Page 149 of Crescendo

But when we had a small-scale, cozy beach wedding here on LA’s sunny shores, I had to face the fact that it was really the presence of Ella Hendrickson that made it mean something. That made it mean everything. I’d marry her in a parking lot, dressed in thrift-store bargains, with just the two of us and love, love, love.

That said, I was kind of glad I wasn’t. And not just because she looked hot in her beach wedding dress, a slimmer and shorter, more modern dress.

“Are you supposed,” Eliza’s voice said from behind me, and I turned away from gazing at my wife to look at where she and Hannah walked across the sand towards the boardwalkwhere Ella and I had been talking with the facilitators and organizers—they were a cute couple, Eliza a full head taller with a glamorous dress and Hannah in a suit standing close at her side. “Supposedto be seeing the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony?” Eliza said, and Ella folded her arms, pouting at her pointedly enough it was about audible.

“We’re already married. It’s fine.”

“I’m a rulebreaker,” I said lightly. “Thousands of years of patriarchal tradition treating a bride like a Christmas present to be given away as property aren’t going to dictate what I do. Besides, she looks hot in the dress, so I’m looking.”

“You have your preferred ways of objectifying her, then,” Eliza said flatly. I smiled.

“I’m awfully glad you two have finally deigned to show up.”

Hannah laughed. “It isn’t our fault you had a ceremony in the UK while we were over here. Besides, it looked… big. And loud.”

“As it should have been,” I said. “Frankly, if I’m getting to marryher,the whole world should be tuning in to see that.”

“Besides,” Ella said, probably knowing how Eliza was going to try criticizing me for having a big head or something else equally unbelievable, “you and your fiancée have been doing your own big, loud things.”

They shared a knowing look, the same dry snort coming from both of them at the same time. They were a little eerie in the way they always moved in sync, but I guess to each their own.

Of course, I couldn’t fault them too much—their involvement in the score forThe Quiet Ones,which had racked up every kind of award there was to rack up, had catapulted them to recognition, and they’d been alternately writing scores and playing for crowds ever since, Hannah’s rock angle getting her and Eliza solid footing.

Dodge had also been a part of it andcouldhave followed along, but Clara quoted him as having made a face and said, “Can’t be doing with that.” He seemed infinitely happier playing in pubs with his dodgy mates.

Eliza’s goal had come true, too, as much as she was livid about it—she and Hannah had playedI Only Meant Wellalongside an orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a program of iconic film scores, and Eliza had called me to yell at me when she got the news over how pissed off she was that her dream was finally coming true viamyscore. I just congratulated her and told her how much I was happy for her, which succeeded in making her angrier. Still, I’d gone to watch along with the rest of the Crescendo crowd, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen her look so electric, so alive, as she did on that stage.

She still gave me the stink eye when I saw her after the show. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“I’m envious of you, is what I am,” Eliza said. Ella smiled.

“What, getting to marry Lydia, twice?”

“Patently, no. That you’re going to get married and then relax to write scores. I’m already tired, and we’re still booked for the rest of the month…”

Hannah nudged her side. “And every time we’re actually getting a break, you’re going off working anyway.”

“Ah,” Ella said, a glance my way. “That sounds familiar.”

I put a hand to my chest. “Darling, is that a comparison to Lizzy? On our second wedding day?”

“I trust you might recover,” she said brightly.

“I won’t,” Eliza said.

“Oh, that makes me feel better,” I said. “Well, as good as it is to see you two, I need to do some more check-ins before I go to marry my wife some more. I look forward to harassing you at the reception.”

“If I didn’t like Ella quite so much, I’d be tempted to miss it,” Eliza said.

As if it was news to me that Ella—Ella Hendrickson—was the main attraction? How patently ridiculous.

It wasn’t long before the ceremony, standing together with Ella at the edge of the boardwalk, wood railing between us and the sunset starting to dip down over the ocean, that Clara pushed out through a crowd of people towards us, looking put together in her hair and makeup and the bridesmaid dress, and she gave Ella the kind of featherlight hug you gave the bride so as to not mess with a very, very carefully curated look.

“You look radiant,” she said sweetly. “Both of you. I’m so happy for you. Even if I’m not as keen on California sunshine as some people… I’m so glad to be here.”

“Well, won’t have to suffer the horrors of sunshine and warmth and beautiful beaches for too long,” I said brightly. “Off to teach your first classes. And more importantly, reporting on what kind of drama this cohort gets up to.”

She laughed dryly, adjusting her dress. “Yes, well. I have a feeling that if a Crescendo program went smoothly, the whole place would have to shut down. Olivia sends her regards as well.”

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