Annie and Helen are rivals, each repeatedly trying to show up the other in their attempts to prove how close and loyal they are to their mutual friend Lillian. In the popular film Bridesmaids, many hilarious moments emerge for the audience as we follow these characters’ outrageous attempts to act as maid of honor for their engaged friend. But for the characters themselves, the conflicts lead to deep feelings of hurt and resentment, as well as relational detachment. To repair their relationships (in time for a happy wedding), Annie, Helen, and Lillian engage in two key forms of communication that help them move past their conflicts: apology and forgiveness. We’ll now explore how each of these can help deescalate conflict and push us toward relationship reconciliation.