Tenderness

Chapter 40

WILLIAM

For hours, there was not a soul in sight, and then morning came.

Before six, the sky lightened to a periwinkle at its eastern edge, followed by a faint orange seeping upward, the sun burning behind a filigree of trees.

There was not a cloud in the sky, and William realized—with some distance, like he was making polite conversation with himself—that it would be a beautiful day for a wedding.