14.3 A fairytale wedding

Summer 1997, Fairy Blossom event garden

The sun started to set down.

Most guests had eaten already, and were busy dancing, or talking to each other.

Everyone was relaxed and happy.

Exactly as it should be, Mae thought.

She was still hungry, so she went back to the buffet.

Jenny Brandenburg was also loading her plate again. No - even two plates.

"You're up for a refill?", Mae asked her.

"Yes! This grilled chicken is great!", the other woman replied with a bright smile.

Apparently her son Liam thought the same, waiting for his one.

Mae was happy everyone liked her menu.

"You'll have to give me the recipe later", Jenny said.

"Sure!", Mae replied gladly.

"Why, mom? You cannot cook anyhow!", her new neighbour's son barged in.

"Oh shut up!", Jenny laughed, but she looked a little embarrassed.

Mae decided she liked the boy.

"I wish Liam would be more modest, like his sister Anna!", Jenny sighed then.

Mae remembered the always polite (and super-boring) girl from once she had visited the Brandenburgs with Herbert.

"But kids are like this! You'll see soon when you have your own!", Jenny continued.

"Uhm... I guess so...", Mae replied, not wanting to start a discussion.

Nah.

She had Mariella already, she didn't need any more kids.

When she returned to her table, she heard loud laughter. Her sister entirely had cracked up on something, and looked like she barely could breathe anymore.

"Oh no! I didn't see that episode!", Linda cried out.

"You definitely missed something!", Frank replied, also laughing.

Since when did Frank sit here?

She also noticed Brian still sitting at the end, looking like he had no clue what was going on.

If he wanted to keep dating Linda, he should get used to it, Mae thought, and she felt her lips curl up into a gleeful grin.

"What's so funny?", she asked, forgetting to sit down.

"I have to watch it on the rerun then!", Linda said towards Frank, apparently not noticing her sister's arrival.

"I am not sure!", Brian replied then, "It is something about toads and space ships, apparently!"

Linda finally noticed her.

"Mae! Did you know that 'Star Toads' runs again on TV?", she said excitedly.

"That trashy sci-fi show you watched as a kid?"

How could she forget that?

Frogs - no, toads; Linda had always insisted she used the correct term - in silver overalls shooting laser beams at each other.

"Hey, this show is art!", Frank exclaimed.

Mae looked doubtfully at him.

"I didn't think anyone else would watch that crap!", she laughed.

Somehow she pitied Brian.