"It's a YES-YES-YES!" I jumped up and ran around the table to hug my mother.

When I was sitting down again, she went on. "And Charlie, I'd behonored if you'd give me away."

"Sure," said Charlie eagerly. (He must have forgotten about the wine.)

"Sam," Watson spoke up, "I'd like you to be my best man."

"And David Michael to be the ring bearer," said Mom.

"What about me?" criedKaren.

"How would you like to be the flower girl?" asked Watson. "You'd walk up the aisle in front of Elizabeth and me, carrying a basket of rose petals."

"Oooh," breathed Karen.

"And Andrew can escort you," said Mom. "That means he'll walk beside you."

"What does that make him?" asked Sam."The flower boy?"

Everyone laughed.Everyone except Andrew. When we calmed down, he said softly, "I don't want to be in the wedding. And I mean it." (I wasn't too surprised. Andrew is terribly shy.)

Watson and Mom looked at each other. "When he means it, he means it - usually," said Watson. He turned to Andrew. "Well, think it over. We'd like you to be in the wedding, but it's up to you, okay?"

"Okay."

I didn't give another thought to Andrew all evening. The only thing I could think about was the wedding. I, Kristin Amanda Thomas, was going to be a bridesmaid.

Chapter 2.

I have usually found that, in life, good things are followed by bad things. One day you get an A-plus on a spelling test, the next time around you get a C (or worse). A run of good luck is followed by a run of bad luck. Good news is followed by bad news.

It was that way with the wedding.

On Saturday we had all that good wedding news. Mom and Watson had settled on the September date. They'd asked us kids to be part of the ceremony. Mom had even told me later that my wedding shoes could be my first pair of shoes with heels. I couldn't believe it.

That was Saturday.

On Wednesday, just four days later, came the bad stuff. The whole wedding fell apart.In oneglump .