For a brief moment, I genuinely hoped she might do the right thing.
She could have looked at me and whispered, "I'm sorry."
She could have promised to reimburse me.
She could have gone to Grandma and apologized.
Instead, she folded the paper quickly and attempted to hide it beneath her bouquet.
Daniel noticed.
"What is that?"
"Nothing."
"Ashley?"
"It's nothing important."
I stepped closer.
"It's an invoice for the wedding cake."
Daniel looked confused.
"What invoice?"
"The one showing how much Grandma spent making it."
Ashley shot me a furious look.
"Why would you put that in our wedding present?"
"Because you promised to pay Grandma, and you refused."
Daniel stared at her.
"Ashley?"
She laughed nervously.
"Oh, don't start. Your sister is being dramatic."
I looked at my brother.
"Grandma needed that money for her medication. I reimbursed her myself."
Daniel's smile vanished.
"What?"
Ashley pushed back her chair.
"This is ridiculous."
I took a slow breath.
The room was still noisy, and only the nearest guests had begun paying attention.
There was still time to resolve everything quietly.
"Ashley," I said, "you can fix this now."
She narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not apologizing for accepting a wedding present from family."
"It wasn't a present. It was an agreement."
"Whatever."
She waved the invoice dismissively.
"You're just trying to embarrass me."
I looked toward the cake.
Something inside me settled.
I was done arguing.
"All right," I said.
Then I walked away.
Chapter 8: The Cake That Suddenly Became Mine
I crossed the dance floor toward the cake cart.
Behind me, I heard Ashley's heels striking the wooden floor.
"Where are you going?"
I didn't answer.
I approached the cart and carefully released the wheel brake.
Then I began pushing it toward my table.
Very slowly.
Very carefully.
I had absolutely no intention of destroying something Grandma had worked so hard to create.
But I did intend to make a point.
Ashley hurried after me.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
I parked the cart beside my chair.
Then I sat down.
Several guests turned to watch.
Ashley stood over me, trembling with anger.
"You can't move the wedding cake!"
I looked up.
"Why not?"
"Because it's my wedding cake!"
"Interesting."
I folded my hands.
"Grandma made it. You refused to pay for it. I paid her instead."
"So?"
"So I thought I might enjoy what I paid for."
Ashley stared at me.
"That's not how it works!"
"Really? Because you seemed to think taking a cake without paying for it was perfectly reasonable."
Someone at the nearest table stopped eating.
A bridesmaid whispered something to another bridesmaid.
The photographer lowered his camera.
I picked up a spoon from my table.
Ashley gasped.
"Don't you dare!"
I raised the spoon toward the frosting.
Slowly.
Almost theatrically.
I stopped just short of touching it.
"Grandma makes wonderful cakes," I said. "I'm sure this one tastes incredible."
Ashley began shouting.
"You're jealous! You've never liked me! You're trying to ruin my wedding!"
Her voice carried across the barn.
The music stopped.
Guests turned.
Daniel approached us, bewildered.
"What's going on?"
Ashley immediately pointed at me.
"Your sister has lost her mind! She's trying to steal our wedding cake!"
Daniel looked at the cart.
Then at the spoon.
Then at me.
"Can someone please explain?"
I lowered my hand.
"Grandma spent three days making this cake after Ashley promised to pay for it. This morning, Ashley refused."
Daniel frowned.
"What?"
"Grandma needed the money for her prescription refill. Ashley laughed at her."
His eyes moved toward his bride.
"Ashley, you told me Grandma was making the cake as a gift."
Ashley folded her arms.
"Well, that's what family does."
"Did you promise to pay her?"
She hesitated.
"At first."
Daniel's face hardened.
"At first?"
"Yes, but things change. Weddings are expensive."
"Did you know Grandma needed the money for medication?"
Ashley sighed impatiently.
"Oh, please. She was being dramatic."
Daniel stood completely still.
I could see him searching her face for some sign of regret.
He was giving her a chance.
One sentence could have changed everything.
I'm sorry. I handled it badly.
Instead, Ashley said, "It's not as if she's going to die because she waits a few days for her medicine."
The silence that followed was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
Not even the people at the bar spoke.
Daniel stared at the woman he had married only hours earlier.
Then he looked toward Grandma.
She sat with her hands folded tightly in her lap.
Her eyes were lowered.
And for the first time that evening, I saw my brother understand what had happened.
Chapter 9: Daniel's Unexpected Decision
Daniel walked toward me.
My stomach tightened.
I thought he was going to tell me to leave.
Ashley apparently believed the same thing.
"Thank you," she muttered. "Finally."
Daniel stopped beside my chair.
"Give me the spoon."
I looked at him uncertainly.
"Daniel..."
"Please."
I handed it over.
He turned toward the cake.
For several seconds, he simply studied it.
His eyes moved across the tiny flowers Grandma had shaped one by one, the smooth ivory frosting, and the gold details she had carefully placed despite her aching hands.
Then he pushed the spoon straight into the middle tier.
Gasps erupted around the room.
He scooped out a large, uneven mouthful of cake.
And ate it.
Ashley screamed.