“Okay, true. But how about we say something more generic… like Jack!”
“Jack?” Lily looks doubtful. “It lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.”
“I mean, realistically, how many Jacks do you know? It’s the quintessential boring name. They could unite and form a new country, call it ‘New England.’?”
Lily laughs. “Okay, you’re right. So, we know Jack?”
“We love Jack,” I confirm. “He’s the best! And then we can say, ‘Are you friends of the groom or the bride?’ and whatever they say, we say the opposite.”
“Brilliant,” says Lily with a mischievous smile. “Lottie would be proud.”
Moments later, we are in the tent, slipping our heels back on, attempting to dust the sand from our dresses. Grains rattle to the ground, sounding like small beads hitting the floor. My heart is rattling, too, and the high is illicit and sweet-tasting. Lily was right, it really was as simple as walking in through the flap of the tent.
“Good job, partner,” whispers Lily from the corner of her mouth, her eyes trained ahead on the dance floor, waiting for security to pop up. “Now, act normal and maybe no one will notice us.”
“Hi,” a man says to my left. “I couldn’t help but notice you.”
“Shit,” says Lily under her breath. “That was fast.”
When I turn around, I’m shocked to see William standing before us, looking dapper in a tux.
“William!” I give him a quick hug. “What are you doing here?”
We’re not quite at the dating stage yet where we tell each other our every plan, but still, this feels like something he would have mentioned.
“I’m friends with the groom’s father, Jack. We’re old buddies from the golf club. It seems to be the season of weddings for me. My niece is getting married here, too.”
Lily shoots me a look at the mention of “Jack,” and I suppress a laugh by biting down on the inside of my cheek.
“This is my daughter, Lily,” I introduce them, straining to sound casual. This is not how I imagined their first meeting going down. “Lily, this is William, a friend of mine.”
She shoots me an inquisitive look but doesn’t push it. “Nice to meet you.”
William takes her hand. “I’m a big fan of your mother, Lily. It is so wonderful to finally meet you.”
Recognition dawns across her face. “You were at Gazebo a few weeks ago, right? You were in the Nantucket reds.” She says the phrase “Nantucket reds” like it’s a particularly horrifying detail.
“Guilty as charged,” says William, bowing slightly. Thankfully, he doesn’t catch her tone. “I’ve been quite infatuated with your mother ever since.”
Why does the wordinfatuatedmake me cringe? There’s something slightly ridiculous about his style of speech, but he’s also sweet, and he’s been nothing but kind. What is wrong with me? Why can’t I just be happy with a nice guy, for once?
“So, you’re dating?” asks Lily. She crosses her arms against her blue dress—the defiant expression at odds with the ethereal gown. She looks exactly like the headstrong teenager she once was. “You’re together?”
I can imagine what she’s feeling. I wonder if she’s doing the mental calculation, counting back to all those nights I said I was busy with “work” when I was really out with William these past few weeks. Logically, I know I don’t owe her every detail of my personal life, but I also recognize that she must feel confused by the secrecy.
William surrenders his hands to the air. “Well, we haven’t exactly ‘defined the relationship’ or however you young people put it, but I’m certainly smitten. I’m all hers if she’ll have me.”
Is this really happening right now? Is he truly asking for a relationship commitment in front of my kid?
“That’s very sweet,” is all I say, giving him a pat on his tux sleeve.
To his credit, William doesn’t let the awkward tension build. “Say, why didn’t I see you two during the ceremony at the chapel or for the seated portion of dinner?” asks William, looking around the tent at the white-clothed tables, as if double-checking to see if he has somehow missed our place cards.
Lily widens her eyes at me. The wind on the beach blew my hair out of its clip, so now it feels tangled and unkempt. I smooth it down to kill time. I can’t think of a believable lie, so I go with the truth. “Oh, it’s kind of a funny story. It has to do with that bucket list I found from my aunt.”
William leans in conspiratorially. “Wait a minute, are you two crashing?”
Lily makes another face at me behind his back, shaking her head no.
