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COURICK
Courick wisely didn’t say much as they settled in their seats at one of the many round tables set up around the large room. He could tell that Addison was still angry with him—and rightfully so. He intended to win her back, if he could, but he would have to pick the right time and place.
It was gratifying to hear, however, that Addison had talked about him to her half-sister. He was also interested in the custom of the bride tossing her bouquet of flowers to the unmated females in the crowd. It didn’t seem like Addison was very eager to catch this particular bouquet, but maybe she would change her mind.
The human wedding reception was as interesting to him as the human Joining ceremony or “wedding” as they called it had been. As a trained diplomat, Courick was fascinated by the norms and customs of other people—he found Addison’s species interesting in the extreme.
Everyone got settled and then a custom called “the toasts” began, where various humans related to the bride and groom rose and spoke about them and wished them well as a couple. The best man and the maid of honor went first. Then the bride’s father—who was also Addison’s father—rose and spoke.
“I’m so proud of my little girl and I can’t believe she’s all grown up,” he began. He went on in the same frame, talking about teaching Lacy to ride a bike and then to drive a car…watching her attend her first Prom and then sending her off to college. Honestly, it seemed to Courick that the male was speaking about every milestone in his second daughter’s life that heshouldhave been there for in Addison’s life as well.
Through it all, he could see that Addison’s lush mouth was set in a thin line and her eyes were bright. Clearly this was hard for her to hear but she kept her head high and endured what had to be a special kind of torment for her because she loved her half-sister and didn’t want to ruin her important celebration.
Things got a little easier after the bride’s father finally finished speaking and sat down. There was another custom to get through which had to do with cutting an immense, many-tiered pastry called the “wedding cake.” The bride and groom cut slices of it and fed them to each other, laughing as they did so when the frosting got on their mouths and noses.
After that, everyone ate cake and small foods called “canapés” which were mostly delicious, though Courick did have one he disliked that had many tiny black balls on it.
“What is this?” he asked, after taking a bite.
Addison looked up at him grudgingly and nearly laughed—at least the corners of her mouth twitched a little.
“Thefaceyou’re making! That’s caviar—fish eggs,” she explained.
“Fisheggs?” Courick swallowed the bite with difficulty. “Disgusting! I’ll never understand the human fascination with eating the ovums of other creatures! It’s truly a barbaric practice.”
“Take a drink of champagne and eat something else to get rid of the taste.” She motioned to the dish of many little canapés that was in front of them.
“I will.”
Courick took a long drink of the fizzy wine that filled the delicate flute in front of him and reached for one of the other canapés—a kind that he had enjoyed.
“Much better,” he remarked as he popped one into his mouth. “Now these—what do you call them?”
“Mini-quiches.” For some reason Addison was smiling again—or almost smiling.
“Yes, these mini-keeches are delicious,” Courick said, eating another. Then he frowned at her. “Why are you laughing? Did I say something amusing?”
Addison was grinning openly now.
“No—it’s just thatthey’remade from eggs too. Chicken eggs, though—not fish eggs.”
“What?” Courick looked at the tiny savory pastry in outrage. “Do humans put animal ovums ineverything?”
“Well, I mean, eggsarean ingredient in lots of foods—” she began.
“And now it’s time for the first dance—the father-daughter dance!” The booming voice of the Master of Ceremonies at the front of the room declared. There was a space in the center of all the round tables which must be for dancing, Courick thought.
Lacy and her father stepped out into this space and from the corner of his eye he saw Addison’s face fall. He cursed the timing. Seven Hells—she’d just begun to respond to him again! And now this…
The DJ began playing a syrupy sweet song about little girls growing up and Lacy and her father danced, smiling at each other with tears in their eyes.
“Excuse me.” Addison rose from her seat and hurried out of the reception hall.
No one seemed to notice but Courick, who rose as well and left the hall quietly but quickly, following the curvy little female.
He caught her just outside in the hallway with her face buried in her hands.
“Addison?” He asked, leaning down to get closer. She was so short, even in the ridiculously high shoes that human women insisted on strapping to their feet.
