“She wanted to be there,” Khala said. “Besides, there will be plenty of other events for her to attend.”
Courtney, one of the bridesmaids, clinked a crystal glass and invited everyone to join the bridal party at the gift-opening area. Hena took a seat in the second row of chairs facing Lulu.
Gift time meant the end was near, and all things considered, it hadn’t been too bad. The guests seemed to have gotten over the shock of her attendance, and while there were still whispers and lingering looks, things felt calmer now. She was grateful for it.
Courtney handed out party favors—Tiffany key chains engraved with the couple’s initials and wedding date. Irum handed Lulu her presents one at a time to open.
“Cartier earrings?” Lulu exclaimed, unwrapping the first gift. “Khala, thank you!”
She gave their aunt a big hug. In fact, after every gift—the custom cutting board, the Le Creuset cookware, a Vitamix blender, an artisanal tea set—Lulu walked over to personally thank and embrace each person.
Then she opened a box, bit back a laugh, and lifted up a sexy black negligee.
“All right, which one of you got me this?”
“That’s from me!” Auntie Dilsha called from the back row, setting off a chorus of laughter. “Tradition mandates the bride be mortified by her elder aunties.”
“No need to be shy,” Auntie Hanifa called out from the front row. “We were all young once.”
The gifts dwindled. A spa basket. An iron skillet. A set of knives that made Lulu shriek with joy and turn to Irum.
“These are the Imperion handcrafted ones I told you about!” she cried, reading the card. “I didn’t even have them on the registry!”
“Because giving knives to someone on their wedding is bad luck,” Auntie Nipa said, shaking her head.
“That’s a silly superstition.” Lulu scoffed. “If a blender is fine, why can’t a knife be?”
Hena suppressed a smile. Lulu lived to cook, and whether or not she ever opened a restaurant, knives were the perfect gift for her. She’d given Hena a set of Shun knives for her own wedding.
One of those knives had saved her life.
Lulu opened each gift until only one remained—Hena’s. She unwrapped the striped paper and paused before lifting up the gold necklace with its blue-and-white evil-eye charm. A flicker of nerves shot through Hena when Lulu’s gaze found hers.
“Is this the same one?” she asked.
Hena nodded, relieved she hadn’t forgotten. Lulu could buy herself anything, so Hena had gone for nostalgia. Their mother had bought both of them these identical necklaces shortly after their father died. It was a silly superstition that the charm could ward off evil, their mother had said. Still, she had insisted they wear them. Given how young Lulu had been, she’d snapped hers in half on the school playground the next day. They’d searched the area in vain. Lulu had wept. Begged for a new one. She’d wanted it to keep her safe, but their mother had refused. She had also refused to allow Hena to give Lulu hers.
Carelessness has consequences,she had said.
Lulu’s fingers grazed the delicate gold.
“Thanks,” she said.
No hug. No effusive praise. Which was fine. A gift wasn’t about the giver, and truthfully, Hena should’ve given it to her sister long ago. Better late than never. As much as she didn’t believe in amulets, she hoped it would keep Lulu safe as she began her new life with Khaled.
“Thank you all for coming,” Courtney said as Lulu stifled a yawn. “A buffet will be set up in the dining hall tonight for anyone who’s hungry later on.”
“What about the marriage advice book?” Haris’s mother called from two rows across.
“I think Lulu is pretty tired—” Courtney began.
“Nonsense,” Auntie Hanifa protested. “We had such fun filling those out. Let us hear a few, at least?”
Others nodded in agreement. Lulu relented and asked Irum to read them aloud. Irum grabbed the monogrammed white book and took a seat next to Lulu.
“Ooh, this is a good one,” she said, flipping to the first page. “It says, ‘Habits form early and easily, but once settled,they are impossible to undo. Choose carefully what routines you set at the start of your marriage lest you find yourself stuck with them forever.’ ”
“That was mine,” Auntie Nipa said proudly. “It means if you iron his clothes the morning after your wedding, you’ll be ironing them thirty years from now too.”