Maileah wore a long, flowing, white-on-white embroidered linen dress that tied over one shoulder. Over her hair was a crown of white flowers. Sailor wore a simple white pareo wrapped around his waist and a lei draped around his neck. They both wore shell necklaces and stood barefoot on the beach, holding hands.
And they both looked exuberantly happy.
The whole diner made a sound at once.
“Oh, my sweet girl,” April said. “She looks so happy and beautiful." I wish we could have been there.”
“I think that was the point, Mom,” Junie said softly. “She didn’t want the fuss. She might create fancy promotions for everyone else, but that’s not her style. Not anymore.”
April was crying before the footage cut away. Deb put her arm around her friend’s shoulders, and Ella was fumbling in her handbag for tissues.
“I can’t believe they’re married,” April said, laughing and wiping her cheeks with the heel of her hand. “On a beach in Tahiti. Without us.”
Ella smiled wistfully. “I think it’s marvelously romantic. Simple, easy, no stress. Very sensible.”
Still crying, April took turns hugging everyone at the table.
Jo disappeared into the kitchen, where she opened the refrigerator. The diner had come with a liquor license, so she served beer and wine, usually on Friday nights. She brought out a bottle of champagne, which she kept on hand for brunches and celebrations like this.
She swept out, whispering to Candy as she did. “Please bring the champagne flutes. And be sure to serve April first. She’s the mother of the bride, and I think she needs a glass right away. And bring out more dessert. The white chocolate cake is perfect.”
“Right away,” Candy said.
Then April’s phone lit up on the table and skittered, and Maileah’s face filled the screen. April grabbed it, and with tears on her cheeks, she answered the video call. “Hello, honey. We just saw your wedding on the sports channel. Wait a minute, I’m with your sister and grandmother. Deb is here, too. We’re at the diner, and Jo is here. Everyone, gather around.”
Listening to the conversation, Jo opened the champagne and poured the flutes Candy brought to the table. She waved at Maileah on the screen and blew her a kiss.
“There,” April said, holding up the phone.
Everyone shouted their congratulations, and a cheer went up throughout the diner.
“You’re not upset with me?” Maileah asked.
“Oh, honey, no. We know it’s just what you wanted.” April cast a look at Ella, who nodded her approval. “I’m sure it was perfect, with no fuss at all.”
“That’s what we wanted,” Maileah said. “I didn’t want Dad to walk me down the aisle, not after what he did to you. To all of us. We’ll throw a big party on Crown Island to celebrate when we return.”
April beamed, her eyes shining brightly. “Say hi to Junie and Jo,” she added, motioning for them to get into the frame for the video.
“Congrats,” Jo said. “Everything looked gorgeous.”
“I suspected you were going to do something like that,” Junie added, laughing. “But you pulled it off.”
“It was so hard keeping a secret from all of you,” Maileah said. “I almost gave it away so many times.”
“Like asking about marriage licenses,” Junie said, smiling. “You could have looked that up online.”
“But you’ve been married before, so I thought you’d know more about it.”
They passed the phone back to April, who moved toward the window where the light was better. She kept one hand over her heart as she spoke. Ella, Junie, and Deb crowded around her, all of them talking and laughing at once over the little screen.
Jo watched them, thinking about what she and Blue might have planned. On the beach probably. Her mother wouldn’t be interested. Or maybe she would. Blue’s family wouldn’t bother coming. Maybe they should have escaped long ago before their lives got complicated.
She sighed. It was all just as well there was no wedding.
Still, she was happy for Maileah and Sailor. They were so in sync with each other. They’d found their one.
She thought of the photo she’d seen last night again and wished she hadn’t. Sadie wanted to follow Jo on social media, so she’d swapped profiles with her, thinking it might draw them closer. It hadn’t. But she still saw Sadie’s posts, mostly about her rambunctious boys.
