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sipped her wine--"and are threatening to cut me off altogether."
    Marisol gasped. "They can't do that."
    "They can," Em said. "I've had to contact almost all the vendors and cancel. It's like starting all over again. My budget is shot."
    I felt the color drain from my face. Em's wedding was an elaborate affair her mother had orchestrated. The price tag had been well over half a million dollars.
    "What's Joseph say about all this?" I asked.
    "He's not too happy about the money."
    "That's because he's cheap," Marisol said, sniffing the air. "I'm starving."
    "He's not cheap," Em countered. "He's ... frugal."
    Marisol squawked like a chicken, "Cheap, cheap, cheap."
    I stood, wobbled a little--I should cut back on the wine--and gathered three plates from the cabinet.
    Em glanced at me, desperation tingeing the blue in her eyes. "Is there more wine?"
    I grabbed a bottle from the rack, used Raphael's fancy corkscrew, and poured.
    Secretly, I had to agree with Marisol. I was under the suspicion that the minimalist design in Em and Joseph's condo had nothing to do with style and everything to do with dollar signs.
    I pictured him finding out that he had to foot the bill for his wedding
and
help pay for Em to go back to school while she was bringing in no income ...
    My smile fizzled.
    Considering how cheap he was, he must really love her. A pang of guilt swept through me.
    Shit. What had I gotten myself into, agreeing to Marisol's crazy plan?
    Em sighed. "I really do want a Christmas tree. I found the sweetest angel topper at the Christmas Tree Shop in Pembroke."
    Marisol jumped up. "Then we should go get one."
    "Now?" I asked, scooping pasta.
    "Right now," Marisol said, checking the thin gold watch on her wrist. "I'm working the graveyard tonight."
    Marisol, a vet, volunteered hours at a local animal hospital downtown at night and worked during the day at a vet clinic in Quincy. I suspected it wouldn't be long before she had her own office.
    Em's eyes brightened. "Really?"
    I put the plate down, glanced at Marisol, and couldn't say no when I saw the softness in her eyes. "Okay, I'm in."
    Em let out a little happy squeal. It was the most animated I'd seen her in a while. Maybe Marisol was right. Em
wasn't
happy with Joseph.
    Em slid off her stool. "I'm going to run to the washroom--be right back."
    As soon as the door to the guest bath clicked closed, Marisol said, "Did you get the stuff?"
    "Tomorrow morning."
    She rubbed her hands together. "I can't wait."
    "Look, I don't think--"
    My objection was interrupted by the sound of feet on the stairs. My father and Raphael were discussing facial hair.
    I tried not to groan.
    "Good evening, Marisol," Dad said, kissing her cheek.
    Marisol let out a wolf whistle.
    My father soaked it in, even did a little twirl for her.
    Em emerged from the bathroom, still beaming. "I'm going to get a Christmas tree."
    Dad kissed her cheek. "How lovely."
    "You look spiffy," she said, fussing with his lapels.
    He looked over her head at me with an expression that clearly asked how much we'd had to drink.
    I held up two fingers to signal just a little.
    Then his gaze narrowed on the empty wine bottle.
    That's what I got for not recycling.
    "A fancy date with Judie?" Em asked, slipping on her coat.
    "Um, er, no," my father answered Em.
    "No?"
    "No."
    "Back to reality?" she asked him.
    I couldn't help the smile. He and Mum had been faking it all over town these last few weeks, trying to keep up the image of a happily married couple. Last I heard, they were both ready to strangle each other.
    Dad looked at me. "She's impertinent too."
    "Does
she
get it from Mum?"
    "Of course."
    "You're going
now
?" Raphael asked us.
    "A tree must be got," Marisol said to Raphael, kissing his cheeks. "No time to waste."
    "Rain check?" I asked him, my head spinning a bit as I tried to keep up with the conversations.
    "I'll hold you to it, Uva."
    I wrapped my scarf around my neck as Raphael held open the door for us. Em and Marisol