Nobody bats an eye when Stefan sets a canoe on fire and sends it across the lake like it’s a Viking funeral. No one has a clue which ritual this is supposed to be, but we honor the moment with solemn silence. Stefan’s plus-one is Lawrence, a guy he met at Comic-Con in New York in the fall. Stefan is waiting until camp begins to ask him to move in, and watching Lawrence as he intertwines himself with Stefan in order to drink from the horn currently hanging around Stefan’s neck, I feel confident Lawrence will say yes.
I notice Charlie’s parents slip out early on, but he doesn’t mind. He’s having too much fun to care. His brother and sister-in-law last until ten, when Michael pulls a reluctant Kayla from the dance floor with a reminder that they have a toddler with a strict bedtime routine.
“But we should get together soon,” he tells us, “once you’re back from New Zealand. We’ll hire a babysitter.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Charlie says, giving his brother a warm hug. Kayla wipes away a happy tear.
Baby steps, literally.
Gloria is next to depart. She has her own trip planned, which is music to my ears.
“See you in June,” she says, wrapping me in a maternal embrace.
“Looking forward to it.”
I clasp Charlie’s hand. “Who’s that man dancing with Angela?”
He follows my gaze. “My cousin Kevin.”
“Is he single?”
“As a matter of fact, he is. His wife Devon left him for their tennis instructor last year.”
“Ouch.”
“It’s actually okay. Nobody ever liked the fact their names rhyme. Kevin and Angela would be a vast improvement.”
Melody packs up her equipment and leaves after Elizabeth. “I’m sorry to go when you could clearly dance all night, but I’ve got another gig tomorrow and I need my beauty rest.”
“Don’t apologize,” I say. “You were awesome.”
She blows me a kiss. “See you when you get back from your trip.”
Charlie pulls his phone from his pocket. “One more song?”
I fall into his arms. “Why not?”
He switches on “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green and we sway together, completely out of step with the beat, but we don’t care. Fireflies wink at us from the tree line. I wink back in a conspiratorial fashion, recalling what the fireflies witnessed two years ago in June. Two nerds, neither as self-aware as they believed, falling in love.
“I don’t want this night to end,” I tell Charlie.
He brushes his lips against mine, soft and tender. “If it doesn’t end, then we don’t make it to the honeymoon.”
“Hmm. Good point, counselor. Motion to strike from the record.”
He cracks a smile. “Not a litigator.”
I thread my fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. “Maybe not, but you sure can be persuasive.”
We dance by the lake until the wee hours of the morning. It’s a long flight to New Zealand; I figure I’ll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane.
Charlie holds me close, and I breathe in the scent of evergreen and musk. My two favorite smells in the world.
He strokes my back. “There’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you all night.”
“You already asked me, Charlie. That’s how we ended up with a wedding.”
“Not that.” He nuzzles my neck. “What are you wearing underneath this ensemble?” he murmurs in my ear. “Is it a gold bikini?”
