Kiddie Table Magic

Note to the reader. This story builds on one published in June 2023. Please read or re-read “Here Comes the Bride” if you want more details about the bride, Meghan, and her sister Erin.

Erin loved her sister, she did. Her sister looked gorgeous and glowing, just like a bride should. 

She and Meghan were close. Not like sisters, but like best friends. Hours passed while they shared secrets. They borrowed each other’s clothes. Fighting never crossed their minds. People remarked on how odd it was. But that’s how it was. Ever since Erin came home from the hospital, her big sister was there for her. 

And Erin was happy for her. Her groom, Tony, was strong, handsome, and a complete history dork just like her sister. They were perfect for one another.

But honestly, this wedding thing was getting on her nerves. First, all the dressing up. Her gown looked like something from that English TV show her mom watched. All full skirt and stiff petticoat. Her neck itched, and she kept stepping on the skirt as she tried to get the best angles for her photos. And the color. Rose. She hated the color rose, the color of faded flowers. Why couldn’t she wear red? But both her mom and bride sister Meghan were together on that. No red.

And second of all, who knew that the maid of honor had so much work to do? She’d been on call for months. Parties, lists, shopping, listening. She was secretly tallying up all the work for her sister to pay back if Erin ever got married. Get this. Find that. Hold these flowers. Fix this train. It should be called laborer of honor or maid of work.

And now this injustice.

“It’s the last thing you need to do for me,” Meghan said, before handing Erin her seating card.

Erin stood in front of the table and checked out the other people already seated. It was the kid’s table. How could Meghan do this to her? She wasn’t a kid; she was already 18. What was she supposed to do, babysit all these cousins? Mary, the flower girl, was already pulling off her patent leather shoes and cousin Patrick was sticking his fingers in the water glass and flicking water drops at cousin Benji.

Just as Erin considered finding her parents’ table and smashing in a chair to join them, she felt a tall presence behind her. “Table six?” a male voice asked and likewise looked at the seated guests. He muttered, “Shit, it’s the kids’ table, isn’t it?”

Erin swiveled to look at him and had to tilt her chin up to see his dark eyes. He looked a lot like the groom, Tony. “Which one are you?”

“Albie. The youngest brother.”

“No chance you are at the right table,” said Erin.

Albie looked around the room. “Tony asked me to cover this and keep an eye on little cousin Vito, known troublemaker.” Albie pointed to the young boy sitting next to Erin’s cousin, twisting his cloth napkin into a swatting wand.

Erin sighed. “Yeah, Meghan asked me the same thing.”

“Guess we are in this together,” Albie said.

Erin looked up again. “You’re tall.”

Albie straightened up and got even taller. “Already over six feet.”

“And you swear a lot.”

She felt his eyes sweep her up and down. “Nice dress,” he cackled. “Bridesmaid?”

“Maid of Honor.”  Erin stuck out her chin.

“Truce,” Albie stuck out his hand, and they shook solemnly, just as little Mary pushed away cousin Patrick for trying to steal her flowered headband.

Albie pulled out his chair to sit and then stood back as if he thought of something and turned to pull out Erin’s chair for her.

Erin felt herself blush, but settled into her chair as he pushed it forward for her. Maybe the kiddie table wasn’t so bad after all.

Erin and Albie talked through the salad course. School, sports, the basics. Albie gave a good evil eye when his cousins acted up, and Erin gave her trademark single eyebrow raise when hers did. They kept their table under control, nodding at each other over the victories.

Just as they launched into a debate over the Sox versus the Yankees, Vito snuck up behind Mary and ripped the headband off her head. Mary screamed. Erin jumped up to comfort her, spilling the water from her glass all over her dress. She scowled at Vito while trying to hug Mary.

Vito held the flower band above his head like a trophy, his mouth open with laughter until his feet left the ground and he dropped it in surprise. Albie tightened his grip on the back of Vito’s jacket and carried him away from the table.

Erin picked up the fallen headband and helped Mary place it back on her head, gently wiping her tears with a napkin. Mary sniffles subsided and her big blue eyes shone with the dried tears. Erin noticed Albie in the corner, shaking his finger at Vito, before he marched them both back to the table.

“Do it,” Albie said.

Vito murmured something.

“So she can hear it,” Albie said again.

“Sorry,” Vito said, looking at the ground. “It’s a pretty flower thing. Sorry.”

Erin bit her lip to prevent a smile and nodded at Vito. Her eyes found Albie’s, and they shared a look.

They took their seats, and by the time dinner was served, the youngest kids had been collected by their parents. Erin noticed Albie avail himself of two of the extra dinners at their table, clearly enjoying extra portions.

The best man walked over to the newlywed table and clinked his glass to start a toast.

Albie gestured between bites of chicken, “That’s my brother #2. Freddy. Aren’t you supposed to be up there?”

Erin blanched. With all the child wrangling, she’d forgotten she was supposed to give a toast. She took a gulp of water and grabbed her phone. “Be right back,” she said as she headed toward the head table.

As best man Freddy finished, the couple kissed, and the crowd clapped. Erin placed herself next to her sister and opened the speech on her phone. She started slowly, telling a story of Meghan stuck in the mud in her heels during the rehearsal, but no one laughed the way she’d hoped. She looked at the phone for the next sentence, but the text blurred in front of her eyes. She turned to face Meghan, and her voice quavered and softened. “As happy as I am for you, I feel like I am losing you. Someone who has literally known me my whole life. It’s hard to have the happy feelings for you fighting the sad feelings for me…”

Meghan stood and gave Erin a tight hug, and Tony joined in, surrounding them both with his arms. The guests whooped their encouragement. The tight knot whispered for a few moments before Meghan gently pushed Erin back to the front of the table and handed her a champagne flute.

Erin took a deep breath and gave her sister a special look. “A toast to my big sister and new big brother. I love you.”

The crowd roared. Meghan laughed as Erin sipped the champagne and grimaced before handing the glass back. The women hugged again.

Erin walked back to the kiddie table.

“Not bad,” Albie said.

“Give me that napkin. Please.” Erin wiped her eyes, leaving a stain of black mascara on the white napkin.

Albie looked around and then lowered his voice. “I kind of feel that way, too. Losing my biggest brother. But I would NEVER say that out loud.” His jaw jutted out as if to defy her to tease him.

Erin was quiet for a moment. All around her, she could hear the chatter of friends and family, The DJ announcing the first dance. The clink of silverware as servers picked up the dinner plates. The noise surrounded and cocooned her. This wasn’t her day. This was Meghan’s day. OK, and Tony’s day, too. On the dance floor, she saw them swaying to their first song. Then watched as her parents joined, and another couple, probably Albie’s parents.

As a server passed by, she grabbed two wine glasses. She handed one to Albie and kept the other for herself and raised it toward Albie. “I may have lost a sister today, or at least a piece of her, but I’ve gained a brother. I’ve never had a brother.”

Albie smiled and his dimple showed again, “Sadly, my dear, you’ve gained five brothers today.”

Erin blinked. “Right, five of you.”

“And I’ve gained two sisters. I’ve never had sisters before.” Albie said.

“What are brothers like?”

“We tend to punch when mad, but we always have each other’s backs,” Albie answered. “What about sisters? What are they like?”

“Sugar, and spice and everything nice,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes in jest. “Basically perfect in every way.” 

Albie and Erin laughed together. Their eyes caught over the edge of their wine glasses and the sparkle in their eyes continued. Perhaps the kiddie table wasn’t so bad after all.