Chapter 19
Sophia stood at the cemetery with Nora and prayed. The heat hung between the graves, making the late afternoon feel warmer than expected.
They prayed for the day to go as they hoped. They prayed that Marc would feel the joy they felt about their family growing today. They prayed for Arielle and her new journey in Vermont. They prayed for Mr. Wilson to make a move on Nana.
“I pray you love Jason like a son,” Nora had said while standing there in front of Marc’s burial site.
Sophia smiled at the thought of Marc meeting Jason. “You would love his motorcycle.”
“Daddy loved motorcycles?” Nora’s eyebrows lifted at the idea of her very cautious police officer father enjoying the thrill of riding a motorcycle.
“He had one in college.”
That made Sophia wonder if she had a type. She didn’t want to remind Nora that she had met Patrick while he had had a motorcycle.
“He kept it when he moved to the island even, thought it was easier to ride around with it, but he got rid of it when we had you.”
“Do you have any pictures of him on the motorcycle?” she asked.
Sophia shook her head. “I’d have to go through the boxes.”
She had gone through them recently and didn’t remember seeing any with him on a motorcycle, but they had plenty of pictures of Marc with Nora and Sophia swimming, hanging out on the beach, walking or running, celebrating all the events, going to sports events, at famous places, concerts, vacations, everything she had ever dreamed of.
“We had a wonderful life together,” she whispered to his gravestone. “I’ll never forget it.”
She held out her hand at the engraving of his name, pressing her palm against the cool stone. Then she stood up.
“You ready?” she said to Nora.
Nora nodded. “I think he liked being included.”
“I know he did,” Sophia said, putting her arm around her daughter.
As they turned to walk off the grass, a creature emerged from the shadows of the forest. A deer, tall, with antlers, stood on the edge of the forest. The island’s elusive deer poked its head into the grass and then looked up at them.
“Nora.” Sophia spoke barely over a breath.
“I see it,” she whispered back.
They stood there, not moving for what felt like a long moment of time. Sophia choked up when the buck locked eyes on them, not breaking his stare. Then as quickly as he had come, he dashed off, silently bounding off into the woods and disappearing.
“That was real, right?” Sophia asked her daughter.
“That was real.”
They stood there for another moment, taking it all in.
“I’m so happy for you, Mom,” Nora said. “And so is Daddy.”
Sophia couldn’t hold back the tears, no matter how hard she tried. The day just kept catching her emotions. One moment, she would be laughing and enjoying herself, like that morning when everyone had come over for breakfast before she’d gotten dressed.
Patrick and Jason had spent the morning fishing before the nuptials and had invited all the groomsmen as well, including Brady.
Sophia had chosen a light periwinkle to wear as her wedding dress.
Big bluish-purple hydrangeas with yellow daisies made up her bouquet.
The blue flower was the official flower of Isabel Island.
Every house, business, and even Marc’s grave had the blue hydrangea planted close by.
In the summer, the whole island came alive with the plants’ bulbous periwinkle globes the size of volleyballs bloom.
As for the guests, she wanted them to dress in beach formal, which meant a sundress or linen slacks with a pair of flip-flops or even bare feet. In other words, nothing too fancy.
When she and Nora arrived at the church, Mr. Wilson was waiting outside.
“You both look beautiful,” he said, holding out his hand.
Sophia reached for it, her father’s best friend, her own friend and neighbor, would be the one walking her down the aisle.
“Is Mom already inside?” she asked.
“Talking to everyone,” he answered. Marilyn had suggested that Mr. Wilson deserved the honor in their new family of sorts—and Sophia agreed.
She smiled, patted down her hair one last time.
She adjusted the diamond necklace her Aunt Lois had given her, which was her something borrowed.
For her something old, her mother had given her a hand-stitched handkerchief that her great-grandmother had passed down.
Her something new and blue were her undergarments, which Nora had insisted on purchasing with her when they’d hit the mall together one afternoon.
She had thought that had gone beyond the boundaries of their mother-daughter relationship, but she had to admit, having Nora tease her about the big night with Patrick helped to tame some of her butterflies.
Nora was going to be fine, no matter what.
She wasn’t losing her mother, but gaining another parent.
She glanced over at her daughter. She looked more and more like Marilyn, gorgeous and poised. She looked like a woman.
“Ready, Mom?” Nora asked, as she peeked from the church lobby into the sanctuary’s garden, where Patrick and the rest of their friends and family waited for her.
Sophia inhaled, closing her eyes, and then opened them, smiling at Nora. “I’m ready.”
Nora gave the signal to the pianist and the music began “Canon in D” as Nora walked down the aisle.
When the doors opened to the outside garden, she saw Patrick standing with Jason under the pergola her father had built for the church.
She was almost oblivious to her surroundings, just focused on Patrick up ahead.
All the moments they’d shared together over the past thirty years floated through her mind like a ship off in the distance, close enough to see but too far to make out all the details.
When she reached Patrick at the pulpit, she handed Nora her bouquet and held on to him. She wasn’t going to go through life without his support, and that was what excited her most about getting married. She would have someone by her side, holding her hand through the storms and calm waters.
They’d decided not to write vows. Patrick preferred keeping the ceremony short and sweet.
But the kiss, well, Patrick nailed it. He took her into his arms, dropping her into a perfect dip, and kissed her like he was taking his last breath.
The reception was held under a tent on Half Moon Cove.
With the tide out, the full moon aglow, and a dance floor set up with a perfect playlist, everyone stayed dancing until the early morning hours.
They slid the electric slide and sang with the Village People.
They slow danced and two-stepped. They did group dances that Sophia had never seen before, and she got passed around to every aunt and uncle in Patrick’s family.
Mr. Wilson and Marilyn seemed to have danced together longer than anyone other than the newlyweds. Sophia swore she saw something in both of their eyes, but Patrick said everyone looked like that at a wedding. She had to agree, love was in the air.
Crissy and Dean cozied up all night. Sophia expected an engagement at some point between those two. The same went for Gina and Tyler. Gina practically lived with Tyler and his sister at this point.
Sophia couldn’t help but worry a little bit about Jason, who sat in the corner ignoring everyone in their love bubbles.
She was sure he’d figure things out. One thing Sophia had learned over the past year was that things always worked themselves out.
Life would be hard. At some point, heartbreak, death, and disease would affect everyone.
It was the only commonality everyone had in this crazy world, but if you kept going, putting one foot in front of the other, the hard moments would pass.
And if someone was just lucky enough or crazy enough to open his or her heart again, they might get magic in return.
Just like she had.
As Sophia danced with bare feet on the beach with the second love of her life, she didn’t just believe in second chances, but in third and fourth as she looked around the room. Life was about moving forward, holding on to the people around you, and changing with the tides.
It seemed as though by the end of the night, the entire island had shown up and were dancing and congratulating Sophia and Patrick. Her mother gave a beautiful speech telling her how proud her father would’ve been.
By the time a pink glow came over the water, everyone had mostly gone home, except for Sophia and Patrick, who kept dancing, not wanting their special night to end.
“What do you think, Mrs. O’Sullivan?” Patrick said, for the first time, Sophia realized. “Think we should head off to our honeymoon?”
Sophia had convinced him to take a trip to Ireland so they could look up his family heritage.
Patrick wanted to go to the Bahamas and sit on the beach where the water was warm.
He didn’t really care about his dead ancestors, but he’d do whatever made Sophia happy.
He’d promised that to her for the rest of his life.
“Are you sure you don’t mind that we’re going to Ireland?”
“Nah.” Patrick shook his head. “I’m looking forward to it now that you reached some of my granddad’s family.”
“Thank goodness Gina kept all your family’s stuff.” Sophia couldn’t believe Patrick had told her to throw it all out. “Should Jason come with us?”
Patrick stopped dancing and looked at her. “You want to bring our children on our honeymoon?”
She smiled, rethinking it. “Maybe next time.”
“If Jason’s still fishing, he’ll have time off in the winter months and would rather hit the beaches in the Bahamas.”
“What do you mean, if he’s still fishing?” Sophia asked, going back to swaying to the sound of the waves.
“Jason said he’s thinking of a change. He’s looking to the future.” Patrick said. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Is his mind changing because of Arielle?” Sophia guessed, resting her head on his shoulder.
Patrick lifted her head and kissed her. “You know what love does to an O’Sullivan.”
She smiled at that, but she couldn’t help but be concerned. She didn’t want Jason to give something up for love.
“I do understand how you O’Sullivans are,” she said.
Patrick stepped back, sweeping out their arms and twisting her back into him. They didn’t stop dancing, swaying back and forth as the waves lapped against the shore and the sun slowly rose above the horizon.
“I love you, Sophia,” Patrick said.
Sophia kissed him. “I love you, too.”