Sabrina Victor stepped out of her Tribeca apartment and immediately hailed a cab. She was going to be late for Aria’s last dance recital of the school year. She couldn’t help it. She’d been asked to step in to choreograph for a dance workshop on the Upper East Side, which was a good half hour subway ride and when it was pouring down rain in Manhattan, it slowed down everything or so it seemed. 

The cab slowed and Sabrina hopped in the back, quickly telling the driver to head to The Dalton School, texted her daughter to tell her she was running fifteen minutes late, and then sat back and took a deep breath. She’d been trying to forget the text she’d received earlier from her ex-husband. 

Hey Sabi! Call me later. Big news. Tinsley and I are getting married and want Aria to be in the wedding. Need to give you details. 

She had cringed upon reading it. Nobody but JC had ever called her “Sabi” and that was only because it was his nickname for her. It started before they’d even started dating, when she was just the choreographer for this little-known Orlando-based boy band that eventually became *NSYNC. 

Tinsley. Sabrina couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She’d thought it was bad enough when JC had married Kelsey, but that was only because he’d cheated on Sabrina with her. It had only been in the last two years that Sabrina could stand being in the same room with her and that was because Aria’s little brother, Beckett-JC’s son with Kelsey-had begged to see his big sister as much as possible. 

And now JC was getting married for a third time to Tinsley Shackelford, known only as Kendall Jenner’s best friend and a former member of Taylor Swift’s “squad.” She was 25 and supposedly had met JC during one of his Labor Day weekends in the Hamptons. Sabrina had done research on her and found out her father was a brain surgeon in Atlanta and her mother was a former Miss Georgia and now volunteered at a children’s hospital. Tinsley went to the University of Georgia and majored in Fashion Design. How she got to be Kendall Jenner’s best friend and met Taylor Swift was still a mystery. As far as Sabrina knew, Tinsley was famous for nothing.

Except now she’d be famous for marrying JC Chasez.

Sabrina had to go to the wedding, she knew that. Or at least take Aria down to Savannah where the ceremony was being held. She had to smirk at that because Kelsey’s hometown was Savannah and she knew Beckett was going to be just as much a part of the ceremony as Aria. JC wasn’t faithful at all in his marriages, but he was a good father and loved his kids. 

She would call him after the recital. Right now, she was just hoping she’d get there in time to see Aria’s first dance. 

The Dalton School was one of the top schools in Manhattan. When Aria had started school in New York, there’d been no question as to where she would get her education. While Sabrina had lobbied for a charter school or a school that didn’t cost half of her salary, JC had assured her he’d take care of it. He wanted their daughter to get a good education and Dalton had plenty of extra-curricular programs for Aria to dabble in. 

Dance had just been a fluke. Neither Sabrina or JC had forced her into it, but it hadn’t surprised them that Aria had flourished and become one of the top dancers both at Dalton and her dance school. She got it honestly.

Her phone buzzed and Sabrina saw it was her agent, Deb, so she immediately picked up. 

“Hey. You interested in choreographing for Fifth Harmony’s next video?” Deb asked and Sabrina could tell she was eating something as usual because she was smacking right into Sabrina’s ear.

“Sure. What are the details?” Sabrina reached into her bag and pulled out her agenda.

“Next Saturday. It’s a dance studio out in Jersey City. And Sabrina, they asked for you specifically.” Deb was trying to make this sound like a big deal. It wasn’t that Sabrina was arrogant, but she’d done plenty of music videos for bigger pop stars than Fifth Harmony. Just last summer Justin Bieber had asked her to work with him on his tour. But for some reason, Deb always made it sound like she didn’t know how big she really was. Sabrina knew.

She’d been choreographing since she was eighteen and Janet Jackson had been in the audience of the Boston City Ballet and saw her solo piece. After that, she’d been approached right after the show to audition for Janet’s Velvet Ropetour as a backup dancer. A month later she was on a plane headed to the Netherlands. 

It was when *NSYNC had joined the tour that they approached her to be their choreographer for their upcoming tour. JC had told her later it was when he’d watched her dancing to “If” on stage that he wanted her for their tour choreographer. Tina Landon, who’d been the head choreographer for Janet’s tour had told Sabrina personally, “Go! They’re gonna be huge in a few months. This is a great gig for you.” 

And that’s when she met JC Chasez and everything changed. It started innocently enough – late night talks at the hotel bar where he’d buy her alcohol because she was still nineteen and not old enough to drink. Then a few weeks later she went with him to an after-party and followed him back to his hotel room. They’d only made out for a few minutes before Justin walked in on them and, embarrassed, Sabrina ducked out of the room.

Weeks later, they went on a “date” to a Waffle House in Charlotte after a concert. They stayed up until almost five and nearly missed the bus to the next city. Sabrina had stayed on his bus that day and their first time was an uncomfortable fuck in his bunk bed. From then on, they were never separated for long.

She found out she was pregnant May of 1999. Not wanting to risk anything, she and JC married quickly and quietly at a courthouse outside of Milwaukee. A month later it was announced that they were having a baby and the tabloids and media went crazy. Aria Marie was born on January 5th, 2000. 

They lived in a house in Orlando and were insanely happy until the summer of 2001 when JC appeared on an ABC sitcom with a new up and coming actress named Kelsey Morrissey.

Sabrina looked up and saw the cab driver had pulled up to the entrance of The Dalton School. She thanked him, gave him an oversized tip, and stepped out of the cab. She felt doleful inside as she always did when her thoughts took her back to those three years she’d had with JC and Aria. She brushed her feelings aside and plastered a fake smile on her face as she greeted other parents who were also running late for the recital.

Kelsey Morrissey woke up and grabbed her phone next to the bed. 2:30PM. She had to be at the theatre at 4:00. Beckett had a playdate with two friends from school and then the nanny was picking him up at 6:00. She would see him after the show that night as usual. 

She pulled herself up from bed, grateful for the hour nap she’d been able to sneak in after having appeared on two morning shows that day plus a taping for Jimmy Fallon.  The revival of Neil Simon’s Rumors had been a surprise hit and Kelsey had been nominated for a Tony for Best Actress in a Play this year. On top of that she was the star in a new blockbuster film directed by Christopher Nolan about a spy in the Cold War. She was playing opposite Chris Pratt and this had boosted her popularity even more, as if she needed it. The next two months were going to be busy with movie premieres and she was with Rumors until her contract ended in July, that is if she didn’t win the Tony.

Kelsey saw the message from JC immediately and her heart did the flip flop it always did where he was involved. 

Kel, guess what? Tinsley said yes! Need to talk to you about wedding plans and Beck being a jr groomsman. Call me.

Tinsley Shackelford had been his fling after the divorce was finalized last year. It had taken them three years to get the papers signed because of their never being in the same place for longer than 24 hours. Finally, their lawyers were able to snag them both and the final papers were signed in the summer of 2016.

The marriage had ended long before 2013. Kelsey had known it probably would. She’d been the “other woman” and after he’d left Sabrina for her, her mother had warned her that she’d be next. Kelsey had ignored it. She was smitten by him from the beginning. And it wasn’t as if she’d sought him out to have a torrid affair. He’d come onto her. 

Sort of.

He was guest starring on her short-lived comedy, Rachel and Ben, a sitcom about two college best friends who were to end up dating at the end of the first season. Kelsey played “Rachel” and Ryan Gosling played “Ben.” This had been, of course, before he was a household name and Kelsey had been fresh off a national tour of Fame. It was a risky move for ABC to buy thirteen episodes but the writers had written for Mad About Youand The Golden Girls so they figured they had nothing to lose. 

JC and Ryan had been in touch since their MMC days and Ryan had contacted him to guest star as the best friend of “Ben” who had come to visit for the weekend for the fourth episode. Kelsey hadn’t remembered much else except when JC walked onto the set he smiled at her and that smile had made her want to get to know him better.

“He’s married,” Ryan had said to her when they were in the table read the next day.

“I’m not going to try anything!” Kelsey had snapped back.

She was lying to herself and to Ryan. After filming that day, Kelsey had knocked on his trailer door. JC had just gotten off the phone with his wife. He looked forlorn and sad. Kelsey had jumped on his vulnerability. His wife missed him. Their baby girl was sick and she’d been alone in Orlando. Kelsey had listened intently. Sometimes his wife didn’t understand that he had to be away. He loved her but….Kelsey hadn’t listened to much else after that. 

She asked him to get a drink with her down the street. He’d said yes. They got drunk. She dragged him into the bathroom in the bar and went down on him in the handicapped stall. He followed her home and woke up the next morning in bed with her. He felt guilty. He’d never cheated on his wife. He needed to leave.

They still had to tape that day. Kelsey drove him back to the set. Ryan wanted to know what the hell she’d done. She told Ryan it took two to tango or something to that effect. Ryan was pissed at her and it made filming that day extra-long.

JC wouldn’t look at her during their scenes together. She had started to feel terrible for what she’d done. She’d never slept with a married man. 

She’d gone back to her trailer and pulled out a wine cooler from the small refrigerator and had just finished it off when he knocked on her door. She opened it and JC pushed her onto the couch and before she knew it, they were fucking again. 

Again, he told her he’d never done this, he loved his wife, he shouldn’t be here.

But she was addicting. He’d been with Sabrina for a long time. Longer than he’d ever been with any other girlfriend. He didn’t want to cheat on her. Kelsey said she understood.

She invited him back to her place anyway. They did it on the kitchen counter, the shower, and the stairs. He was done filming for the show and was leaving the next day. He wouldn’t ever see her again, he said. Kelsey once more told him she understood.

Two months later, *NSYNC was in L.A. for a tour. Sabrina and Aria had come along. Kelsey went to the concert. She scored a backstage pass from her agent. She met Sabrina and Aria. Sabrina told her how much she loved watching JC on Kelsey’s show. Kelsey hadn’t batted an eye and told Sabrina how much she enjoyed working with her husband. 

JC invited Kelsey out with him and Sabrina after the concert. They had a late dinner. Sabrina stated she was tired and needed to get back to the hotel because her mother had been watching Aria. Kelsey said goodnight to both of them. An hour later, he was at her doorstep. They hadn’t seen each other since he’d left L.A. two months before and wasted no time. Kelsey was all JC thought about, he told her. He wanted to leave Sabrina but he couldn’t bear to leave his daughter and he knew Sabrina would never let him see Aria.

Kelsey told him this was a fling. It wasn’t meant to last.

She told him this consecutively for the next six months whenever they were able to sneak away and be together. But she knew she was falling in love with him. And she knew he was falling in love with her.

In the fall of 2003, JC and Sabrina divorced. She’d found out about the affair and given JC no ultimatum. 

JC married Kelsey in the spring of 2004. He was touring with his album while Kelsey stayed in L.A. and filmed two movies with Ashton Kutcher. The marriage was starting to take its toll. 

Kelsey knew JC was cheating on her.

They separated for three months. When she moved to New York to star in Chicago, JC had met her at her new apartment. He didn’t want to divorce her. He loved her. This wasn’t going to be like Sabrina. 

Two years passed and Beckett Roy, their son, was born. JC sunk into a deep depression after Beckett’s birth. He missed his daughter. Kelsey had called Sabrina and asked her to move to New York so that JC could see Aria more often. Sabrina had politely told her to go to hell, that JC would see Aria when she deemed it and how dare Kelsey call her, Sabrina, and tell her what to do. 

JC stopped working. He stayed at home with Beckett while Kelsey performed. He didn’t do anything except mope and get high while the baby slept. Kelsey was starting to get worried. She called his agent and begged him to get JC a gig. Something. Somewhere. It didn’t have to be in New York.

She hired a nanny because she couldn’t trust JC not to be high when she got home from the theatre. JC was mad that he couldn’t take care of his son and how dare Kelsey do this to him. Kelsey told him to get rid of the drugs, get off his ass and do something. 

So he did. He wrote a show and got it into the hands of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Back to June was a smash hit and won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical. 

JC was working again, Kelsey was happy again, and all seemed right with the world.

Until Kelsey found out about Nora Dungess, the lead in Back to June. JC and Nora had started sleeping together after previews for the show. She was a Broadway veteran. Nora had sent an explicit email to the account that JC and Kelsey shared instead of the private one. Kelsey had opened it and that had been that. She kicked JC out of the apartment.

It was during this time that Sabrina had moved to New York on her own terms. She’d been hired to choreograph for the revival of A Chorus Lineand on top of that had been choreographing for JustinTimberlake’s Future Sex/Love Show tour, which had made JC even angrier with her. 

Aria had been enrolled at The Dalton School and they lived in Tribeca, that much Kelsey knew. She didn’t know that JC had confided in Sabrina about his affair and that Sabrina had encouraged him to try and work it out with Kelsey, even though she couldn’t stand her.

JC moved back in with Kelsey. She wanted to try and have another baby with him. Or at least try five times a day. She wanted him to remember why he was with her. She wanted him to know that she was going to love him forever.

At least until she joined the cast of Barefoot in the Park and started sleeping with Paul Walker who’d been her co-star for a month. She kept it a secret from JC and only until a picture of Paul and Kelsey appeared on Page 6 with them locking lips at a bar in Midtown did he find out.

By now it was 2009 and their marriage was on the brink of being over. Kelsey fought to make him stay with her. No, she hadn’t been with another man. Just Paul. And now Paul was back in L.A. and Neil Patrick Harris was her co-star and he was gay. This was supposed to have made JC feel better. Instead, he’d befriended Neil and Neil had made a smart remark to Kelsey one day backstage about her infidelities.  

Kelsey decided once her contract was up she wanted to go off with JC to a remote island off Bora Bora. The two-week long vacation was filled with steamy nights in bed, romantic dinners for two on their private deck, and lots of long talks. They loved each other. They just needed to break away from New York for a while to see that they loved each other. 

But the city was proving too tolling on their marriage and once they moved back and got back into the swing of things, they were fighting all over again. 

JC moved out in the summer of 2010. They stayed separated for longer than either of them wanted to admit. Kelsey sometimes forgot they hadn’t gotten a divorce. She was dating other men and he was dating other women. Aria still came over every other weekend because Sabrina told JC she would rather him be in an apartment with a familial atmosphere than the hotel he was more or less living in in Soho.  Kelsey didn’t mind it. Aria had been in her life for as long as JC had and she was good with Beckett. JC and Kelsey were cordial with one another during those weekends and once or twice he’d end up in her bed for old times’ sake. But the marriage had ended and one day JC met her at a café with divorce papers.

Kelsey realized she’d been daydreaming for forty-five minutes. It wasn’t until she looked at her phone again, saw the unanswered text message from JC, and realized she had about five minutes to get to the theatre.

JC Chasez had, once again, taken up too much time in her brain.

Sabrina couldn’t stop watching her daughter on stage. Just like her father, she commanded her audience to watch her. Just like her mother, she moved with a grace and ease across the floor. Aria Chasez made dancing look flawless and Sabrina was smart enough to know that she was going to follow in either one of her parents’ footsteps and probably skip college all together to dance.

When the recital ended, the entire auditorium was on its feet. The sixteen ballerinas took their bow and Aria looked out and winked at her mother.

Sabrina met her daughter out in the lobby and hugged her tightly. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Aria drew away from her and grinned. “Hey, dad called me earlier. He got engaged, did you hear?”

Sabrina forced a smile and nodded. “Yes, I have to call him and find out when this wedding is and when we have to go down there.”

“You think Kelsey will be taking Beckett?” Aria followed her mother outside and watched as Sabrina hailed a cab.

“I would think so. Your dad’s not going to get married without both of his children there.” As Sabrina said this she took a breath and exhaled slowly. What would have happened if there had never been a Kelsey? Would she and JC still be together? Would Tinsley Shackelford even be a factor in their lives?

Both of his children. Aria was theirs. Beckett belonged to him and another woman. And she was pretty sure that Tinsley would either be pregnant sooner or later.

“She’s like 8 years older than me, Mom. Isn’t that weird?” Aria was saying as they climbed into the cab.

It was weird. It was all weird.

“Where do you want to eat?” Sabrina desperately wanted to change the subject. JC had been weighing on her mind too much today. She wanted to enjoy this time with Aria because once summer hit, she’d be with JC for a month and a half and then would start her senior year of high school.

“I don’t care.” Aria shrugged and leaned back against the seat. She yawned and pulled out her phone. “Dad called and left a message.”

“Want to go to Sarabeth’s in Central Park?” Sabrina ignored the information her daughter had just passed along.

“Sure.” Aria nodded and looked at her mother. “Mom, I know this is weird but we gotta talk about it. I mean, Dad was gonna get married again. You know that.”

“Sarabeth’s in Central Park, please,” Sabrina said to the driver. She turned to Aria. “I know that. I guess it’s just all so strange. He and I were so happy when you were a baby. And now he’s marrying someone that was eight when you were born. Eight!” She shook her head and groaned. “And I don’t know why it’s bothering me so damn much.”

Sabrina had never withheld anything from her daughter. Aria had matured by the time she was thirteen. Last year she’d brought home her first boyfriend and Sabrina went with her to get birth control, only because Aria had been honest and told her they wanted to have sex. And Sabrina was there for her when that boyfriend had trampled on her daughter’s heart and helped her pick up the pieces.

She looked at her. Aria was a gorgeous mix of her mother and father, from her caramel skin to her curly hair. She had JC’s smile and Sabrina’s dark eyes. When she laughed, her eyes squinted together like JC’s did. A constant reminder that once upon a time, Aria’s father had loved Sabrina enough to bring this beautiful child into the world.

The cab passed by the theatre where Rumors was playing. Sabrina had no intention of seeing it, although she’d heard from nearly everyone in the industry that Kelsey was “killing it” as “Clair Ganz.”

“I don’t know either, Mom.” And it was true. Aria didn’t know why her mother was feeling so glum about this third marriage to some little twit down in Georgia. “I need to call Dad back.”

“Let’s wait and call him after dinner. I want to talk about that amazing recital you just did!” Sabrina shook her head in amazement at her daughter. “You are just radiant on stage, baby girl. You make me so proud.”

“Aw, Mom!” Aria leaned into her mother for a hug. She didn’t pull away until the cab parked next to Sarabeth’s.

~~

“The wedding is in June. I had to make sure it was after the Tony’s because of Kelsey’s award.” JC was saying to Sabrina that night on the phone. She and Aria had finished dinner and taken the subway back to Tribeca. Aria had talked to her father as they walked into the apartment building and handed the phone to her mother when she was done.

Kelsey’s still calling the shots, was Sabrina’s first thought, but she dismissed it. She knew very well Kelsey couldn’t help when the Tony’s were and that JC wanted his son in his wedding.

“Ok. June what?” Sabrina was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of wine. Aria was in the living room watching Jimmy Fallon.

“Twelfth. Saturday. Tinsley wanted to do it in Forsyth Park. We’re actually shutting down the entire park for the wedding.”

He sounded genuinely happy. “That’s great, Josh.”

“Yeah. The reception is going to be at a rooftop bar on River Street. Anyway, Tinsley will be calling Aria soon to get her dress size and all that. We’re kind of planning this in about five weeks.”

Because Tinsley was pregnant, Sabrina surmised. “That’s….really fast, Josh. Why the rush?” She felt herself tensing up as she waited for his reply.

“Well, I’ve got another project in the works and Tinsley’s been asked to design a new clothing line with Kendall Jenner.”

Sabrina had to bite her tongue. She forgot Kendall and Tinsley were “BFF” and that all of the hashtags on Instagram with them together had been “#besties4life.” The media had even dubbed them “Kendley.”

“That’s great, Josh. I know we’ll make it work.” Sabrina looked in the living room where Aria was intrigued by something on Jimmy Fallon. She walked behind the couch and saw what it was. Kelsey’s interview.

~

Aria could feel herself growing uncomfortable as she always did whenever her former stepmother was on television and her mother was in the room. It had been years now that Kelsey hadn’t been with her dad and even though Aria knew Sabrina was over everything for the most part, it still made her finicky.

“Ok, well, I’ll give you back to Aria now. Talk to you later, Josh. Bye.” Sabrina handed the phone to Aria and Aria quickly said goodbye to her father as she watched his former wife laughing it up with Jimmy Fallon.

“…oh he’s ten now and taking piano and plays soccer..” Kelsey was talking about Beckett.

“And what does he think of his mom being all over the billboards in the city?” Jimmy asked.

“To be honest, I don’t even know that he pays attention to it. He’s too busy being a fourth grader.”

“We can change it, Mom.” Aria looked up at Sabrina, who was fixated on the screen.

“Stop that. You know I don’t care.” Sabrina patted her daughter’s shoulder and left the room.

Aria took out her phone and texted Kelsey: Great job on Fallon! Watching right now!

Kelsey texted back almost instantly: Thanks, honey! Beck was asking about you today. Come over tomorrow and we can catch up.

Aria had a special bond with Kelsey. She’d never hated her even though Kelsey was the reason her father had left her mother. But she’d been so young that all she’d really known was her dad with Kelsey and, despite the fact she did her best to shield Sabrina from pain, Aria loved Kelsey.

“Mom, is it OK if I go to see Beckett tomorrow?” She had walked into her mother’s bedroom. Sabrina was lying on the bed reading a book.

“Sure, baby. Just let me know when you’re on your way back.” Sabrina smiled at her daughter and went back to her book.

Aria knew her mother was really OK with it, still she couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty. For what, she didn’t know.

~

Kelsey had just taken a pan of chocolate raspberry muffins out of the oven when the intercom buzzed and the doorman told her Aria was on her way upstairs. Kelsey and Beckett lived on the top floor of an Upper West Side apartment and had a terrace that overlooked Central Park. It had been the apartment that she’d lived in with JC and when they divorced, she’d gotten it along with the grand piano. Beckett was making great use of the piano and practiced at least once a day. He played by ear, something he’d inherited from his father, and often serenaded his mother before he went to bed.

“Beck, your sister’s on her way up.” She called down the hall to Beckett’s room. He came out still in his pajamas and was playing a game on his phone. “Beck, it’s not even noon and you’re already playing Roblox?”

“I’m almost done.” He didn’t look up and continued to walk down the hallway. She retrieved his phone when he was close enough for her to take it from him. “Mo-om!” He protested and Kelsey shook her head.

“Aria’s coming and wants to see you. You just told me yesterday you wanted her to visit. You can have this when she leaves.” Kelsey kissed the top of her son’s head and Beckett sighed, knowing he was defeated.

“You don’t have to be at the theatre today?” He asked as he climbed up onto a bar stool.

“No. My understudy’s doing the matinee today. I have to go in tonight. Jessie’s coming over at five.” Jessie was Beckett’s nanny. Kelsey began to place the muffins on a plate. “Do you want orange juice?”

“Yeah. I can get it.” Just as Beckett was hopping off the barstool, Aria walked into the apartment.

“Sissy!” Beckett still called her “Sissy” even though he’d been able to pronounce “Aria” since he was three.

Aria grinned as she took her little brother in her arms. He was growing taller by the week. He still fit just beneath her chin and she kissed the top of his head. “Hey Buddy.” She looked over at Kelsey. “Hi, Kelsey.”

Kelsey walked over to Aria to give her a warm hug. “Good to see you. Come sit down. I just took muffins out of the oven. Do you want coffee?”

Before Aria could answer, Beckett piped up with, “Did you hear Dad’s getting married? To some little fruitcake down in Georgia.”

“Beckett!” Kelsey gasped and remembered a conversation she’d had with her mother late the night before. She’d mentioned to her that Tinsley was nothing but “a little fruitcake in Georgia with nothing for brains.” She had to be more and more careful about what she said when she thought her son was asleep.

“What? That’s what you were telling Nana!” Beckett was grinning because he knew he wasn’t supposed to repeat what he’d heard. He didn’t care. He had a feeling Aria felt the same way.

“I heard, Beck. Dad called me yesterday.” Aria sat down on the stool in front of the bar. She looked at Kelsey. “I cannot believe our stepmother is going to be Tinsley Shackelford.” Her face was filled with disgust. “She’s only eight years older than me.”

“How does….um, how does your mom feel about it?” Kelsey was treading lightly. She had never spoken ill of Sabrina in front of Aria but that didn’t mean Aria wasn’t going to be protective of her mother.

“I don’t think she’s surprised.” Aria was telling the truth. Only because Sabrina hadn’t divulged that much information. “I mean, Dad was bound to get married again. He can’t be alone.”

Kelsey let that sink in. He can’t be alone. That was certainly true.

“Well, I don’t wanna go to some dumb wedding.” Beckett said this with a mouth full of a chocolate raspberry muffin.

“You have no choice.” Kelsey told him as she poured Aria a cup of coffee. “We’re all going. You, Aria, Sabrina, and me. It will be like one big happy family.”

Aria noted the sarcasm in Kelsey’s tone and looked up from her plate. She had only been around her mother, father, and former stepmother a handful of times in her life. She could only imagine what this wedding was going to be like when everyone was together including Tinsley Shackelford.

“I am so excited to introduce my first guest. You all know her as Kendall Jenner’s best friend - or at least that’s what the tabloids and media want you know - but today we’re going to get to really get to know Tinsley Shack-alacka-elfooooooord!” Wendy Williams stood to her feet ready to embrace Tinsley.

Kelsey groaned and wanted to change the channel. She looked out on the balcony where Beckett and Aria were playing one another in a game on their phones. She could have turned off the television and gone outside with them, but she wanted to see Tinsley give an interview. To be fair, she’d never seen her in much except a few clips on tabloid shows while she flipped through the channels.

Tinsley walked out wearing skinny jeans that looked as though they had been painted on and a hot pink shirt with a v-neck that was so low cut Kelsey could swear she saw part of a nipple on one of her breasts. On her feet she wore hot pink stiletto heels and her white blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail with tendrils of hair hanging down in front of her face.

This was who was going to be her son’s stepmother. This was who JC was going to marry in a matter of weeks. Kelsey swallowed and shook her head as the interview started.

“Well, hello darling how you doin’!” Wendy stood and gave Tinsley a hug and an air kiss on both of her cheeks.

“Hi, Wendy!” Tinsley’s southern drawl almost sounded too put on, Kelsey thought. And she would know. She grew up in Savannah. Tinsley grew up in Atlanta. Hardly anyone had an accent in Atlanta because of how diverse it was.

“Well, darling you have some big things ahead of you. But first, lemme see that rock on your finger!” Wendy took Tinsley’s left hand and the camera zoomed in on a diamond ring that was at least four carats.

Kelsey’s ring hadn’t been four carats. It had barely been two. She groaned in frustration. She would not be jealous of this stupid girl.

~

Sabrina could see the television from her kitchen and had been flipping through the channels to find something to watch while she made breakfast. It had been a coincidence that she’d landed on The Wendy Williams Show - a show she’d never paid attention to before - and Tinsley was to be one of the guests on the show that day.

Tinsley had been in New York? This was news to Sabrina. Not that she had expected JC to call and let her know this because why would she even care? Had she only been in New York to appear on this tabloid-esque show?

“Well, he asked me to marry him when we were in Ibiza. We were actually kinda tipsy!” Tinsley said this as though it was the funniest bit of news she had ever shared. Wendy only indulged her.

“We can’t all have perfect engagements, darling!” She placed a hand on Tinsley’s leg and Tinsley giggled.

“Exactly! And so we’re getting married in like five weeks.” The audience gasped and then clapped.

“Five weeks?!” Wendy exclaimed. “Girl, are you preggo?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes. Preggo?

“No!” Tinsley was still giggling and shook her head. “I mean, we definitely want kids and he already has two, but not right now. My clothing line with Kendall is about to take off and…”

Sabrina turned the show off because she couldn’t handle anymore. Any kids of Tinsley’s were going to be raised by a nanny. She looked about as maternal as a teenager. Then again, she was closer to a teenager than an adult.

~

“....yeah, so like I’ll be flying out to L.A. to meet up with Kendall and then flying back to get married.” Tinsley gushed with every single word and it made Kelsey’s stomach churn even more. Was JC actually that stupid? He was really going to marry a child?

She knew she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way. She knew Sabrina had to be feeling something of irritation or frustration or maybe even jealousy. But she wasn’t about to call her. She knew all too well how that could go.

“...I just think it might be a good idea for you and Aria to move up to New York. He’s really sad, Sabrina. I’ve never seen him this low before.”

“Well, you’re his wife now, Kelsey. So maybe go be his wife and comfort him. And if you think I’m going to move my life to New York for my ex-husband then I would like to tell you in the nicest way possible to go to hell. You ruined my life, Kelsey. Sometimes it’s just not that easy to fix things like this.”

“Sabrina-”

“Goodbye, Kelsey.”

Kelsey would have to wait this one out on her own.

~

Sabrina couldn’t help it. She turned the television on again just to see the end of the interview. Wendy had plastered a picture of Tinsley’s debut at her debutante ceremony from 2008 when she was sixteen.

“So yeah, I was a true Southern belle and like it really looked good on my sorority rush.” Tinsley was bragging. Then another picture of her with five of her sorority sisters flashed onto the screen. “Oh my god! I’m sooo young there!”

“You’re still young,” Sabrina muttered. She couldn’t help but wonder what Kelsey must be thinking. Yes, Tinsley would be Aria’s stepmother, but Aria would be heading off to college soon and Sabrina doubted that she’d really see Tinsley all that often. But as for Beckett, Sabrina knew he spent two months in the summer with JC and that Tinsley would be more hands on with him than with Aria. She couldn’t help but snicker. After Kelsey had stolen her husband from right under her, Sabrina was more than happy that Tinsley was causing more grief for Wife #2 than Wife #1.

She continued watching the interview and still couldn’t believe that this child was going to be JC’s wife. Kelsey was 35 and Sabrina was 38. If anything, Kelsey’s age made more sense than this 25-year-old bimbo who was famous for being best friends with some socialite model.

How desperate had JC become to think that this “woman” was ready to be anyone’s wife? And why did he think that a third marriage was going to be a good thing?

Sabrina heard herself groan out loud and finally turned the television off. She had enough to consume her mind other than the trash that was filtering through her living room.

~

The interview ended and Kelsey turned off the television and stared at the blank screen. She knew that her marriage with JC was over before the separation. It had started out of lust and Kelsey had enjoyed the thrill of getting something that didn’t belong to her. It was only later that she’d felt guilty.

When she saw Sabrina for the first time after her relationship with JC was official, it had been the first time she’d felt that awful pit in her stomach. She’d destroyed a marriage without even batting an eye. When JC had told her he was leaving his wife, Kelsey hadn’t realized the magnitude of it all. She was just happy that he was finally hers.

JC had had a family. A daughter. He’d given it up because he was selfish and Kelsey realized that more than ever now. Tinsley would be his trophy wife. She would contribute nothing to the marriage except to look good on JC’s arm when they were in public.

It was her fault that any of this had happened. She should have never slept with a married man in the first place.

~

“Ari, do you think Dad’s gonna have more kids with Tinsley?” Beckett had put his phone down and he was sitting quietly next to his sister.

Aria shrugged and sighed. “I dunno, buddy. He probably will. Tinsley’s young enough.” Aria couldn’t help but cringe at thinking of her father being a dad to someone else. Beckett had been in her life long enough now that it felt normal. Despite what Kelsey had done to Sabrina, she was a good mother and had raised him well.

“I haven’t met her. She’s pretty but she doesn’t look nice,” said Beckett. He was thinking of the time he’d watched her on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and how rude she’d been to one of Kendall’s sisters.

“I’m sure Dad won’t let her be mean to us.” Aria was trying to be positive. She knew any hint of negativity around her little brother could get back to JC and she didn’t want to be responsible for the aftermath. She’d learned her lesson the hard way when JC dated a yoga instructor a few years ago and Aria hadn’t cared for her. She’d made the mistake of saying something negative about her in front of Beckett and Beckett had told his father that Aria thought his new girlfriend was “sleazy.” JC had called Aria and given her the third degree and Sabrina had even taken his side saying that “you have to watch what you say in front of Beckett. You have to be a good example.” Since then, Aria had kept her thoughts to herself about her father’s girlfriends.

“Yeah.” Beckett agreed but he didn’t sound sure of himself. “I don’t want to go to L.A. this summer. I wanna stay here with you and Mom.”

Aria smiled at her brother. “Beck, you know I’ll be out there too for part of the summer. And if you stayed here you’d be bored and miss Dad’s swimming pool.” JC had a state of the art pool in his backyard complete with a themed water slide and floats that had water guns built into them.

Beckett didn’t say anything. He really didn’t want to go to L.A. because he hated it when his dad had women out at the house in the first place. The only good thing about them was that they’d eventually leave. Tinsley would be staying forever.

“C’mon.” Aria stood up and pulled Beckett with her. “Let’s go inside. It’s getting kind of hot out here.”

Beckett followed his sister inside the apartment to find his mother sitting on the couch and staring into space.

“Mom?” Beckett interrupted Kelsey’s train of thought. She looked over at her son and Aria and smiled.

“I just watched an interview with your future stepmother.” Kelsey had tried to say this without gritting her teeth and so far it had worked.

“What did she say?” Aria’s question was filled with dread.

“Oh, nothing much. She’s excited about her wedding.” Kelsey wasn’t going to tell them how ditzy she’d seemed and that she’d been dressed for a strip club and not a live television show. She smiled assuredly at the kids. “Ok, I have to run a few errands in a couple of hours so let’s make the best of Aria’s visit. Who’s up for a game of Heads Up?”

Kelsey was proud of herself for not divulging any more than she had. She wanted Beckett and Aria to decide for themselves if they liked Tinsley. She refused to be the bitter ex-wife.

Still, when she thought about her son spending summers in L.A. with JC and Tinsley, it didn’t make her feel any better. It didn’t take a genius to see that Tinsley was not a maternal person. It wasn’t her age -Kelsey knew plenty of people who’d become a mother much younger than 25- but it was the way she carried herself that told Kelsey she wasn’t in any way ready to be responsible for another human being.

She imagined Beckett calling her at night and telling her how Tinsley had tried to reprimand him but Beckett wouldn’t listen to her. Then JC would take Tinsley’s side and Beckett would be miserable.

Kelsey shook herself out of her thoughts. JC hadn’t even married this woman and already she was gearing up for the worst. She looked over at Aria and Beckett who were laughing at each other in the midst of playing Head’s Up. She decided then and there that she would try to be as positive as she could when it came to Tinsley.

No matter how hard that was going to be.

    Dr. & Mrs. Jameson Danforth Shackelford request the honor of your presence

at the marriage of their daughter

   Tinsley Marybelle Suellen Shackelford

    to

Joshua Scott Chasez

Sabrina stared at the invitation and didn’t know whether to laugh out loud at Tinsley’s full name - Tinsley Marybelle Suellen?- or the fact that JC was really going to marry this girl.

Her phone rang and Sabrina put the invitation down on the kitchen counter and looked at the unfamiliar number.

“Hello?”

“Um, hi, Sabrina?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, hey, it’s Tinsley. Tinsley Shackelford.”

~

Kelsey wanted to hang up. This was the last person she wanted to talk to.

“Hi, Tinsley. How are you?”

“Omigod hi! I’m good! Joshy said you’d be easy to talk to! I was so nervous!”

Joshy?

“Um, ok. Well, it’s nice to..meet you.”

“I just got off the phone with Sabrina Victor. She’s so great!”

Kelsey pursed her lips together in an attempt to not say something she’d regret. Was Tinsley serious? Was she trying to make Kelsey even more irritated?

“Um. Yes. So, what can I do for you, Tinsley?” Kelsey wasted no time in getting to the point, unlike Tinsley who clearly just wanted to see how far she could carry the conversation.

“Well, I was calling about Beckett being in the wedding. Just needed to get his measurements for the custom made tuxedo.”

~

Sabrina listened with a spurious tone whenever she replied with, “Uh huh” or “Sure” to the questions Tinsley asked regarding Aria’s measurements. She’d given them so many times for different dance costumes that she’d memorized them long ago.

“So we’re also blocking off some hotel rooms at The Marshall House. It’s like a really old historic inn in Savannah and Joshy thinks it’s the perfect place for our guests to stay.” Tinsley was rattling on and Sabrina made sure when she let out an exasperated sigh that it wasn’t right into the receiver.

She made a face every time Tinsley said “Joshy” and wondered how JC would feel about being nicknamed that. He went by “Josh” to only those who were close family and friends and “JC” in his professional world. He certainly never seemed like the “Joshy” type. Then again, Tinsley probably had the maturity of a twelve-year-old.

“Thank you, Tinsley. Aria and I will be arriving a few days before the wedding.” She desperately wanted to get off the phone.

“Oh of course! Thanks so much, Sabrina!”

“You’re welcome.” Sabrina didn’t say goodbye. She hung up and let out a groan.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” Aria was walking down the hall into the kitchen.

Sabrina looked over at her daughter. “That was Tinsley. She was calling about your bridesmaids dress and giving me details about the wedding.”

“Is that all?” Aria leaned against the kitchen counter.

Sabrina had promised herself not to be negative. She bit her lip and looked at Aria. “Well, she kept calling him ‘Joshy’ and I couldn’t stop cringing.”

Aria snorted. “I wonder if Dad lets her call him that or if she did that to be extra?”

Sabrina shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Look, we have to be in Savannah a few days before the wedding. I’m going to book us on a flight the day after you get done with school. We’ll be back in time for you to start dance camp.”

Aria didn’t say anything, just shrugged. The sooner this wedding was over, the sooner Aria could go to dance camp, hang out with Beckett in L.A., and then begin her senior year of high school. She hated to rush her last summer in high school, but the wedding was only filling her with dread the more she thought of it.

~

Kelsey was sipping on a glass of wine later that night. Beckett was taking a bath and then had promised her he’d go straight to bed since she’d let him stay up later the night before. She studied the legs of the wine as they drizzled down the side of her glass. Her conversation with Tinsley hadn’t been terrible, but at the same time she had found herself rolling her eyes at all Tinsley was spewing.

“Mom?” Beckett stood behind the sofa on the other side of the living room. His hair was wet and he was wearing Avenger boxer shorts and an Incredible Hulk t-shirt.

“Hey buddy.” Kelsey smiled at him. “Ready for bed?”

“Do I have to be in that wedding?” Beckett walked over to her. He would be starting fifth grade next year and wanted nothing more than to be treated like he was older, but in this state, he appeared very vulnerable.

Kelsey sighed and stretched out her arms to him. Beckett sat on the couch and rested his body against his mother. “You do, I’m afraid.” Kelsey kissed the top of his head. In so many ways, JC Chasez had been the biggest mistake of her life. She had met him in the worst of circumstances and after he’d left Sabrina, their relationship was really nothing more than sex. It hadn’t been a huge surprise when he’d cheated on her the first time.

But their torrid relationship had produced Beckett and for that, she was beyond grateful. He was her favorite person in the world. Often when JC had been gone and it was just Kelsey and Beckett alone, Kelsey would take him out of his crib and cuddle with him on the couch, still not believing he was really hers. He was so perfect. And ten years later, he was still the best thing she’d ever done.

“But mom, I’m missing soccer camp and Riley and Levan are having a big birthday party that I gotta miss, too!” Beckett’s voice was muffled in his mother’s arm.

“Baby, we’re only going to be gone for three days. Soccer camp is for three weeks.” Kelsey was trying to reassure him but she could sense that her son wasn’t convinced. She looked at the time. “Hey, buddy, it’s almost nine-thirty. Better go call your dad and tell him goodnight.”

Beckett nodded and looked up to kiss his mother’s cheek. She watched him walk out of the room and let out a sigh as her head hit the back of the couch.

~

Beckett walked back into the living room with his phone while he waited for his dad to pick up on the other end. He sat down across from Kelsey and smiled when JC greeted him on the other end.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Hi, Dad.”

“Whatcha up to?”

“Nothing. About to go to bed. What about you?”

“I am just about to take Tinsley out for dinner.”

Beckett made a face. “But it’s really late. You haven’t eaten yet?”

JC chuckled on the other end. “No. We were working on some stuff for the wedding. Hey, by the way, your tux is gonna look pretty cool, little dude. Are you excited?”

“I have to miss soccer camp for three days,” was Beckett’s reply.

Kelsey shook her head at him and waved her hands to stop Beckett from going on.

“Beckett!” She hissed at him and Beckett looked over at her but continued to talk.

“Well, I’m sorry buddy. But it’s only three days, right?”

“Yeah. I just don’t wanna miss it.”

“Beckett Roy!” His mother was fuming now.

“I’m sorry, little man. But I promise you’ll have fun.”

Beckett was having a hard time believing that to be true. “Yeah. Ok.”

~

Sabrina couldn’t sleep. She had a choreographing gig early the next morning and had been tossing and turning for the last hour and a half. She had taken a Benadryl in hopes it would lull her into a comatose state, but so far she was wide awake.

She threw the covers off of her and got out of bed. As she passed Aria’s room she saw the light was still on and could hear Aria talking on her phone. Sabrina had prided herself in that she wasn’t a snoopy mother when it came to her daughter’s privacy. But for some reason, she stopped and listened anyway.

“...I mean, he’s ten, Dad. It’s not like a wedding is on his top ten list for summer….No, I don’t think Kelsey put him up to that at all. I just saw her yesterday and she was super great about the whole thing….Yeah, Mom’s fine, too. All of us are. But Beck’s ten and you just gotta remember that….I’m sure she’s a great person….No, nobody up here is being any way about Tinsley…”

Sabrina shook her head. Since when did JC give two shits about what people thought about his love life? He certainly hadn’t cared when he’d dumped her for Kelsey and paraded her all over Los Angeles. It suddenly dawned on her that he was worried about Aria and Beckett not liking their future stepmother. Still, it sounded like he was relying on his 17-year-old daughter to reassure him about this and that made her a little uneasy. He shouldn’t have to rely on what  Aria or anyone else thought when it came to marrying Tinsley.

Sabrina walked into the kitchen and poured a glass of water. She sipped it slowly and waited until she saw the light go off from underneath Aria’s door. Then, she walked back to her bedroom and picked up her phone and called JC.

“Sabi?” He answered on the first ring and she knew he was probably confused as hell as to why she was calling him at almost midnight. “Is everything ok? I just talked to Aria and-”

“Everything’s fine, Josh.” Sabrina assured him. “I was actually calling to talk to you.”

“Really?” JC had every right to be surprised-shocked, even-because Sabrina never called him.

“Look, I overheard Aria talking to you a few minutes ago. It just sounded like on her end that you were trying to get her approval for Tinsley. And that’s just not the Josh Chasez I know. I mean, you didn’t give a shit when you and I became official and you certainly didn’t care when you and Kelsey became official.” There. She had said her peace.

“It’s different, Sabi. I...I just want the kids to be OK with this. I mean, I know it’s my third marriage and all, but I don’t want them to be upset.”

“The kids are fine, Josh. Really. I mean, I can’t speak for Beckett, but-”

“Beckett doesn’t want to come. He told me earlier tonight. I’m making him miss the first few days of soccer camp or something.”

Sabrina rested her head against her pillow. “And he’s a kid. Right now the most important things in his world are his friends and soccer and being a fourth grader.”

“I know. It’s not that I’m ashamed of being with Tinsley or anything. I just want to make sure that Aria and Beckett know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt them.”

“They know, Josh.” Sabrina could hear hesitation in his voice. “I mean, are you sure about it? The marriage?”

“Yeah. I want to marry her.” He sounded almost robotic in his answer and Sabrina shook her head, wishing that they were face to face and having this conversation in person so she could see in his face what she was hearing in his voice.

“Ok. Then marry her. And we’ll all be there to support you.”

“Thanks, Sabi. You’re the best.”

No, I haven’t been the best in a long time for you, Sabrina thought to herself.  “I try,” was what she said in response. “Goodnight, Josh.”

“Night, Sabi. Thanks again.”

Sabrina hung up and rested the phone on the night table next to her. She stared at it as though it were really JC staring back at her.

“How long has it been going on, Josh?” Sabrina was holding a sleeping Aria against her shoulder. She didn’t want to yell at him.

“A long time. I’m so sorry, Sabi. I never meant for it to happen.” He walked across the room to her.

Sabrina was angry and he could see it but she couldn’t yell with the child in her arms. “Do you love her?” She stared right into his eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes that had won her over from the beginning.

JC nodded slowly. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with her but I did.”

Sabrina began to cry and shook her head when he reached to touch her. “Don’t touch me. Don’t get anywhere near me ever again. I want you out of here before tomorrow morning.”

JC had tried to apologize but Sabrina threw him out of their bedroom. She’d spent the rest of the night sobbing and never fell asleep.

“Joshua Scott Chasez,” Sabrina sighed and turned off the lamp next to her bed. “I really wish I hated you more than I loved you.”

Kelsey was always nervous at awards shows. She always tried to brush it off as though it wasn’t a big deal and she’d been nominated so many times now that she should’ve been used to it, but it never failed. Every time she walked down the red carpet her heart beat against her chest and no matter how calm she appeared on the outside, on the inside she felt like she was going to throw up.

She wore a pink, strapless taffeta gown that hit her just above her ankles. It had been designed by Vera Wang and when Kelsey had gone to get fitted, Vera herself told Kelsey she would look like she stepped right out of the year 1988, the year that Rumors had made its original debut.

She’d had her brown hair done up into a high ponytail and wore jewelry expressive of the early sixties. She waved to the camera and smiled like the pro that she was. But inside, Kelsey wanted to find a bathroom and fast.

“Kelsey! How do you feel about being nominated?” A reporter from CBS stuck a microphone in her face as she was looking at another camera. She hated that question. It seemed as though it was the most uncreative way of asking someone a redundant question.

Kelsey turned on her charm, looked at the reporter and replied, “I feel great! I just love being around all of these Broadway vets and legends tonight so the nomination was the cherry on top.”

She answered a few more questions - all of them seemingly shallow- and went to meet up with her date.

Her date was her friend, Barry Finkel, a fellow Broadway actor who’d just signed on to play “King George” in Hamilton. He met her at the entrance of the auditorium of Radio City.

“You look gorgeous, babe.” Barry winked at her and Kelsey smiled. She was grateful that his boyfriend, Lukas, who was also an actor and filming a movie out in Vancouver, had let Barry go with her to the awards ceremony.

“I’m a nervous wreck,” Kelsey muttered to him and they went to find their seats.

“You’ve been nominated before.” Barry reminded her.

“I know but it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m nervous.” Kelsey took Barry’s arm and they walked into the lobby of Radio City Music Hall. It was swarming with women in beautiful gowns and updo’s.

Kelsey and Barry were seated towards the front just behind Neil Patrick Harris and his husband and in front of Laurie Metcalf and her date. She nervously tapped her foot and sat back, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

~

Sabrina never watched the Tony’s. Not because she didn’t want to, but because it was one of those awards shows she forgot about. Tonight, however, Aria had reminded her that Kelsey was up for a Tony nomination and Sabrina knew that’s what they’d be watching that night.

Kelsey looked pretty in her dress and updo, Sabrina had to admit. She was seated next to someone Sabrina had never seen her with before and Aria informed her that it was a good friend from the theatre world. The camera would pan the audience and Sabrina could spot Kelsey every single time because of how close she was sitting to the front. It had been over fourteen years, but every time she thought about Kelsey, it still made her feel defeated.

She often wondered what it was that Kelsey possessed that had made JC even think twice about her. Of course now she knew that JC was never meant to be with just one person, even if he was engaged again. He was the most non-committal man she’d ever been with.

Except when he had been with her, he’d been committed. When he found out she was pregnant with Aria, it was a shock, but they’d made it work. She would have never guessed him to be the type to fall for the first woman who threw herself at him because she’d seen been there when fans threw themselves at him or when he’d been backstage at Miss Teen USA and all the beauty queens who’d fawned over him and he’d politely declined.

She’d thought about what Kelsey did over and over again. How could she even bear to show her face after JC and Sabrina had divorced? She’d been outed as the “other woman” and yet she seemed to feel no remorse at the fact that she and JC were splayed all over every trashy tabloid magazine.

Then there was the first time Aria had spent time with JC and Kelsey alone and the entire weekend, Sabrina hadn’t been able to sleep because she was scared to death that three-year-old Aria would come home and want to go live with her father permanently. Of course that hadn’t happened and when Aria had come back to Sabrina’s, she’d simply told her mother that Kelsey was nice and she’d had chocolate ice cream for dessert every night.

Sabrina wasn’t in love with JC. She hadn’t been for quite some time now. But he was the father of her child and there was always going to be that bond between them whether he wanted to admit it or not.

~

Kelsey took in a breath and let it out slowly. Her award was coming up soon and even though she had told herself over and over again she wasn’t going to win, she still couldn’t help but be a little nervous. She checked her purse again for her speech and just as she took it out, Renee Elise Goldsberry came out to announce the nominees for Best Actress in a Play. Kelsey squeezed Barry’s arm, but also remembered to look calm and collected for whenever the camera might zoom in on her.

Renee read the names off and when she said Kelsey’s name, there was a huge eruption of applause and cheering. Kelsey just smiled and shook her head, waving a little at the camera.

She was suddenly transported back to 2003, when she and JC had first made an appearance at the Teen Choice Awards together. She had been going through her “edgy” phase and had worn a pair of leather pants that were held together by white string criss crossing up and down her thighs. Her top had been a white kerchief shirt so low cut that she’d had to tape her breasts to the fabric. She remembered walking on the red carpet with JC, freshly separated from Sabrina, and being hoarded by photographers and paparazzi. They had brooded at the cameras together, and at one point, Kelsey had reached up to kiss JC’s lips just as a camera was thrust in her face. That had been the picture that had been splattered on every single tabloid, entertainment, and teen magazine and had ultimately “outed” them, this time for the whole world to see.

Back then she hadn’t cared. She was young, naive, and all she cared about was herself. It had never once fazed her that she was breaking up a marriage. She’d gotten what she wanted and hadn’t thought twice about it.

Kelsey cringed at her past behavior (and her wardrobe). Her thoughts were interrupted as she looked around the auditorium and saw it was hushed because Renee was about to announce the winner.

“And the Tony Award goes to….” There was that long, pregnant pause always given at these ceremonies before Renee continued. She smiled when she saw the name on the card. “Kesley Morrissey, Rumors.”

“Oh my god.” Kelsey almost felt as though she was having an out of body experience. She kissed Barry and felt her legs walking her up toward the stage. She passed Bernadette Peters, freaking Broadway royalty, and nearly tripped on Christine Ebersole’s gown. Catching her breath, Kelsey clutched the speech in her hand as she made her way onto the stage and looked out among Broadway’s finest.

She hugged Renee, took the beautiful statue from her and held it close as if it were her child. She could feel her breath catching in her throat and she was trying her best to find her voice.

Kelsey had often told people that on stage and in front of the camera she was a different persona. It was time for that persona to take over because she had less than a second to start her speech.

“Wow.” It was the first word that the microphone picked up. “Ok. Wow. Um, I have a speech.” The audience chuckled as Kelsey opened the piece of paper now drenched in sweat from her palm. “Ok, I’ll make this fast.” She listed the director, the playwright, the production company, the cast, a few crew, her agent, her manager, her assistant. She took a breath and looked at the camera. “And finally, I want to thank my sweet son, Beckett and my step-daughter, Aria for being my two biggest fans. I love you both so much.”

The music began to play, Kelsey stepped away from the microphone, and was escorted backstage.

And just like that, Kelsey was a Tony Award Winning Actress.

~

“OMG MOM!” Aria was squealing and jumping up and down on the sofa as if she were seven and not seventeen. “She thanked me! She thanked me!”

“I know,” Sabrina was forcing a smile and trying hard to hide the way she was feeling inside. Her stomach felt as though someone had punched her. Not hard. But hard enough. She groaned inwardly while watching Aria squeal with delight over and over again.

Why was it such a big deal? So Kelsey had thanked Aria...so what? Aria wasn’t her step-daughter anymore, that was “what.” Everyone knew JC Chasez and Kelsey Morrissey had been divorced for a long time now. And word was out about him and Tinsley now, anyway.

It was that Kelsey had said “step-daughter” and it brought back that awful, gut-wrenching memory of seeing pictures of Aria with JC and Kelsey on vacation in Maui. Of Aria eating brunch in LA with JC and Kelsey and the caption reading “JC Chasez and Kelsey Morrissey enjoy a brunch in Malibu with their daughter.” It had wrecked her and made her want to throw up for weeks after she’d seen it. Kelsey Morrissey had snatched JC from Sabrina and had taken Aria with her.

It really wasn’t until Aria was about ten or eleven that Sabrina finally came to terms with it all. And even after Kelsey and JC had divorced, Sabrina still found it hard to think about Kelsey in anything other than in a negative light.

“Mom?”

Sabrina looked up at Aria, who’d stopped celebrating and was looking at her mother quizzically. “Yes?”

“Are you okay?” Aria asked and Sabrina knew she never could get anything past her daughter.

“Yes, honey, just thinking.” Sabrina refused to say anything more, but knew that Aria had suspected something because she muttered about the Tony’s being boring now that Kelsey’s award was done and changed the channel.

Later that night as Sabrina crawled into bed, she reached for her phone and scrolled through Facebook looking at pictures of Kelsey and a few of their mutual friends backstage at the Tony’s. Kelsey was beaming and laughing as she held up her Tony statue.

“Congrats,” Sabrina mumbled, and then she couldn’t help but finish with, “Bitch.”

Kelsey hated flying out of JFK more than any other airport in the world. Unfortunately, it was the only airport JetBlue flew out of en route to Savannah. It also was leaving at 2pm and that would give her time to get Beckett ready and out the door, arriving to the airport at 11:30. She hated security and knew that the lines at JFK were no joke.

Beckett stood in front of her in the security line, engrossed in a game on his phone. The line was inching slowly along and Kelsey nervously tapped at her phone to see the gate number again. She knew the concourse was filled with restaurants and for that she could be grateful. She’d been dreading this trip more than she cared to admit. For one, she hadn’t been back to her hometown in almost two years. The last time had been to see her best friend, Sarah Kate Doherty-Dingle, after she’d had her son, Wyn.

And of course the other reason being she was not so much looking forward to being at her ex-husband’s wedding. Not because she still wanted to be with him - she’d crossed him off years ago - but because she didn’t know if she could really take his nuptials to someone like Tinsley Shackelford seriously.

It took nearly 45 minutes for Kelsey and Beckett to pass through the security check and find their gate. Beckett had already mentioned he was hungry at least five times and Kelsey was grateful they’d stumbled upon a Chili’s across from their gate.

“We have about an hour before we board. Want to grab something to eat?” Kelsey was asking Beckett but he’d already beat her to the hostess stand.

“Two?” The hostess looked from Beckett to Kelsey and Kelsey nodded. They followed the hostess to a table conveniently looking in the direction of their gate.

After they’d ordered -fish tacos for Kelsey and a cheeseburger for Beckett - Kelsey let Beckett play on his phone while she finished up a few emails and texts to her manager and the production company in charge of the Chris Pratt movie. The table read for the movie was taking place at a soundstage in New Jersey, but the initial filming of the movie was going to be in Krakow, Prague, and Budapest. This would be when Beckett was out in L.A. with JC and Tinsley. She shuddered inwardly at the thought of her son spending time with that incessant twit. She only prayed he’d come back to her without a crush on his new stepmother.

“What time do we land?” Beckett asked, not looking up from his phone.

“Around 5:30ish.” Kelsey answered and double-checked her ticket. She and Beckett were seated in the front of the plane and were in the first zone to board. She liked it this way, especially traveling with her son.

“Is Dad gonna meet us at the airport?” It seemed so natural for Beckett to think that this was going to happen. Of course JC wasn’t going to meet them at the airport. Kelsey had been given instructions to meet a driver downstairs at baggage claim. He would be holding a sign up with Kelsey and Beckett’s name on it.

“He can’t, babe. He’ll meet us for dinner tonight.” Kelsey couldn’t believe all of this was really happening. JC and Tinsley were meeting Beckett and Kelsey for dinner at a restaurant in City Market. It had been Kelsey’s old hang out in high school and she’d texted Sarah Kate and asked if it was still as popular.

“Yes….because now we can drink legally there,” had been Sarah Kate’s answer.

Kelsey sighed and tried not to show the unbelief on her face that this moment had finally come and that she and Beckett would board a plane in a little over an hour to fly to her hometown for her ex-husband’s wedding.

~

Aria trailed behind Sabrina as they made their way to the gate. Sabrina had booked this flight specifically because it was an afternoon flight and both she and Aria could sleep in that morning. It also got in at a decent time of day and JC had assured her they’d be at the hotel in time to meet him and Tinsley for dinner.

Sabrina had been wondering how that would even pan out. Sitting across from her ex-husband with their daughter and his new bride-to-be. She couldn’t help but wonder if Tinsley would be able to carry on an adult conversation. She brushed it aside and tried to find two seats at the gate together.

Aria plopped down next to her mother and chuckled as she typed furiously on her phone. Sabrina couldn’t help but be curious about that. Aria hadn’t told her of any new boyfriends or crushes lately but the way Aria was smiling at her phone, she wondered if there was a new boy on the horizon.

“What are you giggling at, girl?” Sabrina nudged her daughter, who blushed as she looked up at her mother.

“You know that guy Gage Matthews? He was a senior this year Dalton and he got an acting gig on some new show that’s filming in Jersey. Anyway, so like he’s been messaging me on Snap and he’s just really funny.” By Aria’s reply, Sabrina knew her daughter had a crush. She hated to meddle and besides, Gage was gone from Dalton now and Sabrina was busy with dance. She couldn’t imagine it really going anywhere.

“Cool.” Sabrina knew not to be too realistic with Aria. Besides, what harm could a little summer romance be? “Does he know you’re going to be in Savannah…” Sabrina trailed off when she looked over and saw Kelsey and Beckett walking right beside their gate. At that moment, Beckett looked over and spotted his sister.

“Sissy!” In seconds he was jumping into Aria’s lap and Kelsey was standing behind him awkwardly smiling at Sabrina.

Fuck was what Sabrina wanted to blurt out loud. “Hi, guys,” was what she said instead. She stood and smiled cordially at Kelsey. “Are you on this flight, too?”

Kelsey looked nearly horrified or so Sabrina thought. She nodded and Sabrina felt as if she was smiling like The Joker because she didn’t know what else to do.

“You’re on our flight?” Aria looked at Kelsey and then back at Sabrina. “Where are you sitting?”

“Uhm…” Kelsey pulled out her phone to check her seat. “Row 1 Seats A and B. What about you?”

Sabrina cringed, knowing exactly where she and Aria were sitting. “Row 1. C and D.”

“What are the odds!” Kelsey laughed nervously and tugged at a piece of her hair, a habit Sabrina knew she had when she was out of sorts. She couldn’t help but inwardly gloat that she still made Kelsey nervous.

~

Kelsey wanted to throw up. Of all the flights from New York City to Savannah, Georgia, she had managed to book the very same one as Sabrina Victor. They were boarding in the same zone and sitting right across from each other. At the very least, she knew the kids could sit on the aisles and let Kelsey and Sabrina have the window. That was something. As was the fact that Kelsey planned on having alcohol as soon as they started serving in-flight snacks.

It was in situations like this that Kelsey knew she should have control. She knew Aria like her own daughter and Beckett was Aria’s little brother. Sabrina had only been around them a handful of times, but Aria still came over regularly. But she still felt very out of control like she always did when Sabrina was around. Even if she’d stolen Sabrina’s husband, Kelsey still felt like Sabrina would trump her every single time. Hell, her last name was “Victor” for goodness sake.

“Hey, is Dad sending you guys a driver to get you from the airport?” Aria broke Kelsey’s concentration.

“Yes. Some guy named George is picking us up in baggage claim.” Kelsey continued walking down the jet bridge. She was in front of Beckett, who was walking beside Aria. Sabrina trailed them.

“George?” She heard Sabrina croak from behind.

Kelsey stopped and turned around, nodding at Sabrina. “Yeah. Is he getting you, too?”

“Yep.” Sabrina didn’t look at Kelsey and the four continued walking until they stepped onto the plane. They were seated almost immediately and Kelsey had never been more grateful for On Demand on JetBlue than she was right now.

“Hey, Mom!” Beckett tugged at Kelsey’s sleeve as she was digging in her purse trying to find her earbuds.

“What?” Kelsey glanced at him and pulled out her earbuds as well as the script for her movie.

“Aria and Sabrina are riding with us to the hotel!” Beckett was beaming from ear to ear. Of course he was. He loved his sister and had no idea that her mother couldn’t stand being in the same room with his mother, much less the backseat of a car.

“Fun.” Kelsey forced a smile and sat back in her seat, earbuds in her ears and her script turned to the first page.

This was going to be the longest two and a half hour flight in the world.

~

Sabrina had glanced over at Kelsey from time to time during the flight. From her vantage point, she had a great view of her pretending to read what looked to be a script and sipping on white wine. It had to have been her third glass by now. Sabrina didn’t really blame her. She’d just downed a third glass herself and was feeling a nice little buzz. She knew she didn’t need a fourth because Sabrina drunk in front of Kelsey would not be a pretty sight and the last thing this wedding needed was a scene caused by the two ex-wives. The new wife was going to be causing enough scenes as it was.

“Mom, you can’t just talk to her?” Aria was whispering to her mother. Her face was furrowed in exasperation and her eyes squinting up at her, reminding Sabrina of Aria’s father. He’d made that face plenty of times.

“I talked to her!” Sabrina retorted and was thankful for the hum of the plane, the ear buds in both Kelsey’s and Beckett’s ears, and the distance between them both.

“Barely.” Aria rolled her eyes. “I would think you’d be on the same side this time. It’s not like Dad’s marrying someone you really have to worry about comparing yourself to. Did you know she barely finished her college degree?”

“Aria…” Sabrina wanted her daughter to stop talking but at the same time was intrigued. She didn’t want to urge on the gossip of her future stepmother, but she also was curious. “How did you find that out?”

“I read some interview by a friend of hers from college who said she had barely graduated but her dad paid the school off or something.” Aria said this as though it weren’t a big deal.

“I find that hard to believe, honey. She went to a huge state school. They’re not really likely to take people’s money like that.” And Sabrina knew she was right. Even though she wanted to believe the story Aria was telling her. Not that Sabrina had a collegiate degree. Neither did Kelsey. But Tinsley Shackelford was this new breed of Hollywood that bragged about going to college first. She was proud of her Fashion degree and always made sure to slide it into interviews.

“Well, whatever. Anyway, you and Kelsey have more in common than you think.” Aria sat back in her seat and waited for her mother’s response.

“We have nothing in common.” Sabrina was quick to reply. The one thing they’d had in common had been JC Chasez and now they didn’t even have that.

“Just try, Mom. Okay? Don’t make it weird.” Sabrina felt as if Aria were fussing at her for something she couldn’t help. She would be cordial to Kelsey, but that was it. It had been that way for sixteen years now and she didn’t see it changing anytime soon.

~

The ride from the airport into town had been worse than the flight. The limousine that picked up the foursome was big, but not big enough to where they couldn’t space away from one another. Kelsey and Beckett were sitting in the seat facing the driver and Aria and Sabrina were on either side of them. There was no getting around not talking to each other without making it awkward and so Kelsey tried striking up a conversation with Beckett and Aria in hopes that Sabrina might chime in. She smiled and was somewhat engaged, but barely spoke. At one point, it was dead quiet except for Aria and Beckett whispering back and forth to each other.

“I guess I should have figured we’d all stay at the same hotel when Tinsley said they’d blocked off rooms for everyone.” Kelsey looked over at Sabrina who still had a pursed smile plastered on her face.

“I guess so,” said Sabrina.

“The Marshall House is nice. My friend Sarah Kate had her wedding reception there.” Kelsey was trying to engage Sabrina but all Sabrina did was nod and smile. She cleared her throat. “And City Market will be fun to eat in. I think the kids will-”

“Wait.” Sabrina interrupted her. “Are you and Beckett going to dinner with Tinsley and JC, too?”

Kelsey nodded slowly. “I just assumed after we were all picked up together that we were all going to eat together. Guess I was right?” It was a question, not a statement.

“You are.” Sabrina folded her arms and didn’t hide the fact that she was pissed.

Aria looked up at her mother and then over at Kelsey, noticing the obvious tension of which Beckett was oblivious.

“Wow, Dad must want World War 3 on his hands,” Aria muttered but loud enough for both her mother and former stepmother to hear.

“It won’t be World War 3.” Kelsey was saying this to Sabrina, who relented because she said, “No, it won’t.”

~

Sabrina was lying on her bed in the hotel room watching Aria put on her make-up. They had arrived at the hotel at 6:30 and had just enough time to change before meeting JC and Tinsley downstairs. They were walking to the restaurant, which was only about a ten minute walk according to what Kelsey had told Aria.

“Mom, you’re not gonna be weird at dinner are you?” Aria asked through the mirror.

“Of course not!” Sabrina replied and let out a sigh. “Oh honey, I’m sorry. I was trying with Kelsey, I really was. I just-” she stopped mid-sentence when she saw Aria’s look of disapproval. “Fine. I’ll try harder.”

Sabrina rolled off the bed and changed out of the long-sleeved t-shirt with the Broadway Dance Center logo and grabbed a simple black t-shirt, accessorizing it with a silver necklace to dress it up.

In a few minutes both she and Aria were waiting in the lobby downstairs when Kelsey and Beckett stepped off the elevator and walked over toward them. She exchanged a sharp smile with Kelsey while Beckett and Aria immediately began chatting between their mothers.

“So...I guess it’s safe to say I’m looking forward to this like I would be a root canal.” Kelsey was the first to break the tension and Sabrina couldn’t help but chuckle at her analogy.

“Yeah. Oh well. It will be over in a few days, right?” Sabrina replied. “I mean tomorrow’s the bridal luncheon, Friday’s the rehearsal dinner, and Saturday’s the wedding. We’ll all be back in New York by Sunday morning.”

Kelsey nodded. “It’s too bad he didn’t just want the kids to go to dinner. I don’t know why he wants all of his wives past and present to be with him.”

“Because he’s Josh. He doesn’t think. To him this is probably some fantastic idea to get everyone together and introduce us to Tinsletown.” Sabrina immediately covered her mouth, hoping neither Aria or Beckett had heard her slip of the tongue. “Sorry. That wasn’t nice.”

Kelsey shrugged and giggled. “It’s a lot nicer than the things I call her,” she muttered to Sabrina.

Sabrina couldn’t help but smile. If only for a few hours, she knew Kelsey was going to be her closest comrade at this dreadful dinner. She was just about to respond to Kelsey’s comment when she looked up and saw him. JC. He was walking to their group, a broad smile on his face. He was wearing dark jeans, a white undershirt, and behind him was a woman in a tight red dress, platinum blonde hair, and a fake smile. Tinsley.

“Dad!” Beckett tore away first and ran into JC’s arms. Aria followed and JC enveloped both of his children in his arms. He kissed each of them and then looked up at Sabrina and Kelsey.

“Hey, guys!” He was addressing all four of them at once. He squeezed Aria and then walked over to both his ex-wives. “Sabi! Kel!” He tried to awkwardly hug each of them and it ended with Sabrina patting his shoulder and Kelsey tapping his arm. Tinsley stood behind him, her arms behind her back and posing as if she was being photographed.

“Hi, Josh.” Sabrina felt as though she’d been forcing smiles all day and seeing JC hadn’t been different. She looked over at Tinsley. “Hi, Tinsley.”

“Oh my god!” Tinsley suddenly thrust herself into their maladroit hug. “Hi! It’s soooo good to meet you guys!” She turned to Kelsey. “And omigod congratulations! We were watching from LA when you won.” Tinsley put her arm through JC’s and pressed herself against him.

“Thank you.” Kelsey was polite and plastered a stoic smile on her face.

“Ready for dinner?” JC looked at all three women and then over at the kids.

“Starving, dad.” Aria broke the mounting tension. JC grinned at his daughter, took Tinsley’s hand, and went over to the kids. The four of them walked ahead of Kelsey and Sabrina.

“I’m going to need a lot of alcohol,” Kelsey mumbled and Sabrina nodded in agreement. This would be the longest dinner of their lives.  

Awkward was the word for the day, according to Sabrina. First, the flight to Savannah with Kelsey, then the limo ride, then the walk to dinner - which had consisted of Aria and Beckett walking with their father and Tinsley while Sabrina and Kelsey trailed behind - and now here they all sat together at dinner in what could only be described as an awkward gathering.

When JC had said they would be eating at City Market, Tinsley had immediately made a face and so at the last minute, they decided instead to go to River Street and eat at The Boar’s Head. As they had walked down the steep cobblestone steps to the restaurant, Tinsley had nearly tripped over her feet in her stiletto’s. Sabrina had stopped counting just how many times she’d stifled a laugh at this woman. She was a comedy act in the making.

The restaurant was apparently a historic landmark in the city and Kelsey had mentioned that she’d eaten there for prom her senior year of high school. It was upscale but compared with restaurants in Manhattan, fairly cheap.

They sat at a round table. JC sat next to Tinsley and Beckett sat on his other side. Aria had reluctantly sat on the other side of her future stepmother and Kelsey and Sabrina sat across from JC.

“Everything’s good here.” Tinsley spoke up. She looked at Kelsey. “But you said you ate here for your prom? You’re from here?”

“I told you that, honey.” JC reminded Tinsley.

“Yes, I grew up on the Southside near Oglethorpe Mall.” Kelsey answered and was trying her best to be polite. Sabrina could tell she was trying hard to keep her calm.

“Ohhh. Mother and Daddy live on Skidaway Island. Well, it’s like their summer home. Normally we’re in Atlanta,” Tinsley said. “We’ll be having the bridal luncheon tomorrow on Skidaway.” She looked at Aria. “And your dress will be ready to be picked up. It’s at Bleu Belle.”

“Where’s that?” Aria asked, not looking up from the menu. Sabrina wished she could kick her daughter under the table. Especially after the lecture she’d received from her in the hotel room.

“Kelsey, you know where it is, right?” Tinsley turned to Kelsey again, who shook her head.

“I haven’t lived here since 2000.” Kelsey just shrugged. “I’m sure we can google the address.”

“Do I have to go to the bridal luncheon?” Beckett spoke up and looked at his dad.

JC shook his head. “Nope. You and I are gonna go and have lunch together.”

Kelsey couldn’t help but smirk. This meant she wouldn’t need to make an appearance and might be able to meet up with Sarah Kate.

“Kelsey, Mother and I wanted you to be there. We’re all one big, happy family!” Tinsley’s giggle was as annoying as her entire given name.

Kelsey bit on her lip, forced a tight smile, and said, “Great. I’ll be there.” She looked around for their server, hoping he’d return to at least take their drink order. She was already wondering if it would be tacky to order a shot of Fireball before the bread arrived.

Sabrina, as if reading Kelsey’s mind, waved over their server, not caring if she appeared rude or not. She needed a glass of wine. Or liquor. Or really, if he just wanted to bring over a bottle of straight tequila, Sabrina would gladly chug it.

“What would you all like to drink?” The server - Wade on his nametag read- asked. Sabrina wondered if he could sense her desperation.

“I’ll have a glass of the Blufeld Riesling.” Sabrina had been ready and didn’t care if she’d jumped ahead of everyone.

“The Murphy Good Cab.” Kelsey jumped in behind Sabrina, disappointed that most of the red selections were bottle only and she didn’t think it would exactly be wise to order a whole bottle for herself.

“Sir?” Wade looked at JC and did the famous double-take people did when they recognized him. Kelsey and Sabrina could both tell Wade was now trying to brush off any nerves and not make a big deal that he was serving JC Chasez.

“Uh, whiskey neat.” JC didn’t glance up from the food menu. “And an order of Fried Green Tomatoes for the table.”

“Sure.” Wade scribbled on his pad, then turned to Tinsley. “Ma’am?”

“Um. Hmm. I can’t decide between a Pina Colada or an Appletini.” Tinsley sighed and looked at JC. “What do you think I should get?”

Sabrina saw Aria roll her eyes and shot her a look. Aria glanced at her mother and then looked down at the table.

“You love your Appletini. Let’s save the Pina Colada for Hawaii.” JC winked at her and Sabrina felt her heart sink. He’d always promised her a trip to Hawaii. They’d never made it because Aria had come along and then of course, Kelsey.

“That’s where we’re going on our honeymoon!” Tinsley gushed to the table.

Kelsey cringed and hoped she wouldn’t ask the two exes at the table where they’d been taken on their honeymoons. She hoped Tinsley wasn’t that stupid, but then again she was fast losing hope in JC’s fiance.

“May I have a Coke?” Aria spoke up, not giving any indication that she cared where her father and his soon-to-be wife were going on their trip.

“Beck, what do you want, buddy?” JC asked.

Beckett looked at Kelsey. “Can I have a Coke, too?”

Normally, Kelsey wasn’t keen on Beckett having caffeine at dinner, but tonight she didn’t care. It was already going to be a long dinner. She nodded at him and went back to looking at the menu.

Sabrina was still in her feelings about the whole honeymoon in Hawaii and was trying her best not to look crestfallen. It was years ago, stop, she told herself. She glanced over at Kelsey who was buried in the menu as though it were a novel. If Kelsey hadn’t come along, maybe she’d still be married to JC. Maybe they would’ve taken that trip to Hawaii. And they certainly wouldn’t be sitting here with some dimwitted girl who was going to be the third Mrs. Chasez.

Wade returned with their drinks and as he set JC’s whiskey in front of him, said, “By the way, I still listen to Schizophrenic. One of the best albums I’ve ever owned.”

JC smiled and acknowledged him. “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.”

Wade nodded and finished passing around the drinks. “I’ll be back with the fried green tomatoes. Are you all ready to order?”

Kelsey was starving and thankful that the bread had also arrived with the drinks. She reached over and tore off a piece, then slathered it with butter, not caring if she looked as ravenous as she was feeling. “I’m ready.” She spoke up and looked around the table.

“I’m not.” Tinsley sighed. “I just don’t know which salad I want.” She looked at JC. “Which one do you like?”

“I can come back,” Wade said, after observing the table and headed over to another patron.

“Omigod can you believe he actually liked Schizophrenic?” Tinsley giggled as though it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard before.

“Yes,” Kelsey decided she wasn’t going to hold back on this one. She knew how hard JC had worked on that album. She’d also known about the second album that had never come out nor had a chance.

Tinsley smirked. “Oh, I mean, sure it was good. It just...wasn’t my thing.” She looked down at her perfectly manicured nails and pretended to wipe away something on her hand.

“Well I’m sure in elementary school you probably weren’t allowed to listen to it.” Kelsey had spoken before she’d thought about what she was saying. Sabrina nearly choked on her wine and Aria snickered.

“Excuse me?” Tinsley shot a look at Kelsey, who was wishing she’d just kept her mouth shut.

“Nothing. Sorry.” Kelsey wasn’t going to get into it. Not here, anyway.

“Hey, it’s ok. I know people have their own taste in music.” JC glanced over at Kelsey when he said this. “It’s fine.”

“I wasn’t in elementary school,” Tinsley muttered, but it was a lie and Kelsey and Sabrina both knew it.

“Aria, how’s dance going?” JC turned the attention on Aria so as not to let this awkward interaction between Wife #2 and Tinsley linger.

Kelsey was only half paying attention to what Aria was saying and sipped her wine, wishing she wasn’t so damn impulsive.

Sabrina listened to Aria go on and on about her dancing and smiled proudly at her daughter. She glanced over at Kelsey who was listening but Sabrina could tell the interaction a few moments ago had shaken her. If she liked Kelsey, she might have done the “I have to go to the bathroom, come with me” thing. But instead, she decided she’d let Kelsey figure this one out on her own.

Their food came and the conversation never lulled. If it wasn’t about Aria or Beckett, it was about the bridal luncheon the next day and how Kendall Jenner was going to get there right before the actual ceremony. Kelsey said nothing, only watched the conversation and ate and drank in silence. She’d lost count of just how many glasses of wine she’d had, but judging from her fuzzy head, she knew it was at least two and a half.

“Stop contemplating,” JC told her as they walked out of the restaurant. Tinsley was walking ahead of them and Aria and Beckett were talking to Sabrina.

“What?” Kelsey looked up at him. “I’m not contemplating anything!”

“Yes you are. You’re contemplating how you probably shouldn’t have said what you did and how you wish you didn’t speak before you think. You were quieter tonight than I’ve ever seen you. Since when do you care about what you say?” JC looked down at her and winked at her. Kelsey sighed and rolled her eyes.

“I’m not contemplating anything, Josh.” Kelsey hated how well he still knew her. She had been quiet at dinner because after drinking as much wine as she had, she knew it was best to continue to keep her mouth shut. She had been surprised that Tinsley hadn’t said anything else to her about her elementary school comment, but Tinsley wasn’t going to bring that much negative attention on her in front of JC.

“Well, anyway. I’m glad we all got to go out.” He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. Kelsey forced a smile and trailed behind them as they walked along River Street.

The Shackelford home was a large, sprawling white brick mansion in the affluent gated community of The Landings. Getting past the gate had felt a little like an interrogation and then the almost twenty minute drive just to get to the house had also felt a bit daunting to Sabrina. Nonetheless, they arrived right on time. George, the limo driver, had driven Sabrina and Aria and Kelsey, who unfortunately could think of no good reason why she couldn’t come today. Especially after she’d behaved at dinner. She needed to save face.

The circular drive allowed George to pull up right to the door and the three piled out of the car, all walking as if they were arriving to their death sentence. Sabrina said nothing to Kelsey, only glanced at her and they both gave one another a knowing look before Sabrina rang the doorbell.

Aria snorted when the doorbell began to play Fur Elise instead of a normal bell tone. The door opened and there stood who could only be Mrs. Shackelford. She was dressed in a flowy, pink sundress that looked like something from an old lady’s upscale boutique. She had blond hair pulled back into a tight bun, bright pink lipstick, and perfectly white bleached teeth.

“Hello! You must be -” She stopped in the middle of her sentence and gave Sabrina the once over. “Hm. That’s strange. I didn’t know the caterer was bringing extra help.”

It was all Sabrina could do not to reach out and slap the woman across the face. She could feel Kelsey’s eyes on her and she looked over at the shocked expression Kelsey gave.

“I’m Sabrina Victor. This is Aria Chasez and Kelsey Morrissey.” Sabrina contained the venom she wanted to spew at the pretentious woman standing in front of her.

“Oh. Oh! I’m terribly sorry! I didn’t know...I mean, Joshua never told me that...well, no mind, come in, come in!” Mrs. Shackelford briskly waved her hands in front of her and led the three of them inside the house. Tinsley was standing at the top of the winding staircase as if waiting for an orchestra to play for her to ascend.

“Hello!” She waved at them and took the stairs two at a time. When she reached the bottom she leaned over to hug Sabrina and then coldly pat Kelsey on the arm. “Nice to see you.”

Kelsey ignored the smug expression on Tinsley’s face and put on an Academy award winning smile. “You, too!” She admitted to herself it had probably been a little over the top but she didn’t care.

“So, you’re Sabrina.” Mrs. Shackelford was still giving Sabrina the once over and then turned to Aria. “And you’re...Josh’s daughter. How...how nice.”

Sabrina ignored the obvious way Mrs. Shackelford was trying not to address the color of her and Aria’s skin and instead grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Yes. Aria’s Josh’s oldest child. Kelsey has his son, Beckett.”

Mrs. Shackelford turned to Kelsey. “Oh. I see. Yes, well, where is the little man?”

“He’s out with Josh.” Kelsey answered and followed the other four into the spacious living room. It was covered in wall to wall white carpet and a large painting of Tinsley at her debutante ball was displayed over the fireplace. The furniture looked as though it had stayed in some sort of early nineties time warp. A green, velvet sofa with fluffy red pillows adorning each end made Sabrina feel as if it was leftover Christmas decorations.

“Sabrina?”

Sabrina turned around when she heard the all-too familiar voice of Karen Chasez. She grinned at her former mother-in-law who was coming from the kitchen with a glass of iced tea. Karen and Sabrina had always had a special kind of relationship. Even after JC had left her for Kelsey, Karen still called in and checked on Sabrina and Aria.

“Hi!” Sabrina hugged Karen and Aria ran over to her grandmother and joined in a threesome hug.

“Gramma!” Aria kissed Karen’s cheek. “Dad didn’t say you’d be here today!”

“Oh, you know your dad is absent-minded sometimes.” Karen chuckled and looked over at Kelsey, who was distancing herself from the huddle. Karen had never been fond of Kelsey and even though she loved Beckett, in her mind Kelsey had and would always be the “other woman” and the reason her son was no longer with Sabrina.

Kelsey had known all of this. She knew Karen wasn’t a fan and she had known it from the beginning. It wasn’t anything Karen had said or done, but she knew that Sabrina had been close with JC’s mother and Kelsey wasn’t going to try and come between that, not then or now.

“Hello, Kelsey.” Karen smiled warmly at her and Kelsey returned the smile. “Congratulations on your award. Josh was telling me all about it.”

“Thank you.” Kelsey replied and suddenly felt very alone in the house. She tried to ignore the feeling of dread welling up inside of her and go along with the festivities of the party.

Tinsley’s bridesmaids were more or less all like her. Former sorority girls, debutantes, and homecoming queens, and a few former reality stars that Kelsey and Sabrina mostly recognized.

Champagne flowed freely served by attendants in black and white. Kelsey sat for most of the shower, occasionally joining in conversation with one or two guests who’d recognized her as JC’s ex-girlfriend. Every so often, she’d glance over at Sabrina who was tied up with Karen. Kelsey grimaced. She had wished so much that her former mother-in-law had gotten to know her when she’d been married to JC. Every family gathering they had been to, Kelsey was welcomed but it had felt forced. She wasn’t Sabrina. She’d never be Sabrina. And the funny part of it was that neither would Tinsley.

“Can I have a sip?” Aria sat down next to Kelsey and gestured at her champagne. Kelsey rolled her eyes and chuckled at the teenager.

“Yeah, right. In front of your mother and grandmother? I’m sure that would go over well.” Kelsey knew Aria had had alcohol at parties because she’d confided to her former stepmother about it. It wasn’t a huge secret because eventually Sabrina had caught on and had had the “as long as you are responsible” discussion with her about it. But Kelsey wasn’t about to let Aria freely sip on alcohol when the two women she’d butted heads with for years were only a few feet away from her.

“Gramma isn’t stupid. She knows I’ve had a drink before. So has mom.” Aria leaned into the plush cushion of the couch. As tacky of a couch as it was, it was surprisingly comfortable.

“I don’t care. This is already the most uncomfortable party I’ve ever had to attend and I’m not going to be blamed for letting an underage teen drink. I don’t need that.” Kelsey looked over at Tinsley who was gushing with her sorority sisters. “Well, look on the bright side. If you ever want to be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, you’ve got an in.”

Aria turned up her nose. “Ick. I don’t want to be a Kappa anything. Especially if that’s what you turn out like.”

“She’s really not so bad is she,” Karen was saying to Sabrina, referring to Kelsey. “I feel bad. I probably should have been nicer. I guess if I’d known that my son was going to be a serial groom, maybe I would’ve given her more of a chance.”

Sabrina shook her head. “She’s nice and I am learning to warm up to her, even after this long. But it still stings.”

“As it should. Josh was your husband. Whether or not she made the first move, he should have had more sense.” Karen looked over at Tinsley. “And had I known that was in his future...well, maybe I would’ve just hidden him away from all women after he left Kelsey.”

Sabrina couldn’t help but burst into a fit of giggles. She took a gulp of champagne and placed the empty flute on the mantle of the fireplace. Mrs. Shackelford waltzed past them with a fake smile plastered on her face.

“Ladies, we’re about to go into the parlor to open gifts,” she said, as she flitted past them.

“The parlor?” Sabrina scoffed. “People still have those?”

“These people do.” Karen sighed and followed Sabrina into another room that was smaller than the living room and hadn’t been updated in years. Sabrina found herself against a wall of nothing but books. Always intrigued by literature, she tried to make out some of the titles. Most of them were written by Fox news anchors or former Republican senators. Sabrina quietly turned away and looked on at the scene in front of her.

Tinsley was surrounded by gifts that all seemed to have come from Tiffany & Co. All of the bags were Tiffany blue and after the third gift had been opened-an hourglass with Tiffany blue colored sand-Sabrina was wishing there was more than just champagne being served.

Kelsey on the other hand was fine with the champagne. She wasn’t downing it like Sabrina, but sitting on a blue ottoman and watching as Tinsley opened worthless present after worthless present. What the hell was she going to do with a sterling glass pencil sharpener from Tiffany?

Kelsey hadn’t had a shower when she married JC. They were so rushed to get married that it hadn’t mattered, especially considering they both had everything and didn’t need anything else. Her friends had thrown a small bachelorette party in Vegas but Kelsey hadn’t remembered much except getting drunk and throwing up over the side of their penthouse balcony. It had been written up in Variety the next day. At the time her manager had covered for her saying she’d gotten food poisoning. The truth of the matter was that she’d had tequila, vodka, and rum in five different drinks in about an hour’s time.

She remembered the next morning on the flight back to L.A. that Aria would be at JC’s when she landed and she was too hungover to want to do anything. It just so happened that Sabrina had been dropping Aria off when the limo pulled up to JC’s house, Kelsey had stumbled out, still somewhat drunk, and Sabrina hadn’t been happy at all.

“It was her bachelorette weekend!” JC was saying to Sabrina when Kelsey tripped up the stairs to the front door. She’d leaned in and sloppily kissed him, then looked at Sabrina and smiled before ducking into the house. She’d left them arguing on the front steps to go upstairs and crash on the bed.

It was instances such as that that made Kelsey cringe. She had been a horrible, horrible person to Sabrina. And she hadn’t been anything that young Aria had needed to be around. Yet, JC was infatuated with her and her with JC. But they were both caught in a fantasy that slowly turned into a nightmare. Infatuation could only last so long.

Kelsey looked over at Tinsley. She saw the diamond on her left ring finger hit the light. She was waving it around like a trophy. Kelsey shuddered. There was no way in hell that marriage would last long at all. JC had tried to fill that hole for years but she knew that nobody would ever or could ever replace Sabrina.

“You gonna eat the rest of your burger?” JC was sitting across from Beckett at a restaurant off of Broughton Street. His son had been quiet the whole time at lunch, only replying with an occasional “yes” or “I dunno.” JC looked at him and reached over to tap Beckett’s hand.

“Hey.” He waited for Beckett to look up at him.

“What?” Beckett seemed oblivious but JC knew something was up.

“You okay?” JC waited for Beckett to answer. For a ten-year-old, he was a smart kid and didn’t miss much and JC knew it.

“Do you really like her, Dad?” Beckett cut right to the chase. “Tinsley, I mean?” as though JC didn’t already know who he was talking about.

“I do.” JC nodded and wondered if Beckett’s question had come out of a conversation with his mother. “Why? Do you not like her?”

Beckett bit on his lower lip and looked at his dad. He shrugged. “I mean, she’s pretty and stuff. She just, I don’t know. She’s really giggly.”

JC had to chuckle. “Giggly, huh?”

“Yeah. And she gets all excited about stuff. Like my tuxedo or whatever.” Beckett picked at a french fry and dipped it in ketchup but then placed it on the side of his plate. “I just don’t want you to get divorced again.”

JC raised an eyebrow and let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding in. “Wow. Yeah, I don’t want to get divorced either, Beck.”

“But if you like her and stuff then you won’t, right?” Beckett’s question was so innocent and the way he framed it made sense in his ten-year-old brain. But it made JC anxious all of the sudden. He shook his head and forced a smile.

“Right.”

Sabrina sat alone at a table in a crowded restaurant on Broughton Street. The Ordinary Pub had been recommended by the concierge at the hotel and after a whole day with Kelsey and Tinsley, Sabrina needed this time to herself. She was grateful to JC, who’d taken Aria and Beckett out for “dad time” as he’d called it.

She studied the legs on her glass of wine. Normally, she’d have just ordered a gin and tonic, but it felt like a wine night. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a flowy, white top. Nothing too fancy, but enough to make her feel that she was pretty. She’d ordered a side of fries and picked at a salad, but Sabrina wasn’t really hungry. She’d had a pit in her stomach all day and couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was that was bothering her so much. If anything she should have felt good about the fact that JC’s mother had spent most of the bridal luncheon talking to her and barely looked at Kelsey or Tinsley. Karen had even confided to Sabrina that she was gutted over JC going through with a third marriage, especially to someone like Tinsley.

“I just wish he’d worked it out with you.” Karen had told Sabrina, patting her arm. Sabrina could only nod. By now she’d gotten over JC. She was just still harboring anger towards the woman who’d stolen him away from her.

As if on cue, she looked up to see Kelsey coming down the stairs that led into the restaurant. She was with a friend - Sarah Kate? Sarah Beth? Sabrina couldn’t remember. She just knew the friend had two first names. Kelsey and her friend were casually dressed and didn’t see Sabrina watching them. They sat down in a booth and Kelsey immediately pulled out her phone. Sabrina saw her roll her eyes and show a message to the friend sitting across from her. The friend shook her head but because of her position in the booth, Sabrina couldn’t detect what her face was saying.

Sabrina pondered going over to them. What harm could it do? She was sitting alone in a restaurant in a city where she knew absolutely nobody except the bridal party. She looked over at Kelsey again and the memories began to haunt her all over again. She remembered the thoughts she’d had of JC and Kelsey together with Aria. The pictures she’d seen of them kissing in public. The same smile he’d had for Aria that he’d had for Beckett. The feelings of remorse, of hurt, of anger.

Sabrina downed her glass of wine and asked her server for a double gin and tonic on the rocks.

Kelsey scanned the menu and sighed, placing it on the table. The text message had been from JC telling her that Beckett’s tux didn’t fit and could she somehow get him to the tailor early the next morning.

“He’s just making more work for you. Again.” Sarah Kate told her. “I swear Kelsey, I know Beckett is a great kid but you sure did go through hell with his dad.”

Kelsey shrugged. “It wasn’t all bad. There were times that were great. I just think he never really got over Sabrina. I was a fling that somehow turned into a marriage. And you can’t build a marriage on that.”

Sarah Kate raised an eyebrow. “Wow. I never would have thought you’d say anything like that.”

“I probably wouldn’t have a few years ago. But seeing Tinsley and being around Sabrina and everything else this weekend just reminds me that I was never the love of his life. The sex was great and there were times that we really did feel like a family. I just don’t think he’s meant to really settle down.” Kelsey strummed her fingers on the table.

“So, do you think it will last with the third one?” Sarah Kate asked.

Kelsey snorted. “Please. I give it six months. Nine months if I’m really being generous. But his mom can’t stand her. I mean, she couldn’t really stand me, but that was because I was the ‘other woman.’.” Kelsey cringed. “Geez, Sarah Kate, I was the other woman. I never would have thought I’d be a mistress!”

Sarah Kate chuckled. “I’d hardly call you a mistress.” She saw the look of disbelief on Kelsey’s face. “Ok, fine. You were a mistress.”

“It’s a wonder Sabrina can still be in the same room with me without wanting to punch me in the face.” Kelsey shook her head. “I mean, yeah, it’s been a few years but I don’t know if she’s ever gotten over that.”

Sabrina couldn’t hear the conversation but it looked as though Kelsey and her friend were having a decent time catching up. She’d hardly paid attention to how fast she’d downed her second drink. Not to mention the fact she hadn’t eaten much that day so the alcohol was hitting her quicker than she could feel it.

“Did you want to eat, ma’am?” Sabrina looked up at the server and grimaced. She hated being called ‘ma’am’ but she knew she was in the heart of the Deep South and calling people ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ was part of this “Southern Hospitality” as she’d kept hearing people refer to it.

“Uh, sure. Um, I’ll have the poached salmon and crab spread.” Sabrina had barely looked at the food menu but she knew she needed to eat before she had anything else to drink.

“And another gin and tonic?” the server asked her.

“Sure.” Sabrina handed off the menu and glanced over at Kelsey, who was resting her elbow on the table and leaning into her hand, propping up her face. She was smiling languidly at her friend and sipping on her drink. They were sharing a plate of tater tots and occasionally Kelsey would glance at her phone.

“Um, Kel, I think that’s Sabrina across from us.” Sarah Kate whispered to Kelsey. Kelsey looked over and saw Sabrina staring right at her. They both waved at each other awkwardly.

“Should I invite her over?” Kelsey was talking out of the side of her mouth while still wearing a smile plastered to her face.

“If you want. She’s all alone it looks like.” Sarah Kate was a true blue Southerner and would just as soon talk about someone behind their back and then invite them over for dinner. Kelsey knew that much had never changed with her friend.

“Okay.” Kelsey slowly stood up and walked over to Sabrina.

“Shit.” Sabrina muttered under her breath as she watched Kelsey walking towards her.

“Hey,” Kelsey smiled and it felt as fake as it looked. “Wanna join us?”

“Um…” Sabrina was at a loss. On one hand she was all alone in a restaurant that was seemingly getting more and more crowded. On the other hand, there were only a handful of people that she knew. Unfortunately, she disliked more of them than she liked.

“You don’t have to. I just wanted to let you know we had room,” Kelsey said.

Sabrina hated it that Kelsey was genuinely being nice to her. She wanted her to be the bitch that she’d created in her mind for all of these years. Unfortunately, the more she’d been around Kelsey, the more she thought of her as a nice person.

“Sure. Thanks.” Sabrina grabbed her purse and her drink, made eye contact with the waiter to let him know she was moving seats, and headed towards Kelsey and Sarah Kate.

“This is my best friend, Sarah Kate.” Kelsey made the introduction for the other two women. “Sarah Kate, this is Sabrina. Aria’s mom.”

Aria’s mom, Sabrina thought. Yes, that’s all I am to you. Aria’s mom.

Sabrina and Sarah Kate exchanged formal hellos and then Kelsey ordered more appetizers for the three of them. Sarah Kate was showing off pictures of her son, Wyn, to both ladies. Sabrina thought she was nice enough, but could see right through the fake, Southern facade she gave off.

Within an hour or so, Sabrina was feeling a buzz but was enjoying it. She ordered another glass of wine and then Kelsey surprised her by ordering a bottle of wine for the table.

“Oh, Kel. You’re so sweet, but I gotta get home to my boy.” Sarah Kate drawled, then  leaned over and hugged Kelsey. She looked at Sabrina. “It was so nice to meet you.”

“It was nice to meet you, too.” Sabrina pursed her lips into a thin smile and wondered what the hell she and Kelsey were going to do now.

*****

Aria had survived dinner the night before. She had survived the bridal luncheon. She had survived dinner again with her father, her brother, and Tinsley, who’d tagged along at the last minute. Now she was sitting with her dad and brother in the hotel lobby and her dad was doing his best to try to get them to like their soon-to-be-stepmother.

“...and she danced on her school’s dance team, too.” He was talking to her now and Aria finally let out a sigh and rolled her eyes at him.

“Dad,” she said and shook her head. “Look, I’m just gonna be straight with you. I don’t like her. I don’t care that she did dance or theatre or whatever. I think she’s fake and I think you’re making a mistake marrying her.”

“Aria….” JC was taken aback by his daughter’s words. He didn’t know whether to be angry at her or really what emotion to feel. “Aria, you don’t understand -”

“I do understand, Dad. You don’t like being alone.” Aria almost couldn’t believe she was saying it out loud. She wondered if her mother would kill her for being so honest. But somebody had to tell him.

“Aria, that’s not fair!” JC snapped at his daughter, then relented. “I’m sorry. But you don’t understand. Tinsley understands me. She gets me.”

“She gets you? How?” Aria folded her arms in front of her chest. JC was reminded of when she was little and she would do the same thing when she was mad at him. Now she was on the verge of adulthood, wise beyond her years, and staring her father down with that same look.

Beckett had been playing Roblox on his iPad and hadn’t been paying attention, but suddenly looked up to see his dad and sister facing off against each other.

“Aria, you really don’t understand, okay? We’re two adults, we’re in love, and we’re getting married.” JC sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Until you cheat on her?” Aria wished she hadn’t said it but it was too late. She’d never seen the look her father was giving her. He was angry. She’d crossed a line and she knew it.

“This discussion is over. You need to go to your room and take Beckett with you.” JC stood up abruptly. “You’re still a kid, Aria. Don’t undermine me like that ever again.”

Aria glared at her dad and looked down at Beckett. “Let’s go.”

***

The bottle of wine had long disappeared and Kelsey was tipsy now. Sabrina had left tipsy and entered a drunken state an hour ago. Kelsey eyed Sabrina and then smiled at her.

“See? I’m not so bad once you’re forced to sit in a restaurant alone with me.” Kelsey was teasing but Sabrina didn’t return the smile.

“Nobody said you were bad.” Sabrina snapped and Kelsey raised an eyebrow. “It’s not my fault all of America hated you for stealing my husband.”

Well, give her alcohol and the claws came out, was Kelsey’s first thought. Then, “Um, look, I’m just trying to be nice, okay? I can’t help it JC was weak and I was there.” It was an honest statement but the way Kelsey had said it, she knew Sabrina was going to take it in the worst way possible.

“Yes, you were there, weren’t you?” Sabrina leaned forward over the empty glasses of wine. “Tell me, Kelsey, did you even think at all before you decided it would be ok to fuck him?”

“Sabrina-” Kelsey shook her head but Sabrina cut her off.

“No, you didn’t. You just swooped in there with your little cute ass and didn’t care that he was married with a child. How do you live with yourself everyday?” Sabrina was spitting venom now at Kelsey and Kelsey stood to her feet.

“I don’t have to listen to this!” She was trying to find a server to get their check but naturally nobody was around. She faced Sabrina and said, “And obviously he wasn’t getting what he wanted with you, was he?” Kelsey felt like she was 21 all over again. It hadn’t mattered when she was younger and for some reason it didn’t matter now. Clearly Sabrina was still pissed off after all these years and Kelsey wasn’t going to let her walk all over her like this.

“You bitch!” Sabrina raised her voice. “Do not put your little affair on me. You don’t know half the shit I went through with him!”

“So why is it all my fault? Why are you still mad at me? Is it because I’m close with Aria? Is that it? Or is it because you’re really pissed off at Tinsley for marrying him and taking it out on me?” Kelsey was facing off with Sabrina now and both women were standing next to the table. The restaurant was quiet. They hadn’t realized how loud they were both being.

Sabrina felt the anger coursing through her like never before. She clenched her fist and the next thing she knew Kelsey was holding her face and looking at her in shock.

“Uh, excuse me, ladies. We’re going to have to ask you to leave now.” A manager was suddenly beside them. “We don’t tolerate this kind of behavior here.”

Sabrina couldn’t believe it. She’d actually punched Kelsey. Not only that, they were getting kicked out of a restaurant because of it. She didn’t know whether she should be proud or embarrassed. She did know that the drunken stupor had taken over and she prayed she wouldn’t remember any of it tomorrow.

Kelsey’s lip was bleeding. Sabrina’s nail had clipped it in the punch and that was all the damage that had been done. It still hurt like hell and Kelsey knew there’d be a bruise. Before she’d left, she’d paid the bill and the manager had kindly given her a bag of ice to put on it. She walked back to the hotel alone. She didn’t know where Sabrina had gotten off to, but she didn’t care. She’d never been punched before and she’d never had it out with Sabrina like that.

“Kelsey?” Kelsey heard Sabrina’s voice behind her. The street was busy but she’d recognize that voice anywhere.

Kelsey slowly turned around and glared at Sabrina. “Get away from me.”

“Kelsey, please. I’m drunk. I was out of line. I know it. And I mean, I don’t give a fuck about JC. I was just...I dunno...this whole weekend has -”

“Save it, Sabrina. I don’t care. I just want to get done with this stupid event and go back to New York.” Kelsey continued walking and suddenly Sabrina was next to her.

“Kelsey, please.” Sabrina grabbed Kelsey’s arm and Kelsey pushed her off. “Fine, then I’ll just follow you back to the hotel!”

Kelsey paused. “Ok.” She sat down on an empty bench next to a bus stop.  “Ok, then let’s have it out, Sabrina. Since you obviously didn’t get it all out back there.”

Sabrina was feeling dizzy and eased herself down onto the bench.“I never understood how you decided it was OK to take him away from me. And you continued the affair even when you knew he had a wife and a kid. I’ll never, ever forget that time the three of us went out to eat and I looked like the biggest idiot because you two were cheating behind my back. I’ve just never understood how a person could take something away from someone like that. I mean, you didn’t even care.”

Kelsey stared at her and looked down at her hands. “I wasn’t thinking. I was being selfish. I just...I don’t know. It all happened so fast and honestly, Sabrina, I don’t even think about it anymore.”

“Because you got closure,” Sabrina said softly.

“Did I?” Kelsey shrugged. “I guess I did. I don’t know. I ended up with a horrible marriage if that makes you feel better.”

“It doesn’t.” Sabrina was being honest and Kelsey let out a loud huff.

“You’re still the favored one. Did you notice how Karen barely said two words to me today? She’s never forgiven me for taking him away from you. I know what I did was wrong. I live with that everyday. But I’m not sorry we got together and I’m not sorry we had Beckett. I’m sorry for how it happened but I’m not going to tell you I regret being with him if that’s what you want me to say.” Kelsey stood to her feet and started to slowly walk in the direction of the hotel.

“Kelsey, you were right.” Sabrina called after her and Kelsey turned around. “ What you said...back there in the restaurant. I am jealous of your relationship with Aria. It’s always been a thing with me. I know I’m her mom but….I can’t help it. You’ve always been a threat there.”

Kelsey stopped walking and looked at Sabrina. “I admit that I took JC away and didn’t give two shits about you. But I never, ever wanted to take your place in Aria’s life.”

“I know. I know, Kelsey. I just needed a reason to hate you after you and JC got divorced.” Sabrina knew it was the alcohol. She’d never been this open with Kelsey before, especially to this degree.

Kelsey gave her the once over and slowly nodded her head. “I get that. I don’t really know what to tell you, though. I can tell you over and over that I’m not trying to get in the way of you and Aria’s relationship but I can’t force you to believe it.”

Sabrina let Kelsey walk ahead of her. “Damn.” She muttered to herself and slowly walked behind her. Kelsey stopped again and turned around.

“You know, it’s a shame we can’t be friends. I think we’d probably have a lot in common.” She waited for Sabrina to catch up with her again and the two women began to walk side by side.

“I can’t believe I punched you,” was Sabrina’s response. “I’ve never hit anyone before!”

Kelsey let out a breath and had to smirk. “Yeah, well, you only clipped my upper lip with your nail. So, you should practice if you want to hit Tinsletown.”

Sabrina snorted and doubled over with laughter. “I can’t, Kelsey. I just can’t get over the fact that he’s marrying her! What the actual hell?” Her laughter was contagious and soon both women were in a giggling fit.

JC stared at the bottom of his empty glass as he sat in the hotel lobby bar. The remnants of bourbon stuck to the ice, dripping off and falling to the next ice cube. He was shaken up after the argument with Aria. He couldn’t help but note the confusion on Beckett’s face as he trailed behind his sister to the elevator. Both of his children had, in their own ways, confessed to him they weren’t happy with the woman he was about to make his third wife. 

The bartender came up to him with the bourbon bottle. He held it up and said, “Another glass, sir?”

JC shook his head. Tomorrow was the rehearsal dinner and all day he’d need to be coherent and not hungover. He could handle his alcohol well, but two glasses of bourbon would probably not be the answer to a good night’s sleep. Especially since he knew he’d be restless with all that was going on with his family.

His family. He shook his head and let out a breath of air that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. His family that consisted of two ex-wives and two children that he loved more than anything. He tipped back the remaining drops of bourbon and winced as the liquid burned his throat. Even watered down, it was still strong and he was thankful he’d opted not to have a second glass. 

He’d never wanted to be the guy with two failed marriages. He’d always assumed once he married Sabrina that would be it for him. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman and in a soul mate. When Aria had been born, he felt something nearly explode inside of him because of the love he felt for his baby daughter. 

And then he’d met Kelsey, who was everything different from Sabrina. She was reckless, wild with abandon, and didn’t give a shit about much, especially the fact that she was seducing a married man. She’d come along at a time when he and Sabrina hadn’t been getting along but only because he’d been gone so much. The baby was colicky and kept Sabrina awake most nights and when he’d wanted to make love, she’d had no energy. 

That had been his excuse to sleep with Kelsey that first time. Well, that and the alcohol. But for some reason, she’d been different and he couldn’t stop. He wanted her every time he saw her. It was like he could put Sabrina in another compartment. She was his wife, yes, but….for some reason he wanted Kelsey more at that moment in time.

He knew this weekend had been rough on both of his ex-wives. He’d seen them forcing themselves to get along with one another. His mother had told him she’d even felt sorry for Kelsey earlier that day at the bridal luncheon because she’d more or less sat alone, occasionally talking to Aria. JC knew his mother had never cared for Kelsey because Sabrina had won his family over the minute they’d met her. Kelsey had never had a chance.

At that moment, he looked up and saw his two exes strolling into the lobby, arm and arm, and laughing with one another. He had to do a double take because of the fact that they were even together, much less acting like long lost best friends. He didn’t realize he was staring at them until they both were standing right in front of him.

“What?” Kelsey playfully pushed his arm. He eyed her and saw her lip was swollen and in her hand she was holding what appeared to be a melted bag of ice.

“What happened to you?” He pointed at her lip. “Why-“ He’d wanted to ask “Why are you together?” but he refrained and instead asked, “Why are you out so late?”

Sabrina looked at her watch. “ It’s nine-thirty. Is that late to you now?” 

“No, I just…seriously, what happened, Kelsey?” He was looking at her lip, which had turned slightly purple in color. 

“Sabrina punched me.” Kelsey shrugged, then looked at Sabrina and they both burst into giggles. 

“What?!” JC’s voice rose and a few people sitting at the bar turned to look at the threesome. He cleared his throat. “Sabrina punched you?!”

“We had to…air out some grievances,” Sabrina said, as though she was telling him this happened all the time and it was no big deal. 

“We actually got kicked out of the restaurant.” Kelsey took a seat at the empty bar stool next to JC. “Too bad, really. It’s one of my favorite places to eat in Savannah.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll let you back in.” Sabrina was trying to be reassuring and JC sat there, his eyes widening with every word.

“Stop. Go back. You got into a fight in a restaurant and they kicked you out and you two are acting like this is no big deal!” He was whispering loudly and Kelsey chuckled at him.

“Yep. Pretty much.” She looked over at the bar tender. “Hi, can I get a club soda with lime, please?”

“I…I didn’t even know you could punch!” JC looked at Sabrina. “What the hell. No paps followed you did they?”

“No, because this isn’t 1999 anymore.” Sabrina hopped on the stool on the other side of JC. “I don’t think anyone knew who we were. Well, they might have known Kelsey. She’s the hometown girl.”

“I’ll call my agent in the morning if he hasn’t already called by then.” Kelsey gratefully took the club soda from the bar tender and sipped her drink. “Anyway, we’re fine now. In fact, we might start hanging out more when we get back to New York. It would make it easier on the kids.” 

JC sat there gaping at both of these women, who, for some reason, were talking as if this happened all the time. 

“I…I –“ He shook his head and glanced at Kelsey and then Sabrina. “Is this some sort of joke you’re playing on me for the wedding?”

“Um, no, because believe it or not, Josh, you aren’t the main focus of our lives anymore.” Kelsey rolled her eyes at him. “Look, we might as well be friends, right? It takes a lot more energy to be bitchy to each other than it does to just talk about how much we hated one another and then find out we have more in common besides just fucking you.”

Sabrina snorted and slapped JC on the back. “See? This can be a lot of fun!”

“Yeah, both of you suddenly BFF and making jokes at my expense.” JC muttered.

“Oh, stop it!” Kelsey spoke. “We’re not making jokes at your expense. But you are the one thing we have in common.  Or you have been up until now. Turns out there’s a lot of things we’ve missed out on because we’ve spent the last eighteen years hating each other.”

“My head hurts.” JC put his head in his hands. 

Sabrina looked over at Kelsey and they both shared a smile. “Get some Advil and chug water. It will do wonders.” She patted him on the back. “Where are the kids, by the way?”

“Aria got mad at me and took Beckett upstairs with her.” JC was talking into his hands. “I get the feeling they’re not too crazy about Tinsley.”

Kelsey bit her tongue because she wanted to say, “Can you blame them?” but instead cleared her throat. “Oh, that’s too bad. I’m, um, sure they’ll get used to her.”

JC turned and looked at Kelsey. “I don’t think they will.”

“I mean, obviously, nobody will take the place of their amazing mothers.” Kelsey winked at him and then looked at Sabrina. “But they’ll eventually come around.”

Sabrina hopped off the bar stool. “I’m going to find Aria. I’m sure she’ll want to talk to me.” Looking at Kelsey she said, “Are you coming?”

Kelsey shook her head. “Nah, I’m gonna finish my club soda.”

Sabrina nodded and then went around JC to hug Kelsey. “Good night. And thanks. I’m so glad we mended things,” she said into her ear.

Kelsey grinned and hugged Sabrina back. “Me too.” Then, “Hey, can you check on Beck and let me know if he’s ok? He’ll probably be in bed playing Roblox. Tell him I’ll be up soon.”

“Will do.” Sabrina hugged JC. “Good night, Josh. And don’t worry, it will all work out.”

JC watched Sabrina as she headed towards the elevator corridor. He let out a sigh and then turned to Kelsey, who was staring at him. “What?”

Kelsey bit her lip and hesitated before she answered. “I guess I’m just sorry I broke you two up. I’m pretty sure you’d still be together if it weren’t for me.”

JC nodded his head slowly. “Maybe. But if we were still together, I wouldn’t have Beckett. And I can’t imagine my life without him in it.”

“I know.” Kelsey smiled, more to herself than to him. “He’s a great kid.”

They were silent and the only sounds around them were the muffled conversations of the other bar patrons and the clinking of ice as Kelsey sipped her club soda. 

“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I know we had Beckett, but…we weren’t in love. I mean, I loved you, but not….well, you know.” 

She’d wanted to say “Not the way Sabrina loved you. And not the way you loved Sabrina.”

JC put his arm around her shoulder. “I loved you. But…yeah. I think I was always in love with Sabrina and….” He trailed off, not knowing how to finish that statement. There foreheads were touching and Kelsey let him kiss her lips softly. She returned the kiss and then pulled away. 

“This is how we got in trouble before.” She whispered and stroked his cheek with her thumb. “A bar and bad judgment. And I don’t want to be the ‘other woman’ in this marriage you’re about to start.”

JC didn’t move. He’d kissed her because she was familiar and she was there, sitting next to him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Kelsey bit her lip and smiled. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t feel anything.”

JC chuckled. “Thanks a lot.”

“You know what I mean. You’re still a great kisser, but I didn’t feel anything other than ‘Damn he’s still got it!’.” 

JC had to laugh out loud at that. “I’m a fucked up mess.” He finally said after a few moments of silence.

“Why do you say that?” Kelsey rested her elbow on the bar, letting her head fall into her hand. 

“Because I don’t even know if I want to marry Tinsley because I love her. I think I’m marrying her because she’s young and she thought I was hot. And…I got caught up in all of that.” JC wasn’t talking to Kelsey, but to his glass. 

Kelsey watched him and remembered the man she had married, always so confused and lost in his thoughts, never really talking to her about much because he’d been a million miles away in his own world. She nodded, agreeing with him.

“Josh, if you’d never met me…I mean, if we never…you know. Would you still be with Sabrina? Do you still love her?” Kelsey asked the question that had always plagued her, except this time she asked it out of love for her ex-husband and her new friend. 

He looked up from his glass and over at Kelsey. Without hesitation, he said, “Yes.”

When Sabrina walked into her hotel room, she found both Aria and Beckett on one of the double beds, each playing on their phones. Aria had one leg propped up, the other down, and she was looking intently at her screen. As predicted, Beckett was playing Roblox, sitting cross legged and moving his fingers quickly across his screen.

“Hello.” Sabrina greeted both of them as she placed her purse on the dresser next to the television. “Beckett, your mom will be up in a minute. But do you mind saying goodnight to your sister? I need to talk to her.”

Beckett looked up from his phone. “Oh, okay, sure.” He looked over at Aria. “Night, Sissy.” He leaned over and let Aria hug him with one arm before he hopped off the bed. “Night, Sabrina.” He smiled at her and Sabrina knew that every time Kelsey looked at her son, she saw JC Chasez looking right back at her.

Sabrina sat down on the edge of Aria’s bed. “Hey.” She tapped her daughter’s foot. “We need to talk.”

“Did Dad tell you?” Aria put her phone down and sat up straighter. “Mom, I’m sorry, he’s just…he’s making a big mistake with that girl!”

Sabrina nodded. “I know, baby. But it’s his mistake to make. And all we can do is let him do it. He’s a big boy. If it fails, it fails.” She sighed. “He told me and Kelsey that you guys weren’t too keen on her.”

“You and Dad and Kelsey were hanging out together?” Aria immediately sat up, suddenly intrigued. Sabrina couldn’t blame her. She knew how much Sabrina had loathed Kelsey just 24 hours ago. 

“Well…sort of.” Sabrina knew better than to tell her daughter about the punching incident. “Kelsey and I….we got to talk tonight. And we’re actually much better with each other now. But yeah, we ran into Dad when we got back from dinner. He told us you and Beckett hadn’t been too happy with him.”

“Dad’s just being stupid.” Aria muttered. “Do you know how embarrassing it is to be the future stepdaughter of Tinsley Shackelford? Mom, my friends even see right through her!”

Sabrina could only nod. “Your dad has never liked to be alone. He needs to be with someone. It’s just in his nature. It’s why it took him so long to divorce Kelsey, I think. He didn’t want two failed marriages.”

Aria looked at her mother for a second before she asked, “Mom, do you think you and Dad would still be together if…I mean, if he and Kelsey hadn’t happened?”

Sabrina chuckled. “Oh, gosh, Aria, I don’t know. That was a long time ago.” She shrugged. “But I’d like to think so. I’d like to think we’d have worked it out. But look, if he hadn’t been with Kelsey, you wouldn’t have a little brother and it’s been really sweet to watch you and Beckett interact this weekend. He adores you and you love him.”

“I know. I guess I just wonder if Dad ever thought about going back to the beginning and sorting it all out and forgetting Tinsley.” Aria looked at her mother, almost hopefully. She wanted Sabrina to tell her she agreed and that JC should leave Tinsley. 

“Honey, I don’t think there’s anything that can be changed right now. I think Dad’s made up his mind and he’s stubborn, you know that. The only thing you can do is show up at the wedding and show him you support him because he’s your family.” Sabrina reached over to smooth out Aria’s hair. “But I think you probably need to talk to him. He hates that you’re upset with him.”

“Fine.” Aria reached for her phone and began to text her father, asking him if they could talk. It didn’t take more than a second for JC to respond “Yes, I’m downstairs in the lobby bar.”

“Don’t forget your room key,” Sabrina said, as Aria was heading out the door. She watched her daughter leave and let out a sigh, proud of herself for not telling Aria what she really thought of this whole situation they were all in because of JC’s floozy fiancé.

JC was still sitting in the same spot when Aria got off the elevator. Kelsey had just told him goodnight and missed her stepdaughter by a few minutes. 

“Dad.” Aria walked up to him and JC smiled as he held out his arms to her. “I’m sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have run off like that.”

“It’s ok, baby. I understand why you’re upset.” JC kissed the top of her head. “I think I understand more than you realize.”

“Yeah?” Aria took an empty stool next to her father. 

JC nodded. “Yeah. I think you can help me figure something out and make all of this a better weekend for everyone.” He paused and then glanced at her before he said, “Well, everyone except Tinsley.”

The rehearsal dinner was at 7:00pm the next evening in the exquisite backyard of some local politician in Savannah. All day, Aria hadn’t said a word to her mother about what she and JC had discussed, but every time she was alone with Sabrina, it was on the tip of her tongue. Her father was still in love with her mother. She knew that just from the subtle hints he’d told her last night. Now she just had to get her mother to see that she was also in love with JC.

JC hadn’t slept at all the night before. Tinsley had been drunk from a night out with her friends and had ended up staying at another hotel with two of her bridesmaids. He was grateful for that because it gave him cause to think. Aria had pressed him and he’d done everything but tell her “Yes, I’m still in love with your mother.” At the end of the night, he was going to go through with this wedding. Even if it meant destroying any hopes of a future with Sabrina again. He refused to have three broken marriages.

He watched Tinsley throughout the rehearsal as she interacted with his children. Aria was doing her best to put up with her, he could see that. Beckett was obedient except when a bridesmaid had tripped on her heel and scuffed the flooring of the church, making a sound like a fart. He let out a snicker and JC saw Tinsley glare at him. But that had been it. She hadn’t done anything overtly terrible to either of his children and right now all he wanted to do was get through the ceremony and be done with it.

“But Dad, you can’t marry somebody you don’t really love”

“I love Tinsley.”

“You love the idea of her.”

“Aria –“

“Dad, seriously? You’re going to marry this girl who’s not even old enough to be my mom? When you know you’re still in love with the woman who is my mom!”

“Aria, I can’t-“

“And she hates me and Beckett. You can just tell she does.”

“Look, if I see anything that raises an alarm tomorrow I’ll stop it. I’ll stop it all. But I’m not calling off my wedding.”

Aria watched her father as he seated himself next to Tinsley at the main table. He was fidgeting with the tablecloth and lost in his thoughts. She watched Tinsley snake her arm through his and squeeze his hand. He smiled at her and she reached up to kiss him. Aria made a face as she watched her future stepmother grope her father right in front of his kids and everyone in the wedding party. She wished so much for her mother and Kelsey to be sitting with them right now. All she could do was bite her tongue and look away.

“Oh, hello Kelsey and, um, Selina?” Mrs. Shackelford greeted the two women as they entered through the pergola that led to the backyard. 

“Sabrina.” Sabrina cleared her throat and plastered a fake smile on her face. She looked over at Kelsey who rolled her eyes and didn’t hide at all the irritation she felt.

“Oh! Yes. Sabrina. Right. You two are going to sit over there.” Mrs. Shackelford pointed to a table at the very back next to the buffet. “And Alina and Brock will be sitting with their father and Tinsley, of course.”

“Aria and Beckett,” snapped Kelsey, not caring how rude she probably sounded. 

“I’m terrible with names.” Mrs. Shackelford tried to apologize, but Kelsey and Sabrina grabbed hands and marched over to the back table. 

“She’s terrible with names, yet she picked a name for her daughter that sounds like a decoration you put on a Christmas tree,” Sabrina muttered, as they took their seats. Aria and Beckett were already seated toward the front with JC. 

“Oh, hello. How do you know Tinsley and JC?” A woman sitting across from them asked, as she sipped her mint julep.

“We were married to JC.” Sabrina knew how tacky that sounded and was quite pleased with herself. The woman was taken aback and cleared her throat before she spoke again.

“I-I’m sorry?” She looked from Sabrina to Kelsey. 

“No need to be sorry,” Kelsey said, picking up the glass of water in front of her. “Sabrina was married to JC and had his daughter, Aria, and then JC and I got married later and had his son, Beckett. How do you know them?”

“Ah, I, um, I’m Tinsley’s best friend’s mother. My Avery and Tinsley went through grade school to UGA together.” Avery’s mom was uncomfortable and both Kelsey and Sabrina couldn’t help but notice and smirk. “I’m Eloise Lawton.”

“Kelsey Morrissey.” Kelsey held her hand out to Mrs. Lawton.

“Sabrina Victor.” Sabrina did the same and Mrs. Lawton shook both of their hands as if they would explode upon her touch. 

“So..nice to meet you.” Mrs. Lawton didn’t know how to put on a poker face and both Kelsey and Sabrina could see how uncomfortable she was sitting with both of them. Her demeanor immediately changed when a man, who was undoubtedly her husband, came and sat down next to her. “Oh darling, these are, um, these are JC’s former…wives.”

It was hot and humid and Aria was having a hard time finding anything to keep her cool except for subtly splashing a little bit of water onto her face when no one was looking. She noticed how miserable her dad looked and how Tinsley wasn’t even paying attention to him, but was obnoxiously laughing with one of her bridesmaids. 

“…and these are your step kids?” The bridesmaid looked over at Aria and Beckett. She then looked at JC. “How are you old enough to have kids?”

JC glanced at the bridesmaid in pure annoyance. “Trust me. I’m old.”

“Oh baby she was kidding! It was a compliment!” Tinsley took a large sip of wine and let out a breath. “Anyway, you don’t act old! Besides, it’s not like they’ll think of me as a step mom. I’ll be the big sister they never had.”

JC could see the stricken look on both his children’s faces and wanted to say something to refute Tinsley’s statement, but before he could open his mouth, Aria had already opened hers.

“That’s disgusting.” She looked right at Tinsley. “In no universe will you ever be my sister or my mother or-“

“Aria!” JC hissed at his daughter, who looked hurt by his reprimand. “That’s enough.”

Tinsley pursed her lips and smirked at Aria, then leaned over and planted a kiss on JC’s mouth, making sure everyone saw. JC wasn’t kissing her back and Tinsley pressed harder into him until finally he pushed her away.

“What the hell?!” Tinsley looked at JC, pure fire in her eyes.

“That’s not appropriate. We’re in front of family and my kids and-“ 

“I don’t care! You should want to kiss your fiancé whenever she wants to kiss you!”

JC looked at Tinsley as if she were crazy. “Uh, no. That’s not the way it works. And you know I don’t like public displays of affection.”

Kelsey was sipping on her champagne and looked over at the head table to see JC and Tinsley in what could only be a heated argument. She nudged Sabrina. “Um, you need to look over there.”

Sabrina saw Tinsley visibly upset and talking to JC as though she was ready to haul off and slap him. She was rising slowly from her chair and her voice was getting louder and louder.

“…and your kids should be happy they’re getting me as their stepmother! And you should be thrilled you’re finally getting someone like me as your wife!” The last part of her sentence was audible enough that everyone at the rehearsal dinner heard and suddenly Kelsey felt as though she could hear a pin drop.

Nobody spoke a word. Aria and Beckett looked from their father to their mothers and Sabrina motioned for them to come to the table where she was sitting with Kelsey. But neither of them moved. They watched as their father stood up and shook his head at Tinsley. He then looked out at the spectators and Kelsey and Sabrina both knew that he hated it when the spotlight was on him, except when he was performing. JC was a private person and the fact that Tinsley had just put both of them on display like this made his blood boil.

“Tinsley.” His voice was soft but filled with underlying rage. Sabrina reached over and squeezed Kelsey’s hand. Neither of them could look away as they watched their ex-husband and waited for his next move. “I think we need to talk. In private. Now.”

“Uh, everyone please keep enjoying the cocktail hour!” Mrs. Shackelford stood from her table where she and her husband and the Chasez’s were seated. Nobody moved and watched as JC led Tinsley away from the table and around to the other side of the house where they couldn’t be seen.

The guests started to talk again, but the chatter was soft and inaudible. The only sounds were the occasional bird chirping, a plane flying overhead, glasses and silverware tinkling, conversation low and meaningless. Kelsey downed her champagne and Sabrina began to butter another piece of bread. Nobody at their table spoke and both women were secretly wishing they had super powers to hear what JC was telling Tinsley.

Fifteen minutes went by, though it felt like hours, and Mr. Shackelford stood and followed the path to where JC and Tinsley were. A few guests had stood up and were mingling again around the tables, but Aria and Beckett and Sabrina and Kelsey stayed put. The women didn’t have to say anything to each other – they were both wondering if this had been the final straw. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said Mr. Shackelford from the back of the wraparound veranda that faced the tables. “I regret to inform you that Tinsley has decided to call off the wedding. We ask you to please keep this a private matter and not speak to any of the papers or photographers waiting outside. Thank you for coming.”

“Not speak to anyone? In Savannah? Yeah right.” Kelsey couldn’t help but chuckle to herself, knowing her hometown was infamous for its gossip. This would be front page in all the latest social circles in another hour.

“Um, should we…go check on him?” Sabrina asked Kelsey and before Kelsey could respond, she’d stood up and left their table.

She walked toward the side of the house where she’d seen JC take Tinsley and was soon passing a sobbing Tinsley who was running towards her mother. She saw JC standing there alone, leaning against the pergola. He looked over and gave her a regretful smile.

“You were right.” He didn’t give her a chance to say anything. “She was all wrong for me.”

“I never told you that.” Sabrina went and stood in front of him.

“You didn’t have to.” JC shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “I knew what you were thinking. Kelsey and Aria both talked to me. I….think I was trying to force something that wasn’t there. Because I never got over what I lost.”

Sabrina felt her face flushing and looked at him questioningly. “Never got over what you lost?”

JC nodded and rubbed his hand through his hair, scratching his neck. It was a habit he had whenever he was nervous, yet somehow that same pose had ended up in several teeny bop magazines in the late 90s. “I never got over losing you.”

“J-“ Sabrina started and JC shook his head. 

“I was horrible to you. And look where it got me. Two failed marriages and a called off wedding. I guess the universe had it out for me when I left you.” He was searching her eyes, trying to see where she stood. Sabrina was doing all she could not to let her guard down. Behind her she could hear the guests leaving and what could only be Tinsley’s loud sobs. She tried to drown it out and focus on her ex-husband.

“Well, you also got two great kids out of those marriages.” Sabrina smiled at him and stepped closer. “And your ex-wives might start hanging out more without the kids. Kelsey’s cool. I like her.”

JC felt himself reaching for Sabrina and soon his hand was softly grasping hers. “Maybe you and I can start hanging out again. You know, without the kids.”

Sabrina bit her lip and looked down at the ground before she looked back up at him. “I don’t know. It might take me a while.”

JC nodded. “I get that. But I’d like to at least try and see what happens.”

“C’mon, let’s go.” Kelsey was rounding up Beckett and Aria and trying not to look at the Shackelford family, who’d become front and center and were gaining support from all of their friends.

“Where are we going? Where’s dad?” Beckett asked and followed his mother and sister. 

“And where’s mom?” Aria was walking next to Kelsey and they passed the Shackelford mob. Tinsley was now wailing loudly. She shot a look at her ex-soon-to-be-stepmother and saw there were no tears anywhere, only obnoxious sobs.

“I think she went to find your dad.” Kelsey moved the kids around the mob and through the hoards of people now leaving the rehearsal dinner. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw JC and Sabrina kissing each other, somehow having maneuvered themselves under the pergola and away from the guests. She smiled to herself, not feeling anything but a sense of relief. 

“Dad!” Beckett was the one to break the kiss and JC and Sabrina looked at each other wide-eyed as though they were two teenagers caught in the act.

“Uh…hey, um-“ JC looked from Sabrina to Kelsey and then to Aria, who was beaming.

“Please don’t let us break that up.” Kelsey winked at Sabrina and then grinned at JC. “I’ll take the kids back to the hotel. Looks like you two have some catching up to do.”

Sabrina couldn’t help but giggle and pull JC closer to her as they watched Kelsey take the kids around the other side of the house. She looked up at him and he smiled at her before pulling her in for one more kiss.