Page 77 of The Magic of Sea Glass
On Joe’s arm, Stephanie walked slowly toward the officiant, where the wedding party had gathered.
At the front, Mitchell’s eyes glistened with fondness for his bride.
Lauren watched it through a different lens, her mind consumed with whether or not she’d gotten a message from Mason and why her mother and Stephanie’s looked just alike. Her time in the Outer Banks ran through her mind, step by step. Whenever she’d thought about Mason, the messageshadshown up.
When she moved to the beach like he’d wanted to do, she’d gotten the sea glass bracelet. At Brody’s, when she let loose a little for the first time in a year, she received sea glass. When she wondered if Mason could hear her thoughts about Brody, Brody had given her the yellow piece—yellow for happiness. And then another piece of sea glass had washed up after that, just to drive it home. As tears filled Lauren’s eyes, she remembered when the sea glass that she’d thrown out had shown up right in front of her “where it belonged,” Mary had said.
They all belonged together.
Mason had been with her the whole time, watching over her and helping her to rebuild her life. She just hadn’t asked him to show her that he was there. As she stood at the back of the wedding while Stephanie and Mitchell said their vows, it suddenly hit her that she was home. She was still planning weddings. She was still doing TV shows. Those were the things she was great at. And now, she could do them during the next chapter of her life because she knew that Mason would want her to, because she loved her work. Right then it was as if the burden of it all had been lifted, and she could take in the wedding with no fear.
Her tears surging for a new reason, she quickly wiped them away. When she finally swam out of her thoughts, she zeroed in on Brody, and was surprised to find his protective gaze upon her. Their eyes met, and he smiled, calming her. She turned inward one last time, knowing now that Mason was showing her exactly what to do without him. Finally, she felt like she had his blessing to move forward and to live the life he would have wanted for her.
* * *
The beading on Stephanie’s gown shimmered in the setting sun, the sky painted in vibrant pinks and oranges behind them, as Mitchell twirled her around on the new decking for their first dance as husband and wife. Mary was dressed in a lovely pink dress with a new, pearl-colored cane in her hand, her other on her heart as she admired the couple. Melinda was beside her, telling her something sweet in her ear, making her smile. Joe sat in a chair, chatting to some of Mitchell’s family members, and Milton, sporting a black bowtie, was loafing in the setting sun next to his bowl of water.
Lauren had made it through the rest of the wedding easily, and now, it was party time, just like she’d always done with Sugar and Lace. She watched the couple with a different perspective now. She didn’t have a clue how her own life would turn out, but she knew that everything would be okay if Mason had anything to do with it. He would always be a part of her, and she swore she could feel him there today.
When the first dance ended, the DJ launched into another slow song and Brody walked up to her. “It’s wonderful to see you smiling.”
“I’m happy,” she said, raising her eyebrows in excitement. “At a wedding!” She laughed, a big burst of release escaping. She ran her hands down the blue shirt he’d found, her affection for him overflowing.
He wrapped his arms around her in a strong embrace. “I’m so glad,” he said before kissing the top of her head. He held out his hand. “Dance with me?”
She allowed him to lead her onto the porch’s makeshift dance floor.
He gave her a spin and then pulled her toward him. “I’m proud of you.”
She looked into his eyes.
“When I met you, you seemed completely broken. And now, look at you, making it through the wedding with barely a flinch.”
“Well, I wasn’t perfect, but I’m definitely getting there.”
“None of us are.” He pulled her close and she reveled in his hold on her. He was the best thing to happen to her since she left New York, and she couldn’t imagine what her time here would’ve been like without him. They danced together in the salty summer air, the coastal breeze at her neck, and she suddenly didn’t want to let him go. But she knew that in a few weeks, she would have to.
A man at the end of the deck, sitting alone and looking back at them, distracted her from her thoughts. “Who’s that?” she asked.
Brody’s jaw clenched before he answered. “It’s my dad.”
“He came? I can’t believe it.”
“You and me both.”
“You should go talk to him.” Lauren wrapped her arms around Brody’s neck.
“And ruin this moment? No way.” He gave her another spin and dipped her dramatically in the center of the floor, making her laugh.
“You should at least acknowledge him. He’s staring right at you.” She gave the man a friendly wave, and he offered a tentative nod in return.
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll do it for you, but it’s wasted time.”
When the song ended, he took Lauren by the hand. “I’ll need a drink for this. Want anything? Cocktail? Champagne?”
“I’ll take a glass of champagne,” she said. “And I’ll be your out. If you need to escape him, just squeeze my hand and I’ll make up an excuse for us to leave the conversation.”
He smirked before turning to the bartender and asking for three flutes of champagne.
