Chapter 12 - The Wedding Without Borrowed Power
Our wedding was small.
Eighty people.
Maine coast.
No society photographers.
No corporate sponsors.
No Whitmore Foundation.
Constance attended.
So did Blake.
That surprised people.
Sienna did not.
Appropriate.
She sent flowers.
The card read:
No insurance claim attached.
I laughed so hard Adrian demanded to see.
Blake attended with his mother.
He asked before coming.
Adrian supported it.
“I don’t need him erased.”
Healthy men remained irritating.
During the ceremony, I wore my mother’s bracelet.
The same one Sienna took.
The clasp still uneven beneath the cleaning.
I decided not to restore the old oils.
Memories change whether we want them to.
My grandmother’s Patek sat on my wrist.
Cracked crystal intact.
STILL STANDING.
Adrian noticed before vows.
“Perfect.”
“Yes.”
My vows were simple.
“I promise not to confuse privacy with secrecy.”
His:
“I promise never to ask love to substitute for consent.”
Julian cried.
Denied it.
Denise recorded proof.
At the reception, Blake approached.
“You look happy.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
He looked at the watch.
“Still standing.”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“You always were.”
Not exactly.
But I accepted the kindness.
After he left, Adrian asked, “Okay?”
“Yes.”
Really.
We danced.
May you like
No ghosts controlling rhythm.
Only history nearby.
