Cherry’s Jubilee (Lunchtime Chronicles: Season 7)

Epilogue

Daniel

1 year later

“The wedding’s off,” Cherry says, and everyone snickers. We’ve been having the same discussion all day. All week, in fact and neither one of us is willing to budge.

“Well, we just had our joint wedding shower yesterday, and you’re having your bachelorette in two weeks. Not to mention, we sent out engagement announcements eight months ago. It’s too late to call anything off,” I remind her as I reach into her plate and take her last piece of pineapple. Her eyes widen at me, and I shrug.

“We should do this the democratic way,” my brother Bryce says. “Let’s vote.”

“No,” Cherry says. “I don't trust half of you not to vote against me.”

"You know you can count on my vote, bestie," Ginger says.

“Daniel Cross sounds really good,” she says, imploring me to listen. She’s right. That does sound good, but it’s not happening.

“It sounds like the main character in a thriller,” Kirby says.

“But my name is Daniel Jubilee,” I remind her.

“And if he’s going to run Jubilee Financials, he has to be a Jubilee,” my dad says.

“He will be,” Cherry says. “Just because his name is different doesn’t mean he won’t be a Jubilee. ”

“Or you can be Cherry Jubilee,” I counter.

All the men nod in agreement, and Cherry looks at her father with her mouth hanging open.

“Dad?” she says as if she’s betrayed. “Bonus Dad?” She looks at my father. “I thought you and I were like this?” She crosses her fingers. “I’m not surprised at Bryce and Kirby, but you two?” She points at her dad and mine. “I’m so disappointed.”

“Listen, blame your mother. She’s the one who was obsessed with French names. I wanted to name you Lorraine,” Cal says.

“Ew,” Cherry and Solange say at once.

“Think about it this way, Cherry, no one will ever forget your name,” my dad says. “Or you can go by Cherette. Cherette Jubilee sounds good.”

“Or I can keep Cross. Not all married women take their husband’s last name. That’s so last century,” she says, and I shake my head. “Oh, stop being a Neanderthal.”

“I like it,” Solange says. “It’s unique. You’ll always be the only Cherry Jubilee.”

“I like it too, Cherry,” my mom says.

“Me too,” my sister Daniella says. My other two sisters nod in agreement, and I know Cherry is outnumbered. She must know it too because she sighs in defeat.

“Let’s vote,” Bryce says again. “Raise your hand if Cherry should change her last name to Jubilee,” he says, and everyone but Cherry and Ginger raise their hands.

“Raise your hand if you oppose,” I say. Cherry and Ginger raise their hands.

“Cherry Jubilee it is,” I say before I lean down and kiss my fiancée. “That’s it. This matter has been put to bed.” She rolls her eyes and pushes against my chest, but I put my arm around her waist.

“You won’t be getting any action in bed for the foreseeable future,” she whispers .

I look down at my watch and say, “Yeah. For the next five hours.” I slap her ass before walking away.

“Come on, men,” my dad says. “Let’s go outside, smoke a cigar and pound our chests.” He smirks at Cherry when he says it.

“You’re so gonna get it, Bonus Dad,” Cherry warns.

Cherry

“Cherry, honey,” Daniel’s mother, Josephine, says. “The seamstress will be here in ten minutes.” She wraps her arm around mine. “You know, as happy as I was to marry my husband, Josephine Jubilee doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.” She makes a face. “But I got used to it, and you will too.” She smiles at me, and I smile back. Daniel’s mom is about the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.

“I’m happy to be joining this family,” I say.

“Me too. Dan is the most excited. All he does is talk about your company. He’s like a proud papa when it comes to you.”

“Well, he’s helped me so much.” In the year since he’s known about my company, under his mentorship, Cherry Cross Accounting has grown so much that I was able to quit my job as an auditor and focus solely on my company, which now employs eight other people. It helps when your fiancé and father-in-law are filthy rich and invest in your company.

The doorbell rings, and the seamstress and her entourage arrive. We start to follow Josephine upstairs, but my mom grabs my wrist and pulls me away. Solange sees and stays behind, too.

“Cherry Berry,” she says. “Your uncle Whit—”

“Mom, he’s not my uncle,” I remind her. Since the day my mom punched Karen, she’s seen more of Whit than ever before. He left his wife, and they are in the middle of an ugly divorce. According to my mom, when his other siblings found out he wasn’t their father’s, they started to treat him differently, and he’s attached himself more to my mother. Whit and Amira moved out and live together in a small apartment until he finalizes the divorce and sells the house.

The rumor is, Amira has gone no contact with her mother and sister, but I’ve told my mother I don’t care.

“Well, he’s a little bit hurt about not receiving an invitation to the wedding.” I open my mouth to argue, but she holds her hand up. “I’m not telling you to invite him, but he asked me to tell you that he’s sorry.”

“Jesus Christ, Mom,” Solange says. “I told you to leave it alone.”

“Mom, if you want to be his bestie now that he has no one else, that’s fine. You’re an adult who can make your own decisions, but I don’t want a relationship. I wish him no ill will, but I’m fine with things as they are.”

She nods her head and says, “I understand. “What about your old apartment?” she asks.

“I told Solange I would let her decide since she’s the one who lives there.” Solange and Kirby’s business is thriving, and they still manage the building. I moved in with Daniel nine months ago after we got engaged, and Amira has recently filled out an application for my old apartment.

“I don’t know,” Solange says. “I feel bad for her, but I just want to be done with those people. My worry is that if she lives there, her mother and Ashley will visit eventually.”

“Can we not talk about those people today, please?” I ask. “I want to see you guys in your dresses. Come on,” I say, hoping to change the subject. There’s no way Whit is getting an invitation. I saw him for the first time since last year at my mom’s house about a month ago. We were there for Sunday dinner, and he showed up. From the shocked look on my mom’s face, I know she didn’t invite him. I let him know where I stand when I called him Whit and not Uncle Whit. “I want to see you in your mother-of-the-bride dress, Mom.” She smiles and touches my cheek.

She’s wearing the same color as Daniel’s mother, but different dresses. I gesture for her and Solange to go up the spiral staircase. Just as I start to go up, I hear footsteps. I turn around to see Daniel trying to tiptoe to the staircase. I cross my arms, and he stops when he sees me.

“You do know that my dress isn’t here, right? This is for the bridal party and our moms.” He looks around and pretends to not know what I’m talking about. “I don’t trust you to have this dress anywhere near you.”

He stops in front of me, and since I’m on the second step, I look down at him.

“I guess I’ll just have to wait until our wedding day,” he says. I lean down and kiss him.

“You have no choice, Cherry’s Jubilee,” I say.

THE END