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The Mermaid Fantasy cruise ship was so enormous that it hardly even felt like a ship. It felt like a fancy resort - a fancy resort that would soon be floating through the ocean.
Claudia stood overlooking the main deck. Below her, folks splashed in the impressive pool and sprawled out on comfy looking lounge chairs. She knew it would take a while to get her bearings and figure out where everything was located.
Thankfully, there was an app for that. She was able to pull a map up on her phone with the click of a button. She was also able to view the daily itinerary. She was amazed by how many different events were offered. Karaoke, stand-up comedy, cooking lessons and ballroom dancing were only a few of the options available.
“Movie night sounds fun,” Claudia murmured to herself as she studied the itinerary. “Board game night might be interesting, too. And I definitely want to check out the cake decorating demonstration.”
“Claudia! You made it!”
Claudia turned to see her best friend waving. Emily had a big grin on her face. Her shoulder length, chestnut colored hair was pinned back with two pearl-adorned bobby pins, giving her an old Hollywood look. She was wearing a pale pink halter neck sundress and matching pink flip flops with big flowers on them.
When Emily neared Claudia, she pulled off her white sunglasses and put them on top of her head. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. She looked well-rested and very happy. In fact, she was glowing.
Pushing her own hurt feelings aside, Claudia forced a smile. “Emily! Hi!”
Emily looked around. “Where’s Scott?”
“Getting a beer,” Claudia replied. “We bought the drink package, so he’s determined to get his money’s worth,” she explained with a roll of her eyes.
“Ah, say no more. Drinking before noon is totally allowed if you’re on a cruise.”
“If you say so.”
“Isn’t this great?” Emily exclaimed, gesturing to the ship. “It has an outdoor movie theater and five hot tubs! And a steakhouse. And a casino. And a spa. And a beauty salon. Oh, that reminds me - are you up for some girl time this evening? I want to get a manicure before the big day, and maybe some highlights too. I thought we could make a night of it?”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
“Scott won’t mind if I steal you away?” Emily grinned. “I mean, he’s welcome to join us, but knowing him, he’d rather get a root canal than hang out at a beauty salon. It’s a shame there isn’t a hardware store on the ship, isn’t it? Then he’d be right in his element.”
“I’m sure Scott can fend for himself. What about...” Claudia paused. Emily had told her the groom-to-be’s name, but it had momentarily escaped her. How was it that her best friend was marrying a man whose name she barely even knew? Claudia felt a lump well up in her throat.
“Kyle?” Emily said helpfully. “He’s having dinner with his family tonight.”
“Oh. Are you sure you don’t want to join them?” Claudia asked curiously.
Emily shook her head. “It’s a guys’ night, if you will. It’s the closest thing Kyle will have to a bachelor party, so I don’t want to intrude.”
“Oh, I see. So he’s planning to enjoy a night of drinking with all his buddies?”
“No, he’s just meeting a couple of his cousins at the steakhouse. There won’t be that many wedding guests in attendance,” Emily advised. “Our wedding was short notice, so not many people were able to make it. And actually, that suits us just fine.”
“It does?” Claudia could barely mask her surprise.
“Sure. Who needs the stress of a big wedding? I’ve been married before,” Emily reminded her, referencing her marriage to her late husband. “I’ve done the whole traditional wedding in a church thing. My family doesn’t mind if I elope on a cruise ship this time around. Or if they do, they haven’t said anything.”
“And how about Kyle’s family?”
“Kyle can handle them,” Emily replied.
“I see. What’s his family like?” Claudia asked curiously. Her friend hadn’t told her much.
“I’ve only met a couple of his cousins,” Emily confessed. “They seem nice enough, I think? That said, there are some, uh...interesting family dynamics, from what he’s told me. But he promised he’s got everything under control and I don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Well that’s good, I guess. What kind of family dynamics are we talking about?”
Emily shrugged.
“Has Kyle been married before?”
“No. He was engaged once a long time ago, but it didn’t work out.”
“Oh. Why not?”
Emily thought for a moment. “Come to think of it, I’ve never really asked him what happened. But what does it matter, anyway? The past is in the past. And his ex’s loss is my gain,” she added with a triumphant, almost smug grin.
“You must really be head over heels for him, huh? I mean, to be getting married so fast?”
“It’s crazy, I know,” Emily giggled sheepishly. “What can I say? When you know, you know. And when you’ve met the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, why wait? I mean, I’m already in my mid-thirties. Life is short, so make the most of it!”
“I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”
Claudia wanted to grab her best friend by the shoulders and shake her. She wanted to ask if Emily was sure - really sure - that she should be marrying a man she had only met six weeks earlier. What was the rush? Wouldn’t it be wiser to take things slow and get to know him? What if Emily was about to make a huge, life-altering mistake?
“You think I’ve lost my mind, don’t you?” Emily asked as she studied Claudia’s expression.
Claudia hesitated. She didn’t want to insult Emily, but she also didn’t want to outright lie. Truthfully, she did worry that her best friend was being reckless and irresponsible. How could she answer in a way that was both tactful and honest?
“My first husband died far too young,” Emily reminded Claudia. “Until the car accident, I foolishly assumed we had all the time in the world to live our lives. I was wrong. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. I know that now. There are no guarantees in life.”
Claudia nodded. She knew Emily’s tragic life circumstances gave her a unique perspective. She had experienced love and loss all while still a young adult. Now, a decade or so later, she had a quiet wisdom about her that most people lacked.
Maybe for some - Claudia included - it was difficult to understand. She was fortunate enough to have never experienced loss on the level Emily had. Of course her best friend would approach life in a different way after what she had endured. Claudia reminded herself that she should try harder to relate - or at least not rush to judgment.
“You just never know when tragedy might strike,” Emily told Claudia somberly. “An accident or illness can happen any time. I learned that the hard way. Maybe it’s difficult to comprehend unless a person has experienced what I’ve lived through. After I was widowed, I thought I would never find love again. And then I met Kyle.”
Her eyes lit up when she spoke about her soon-to-be-husband.
“If he’s as wonderful as you say he is, then I’m happy for you,” Claudia said, choosing her words with care. Part of her could understand where Emily was coming from...but she still felt like her best friend was being unnecessarily reckless.
“He’s amazing,” Emily assured her, a sparkle of excitement in her eye. “Once you get to know him, you’ll see. You might not understand why I’m in such a rush to marry Kyle, but trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope you’re right.”
