we talk Nonna into having her nails painted a soft pink with a touch of glitter. Olivia and I choose the same color. They wash and style her hair, and there’s even a woman who applies her makeup.

By the time we’re headed back to Nonna’s, we only have about an hour or so to get dressed and get to the club.

Olivia has her change of clothes with her, so we share the guest bathroom and help each other with our makeup.

“As many bad dates as I’ve had this week, I shouldn’t be worried about who Papa picked, but I am,” I say while Olivia carefully runs black liquid eyeliner across the edge of my upper right lid. Applying liquid eyeliner takes a skill I don’t possess.

“Shhh, or I’m going to mess this up,” she says. “And it won’t matter. You can ditch whoever it is, since we’ll all be there. It’s wreaking havoc with the betting, by the way. Everyone is fighting for the ten-to-ten-thirty spots.”

I’d roll my eyes if I could, but she’s got one of the lids stretched too tight. “I’m going to blow everyone’s chances and stay out with whoever it is past midnight.”

Olivia steps back and looks at me. “Really? Do I need to change my bet?”

“Oh my God, no,” I say.

Since everyone is scrambling with last-minute duties for the party, the front hall is blessedly empty, except for Nonna, Papa, Olivia, Charlie, and me. But judging by the way Charlie is glued to his phone, I have no doubt that everyone in the family is getting a play-by-play.

“Papa and Nonna, y’all are looking pretty hot,” Olivia says. And they do. He’s in black slacks and a crisp white button-down shirt under a sea-green pullover sweater. She’s wearing dark charcoal fitted pants with tall black boots and a silvery-looking top.

“You two look smashing!” Olivia says in the worst British accent ever.

“We clean up nicely, I think,” he says, looking at Nonna. She looks back at him, her eyes crinkling, and I feel myself grinning.

The doorbell rings. Papa clasps his hands together, and his face lights up with utter joy.

But I’m just shocked when the door swings open and Wes is standing there.

I can’t hide the smile that spreads across my face. “Wha—”

“Wes, what are you doing here?” says Papa. “Where’s Peter?”

And then disappointment hits me like a hammer. Peter is a guy who works at the shop. He was in the group of possible candidates Olivia and I had narrowed down.

“Peter got sick at work right as we were closing up. Really sick. He threw up all over the break room.” He gives me a confused smile. I realize he can read the disappointment on my face, and I want to rush to tell him that he’s wrong — that I wanted it to be him.

He looks back at Papa and continues, “So I told him I would come over here and let you both know.”

Papa looks crushed. “Oh, Sophie! I’ve let you down.”

I rush to his side and give him a hug. “Not at all, Papa. It might have been weird to have a date at Nonna’s party, anyway. This was meant to be, I promise.”

Papa hugs me back, then turns to Wes. “Well, maybe not all is lost! Wes can escort you. I know you’re only friends but…”

Before Papa can finish, Laurel walks in behind Wes. “Hey!” she says to us, then turns to Wes. “Your mom told me you walked over here. I’m ready when you are.”

Wes is bringing Laurel to the party. The realization hits me like a gut punch. His eyes flick to mine for a second or two, and he looks like he wants to say something. Instead, he turns to Papa. “We’ll see you there, I guess.”

And then they’re gone.

***

According to Charlie, who is currently in the backseat of Olivia’s car, there’s a great debate over the winner of tonight’s bet. Some are saying that whoever had the closest spot to seven wins, while others think it’s null and void since there wasn’t an actual date.

“Just roll it over to tomorrow and the winner gets double the usual pot,” Olivia says.

He passes that message along, then says, “Okay, everyone’s cool with that.”

“Why was Laurel with Wes? I thought that was over,” Olivia asks Charlie.

“I don’t know, but that’s the first thing I’m going to ask him when we get there,” he answers.

Olivia turns around so she can face me from the front seat. “I’m sorry. He said they were done…and he never mentioned he was bringing her tonight.”

I shake my head. It isn’t Olivia’s fault. I was the one who read too much into every little word and gesture. But what does it mean that seeing Wes with Laurel hit me harder than seeing the post of Griffin and Sabrina?