I sat at the dining table, sipping my tea and trying to stay calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My dad smiled at her. \u201cLinda has a great eye for these things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I forced a smile. \u201cThey do look nice, Linda,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linda, my stepmother, came into my life when I was ten after Mom passed away. She loved being the center of attention, and today was no different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She fussed over the flowers, making sure each petal was in the right place. Her movements were dramatic like she was on stage. I wondered what role she would try to play at the wedding<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you excited about the wedding, Dad?\u201d I asked, hoping to change the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded, his eyes twinkling. \u201cVery much, Alexandra. It\u2019s going to be a beautiful day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linda chimed in, \u201cYes, and everything has to be perfect. It\u2019s not every day we have such an important event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere. I knew Linda would find a way to make the day about her. She always did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remembered birthdays and holidays when she managed to be the star of the show, leaving me in the shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Linda continued to fuss over the flowers, my concern grew. I wanted to enjoy the wedding, but with Linda around, it was always a challenge<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you need any help, Linda?\u201d I offered, trying to be polite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She waved me off. \u201cNo, no, dear. I have everything under control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlright,\u201d I said, forcing a smile. \u201cI\u2019ll take a leave, Dad. I have to be somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An elderly woman posing confidently | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I met up with Sarah, my best friend and maid of honor, at the wedding planner\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy is the bride looking so sad?\u201d she asked, wrapping me in a hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI guess I\u2019m just nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be; you\u2019ll have the best day! Now come on, we\u2019re getting late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We entered the wedding planner Grace\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, uh, your stepmother requested to be seated in the front row and insisted on giving a speech during the reception, Alexandra,\u201d she said, glancing up from her notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was stunned. Linda and I had talked about this. How could she?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that usually reserved for the bride\u2019s mother or father?\u201d Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace nodded. \u201cYes, traditionally, the front row is for the bride\u2019s parents. Since your father will be there and you have chosen to honor your late mother by keeping a place for her, Linda technically shouldn\u2019t be in that spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdditionally, we need to maintain some decorum and respect for family traditions. This wedding is very meaningful, especially with the tribute to your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sighed, feeling the familiar frustration rise. \u201cShe always has to make everything about herself. I bet she\u2019s got some grand performance in mind!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sarah leaned in closer. \u201cWe need to be prepared for whatever she\u2019s planning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace looked at me with a concerned expression. \u201cHow would you like to handle this, Alexandra?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought for a moment. \u201cCan we explain to her that the front row is reserved for my mom and dad? Maybe suggest she sit in the second row?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat sounds reasonable,\u201d Grace agreed. \u201cI\u2019ll have a word with her. And about the speech?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I shook my head. \u201cI really don\u2019t want her giving a speech. It\u2019s supposed to be a tribute to my mom and a celebration of the wedding. She\u2019ll just make it about herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sarah nodded. \u201cWe can have someone else speak if needed. Maybe one of us or someone from your mom\u2019s side of the family?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea,\u201d I said, feeling a bit more at ease. \u201cLet\u2019s make sure the speeches are meaningful and respectful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace jotted down some notes. \u201cI\u2019ll take care of it. We\u2019ll ensure everything runs smoothly<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we left Grace\u2019s office, Sarah squeezed my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Alex. We\u2019ve got this. Linda won\u2019t ruin your day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded, hoping she was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A woman getting consoled by a friend | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I got back to our apartment, I needed to share my concerns with Tom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLinda is determined to steal the show,\u201d I said, dropping my bag by the door. \u201cShe\u2019s giving a speech at the reception and insisted on sitting in the front row.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom wrapped his arms around me. \u201cWe\u2019ll handle it together. Don\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I frowned, leaning into his embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just that,\u201d I said, pulling away from him. \u201cShe has a way of turning everything into a spectacle. She\u2019s not my real mom, but she\u2019s always pushed herself into roles meant for my mother. We want to honor my mother by keeping her place in the front row. I\u2019m afraid she\u2019s going to make our wedding about her.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I sat at the dining table, sipping my tea and trying to stay calm. My dad smiled at her. \u201cLinda has a great eye for these things,\u201d… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=632"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":633,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632\/revisions\/633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intersting7hr.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}