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Will agreed, of course, and set out across the grounds as Ella scuttled upstairs, jumped into the shower, and scrubbed herself clean. In twenty minutes flat, she was dressed in a long, flowing cream dress, her hair was styled into vibrant and glossy curls, and her makeup was finished, complete with a smoky eye. The entire operation reminded Ella of being in her twenties on tour when she and Will had slept as long as they could, which had required them to pop out of bed and prepare for a big concert that night in no time flat. It thrilled her.
Guests had begun arriving for the party at six— Copperfields who lived in The Copperfield House, as well as Julia’s other children, who still lived in the Midwest, plus Ella and Will’s dearest friends from New York. As Ella whipped onto the back porch, she nearly stumbled into Aunt Eloise, Greta’s sister and a newcomer to the island after many decades away, who was dressed in a navy-blue dress and had even donned a cherry-red lipstick. Her boyfriend was beside her, smiling proudly.
“Aunt Eloise! Hello!” Ella hugged her.
“Congratulations, honey,” Aunt Eloise said. “I never imagined I’d be around for a Copperfield wedding. I’m over the moon!”
“How is your little cabin treating you?” Ella asked, remembering that Eloise had moved to a cabin in the woods not long after her move from Indiana.
“It’s stunning,” Eloise said.
“It really is,” her boyfriend offered. “It feels like a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the real world.”
“Your mother mentioned something about an artist from the residency performing at your wedding?” Aunt Eloise said.
Ella nodded, her heart sinking at the memory of Aurora, locked away in the psychiatric facility. “Aurora is sensational. You’ll love her music.”
“I’m sure I will,” Aunt Eloise said, her voice wavering as she added, “As someone who spent so many years alone, I have a good understanding of how that young woman feels right now. Words can’t fully express what it means to find a home. A place you can breathe.”
Ella’s eyes filled with tears. She’d felt the same when she’d had to leave New York City last autumn, a time of turmoil when she and Will had been broken up, and Danny’s partying had gotten out of control. It was hard to believe everything had stabilized for her.
And it was proof that Aurora’s life could find solid ground at any time, as long as they helped her.
Just as they’d said they would, the catering company arrived at The Copperfield House thirty minutes late. By that time, Bernard had concocted a series of very dangerous cocktails, and they’d nearly run out of hors d’oeuvres, which meant that real food was a necessity. As the caterers set up for the main meal and dessert, Ella made the rounds, greeting guests, laughing with them, floating across the sands and lush green grass, happier than ever. Sometimes, she and Will were able to make the rounds together, holding hands as everyone commented on what a “good-looking couple they were.”
“And your children!” A friend of Greta’s sighed. “They’re just gorgeous, aren’t they?”
Ella followed her gaze across the yard, where Laura and Danny hung with the rest of their Copperfield cousins, Laura with a beer (despite the fact that she was only nineteen!). Ella winced as Will placed his hand on her lower back. When Greta’s friend disappeared to grab a seat at a dinner table, Will said, “She’s okay. She’ll be twenty-one in a year and a half.”
“I know. I know.” Ella shook her head.
“And we used to drink beer that young all the time.”
Ella sighed. “But we were dummies!”
“True. But we also decided to fall in love with each other at that age, which means we got at least a few things right. Don’t you think?”
Eventually, the caterers were ready to serve dinner, and Ella and Will headed to the table set aside just for them, Laura, and Danny. At the table next to them sat Greta, Bernard, Alana, Jeremy, Quentin, and Catherine, and at the table on the other side of them sat Julia, Charlie, and Julia’s three children. As Bernard stood to announce he wanted to make a speech, Ella’s heart filled with a very heavy love that nearly made her burst into tears.
“Good evening, everyone, and welcome to The Copperfield House,” Bernard said as everyone quieted and turned their attention to him. Although he was a brilliant speaker and very accustomed to it, especially after his months of touring his book, his voice wavered as he looked at Ella, as though this was very emotional for him.
“As everyone knows, this is the first wedding I’ve been allowed to attend of any of my children,” Bernard said. “And, as someone who thought he’d lost his family forever, it’s a dream come true.
“Throughout my years in prison, I heard tell of Ella’s tremendous band, which she founded with Will. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine my darling, musical Ella, making her way through the music world. And, because I knew she was always so in tune with her emotions, it wasn’t hard for me to imagine that she’d fallen in love with someone she made music with. During some of my hardest days in prison, I liked thinking of all of my children this way— happy, making art, and falling in love. I liked to think I had some small hand in opening their hearts to the world.
“Since I came home, I’ve had the privilege of welcoming all of my children back to The Copperfield House. During that time, I’ve gotten to know Ella’s fiancé, Will. He’s become a trusted friend and confidant and a wonderful man to have around the house. I can see how much he loves and respects Ella. And I can see what a wonderful father he’s been to Danny and Laura, my grandchildren.
“Let’s make a toast to Ella and Will, two of my very favorite people in the world, on the eve of their marriage. They’ve already had such a life together— and I look forward to having a front-row seat to whatever comes next.”
Bernard raised his glass of champagne, calling out, “To Ella and Will!” and the rest of the party echoed him, their eyes dancing. Ella and Will squeezed hands under the table, sipped their champagne, and then kissed, which only made their party cry out louder.
It was a celebration of the love they’d always shared. And, Ella knew that it would last all weekend, in an exhausting stretch of hours of dancing and laughter and food and drinks. She wanted to revel in every moment.
ChapterTwenty-One
Dr. Winston met Aurora early on the morning of Ella’s wedding, presumably to make sure she felt emotionally and mentally ready for a trip off-campus. Aurora sat across from him in his office, surprised at the clarity of her own thoughts after so many days of medicated cloudiness.
“Tell me, Aurora. How are you feeling?” Dr. Winston asked.
