Epilogue
In the end, it didn’t matter that the altar didn’t perfectly frame the sunset, or that the string quartet had been playing Pachelbel’s Canon for half an hour by the time the wedding party walked down the aisle. Nor did it matter that no one was in a white dress.
Clutching Olivia’s and Marigold’s arms, Lulu looked as radiant as any bride, her smile as wide as the ocean as she made her way down the aisle.
She stopped a few times to squeeze the outstretched hands of friends and family, or to say a special hello to anyone she hadn’t yet seen.
A number of people wiped away tears, while a few watched bewildered, still uncomprehending.
(“Does she get the present we bought?” one woman whispered to her husband.)
From his spot next to the altar, Bill watched his wife glide toward him, and for the first time in many months, he thought about how lucky he was. How lucky they all were.
When Olivia, Marigold, and Lulu reached the altar, Olivia stepped aside to let Bill take Lulu’s arm.
She then moved to take her seat, but Bill motioned for her to stay.
Olivia stepped away to take her seat, but Bill motioned for her to stay.
“I’m not just renewing my vow to your mother, I’m renewing it to all of you.
” And so, the three of them stood there, under the warm glow of the setting sun, while the officiant led Bill and Lulu through a vow renewal ceremony.
He hadn’t had much time to prepare, and grew flustered while trying to adapt the line “till death do you part.”
A few guests exchanged horrified looks, but Lulu merely smiled and said to Bill, “I’m not letting you off that easy,” and relieved laughter bubbled up from the audience.
“No,” Bill said, stroking Lulu’s cheek. “Nothing can part us. I’m yours in this life and the next.”
Olivia, who hadn’t cried in public since flubbing the third-grade spelling bee, felt tears running down her face.
A moment later, someone seated in the front row reached out and tucked something soft into her hand.
She looked down to see a handkerchief. “Thank you,” she whispered to Zack, then dabbed her eyes.
The officiant sped up, clearly eager to finish before he made another faux pas.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and wife… still… again.” Bill’s wide smile almost matched Lulu’s as he bent down to kiss her, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
In the middle row, Jonathan and Natalie sat side by side, not touching, but each very aware of the proximity of their hands.
And from the back, a man who’d slipped into an empty seat at the last minute met Marigold’s eye.
He’d sneak off when the ceremony concluded.
In the end, she’d decided she wanted him there for her parents’ vow renewal, providing her with silent support as they watched the final chapter of an epic love story, knowing that the second chapter of theirs was just beginning.