Page 106 of Why Not Both?

Daze and Sophie hadn’t wanted to have one walk down the aisle to the other. So, once Lis and Kelly were in place, the music changed and the two brides stepped out from behind their screens, seeing each other for the first time. It was a perfect scene, Daze in her flowy dress looking like a fairy princess, Sophie in her fitted satin gown looking like a human princess. They blink away tears and link arms as they walk toward the start of their new life together. They stop under the pergola, decorated today with golden gauze and dusty pink roses.

I catch Lis’ eye as the ceremony begins and wink at her. She rolls her eyes at me, but she’s smiling, and I can’t help but wonder what wedding dress she might choose to wear. Would it be something like Daze’s or more like Sophie’s? Or would she choose something completely different?

The sun holds all through the ceremony. They take some pictures on the roof before walking across the street to take more pictures on the beach.

The crew rushes around, making sure everything is in place for the wedding party to return. I check on the bar and notice Derek staring at the other end of the reception hall, his face pale. I glance in the direction he’s staring, but I’m not sure exactly what he’s looking at. Or who.

“Hey, you all right, man? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“Ava Caligan,” he says hoarsely.

“Who?”

“The photographer’s assistant. It’s Ava Caligan.”

“Oh, right. And who is Ava Caligan?”

“We dated. A bit more than eight years ago.”

“Dated? You? You don’t date.”

“Mm-hm. And she’s why.”

I look again, noting the woman with the camera taking pictures of the cake that Lis’ friend made and the decorations around the room. She has long brown hair caught up in a messy bun with a headband to keep bits of escaped hair out of her face. She has a camera bag slung over her back and is completely focused on her task.

“Are you going to go talk to her?” I ask.

“I don’t think so. We didn’t exactly part on the best terms.”

“What happened?”

His fist clenches at his side for a second before he visibly attempts to calm himself and relaxes.

“She told me to leave and so I left.”

If ever there was a statement that didn’t tell the whole story, it’s that one.

“Right. Well, if you’re not going to go talk to her, are we done with everything else?” I ask, hoping to get him to stop openly staring at the woman.

“Yeah. Everything is ready.”

He seems to snap out of his thoughts and heads back downstairs for something while I finish the last tasks before the brides return.

It’s possibly the most flawless execution of a wedding I have ever coordinated. Daze and Sophie set a table aside for me, Derek, Adalie, and Vic. The photographers join us and I notice the tension between Derek and the one assistant, Ava, though they don’t say a word to each other. They don’t even look directly at each other for most of the meal.

After dinner is over, someone taps my shoulder and I look up to see Lis, in her pretty pink bridesmaid dress with her rainbow hair tied up on her head in some elaborate style that I can’t begin to comprehend.

“I know you usually don’t like it when the bridesmaids hit on you, but I wondered if you’d make an exception tonight?”

I catch her hand and rub her fingers between mine. “I don’t know. It’s a pretty strict rule. I don’t break it for just anyone.”

“I understand. But maybe you’d like to dance?”

Sophie and Daze are out on the floor already, just finishing up their first dance as a married couple and other people are beginning to join them.

“I can’t say no to that.”

She tugs me with her and I wrap her in my arms, holding her close.

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