Ginny smelled the gorgeous blooms. “Sometimes, people change their minds.”
Gianfranco held the door open and Ginny and Adrian walked along the corridor together. The doors to the celebration room were open and Ginny heard chatter inside.
“After you,” Adrian offered for her to enter first.
Ginny smoothed a hand down her dress and nervously took a step toward the threshold. She took a moment to fix a smile.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from along the corridor. “Stop,” it cried. “Ginny,wait!”
She stepped back and trod on Adrian’s foot. Heouched, jumped back and they both turned around to see who was calling her name.
“Who’sthat?” Adrian asked with a frown.
Ginny stood with her eyes fixed firmly on Loretta, who was running toward her. “She’s the landlord’s daughter from the hotel,” she said quietly, wondering what the teenager wanted.
“Ginny.” Loretta arrived breathlessly in front of her. She gave Adrian a cursory glance. “Dad said you were getting married again.”
“Well, yes, it’s a vow renewal.” Ginny glanced along the corridor to see if Nico had changed his mind and decided to join them. Hope flickered inside her, but Loretta appeared to be alone. “I thought you were lunching with friends.”
“I am meeting them soon.” Loretta toyed with her pendant necklace, a gold bird in flight. When she saw Ginny looking at it, she raised it up. “Isn’t it beautiful? Papà gave it to me for my birthday.”
“It’s gorgeous.” Ginny turned around to face Adrian. “It’s Loretta’s eighteenth today.”
Adrian twitched his lips. “Happy birthday,” he said, taking hold of Ginny’s elbow. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”
“Can we speak?” Loretta asked, her eyes pleading to Ginny.
Ginny glanced at Adrian.
“I’ll see you inside,” he said drily. “Please don’t be long.”
Ginny waited until he was out of earshot. “What is it?” she asked Loretta.
The teenager gnawed her lip. “I know you’re busy and that your friends are waiting for you...”
“It’s okay. Please say what you need to say.”
“It’s just that, well, I think my dad likes you. I mean,reallylikes you.”
Ginny was thrown off balance. This wasn’t the right time and place. It wouldneverbe the right time and place. She looked over her shoulder and was glad no one else was around to overhear. “And I like him, too,” she said lightly. “He’s been very...um, welcoming and helpful.”
Loretta parted her lips to speak again, but Ginny smiled and shook her head. She had made up her mind and didn’t want to think about what might have been with Nico. She had over thirty years of history with Adrian. He was her family and her future. She was going to go through with the renewal, whether Loretta and Nico liked it or not.
“Come and join us, be happy for me,” she told Loretta. “We’re ready to start and I don’t want to be late. Happy Birthday.”
Loretta gave her a sorrowful smile. “Happy Wedding Day, Ginny.”
32
Bird
Ginny and Adrian held hands tightly as they walked along the red carpet to the front of the room where a celebrant waited to greet them. Phoebe and Pete stood at the side of the floral arch, ready to witness the ceremony and then to take their own turn. A photographer stepped forward and took snaps as Ginny and Adrian positioned themselves under the floral arch.
Loretta, Edna, Eric, Heather, Curtis and Biscotti sat in the front row and Gianfranco hovered around at the back of the room.
As soon as Phoebe smiled at her, any doubts Ginny harbored flew away. She felt the greatest rush of love for her daughter and could picture herself and Adrian holding their grandchild for the first time. This was the place she’d always wanted to be.
Whatever had happened over the last few weeks, whatever she’d endured, she and Adrian were here and they were strong. He’d made a mistake and she could choose to dissect and examine every particle of his actions, or she could try to move on. Punishing him would only make them both feel bad.
