“Shit. I didn’t mean now. I just meant that’s your dream wedding. It’s not what I thought you’d say.”
“The dream has changed over time.”
I wince, having forgotten about Lucas and that entire clusterfuck where he left her at the altar. I wouldn’t want to stand in front of my family again with that memory burned into my brain.
“I like it. You’d pick sand over Vegas?”
She nods. “Vegas is okay, but there’s nothing more beautiful than the ocean at sunset.”
Lulu comes back to the table and sits down. “What are you two talking about?” she asks, being her nosy self.
“They’re talking about their wedding,” Zoey answers.
Lulu’s mouth drops open.
“Iris was telling Zoey about her dream wedding, and I was asking questions.”
“Should I start planning?” Lulu asks, ignoring the part of my sentence that said it was her dream and not about to be reality.
“You’re the best, Lulu,” Iris says to her. “If we ever get there, you’re the first person I’ll call.”
Lulu touches her chest as her lip trembles. “You’d want me to do it?”
Iris nods, giving Lulu a smile. “You did an amazing job here. There’s no one else I’d trust besides you.”
“Maybe you should do this as a job,” I tell Lulu, trying to get off the topic of Iris’s wedding.
“I don’t know,” she says, but she doesn’t finish the statement because her mother calls her from across the room. “Be back.”
And with her departure, we’re finally able to drop the conversation of our wedding.
“Well, aren’t you two a sight,” Ma says as she walks up to us with her arm looped around Dad’s elbow.
“Hey, Ma.” I lift myself up and kiss her cheek as she leans over to make it easier. “How you holding up, Pop?” I ask as soon as my ass is back in the seat.
He grabs two empty chairs from the table next to us and moves them around our table to sit with us. “I’m good. Good.”
Tilly waves her hand in the air. “It’s an emotionally difficult day for him.”
“I’m sure,” I say, watching his facial expressions carefully.
Dad scratches at his neatly trimmed beard. “The ceremony had a few moments that my heart hurt for Marissa missing this day, but I’m okay now. I’m too happy for your sister to let sadness become the thing I remember the most from today.”
“Ma’s here with us,” I tell him, patting his knee. “She’s watching us from above.”
He gives me a sad smile. “I know, kid.”
“I felt her here with us. I believe our loved ones never leave our sides, even if we can’t see them,” Tilly adds as she rests her head on my dad’s shoulder.
“I like the thought of that,” Iris says as she hooks her arm with mine and slides her hand into my palm.
Tate and Wylder move around the room, stopping to talk to various friends and family who want to congratulate them on their nuptials.
When they finally make it to our table, they look exhausted but happy.
“Congrats,” I say, holding out a hand to Wylder as my dad and Tilly talk to Tate.
“Thanks, Brax.” He gives my hand a firm shake before his eyes swing to Iris.
