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Violet leans slightly over me, sending another hit of that delicious strawberry bubblegum scent my way. It makes me want to attach my mouth to the thrumming little pulse point in her neck for a deeper taste.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she tells them warmly.
Early on, I set a rule for myself that my sons wouldn’t meet a woman I was dating unless it was getting serious. Stability is important and I wouldn’t want them getting attached to someone who may not stick around. I don’t want them thinking it’s normal or expected for people to fade in and out of each other’s lives. Despite my current situation with their mother, I want them to have the chance to believe that love can last a lifetime.
I told them I was bringing a friend from work to the wedding, so they reply to Violet with a nod, a wave, and a “hi,” respectively, without thinking anything more of it.
The musicians tee up their instruments and begin to play. Dean, Jason, and Garret are stationed at the trellis on the dock, beside Lainey’s sister Judith who got certified online to officiate the wedding.
Lainey’s mother walks down the aisle beside one of her sons-in-law, followed by her two other sisters wearing matching short-sleeved, light-pink gowns, escorted by their husbands.
Dean and Lainey are outgoing people, so it makes sense that their daughter, Ava, is unbothered by the hundreds of eyes trained on her as she wobbles down the aisle, throwing rose petals from her basket with chubby hands, her baby-soft blond hair pushed back from her smiling little face with a pink-and-white polka-dot band.
Once Ava gets a kiss from her dad and is seated next to Grams, the bridal march begins and all the guests stand. Lainey walks down the aisle on her father’s arm, her hair flowing around her in loose, golden ringlets. She’s wearing an ivory, form-fitting, beaded, backless gown that, judging by the look on his face, knocks Dean’s socks off. He has an elated expression of pure adulation and devotion. Like he can’t quite believe he’s the guy who gets to have her, hold her, and keep her, forever.
I remember that. The hope and love and thrilling eagerness of starting a new life with someone, for all the beautiful moments and memories you’ll make together.
I miss it sometimes in a way I can’t really describe. The bonding and sharing—the knowing that even if everything else falls apart, you’ll still have each other.
After Lainey’s dad gives her a peck on the cheek, he shakes Dean’s hand and turns away toward his seat—wiping his eyes with a handkerchief the way older, tough guys do.
Then Dean and Lainey only have eyes for each other as they stand beneath a flowered arch and become husband and wife.
* * *
Dean and Lainey decided to outsource what I personally think are the most crucial parts of any wedding—good food and good music. She hired a professional DJ and a white-gloved catering and bar service to keep her guests entertained, well-fed, and happy.
Throughout the cocktail hour, mounds of hors d’oeuvres are consumed, thousands of pictures are taken, and the drinks flow like water. I’m on my way back to Violet from the bar, carrying a white wine for her and a Jack and Coke for me, when I’m intercepted by Dean.
I set the drinks down on the table and give him a back-pounding hug.
“Congratulations. I’m proud of you.”
His smile is so big it almost hurts to look at him.
“Thanks, man. I should stop off for some lottery tickets on the way to the honeymoon—it doesn’t get any luckier than me right now.”
Then he slips out a set of keys from his pocket. Aaron’s keys.
“So listen, the bartender’s not carding and Aaron asked me if I was okay with him and the girlfriend having a few drinks. I told him it was fine with me as long as it was good with you. And I told him he had to give up his keys.”
I take the keys from Dean.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Aaron won’t get stupid.”
One of the most lethal things in the world to kids is curiosity. I think it’s vital to let teenagers have some experience with alcohol before they’re let loose onto a college campus. They should know how a few drinks affects them and—more important—what their limit is.
Once the cocktail hour concludes, we take our seats at our assigned tables. I hold Violet’s glass and pull out her chair as she sits down. There are champagne toasts from Jason and Garrett and Lainey’s oldest sister.
Then Dean and Lainey dance their first dance to “I Am Yours” by Andy Grammer.
It’s a good song—it fits them.
After Lainey dances with her dad and Dean takes Grams for a few spins around the dance floor, the salad and pasta courses are served.
