“Is it time yet?” the flower girl whined. “I’ve been waitingforever.”
Her mother, Kendra’s cousin, blushed and quieted the girl as the rest of the wedding party exchanged smiles. Kendra glanced at the large grandfather clock that rested against the wall of the atrium where they were waiting, and her brow furrowed. Theyhadbeen waiting a while. The procession was supposed to start at 11:00 a.m., and it was now 11:07 a.m.
“Annalise.” Kendra beckoned her friend over. “Could you go out and make sure everything is all right?”
“Of course.” Annalise smiled at the groomsman she’d been linking arms with and slipped out through the double doors. A few minutes later, she returned, her smile fixed.
“So, here’s the thing,” she said. “Apparently, Aaron is running late.”
Aaron’s groomsmen exchanged glances, their eyes wide, and Kendra turned to them.
“Maybe you guys could go find him?” she suggested, trying to keep her voice calm. Certainly, there were any number of reasons why a guy could have been delayed on the way to the aisle. She just needed to stay calm; they’d find him.
The groomsmen nodded and headed out the door. The minutes ticked by so slowly that Kendra found herself tapping her foot against the floor and glancing at the clock every few minutes. She’d expected all manner of issues and planned for them, but she wasn’t prepared for this. She’d always imagined that the groom could get himself to the altar on time.
The door opened again, and Kendra’s mother appeared. Ruth looked worried, her usually smooth face pinched. Immediately, Kendra’s heart sank to her white stilettos.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
“Honey,” Ruth said, reaching for her arm. “Aaron isn’t here.”
“He’s late,” Kendra said. “I know that. His groomsmen went to find him.”
“No, honey, he isn’t here.”
Kendra shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Late was one thing, but actually not here was something completely different. She brushed past her mother and opened the double doors that led out onto the beachfront area where the wedding was supposed to take place. Instantly, she realized her mistake. Several hundred people turned in their chairs to face her, most of them hurrying to their feet, perhaps assuming she was about to walk down the aisle. Everyone’s eyes were trained directly on her.
Her heart racing, her mouth dry, her hands shaking, Kendra scanned the crowd for any sign of Aaron. But he wasn’t standing at the altar with their officiant. He wasn’t with his groomsmen, who had gathered at one side and were looking intently at the phone of one of the group. He wasn’t with his parents, who were sitting in the front row, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
“There’s been a bit of a delay, everyone,” Ruth announced, coming out with Kendra and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Honey, come back inside,” she added in a low voice. “Everyone’s looking at you. We can figure this out.”
But Kendra’s thoughts were racing far too quickly to be calmed by her mother’s words. Her heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of her chest, and she was worried she would be sick. The wedding looked perfect — the guests were seated, the awning was decorated with just the right flowers, her dress was beautiful — but the groom wasn’t there.How could he do this?
Kendra looked at her mother, her heart sinking. Ruth looked almost as panicked as Kendra felt. And her father had stepped outside, too, his brow furrowed with worry. What were her parents going to say? They’d spent so much time planning this wedding, at least as much as Kendra had, and now Aaron wasn’t even here.
“Honey,” Ruth said again, her voice kind, “come on. Let’s go back inside.”
Just then, one of Aaron’s groomsmen wound through the crowd. He held out his phone to Kendra, his eyes lowered.
“Aaron sent this to me for you,” he said. Kendra blinked at him for a moment, uncomprehending.
“Why would he send you a message for me?”
“I guess he knew you wouldn’t have your phone.” The groomsman pressed the phone toward her. “Please, read it.”
Conscious of all the eyes still trained on her, Kendra took the phone and stared down at the message that was open on thescreen. It took her a moment to process what she was reading, but then her mouth fell open.
Kendra,
I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. This is what our families want, not what I want. We don’t know each other well enough.
Goodbye.
Aaron
The message was cold and clear. More than that, it was the final confirmation Kendra needed that Aaron really wasn’t coming. He wasn’t just delayed or having cold feet. He was actually gone. Kendra looked around at all the guests who’d traveled so far to see her get married. They stared back at her, some of them whispering behind their palms.
Kendra wanted to sink into the sand beneath her feet and disappear forever. Her cheeks were hot with shame, and her hands were shaky.
