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“I know,” I whispered. He didn’t know how bad I wanted to blurt out that I loved him and ask if he could try to love me too. I already knew the answer.
Marlowe and Macey joined us on the hard bench, twittering with anticipation. Dad and Josephine ended up in the row behind us. Dad didn’t look happy about having to move and Josephine gave me a look that said she had her eyes on me.
Why did she care if Sawyer and I were friends? It’s not like I was saying bad things to him about her. I knew how much Sawyer loved his mother. And I had only said one bad thing about her to Dad. Before they were married, I begged him to reconsider or to give it some more time. I also may have mentioned that I thought she had the classic signs of a gold digger, and possibly her love for him had more to do with the size of his bank account. Dad hadn’t taken kindly to my insinuations. He had muttered something about me not knowing what it was like to lose a spouse before he stomped away and slammed the door. He was right. I didn’t. The fact that he had said it pierced my soul. Mom would have never said anything so cold. She knew how much I wanted to be married, to know that kind of love.
Maybe I didn’t know what it was like to lose a spouse, but I knew what it was like to lose the person who had loved me more than anyone. I knew what it was like to lose love. I knew what love looked like because Dad and Mom had shown me, and it didn’t look like the couple who sat behind me. Their affection always seemed forced, as in Josephine forcing it on Dad. I never saw him take her hand like he used to take Mom’s. He never smiled at her like he did with Mom as he’d wondered how he’d gotten so lucky. Dad used to look alive with Mom. Now he was vacant and distant, even after I had apologized right before he got married.
The bride and groom came walking out of the forest clearing on the path that led to the honeymoon cabin. It was the most modern cabin on the property. The inside was stunning, done in all white. It was one big open room with the most incredible four poster bed covered in, you guessed it, pink linens and pillows. Mom loved that little cabin and was so delighted each time it was rented out. She made extra special care to stock it with her finest chocolates and wine from a nearby vineyard. She and Dad used to sneak away and spend the night there when they wanted alone time.
This couple looked about as in love as my parents had been. The tall, gangly groom only had eyes for his bride, who was dressed in a crepe ivory maxi dress. It was classic with a hint of casual.
“Love the dress,” I whispered to my sisters.
“We just started carrying them in the store,” Macey informed me.
“I told her it would look best if she wore her hair up,” Marlowe complained.
I thought the bride’s red hair was lovely draped to the side in waterfall curls.
“Keep your voice down.” Macey elbowed Marlowe.
“Your elbows are looking ashy,” Marlowe zinged Macey.
“Well, if someone would stop stealing my moisturizer—”
“Ladies,” I whispered, “perhaps this could wait until after the ceremony.”
“Okay, Mom,” Marlowe snarled.
The girls had both complained over the years that I tried to act like their mother. Maybe there was some truth to it. When Mom brought home two baby girls, I thought one was for me. Mom may have reminded me a time or two growing up that they already had a mother. I was only trying to be helpful. That was my story and I was sticking to it.
We all went from focusing on the bride and groom to Ashton, who looked like he flipped a switch. Now he was all cool and confident. Ashton smiled brightly at the couple in front of him. “Buddy, you lucked out.” Ashton made everyone laugh.
I snapped a few pictures of the jovial scene.
Ashton held his hands out like a Southern Baptist ready to preach about hellfire. “We come together today to bring this lucky guy and this gorgeous woman together in holy matrimony.” He began to sound like an Elvis impersonator. “Marriage brings two people together in a way nothing else can. It brings out the best and sometimes the worst in us.”
Ashton was deeper than I gave him credit for.
Sawyer was nodding to my side, agreeing silently with his brother.
“The secret is,” Ashton continued in his Elvis/preacher voice, “to never take each other for granted. To see each day together as a gift, for there is no better present than finding your soul mate.”
