My Wedding Dress In The Garage His Widow In My Home Chapter 02
As I stood on the corner waiting for my ride, my mind drifted back to how the party had started.
That morning, Owen had set a cup of coffee in front of me, his tone gentle, as if nothing had happened the night before.
“Listen, about the wedding dress… I’m sorry. On Paige’s behalf.”
“She just lost her husband. She’s been an emotional wreck. And with her house flooding, it’s only natural she’s started treating this place like her own.”
I looked at him.
“So it was also natural for her to turn my study into Sadie’s bedroom?”
Owen sighed.
“Nora, they’re only staying a few days. The engagement party is tonight. Don’t make everyone miserable over something so small.”
I hadn’t wanted to go at all.
But he took my hand and said he wanted all our friends to witness our happiness.
In the end, I put on the dress.
At the party, Owen stood in the center of the room with a glass of champagne, thanking everyone for their help and for supporting him over the years.
Then he turned his gaze to Paige and Sadie.
“Especially Paige and Sadie. They’ve taught me what a home truly is, and the kind of responsibility a man should carry.”
Paige’s eyes welled with tears.
She walked over and reached up to straighten Owen’s tie, her fingertips lingering at his collar for a few seconds.
Owen didn’t pull away.
Only then did he finally raise his glass in my direction.
“And of course, my thanks to Nora, for always being so understanding.”
One short sentence.
As if I weren’t the guest of honor, just a sponsor who’d agreed to play along.
Someone in the crowd couldn’t help but laugh. “Owen, this party is for Nora, remember?”
Paige immediately lowered her head.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to steal the spotlight. It’s just… now that my husband is gone, Owen is the only person Sadie and I can rely on.”
The room fell silent.
Someone patted her on the shoulder.
Others looked at me, their expressions seeming to say, *Don’t make a scene.*
When it was time to cut the cake, Sadie spread her arms.
“Uncle, up!”
Owen lifted her into his arms without a second thought.
Paige cut a small piece of cake and held it to Owen’s lips.
“You’ve been busy all night. You should have the first bite.”
Owen lowered his head and ate it.
A smudge of cream dotted the corner of his mouth, and Paige casually wiped it away with her thumb.
Someone nearby laughed. “You three work so well together, you look just like a family.”
Paige didn’t deny it.
Instead, she smiled. “Owen used to come over all the time to fix pipes or change lightbulbs. He’d take Sadie to the park, too. The neighbors always thought we were a couple.”
At that, she shot a deliberate glance in my direction.
“We explained it so many times, but they never believed us.”
Everyone laughed along with her.
Only my hand tightened around the stem of my champagne flute.
Near the end of the party, Paige walked up to me, holding out her phone.
“Nora, could you take a family photo for us?”
She gestured to herself, Owen, and Sadie.
“We haven’t taken one in ages.”
All eyes in the room turned to us.
I didn’t take the phone. I just looked at Owen.
His first instinct was to look at Paige.
The smile at the corner of her mouth faltered, and he immediately shot her a reassuring glance before finally turning to me.
“It’s just one photo.”
Just one photo.
I took the phone.
In the frame, Paige leaned against Owen’s shoulder. Sadie wrapped her arms around his neck and shouted excitedly at the camera.
“Daddy, look here!”
My finger froze over the button.
Owen had definitely heard her.
He didn’t correct her. He just smiled and hitched Sadie a little higher in his arms.
The second I took the photo, applause and laughter erupted around us.
I handed the phone back to Paige.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
By the time I reached the corner of the hallway, I heard footsteps behind me.
“Nora.”
Paige caught up, her eyes already red.
“Are you upset?”
Before I could answer, Owen appeared.
He frowned, stepping between me and Paige.
“She’s a widow, Nora. Don’t be so sensitive. There are so many people here—can you not make a scene?”
“Make a scene?”
“It’s just a photo.” He lowered his voice. “Sadie’s just a little girl. It’s normal for her to get her words mixed up.”
Paige’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Owen immediately put an arm around her.
She leaned into his embrace without hesitation and looked at me over his shoulder, her expression not the least bit apologetic.
But when she spoke, her voice was so aggrieved it was nearly a whisper.
“I just thought… for our sake, you could be a little more understanding.”