“Everyone’s really worried about you, y’know,” Ava says, sliding into the booth opposite Sarah. It’s tight, even more so now they’re both adults, and their knees knock against each other under the table. “Most people don’t bolt like this on their wedding day.”
Sarah doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to, not when Ava’s staring directly at her like this. Instead, she stabs at the bowl of fries in front of her until no more will fit on her fork, then shoves them all in her mouth.
“Hot.” Ava reaches across and grabs a couple for herself. “So what am I telling Crockett? Oh God, and your mum too. She’s going crazy.”
Sarah shrugs. “Whatever you want. The dress is uncomfortable. It’s too sunny. We’ve been in a secret lesbian relationship for the last five years and we’re eloping tomorrow.”
“Right. Something they’ll struggle to believe.”
She takes a few more fries and fixes her eyes back on Sarah, studying her as she tries to figure out how she can fix this. Her makeup’s been done, a compromise between Sarah’s “as subtle as possible, please”, and her mom’s “she needs a classic look, full coverage, whatever you’ve got,” but it can only do so much. She looks exhausted, shoulders sagging and hair still fixed in the messy bun she’d put it in before breakfast. She hadn’t changed into her dress before slipping out the patio doors and walking into town, and the sleeves of her Yale sweater are pulled down over her hands, only adding to the aura of something being inexplicably wrong.
“Look, we can lie to your mum about what’s going on — God knows we’ve done it enough before — but don’t you think Crockett deserves the truth?” Her fingers are greasy from the fries, so she wipes them on a spare napkin, then pushes Sarah’s sleeves back and takes both hands in her own. It’s a sensation she knows all too well, but something about it feels different today. Ava pushes that thought aside. “Please, Sarah. Why did you run?”
— wedding!au
