Chapter 19 #2
Then, one evening, Poe decided he should come with me to Delphine’s and snuck into the back of my car while I was unloading groceries.
I’d not known the rascal was in the back having a good sleep, only to appear in the mirror like a ghost cat when we got to Delphine’s.
He zipped out the door before I could stop him, headed to Delphine’s front door, where he was greeted with attention and a can of tuna.
And then he would not leave. He’d hidden under Delphine’s bed, refusing to come back to the store.
The whole thing was annoying but also hilarious.
I had to bring his litter box and food over to the cottage.
Poe had decided it was his home and I wasn’t getting him back.
Not to mention, the darn animal crawled into Delphine’s lap any chance he got.
“I guess God wanted me to have a cat,” Delphine had said one night while Poe was slumbering in her arms, snoring like an old man.
The traitor.
I'd been with her every night for the past two weeks. In all those nights, I'd never once asked Delphine to come with me to the wedding. I told myself it was because the affair was small. Because I'd be working, in a way —walking my best friend’s wife into the arms of another man—I had to do this alone. Delphine hadn’t asked about the wedding or invited herself like a lot of women might. I suspected she understood why I didn’t ask.
This was part of my world with Nate and Becca.
Delphine and Annie were part of my new world now.
Mark’s home was beautiful, perched on a hill looking out to the ocean.
I parked and wandered around to the back, where the yard had been set up for a small wedding.
Neat rows of white chairs had been brought in, with rose petals scattered in the aisle.
An arch decorated with roses framed the ocean view.
The day couldn’t have been finer either, with blue skies and temperatures in the mid-seventies.
A dark-haired man in a blue suit and tie came forward and introduced himself to me. “You must be Dorian.”
“That’s right.”
“Mark Burns. Pleasure to meet you.”
For the first time, I thought about the groom as a real person, not just Becca’s soon to be husband. Here he was—good-looking, intelligent blue eyes, smiling at me with a mouth full of white, straight teeth.
“Likewise,” I said, shaking his hand.
“It means a lot to Becca that you’re here,” Mark said.
“Glad to be here. You have a beautiful home.”
“Thanks.”
“You must do well.” I gestured toward the house.
“A single man in his forties, never married, no kids? Easier to save than spend.” He grinned. “Those days are over, though. I’ll be a family man in less than an hour. Thanks to Second Chance. The dating app. You familiar with it? That’s how I met Becca.”
“I’ve heard of it, yeah.” I bit back a smile.
“We started talking on there, and then we decided to meet in person. Took her to dinner at The Oar. And the rest is history, so to speak.”
“Good luck to you,” I said, sincerely. “Becca’s a special person. Looks like you have plans to take good care of her and the girls.”
“I’ll give them everything I have.”
“Where are Maria and Luci?” I asked.
“They’re with my sister getting their dresses on,” Mark said. “It was a rough morning. Luci mostly.”
“Yeah, Becca mentioned something about that.”
“I’m doing my best, but it hasn’t been going well. She hates me.” Mark grimaced, tugging on one ear. “I have no idea what to do about it.”
“It’s a lot of change all at once,” I said. “Give her some time.”
“Thanks for the advice. However, I was instructed to send you in to my bride when you arrived. She’s in the house with her friends.”
“Great. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” I said.
He clapped me on the back. “Thanks again for being here.”
I found Becca in a back bedroom that had been converted to bridal headquarters, with two women I didn’t know. The bride wore a simple white gown and a long veil, her make-up perfectly done and hair piled on top of her head in a way that defied gravity.
“Am I interrupting?” I asked, poking my head through the door.
“No, come in. Meet my friends,” Becca said, standing to give me a hug. “You look nice.”
“Nice to have a reason to wear my one good suit,” I said.
She introduced me to her friends. “This is Kara Mullen. And Sara Perry. We met on the PTA committee at school. They’ve been great … you know … since … everything.”
I shook their hands, but didn’t invest much time in getting to know them. I just had to get through this day in one piece, not make new friends.
Luci and Maria came in then, running to me for hugs.
“Uncle Dorian, I’m getting a new dad today,” Maria said, her seven-year-old eyes wide with excitement. “And we get to live in this house. It has a pool. Do you like my dress? We got it just for the wedding, but Mom says I can wear it again. Until I get too big for it. Luci has the same one.”
“I saw the pool,” I said, kneeling to her level. “And you look beautiful in your dress.” She looked so much like Nate it took my breath away. Same wavy dark hair, brown eyes, and his lean, athletic build.
Maria skipped away, heading toward her mother, who was in front of the mirror with the other women, adjusting her veil.
I stood to take a good look at Luci. She was a pretty girl, even at twelve, which could be an awkward stage for girls, with strawberry blonde hair and a heart-shaped face.
However, her green eyes were red, and dark purple smudges under them almost looked like she’d been on the losing end of a fight.
“How’s it going, Luci?” I asked.
“Fine.”
“You excited for today?” I asked.
She looked at her feet. Her toes were painted the same pale blue as her dress. “Yeah.”
“I met Mark just now,” I said. “He seems nice.”
She glanced at her mother, then lowered her voice. “We’ve known him for like two minutes. So, you know.”
“You’re going to have to trust your mother. If she thinks this is right for her and you two, then you’re going to have to have a little faith.”
“Yep, that’s the company line,” Luci said.
Company line? Where had she heard that, and what did it mean exactly?
A woman I figured was Mark’s sister, came in to tell us it was time. She organized us all—the girls as bridesmaids first, then Becca and me. We went outside. Music started. The girls walked first. I gave Becca my arm.
“You ready?” I asked.
She gave me a tremulous smile. “I’m suddenly nervous.”
“Just hold on to me. I got you.”
“Thanks, Dorian.” She looked up at me. “Truly.”
“Let’s do this.”
We walked toward Mark, who had started crying the moment he saw Becca in her dress. He was trying hard to get his facial expressions under control, but it wasn’t working. But the effort to keep himself together was oddly moving. This man was invested. I had to give him that.
At the arch, the officiant asked who gives this woman.
“I do, sir,” I said.
I took Becca’s hand off my arm and placed it in Mark’s. His hand closed around hers.
This was happening. And suddenly, I felt Nate’s presence as if he were behind me, both his hands on my shoulders. Pushing me? Holding me up?
I stepped back and found my seat. The ceremony should have been touching, with Mark promising the girls he’d be their father from that day forward. Most of the guests were sniffing and dabbing at their eyes. I felt nothing but a dull numbness.
Soon enough, they were married. Cheers from the guests as the couple walked back down the aisle.
The reception spread out across the lawn in the gold of late afternoon. Before the wedding party could enjoy themselves, there were photos to endure. I stood back, watching as the photographer wrangled everyone into place.
The photographer took a dozen shots of the bride and groom, then called for the girls to join them. “Let’s have the whole family.”
“I want to be next to Dad.” Maria ran to Mark, tugging on his hand, leaning the side of her face on his arm.
“Luci, come on,” Becca said, gently. “Won’t take but a few minutes, and then we can have cake.”
Luci started walking backward. “I don’t want to. Be in the picture. Go ahead without me.”
“It’s not an option,” Becca said, less gently this time. “Come here right now.”
“I don’t want to be in it.” Louder this time. The guests, milling about the lawn, went quiet. “I won’t be in it. You can’t just …” She stopped, her face red and eyes shimmering. “You can’t just … do this.” Luci turned and walked fast toward the cliff fence, arms tight to her sides.
“We can come back to it later,” the photographer said, sounding desperately cheerful.
Becca looked like she was going to cry.
“Let me talk to her,” I said.
“Yes, okay,” Becca whispered.
“Luci’s being such a nudge,” I heard Maria say to Mark as I headed toward the fence.
A gate opened to a trail that led down to the beach. I found Luci sitting on a wooden bench about halfway down the hill. She had taken her sandals off and was about to hurl one into the ocean when I called out to her.
“Hey, Luci.” I sat next to her on the bench. The afternoon sun was still high in the sky. I squinted, wishing I had sunglasses. “You want to talk?”
“Nothing to say.” She wiped her face with the back of her wrist, hard, like she was trying to punish her cheeks. “I’m not going back for the picture. They can all suck it.”
Suck it. “Okay.”
“I’m not.”
“I heard you. Nobody’s making you.”
That seemed to take some of the wind out of her. She’d clearly been braced for a speech but didn’t get one. She looked back at the water, glistening under the sun.
“Did you know she’s selling our house?” she said. “And she gave away all our furniture. Even my bed. Apparently, Mark wanted me to have a new one. And you should see my new room. They decorated it like I’m a little girl. All pink and fluffy.”
“I heard that. I mean, not about your room, but about the house.”