When I find Ben on the front row, I throw him a wink and he blushes. Last night in bed I told him I’d buy him all the Legos he wanted if he said I was better looking than my brother.
He’d snorted and said, “Youare.”
I have to tear my gaze away from him as Pachelbel’s canon starts up.
Of course they have an actual string quartet. The effect is quite beautiful.
Mercy steps out from the country house she’s been waiting inside. She is statuesque and regal in her beauty. A simple white dress exposes her elegant shoulders and is offset by the dark tone of her skin. She’s breathtaking.
When I look back at my brother, he has tears in his eyes.
Oh god, so do I.
People are openly blubbering now. Why am I crying at a wedding? This has never happened before. Is it because it’smy brother and I want to see him happy? Or is it because I can imagine standing at that altar with Ben? Maybe a little of both. My heart stutters as Mercy reaches Noah at the altar and passes the bouquet to Carina—her maid of honor.
For once, I’m not bored by the vows. They say the regular old words, but I feel like Noah and Mercy imbue them with so much meaning, it feels like they’re reciting intimate love poems.
They kiss and everyone cheers. When I look at Ben, he’s beaming.
The happy couple make the rounds at the reception inside the boutique barn of the country house. It’s decorated with faux-handmade center pieces, fairy lights strung up everywhere.
There is a hint of ‘new money’ about it and I briefly wonder what Ben thinks about it all when he calls my name. I turn my head.
“Say cheese,” he says before snapping my picture on one of the instant cameras that are placed on every table.
“That’ll be a good one,” he says, winding the film. “If it turns out.”
We’re seated on the family table with Papa and my aunts and grandparents. Noah’s best man is his teammate and a guy he’s known for years and sees every day. He gets up to make a speech, bragging about how he introduced the happy couple. He’s funny and a much better best man than I would have been. Noah was apologetic when he told me he’d chosen Isaac to be his best man. He told me he didn’t want to put the extra work on my plate when I was away at school and focusing on end of year finals and tennis regionals. I really didn’t mind. For once, I didn’t feel inadequate or like I’d been left out. I was able to look at the choice through a different lens. And I don’tneed everyone else to tell me I’m important or special. I only have to think about how Ben looks at me, and I know.
Ben is excellent at making polite conversation with Papa. Papa’s in a good mood and a little tipsy. He smiles as Ben tells him about our final against Stanford.
“I watched your videos online,” Papa tells Ben. “You guys wiped the floor with those guys.”
“You did?” I cut in.
“Of course I did!” Papa says. “I’m only sorry I couldn’t be there in person, but you know everything was crazy here with the wedding and the Champion’s League final.”
My heart sinks a little, but I remind myself that it doesn’t matter. If Noah’s finals overshadow mine for the rest of my life, it won’t matter.
“Stanford is our arch nemesis,” Ben tells Papa. “So it felt extra awesome to beat them.”
I catch Carina watching Ben with a big grin on her face, her chin rested on her hand.
She sighs dramatically. “I could listen to you talk all night.”
Ben blushes furiously and Papa laughs. “Leave the boy alone,” he says. “Ignore her, she watches too many Hollywood movies. She thinks Americans are all frat boys and quarterbacks.”
“But he is!” Carina argues.
“Not for long,” I say. “He graduates in a few weeks.” My heart swells with pride. My future husband—if I have anything to do with it—is a Princeton alumnus and the co-CEO of a company that cares about the future of young athletes. “You’re so impressive,” I say.
Ben looks down with a shy smile.
“You two are too cute,” Carina says. “Tell me the story ofhow you fell in love again, please? It’s like that one with Kate Hudson and Mathew McConaughey.”
“It is not.”
We argue over which stupid rom-com our story is like and I feel Ben’s eyes on me the whole time, smiling.
