Craig and I were delighted when Erica arrived. In our opinion, we just don't get enough time with family anymore. Besides, whereas Susan and I clashed heads often, Erica and I were more like sisters. If anything, the only difficulty in our relationship came when I "mothered" her too much. Likewise, Craig doted on Erica. He was an only child and never had a "baby sister" while growing up. He would alternate between teasing her and getting insufferably mushy with her, typical boy stuff.
From the moment she arrived we wined and dined my little sis to the point of exhaustion. First out to dinner, then to a movie. Off to bed everyone went, only to arise the next morning for a big home-cooked meal and a trip to the mall. Craig seemed to feel I was avoiding the real purpose of the visit. Men, I swear. I knew the time would come when I would get Erica alone and worn down enough to want to talk. And so it happened after dinner that Saturday night (but not before I had to very casually shoo my nosy husband upstairs to "make an early night of it.")
Erica and I wound down by watching some TV and shooting the breeze. As usual there came a point when talk turned to "the boys" and we compared the habits of our men and how we had to baby them and often outright seduce them just to get simple things done. At some point Erica grew quiet and in that hesitant silence I sensed my opportunity.
"I'm surprised you haven't dragged him to the altar yet." I said.
"What makes you think I'm in a hurry to get married?"
"I don't know. I just thought maybe you loved the guy or something."
"I do love him. I just think there's time, that's all. I mean neither one of us is really happy with our job right now. Besides, we couldn't afford to get married now even if we wanted to."
"There's ways around the money issue, Erica."
"Like what?"
"Like Mom and Dad, for instance."
"Oh come on, Mom still hasn't forgiven me for moving out of the house to go to college yet. And I'm lucky Dad even likes Brad. I don't want to impose on them."
"Helping your baby get married is hardly an imposition, sis. Besides, they love Brad almost as much as you do." That hadn't always been true, but like the rest of us, Mom and Dad had grown used to the idea that Brad and Erica were meant to be together.
"Yeah, I guess." My sister offered weakly.
"Erica, are you having doubts about Brad?"
"No. I think maybe he's having doubts about me though."
I was stunned. I knew Brad seemed to be hanging onto his bachelorhood pretty tightly, but so do all impending grooms. They are like little kids being teased by the neighbor boy that their mother is going to come and take the keys to the candy store away. It's an ego blow but they get over it in time. I just couldn't imagine Brad thinking of being with anyone besides my sister. I had begun to doubt if he could find his socks or draw breath without her say so.
"Honey, he loves you! What are you talking about?"
"I don't know if I'm making him happy anymore. You've seen how he is. He acts like marriage is as bad as haggling over a new car."