“You absolutely do,” Theo and Mrs. H said in unison, which made Debbie dissolve into giggles.
Mrs. H’s attention shifted to Debbie with the laser focus of someone who’d spotted fresh prey. “And this must be the fearsome dragon princess.”
“I’m Debbie,” Debbie said, suddenly shy in the face of Mrs. H’s overwhelming presence, ducking behind Theo’s legs while peering around them to see what the new old lady might do. “Are you a real Scottish person?”
“Real as they come, wee one. Want to hear my battle cry?”
“Mrs. H, please don’t—” I began, but it was too late.
She let out a sound that was part war whoop, part banshee wail, and entirely inappropriate for a wedding garden—or any garden, any setting whatsoever, even a battlefield.
Several nearby guests turned to stare, while Debbie stepped out from behind Theo’s legs and clapped with delight.
“Teach me! Teach me!” she demanded.
“Later, little princess. Right now we need to find your da—your Willie Wee and your daddy some seats before all the good ones are taken.”
I caught the way she’d almost said “daddies” and felt my chest warm. Mrs. H might be chaos incarnate, but she had good instincts about people and the spirit of an angel.
“Jer! Over here!”
I turned to see Sisi waving from a cluster of white chairs near the middle section, looking elegant in a deep green dress that brought out her eyes. Mike stood beside her, handsome in his dark suit and clearly trying to manage his excitement, while Omar lounged nearby looking like he’d stepped out of a British royal-watch magazine. Two other men I didn’t recognize sat nearby, chatting with Omar and occasionally laughing at some joke one of them told.
“The gang’s all here,” I murmured, and this time the nervous flutter in my chest was matched by genuine warmth.
As we made our way over, Debbie skipping between Theo and me, I watched my friends’ faces light up at our approach. Sisi immediately swooped down to Debbie’s level, reaching out for a good tickle followed by a tight hug around her neck. Mike immediately asked Theo about his work, and Omar made some comment about my tie that was probably meant to be insulting but came out strangely fond.
“Oh, everyone,” Sisi called above all the conversations, motioning toward the two strangers. “This is Patrick. He’s a reporter for the AJC. And the Jolly Green Giant next to him is his husband, Dane. He’s a fireman who knows how to use his hose better than any man—”
“Hey!” Matty, appearing out of thin air in a puff of glittery gay smoke, protested. “I’m a mighty fine hose wielder, thank you very much.”
Mrs. H cackled. “In my day—”
“Hoses were illegal,” Matty finished for her. “We know. The seventieth century wasn’t kind.”
That earned him a swat as everyone laughed at the pair.
I took it all in. The flowers, the gardens with their romantic paths and trickling stream, Theo and Debbie beside me. Then I glanced from one face to the next, from one friend to the next, and realized something:
This is what family looks like.
It wasn’t just the people you were born to, but the ones who chose to show up, who made space for you and the people you love, who celebrated your happiness like it was their own.
Because it is.
“Where’s Elliot?” Sisi asked, looking around for the group’s other jolly giant.
“Getting Shane ready,” Mike said with a grin. “Apparently our groom is having a minor panic attack about his bow tie or shoes or . . . who knows. Shane never wears anything but jeans, so this whole day is a challenge.”
“And Mateo?”
“Pacing behind the dogwoods like a caged tiger,” Omar answered. “I’ve never seen him this nervous. It’s actually quite endearing.”
The musicians—a string quartet that looked like they took their work very seriously—began playing something soft and romantic as more guests filed in and took their seats. The anticipation in the air was palpable, that special energy that only weddings seemed to generate.
“This is really happening,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.
“Hard to believe, right?” Sisi said, settling into the chair beside me while Theo helped Debbie into the seat between us. “Mateo finally found someone who could understand him through his Italian accent, and Shane found a guy who appreciates his stony, non-verbal personality.”
