My mother was momentarily stunned by my response, but after countless rejections from me over the years, her surprise quickly turned to joy. She cheerfully hung up the phone and began bustling around to arrange my wedding.
As Avery walked down from the stage arm in arm with Bryan, I was looking at the wedding venue my mother had just sent me.
Avery snatched my phone and, after glancing at the content, immediately laughed. “Dennis, you’re really becoming more thoughtful. Now’s the perfect time to check venues. Otherwise, Bryan and I might not have everything ready for our wedding in three days.”
Bryan leaned in and gave Avery a kiss on the cheek. He patted me on the shoulder and said, “Brother, thank you for taking care of Avery all these years. I can see you’ve done a great job. From now on, it’s my responsibility.” With that, he took Avery’s hand and led her away to an interview.
I looked down at the phone Avery had just tossed into my hands, a bitter feeling rising in my chest.
As I was about to leave, a message from Avery popped up on the screen.