“My mother,” he mumbled.
“Who?” Chantelle asked.
“I need more stickpins,” Mrs. Nelson said. “Don’t you move, Lance.”
“Yes, Mrs. Nelson.” He wouldn’t roll his eyes. Mrs. Nelson was a sweetheart but a stickler for details.
Chantelle giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand.
His forehead wrinkled. “At my expense. Thank you for being a friend.”
She pressed a hand to her chest.
“What was the question earlier?” he asked.
“Your honeymoon.”
“We said Egypt.”
She bobbed her head. “Great. No change of plans? Is that the only place you two have in mind?”
“With her in Greece, she’s thinking of going there instead.”
Chantelle grabbed her tablet once more and typed. “So… if you don’t mind my asking again, what makes Andrea special enough to marry her?”
Did her voice shake when she asked that question? Lance couldn’t pinpoint it. Even if she had an opinion about his upcom
ing wedding, why would he care?
“We’re good together.” That sufficed, didn’t it? He wouldn’t go into details about his feelings. He and Andrea needed some privacy.
“Lance?” Chantelle raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s it. ‘We’re good together.’”
“What do you want me to say?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you found your soulmate. You can’t imagine the rest of your life without her. She makes you smile from within. She challenges you to be better. She’s a blessing and an asset to your life.”
He watched as her face seemed to shine. Lance had experienced that kind of love before. It didn’t dawn on him as a teenage boy watching her walk down the halls of Delta Heights High School. Chantelle always had trouble opening up her locker.
“You don’t know your combination?” He had asked.
“I know it,” she had said, twisting the lock back and forth. “It just won’t work.”
Reaching for the lock, his fingers brushed against hers. “Here, let me help.”
She huffed and stepped backwards. “Fine.”
In less than a minute, Lance had opened the metal door.
“I see you’re thinking. Do you have an answer now?” Chantelle stepped forward, interrupting his memories of her. He needed to call Andrea today. His wife to be. The only woman who needed to be on his mind.
“I’ll get back to you on that.” Lance willed his arms not to move to avoid the nicks of the stick pins.
Then his phone rang. He rolled his eyes since he couldn’t move. Chantelle set her tablet on her chair.
“Where is it?” she asked.
“My jacket pocket.” He made the gesture with his head. “Where is Mrs. Nelson when you need her?”