I remember Father Dominic saying, “If anyone here has any reason why these two should not be joined…” and then pausing, and looking out at the crowd, and adding very dryly, “…I think we’ve had enough surprises for one afternoon.”
People laughed. Real laughter. It broke something open in the room.
When he said, “You may kiss the bride,” Daniel kissed me like nothing else in the world existed.
And the church clapped. Not the polite clapping of a society wedding. Loud, long clapping. Some people stood up. I saw Daniel’s whole family on their feet. I saw Nadia crying into her bouquet. I saw Grandpa in the front pew, clapping slowly, with tears running down his face.
And in the left front row, alone, I saw Lauren.
She was clapping too.
The reception was at a restaurant on the river. It was smaller than anything my parents would have picked. Daniel and I paid for it ourselves.
