“No scene, please. It’s Daniel’s day.”
“I know,” I said.
But I couldn’t promise her that there wouldn’t be a scene when I was already envisioning the perfect payback.
“I’ll take care of that.”
I’d already bought the couple an engraved silver picture frame.
While Grandma dressed, I made an itemized invoice from the receipts, including payment for her labor.
Across the top I wrote PAID.
Beneath it: Reimbursed in full by Grandma’s granddaughter, since the bride declined.
I slipped the invoice under the frame and retied the ribbon. Ashley would find it when she opened our gift, but that was only the first part of my plan.
That was only the first part of my plan.
The rest depended on one thing: what Ashley did when she realized I wasn’t going to let her get away with being cruel to Grandma.
***
The ceremony was held in a restored barn strung with lights.
Daniel cried as he said his vows. I watched him and wondered whether he knew what Ashley had done that morning.
The rest depended on one thing
At the reception, Grandma’s cake stood on a wheeled cart under the lights.
Every sugar flower was intact.
Ashley was telling the photographer to capture it from six angles.
Daniel grinned at Grandma across the room.
And that’s when I realized he knew nothing about what had happened when Ashley fetched the cake.
Grandma’s cake stood on a wheeled cart under the lights.
I found Grandma watching from the dessert table.
“It’s the best cake you’ve ever made,” I said.
“I’m glad he likes it.” She smiled, though her eyes still looked tired.
***
Around seven-thirty, with the cake-cutting minutes away, I walked up to the head table with the gift box in my arms.
“A little something for the happy couple,” I said.
He knew nothing
Ashley squealed. “Oh, you didn’t have to!”
She tore the ribbon off like a kid at Christmas. Lifted the lid. Pulled out the silver frame and held it up.
“Aww, cute.”
Then she saw the invoice.
If she apologized to Grandma and paid me, this would all be over in minutes. If not… well, this wedding would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Then she saw the invoice.
I watched her smile slide off her face like butter off a hot pan.
Her fingers moved fast.
She tried to crumple the invoice, tuck it into her bouquet, anywhere. But Daniel was right beside her, and Daniel noticed.
“What’s that? Ash? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Too high. Too quick. “It’s nothing.”
Her fingers moved fast.
“It’s an invoice,” I said, pleasantly. “For the cake. I reimbursed Grandma myself, since Ashley refused to pay her.”