“Mommy, are you okay?” Junie asked.
“They’re happy tears,” Shiloh said.
“Mommy, you okay?” Gus said.
“I’m okay.”
“Don’t cry.”
“Okay, Gus-Gus, I won’t.”
Cary hadn’t wanted alcohol at the reception, not with all his sisters there and their grown kids. Shiloh had worried that would mean no one would dance. But her friends from the theater didn’t need booze to make a scene.
After the first dance, Cary wanted to walk around and thank everyone personally for coming. Shiloh wanted to sit on the dark side of the room, gossiping with Tom and Daniel, and letting Gus eat more cake.
She’d loaded the reception playlist with songs about people named “Carrie” and “Carey.” Plus “Voices Carry” and “Carry On Wayward Son.” Every time one came on, Cary found Shiloh across the room and smiled at her.
That was her husband. (That had legally been her husband for months.Cary was relentless—they’d gone to the courthouse two weeks after he gave her a ring.)
Three of Cary’s friends from his early days in the Navy had flown in for the wedding. He was taking the opportunity to visit with them. He was the only one of them not in uniform.
Shiloh kept an eye on him.
Shiloh and Gus ate so much cake. Junie danced like a little maniac.
The reception was winding down when Cary came to Shiloh’s table. “You have to dance with me,” he said. “It’s my wedding.”
“He makes a compelling case,” Tom said. Tom liked Cary. Tom liked anyone who could quickly get off book.
Cary took Shiloh’s hand. She groaned.
Junie ran up to their table. “Mommy, will youpleasedance with me? I’ve been waiting all night!”
“She makes a compelling case,” Cary said.
Shiloh stood up. She handed Gus off to Cary and took Junie’s hand. All four of them walked out to the dance floor.
The song was “Babe” by Styx. Shiloh had always liked Styx. Even though they were a hessian band.
Shiloh held Junie’s hands and sang to her.
Cary dipped Gus backwards and swung him from side to side. Gus loved it—until he didn’t. “Gus wants to dance with Mommy!”
“Iwant to dance with Mommy,” Shiloh corrected.
Shiloh took Gus, and Cary picked up Junie. The four of them swayed. Cary sang, too.
“This doesn’t count,” he said to Shiloh during an instrumental break.
Before the song was over, Cary was waving over Shiloh’s mom to come get the kids. Shiloh let Gus go.
Cary put an arm around her waist and took her hand. The Styx song started over from the beginning.
Shiloh laughed. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, wow, is thisyourbridal dance?”
“Yes. I waited until people started to leave. No one’s staring at you.”
“You are.”
