5.Compare Anna’s and Lelani’s responses to Abuela Castillo’s disparaging remarks about Edmond and Lelani. How would you have responded to such publicly embarrassing remarks about yourself? About your “significant other”?
6.If you’d been in Lelani’s shoes, what would have been the most difficult aspect of returning home?
7.Why does Megan have a hard time knowing whether Marcus is a dedicated Christian or not? Are her expectations of him fair, limited, judgmental? What does she come to love about him?
8.Anna and Lelani each have difficult mothers. Why do you think Mrs. Mendez was eventually able to overlook her disagreements with her daughter, while Mrs. Porter was not?
9.What do you think of Anna’s advice that Lelani apologize to her mother?
10.Was Lelani right to insist that she have custody of Emma? Was her father right to support her wishes? Why or why not?
A Conversation with Melody Carlson
Some of your characters—like Abuela Castillo or Mrs. Porter—have such shocking worldviews. Do you dream up these women or base them on real life “characters”?
I’ve actually known women similar to these two. It’s possible that their worldviews resulted from things like chemical imbalance or narcissism, but that didn’t make them any easier to interact with.
Extended family relationships can be difficult to navigate. What advice would you offer young women who want to have a good relationship with their parents but feel ready to give up on ever having one?
I think everyone has at least one difficult relationship in her life, and often it’s with a family member. But usually, with some patience, forgiveness, and maturity, we eventually ease beyond the rough spots. Occasionally relationships turn toxic and disabling and, for survival’s sake, we need to create boundaries and distance ourselves. But I do believe that most parents of young adults only want the best for them. It’s just not easy letting go.
As Megan observes at the end of the story, the women of Bloomberg Place have managed to create their own extended “family of friends.” Would you describe any of your friendships this way?
Absolutely. Like they say, you can’t pick your family, but you can pick your friends. Although my husband and I feel blessed to have some wonderful relatives, they don’t live nearby. For that reason, we’ve built up a strong network of friends that feels very much like family. Or, like Scripture says, “A friend nearby is better than a brother far away.”
What does it take to create such a “family”?
I think the biggest thing is commitment. Because, like family, friends can rub you the wrong way at times. It’s just how life goes. Of course, it’s easier to commit to friends when you’ve already established that you have common interests and compatible personalities, as well as a foundation of honesty, compassion, and love. I believe the best way to have a good friend is first to be one.
Why do you think these kinds of relationships are important to women even when their biological families are pretty healthy?
I think we all need friends that we can let our hair down with. Even when we have healthy family relationships, there will come times when we need to spill our guts to someone outside of the family loop. Whether we’re squabbling with a sibling, fretting over a parent, or trying to raise a teenager, there’s a certain safety zone in being able to confide in someone who’s not related to you.
When you set out to write the 86 Bloomberg Place series, did you expect these women to grow so close? Did any of them surprise you along the way?
I think I hoped they’d grow close, but in the first book, it felt like a major challenge. I mean, you throw four distinctly different women together under one roof, and anything can happen. But that was also part of the fun. Consequently, they’ve all surprised me in some way. Whether it’s unexpected maturity, an act of kindness, or doing something totally off the stupid scale, these four young women are always catching me off guard. Even now as I’m beginning the fourth and final book, I’m not quite sure what will happen next. And, like life, I don’t know that everything will wrap up neatly in the end.
An Excerpt from three weddings and a bar mitzvah
One
Megan Abernathy
“Okay, then how does the second Saturday in June look?” Anna asked her housemates.
Megan frowned down at her date book. She and Anna sat at the dining room table trying to nail down a date for Lelani and Gil’s wedding. Megan had already been the spoiler on the first weekend of June, but she couldn’t help it. She’d already promised her mom that she’d go to a family reunion in Washington. Now it seemed she was about to mess things up again.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but I promised Marcus I’d go to his sister’s wedding. It’s been scheduled for almost a year now, and it’s the second Saturday too. But maybe I can get out of it.”
In the adjacent living room, Lelani shook her head as she quietly rocked Emma. The baby was teething and fussy and overdue for her afternoon nap. Megan wasn’t sure if Lelani’s frustrated expression was a result of wedding planning or her daughter’s mood.
“What time is Marcus’s sister’s wedding?” Anna asked Megan. “Is it possible you could do both weddings in one day?”
“That might work.” With date book in hand, Megan rose and left the table to see if she could take Emma and give Lelani a break.
“Or we could look at the third weekend in June,” Anna called from the dining room.
Emma’s eyes finally fluttered closed, and Megan watched as Lelani gently eased the baby into the playpen that was set up in a corner of the living room. Lelani pushed a dark lock of hair away from Emma’s forehead, tucked a fuzzy pink blanket around her, then finally straightened and sighed.
“Looks like she’s down for the count,” Megan whispered.
Lelani nodded. “Now, where were we with dates?”
“If you still want to go with the second Saturday,” Megan said quietly, “Anna just suggested that it might be possible for me to attend two weddings in one day.”
“That’s a lot to ask of you,” Lelani said as they returned to the dining room. Anna and Kendall were waiting expectantly with the calendar in the middle of the table opened to June.
Megan shrugged as she pulled out a chair. “It’s your wedding, Lelani. You should have it the way you want it. I just want to help.”
Anna pointed to the second Saturday. “Okay, this is the date in question. Is it doable or not?”
Lelani sat down and sighed again. “I’m willing to schedule my wedding so that it’s not a conflict with the other one—I mean, if it can even be done. Mostly I just wanted to wait until I finished spring term.”
“What time is Marcus’s sister’s wedding?” asked Anna.
“I’m not positive, but I thought he said it was in the evening.”
“And you want a sunset wedding,” Kendall reminded Lelani.
“That’s true.” Anna nodded.
“But I also want Megan to be there,” Lelani pointed out.
“That would be helpful, since she’s your maid of honor,” said Anna.
Megan tried not to bristle as she reached for her phone. Lelani’s choice had put Anna a little out of sorts—especially considering that Anna was the sister of the groom—but in truth, Megan was a lot closer to Lelani than Anna was. And at least they were all going to be in the wedding.
“Let me ask Marcus about the time,” Megan said as she pressed speed dial and waited. “Hey, Marcus,” she said when he finally answered. “We’re having a scheduling problem here. Do you know what time Hannah’s wedding is going to be?”
“In the evening, I think. Do you need the exact time?”
“No, that’s good enough.” Megan gave Lelani a disappointed look. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
&nbs
p; “You’re not thinking of bailing on me, are you?” He sounded genuinely worried.
“No, but we’re trying to pin down a time and date for Lelani.”
“It’s just that I really want my family to meet you, Megan. I mean all of my family. And I want you to meet them too.”
“I know. And I plan to go with you.”
“Thanks. So, I’ll see you around six thirty tonight?”
“That’s right.” Megan told him good-bye, then turned to Lelani with a sigh. “I’m sorry,” she told her. “That wedding’s at night. Maybe I should blow off my family reunion so that you—”
“No,” Anna pointed to the calendar. “I just realized that the first Saturday in June is also my mother’s birthday.”
“So?” Kendall shrugged. “What’s wrong with that?”
Megan laughed. “Think about it, Kendall. How would you like to share your wedding anniversary with your mother-in-law’s birthday?”
Kendall grinned. “Oh, yeah. Maybe not.”
“How about a Sunday wedding?” suggested Megan.
“Sunday?” Lelani’s brow creased slightly as she weighed this.
“Sunday might make it easier to book the location,” Kendall said. “I mean, since most weddings are usually on Saturdays, and June is a pretty busy wedding month.”
“That’s true,” agreed Megan.
“And you gotta admit that this is short notice for planning a wedding,” added Kendall. “Some people say you should start planning your wedding a whole year ahead of time.”
“Marcus’s sister has been planning her wedding for more than a year,” Megan admitted. “Marcus says that Hannah is going to be a candidate for the Bridezillas show if she doesn’t lighten up.”
They all laughed.
“Well, there’s no way Gil and I are going to spend a year planning a wedding.” Lelani shook her head. “That’s fine for some people, but we’re more interested in our marriage than we are in our wedding.”
“I hear you.” Kendall laughed and patted her slightly rounded belly. She was in the fifth month of her pregnancy now. She and her Maui man were corresponding regularly, but despite Kendall’s high hopes, Killiki had yet to propose.
“I really don’t see why it should take a year to plan a wedding,” Megan admitted. “I think that’s just the wedding industry’s way of lining their pockets.”
“So how much planning time do you have now anyway?” Kendall asked Lelani. “Like, three months?”
“Not even,” Lelani flipped the calendar pages back. “It’s barely two now.”
“Which is why we need to nail this date today,” Megan said. “Even though it’s a small wedding—”
“And that remains to be seen,” Anna reminded her. “My mother’s list keeps growing and growing and growing.”
“I still think it might be easier to just elope,” Lelani reminded them. “I told Gil that I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”
“Yes, that would be brilliant.” Anna firmly shook her head. “You can just imagine how absolutely thrilled Mom would be about that little idea.”
Lelani smiled. “I actually thought she’d be relieved.”
“That might’ve been true a few months ago. But Mom’s changing.” Anna poked Lelani in the arm. “In fact, I’m starting to feel jealous. I think she likes you better than me now.”
Lelani giggled. “In your dreams, Anna. Your mother just puts up with me so she can have access to Emma.”
They all laughed about that. Everyone knew that Mrs. Mendez was crazy about her soon-to-be granddaughter. Already she’d bought the baby all kinds of clothes and toys and seemed intent on spoiling the child rotten.
“Speaking of Emma,” Kendall wagged her finger, “Mrs. Mendez was certain that she’s supposed to have her on Monday. But I thought it was my day.”
“I’m not sure,” Lelani admitted. “But I’ll call and find out.”
“And while you’ve got Granny on the line,” continued Kendall, “tell her that I do know how to change diapers properly. One more diaper lecture and I might just tape a Pamper over that big mouth of hers!”
They all laughed again. Ever since coming home from Maui, Kendall had been complaining about how Mrs. Mendez seemed to find fault with Kendall’s child-care abilities. In fact, Mrs. Mendez had spent a week “teaching” Kendall the “proper” way to do almost everything. To be fair, Megan didn’t blame the older woman. She’d been a little worried about Kendall too. But to everyone’s surprise, Kendall turned out to be rather maternal. Whether this was the result of the pregnancy or a natural bent, Megan couldn’t decide, but it had been a huge relief.
“Now, back to the wedding date,” said Lelani.
“Yes,” agreed Megan. “What about Sunday?”
“Oh, no,” Anna said. “I just remembered that I promised Edmond I’d go to his brother’s bar mitzvah that day.”
Lelani groaned.
“Edmond’s brother?” Megan frowned. “I thought Edmond was an only child. And since when is he Jewish?”
“Remember his mom remarried?” Anna told her. “And Phillip Goldstein, her new husband, is Jewish, and he has a son named Ben whose bar mitzvah is that Sunday.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Lelani.”
“But is it in the evening?” asked Megan.
“Good point.” Anna nodded. “I think it’s in the afternoon.”
“So why can’t you just do the bar mitzvah and then the wedding?” Kendall suggested.
“You’re right. That’s what I’ll do.” Anna turned back to Lelani. “And if you had the wedding on Sunday night, you could probably have the reception in the restaurant afterward. I’m guessing it will be late by the time the wedding’s over, and Sunday nights aren’t exactly busy.”
Lelani nodded. “Probably. Do you think your parents would mind?”
“Mind? Are you kidding? This is what they live for.”
“But you still don’t have a place picked for the wedding,” Megan reminded her.
“I have several outdoor locations in mind. I’ll start checking on them tomorrow.”
“We’ll have to pray that it doesn’t rain.” Megan penned ‘Lelani and Gil’s Wedding’ in her date book, then closed it.
“Should we have a backup plan?” asked Anna. “I’m sure my parents could have the wedding at their house.”
“Or here,” suggested Kendall. “You can use this house if you want.”
Anna frowned. “It’s kind of small, don’t you think?”
“I think it’s sweet of Kendall to offer.” Lelani smiled at Kendall.
“I can imagine a bride coming down those stairs.” Kendall nodded toward the staircase. “If it was a small wedding.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Lelani told her. “And your parents’ house too, Anna.”
“It might be tricky getting a church reserved on a Sunday night,” Megan looked at the clock. “And speaking of that, I better get ready. Marcus is picking me up for the evening service in about fifteen minutes.” She turned back to Lelani. “Don’t worry. I’ve got my to-do list, and I’ll start checking on some of this stuff tomorrow. My mom will want to help with the flowers.”
“And my aunt wants to make the cake,” Anna reminded them.
“Sounds like you’re in good hands,” Kendall said a bit wistfully. “I wonder how it would go if I were planning my wedding.”
“You’d be in good hands too,” Lelani assured her.
“Now, let’s start going over that guest list,” Anna said as Megan stood. “The sooner we get it finished, the less chance my mother will have of adding to it.” Megan was relieved that Anna had offered to handle the invitations. She could have them printed at the publishing company for a fraction of the price that a regular printer would charge. The plan wa
s to get them sent out in the next couple of weeks.
As Megan changed from her weekend sweats into something presentable, she wondered what Lelani’s parents would do when it was time for the big event. Although her dad had promised to come and committed to paying Lelani’s med school tuition, Lelani’s mom was still giving Lelani the cold shoulder. Make that the ice shoulder. For a woman who lived in the tropics, Mrs. Porter was about as chilly as they came. Still, Lelani had friends to lean on. Maybe that was better than family at times.
“Your prince is here,” Kendall called into Megan’s room.
“Thanks.” Megan was looking for her other loafer and thinking it was time to organize her closet again. “Tell him I’m coming.”
When Megan emerged, Marcus was in the dining room, chatting with her housemates like one of the family. He was teasing Anna for having her hair in curlers, then joking with Kendall about whether her Maui man had called her today.
“Not yet,” Kendall told him with a little frown. “But it’s earlier there.”
“Ready to roll?” Megan asked as she joined them.
He grinned at her. “Yep.” But before they went out he turned around. “Hey, does anyone else want to come tonight? There’s a really good band playing.”
Megan’s housemates thanked him, but it seemed they all had plans. Even so, Megan was glad he asked. And she could tell her housemates were becoming more open to church. Really, the chance they would come one of these days was a matter of timing.
“So, are you nervous?” Marcus asked as he drove toward the city.
“Nervous?” Megan frowned. “About church?”
“No. The big interview.”
Megan slapped her forehead. “Wow, I temporarily forgot. We were so obsessed with Lelani’s wedding—trying to make lists, planning everything, settling the date—I put the interview totally out of my mind.”
“Hopefully it won’t be out of your mind by Monday.”
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