“Bunches of peonies and hydrangea.” Mia’s eyes sparkled. “And Olivia is going to scatter rose petals up the aisle and there will be large urns of flowers at the ends of the front two rows of chairs. It’s going to be gorgeous.”
“It will be,” Vanessa agreed, and leaned on the railing to watch the staff set up the guests’ chairs in a fan shape in front of the altar.
She continued to watch all the scurrying below and wondered what it would be like to have a day like this. It was painful to admit even to herself, but secretly, she couldn’t help but envy the fairy-tale wedding, with Mia a bride so beautiful she could have stepped right out of the pages of a magazine, and Beck a real life Prince Charming. In her heart, Vanessa most envied that Mia had found someone wonderful who truly loved her, someone who would love her for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, and all the rest of the promises that people made on their wedding day. For Vanessa, none of those promises had been kept. For Mia, Vanessa was certain that Beck would keep every one.
She deserves it all, Vanessa reflected, and I truly am so very happy for her. She deserves to have it alclass="underline" the dress and the fabulous day and the wonderful guy and the happily-ever-after-and yes, even the one-thousand-plus glazed lemon cookies. Mia has done the right thing all her life, has made all the right decisions, and had the good fortune and the good sense to fall in love with a very special guy who loves her deeply.
Vanessa couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have such a day, such a life. The envy she felt wasn’t the soul-killing, turn-green-and-spit-fire kind, but more a wistful, I-wonder-what-it-would-have-been-like-if-I’d-been-more-like-her envy. And maybe it was also partly because Mia was the person Vanessa wished she’d grown up to be.
“Ness?” Mia was calling to her. “Ness?”
“Oh. Sorry.” Vanessa planted a huge smile on her face before turning around. “I was just watching the goings-on and must have zoned out.”
“Well, zone back in. It’s your turn.”
Vanessa came back into the room, her smile intact, and placed a kiss on Mia’s cheek as she walked past on her way to the chair where the hairdresser waited.
“What was that for?” Mia asked.
“Just because I’m happy for you,” Vanessa said, and meant it.
“Aw, thanks, Ness. I’d kiss you back, but I just had this mouth painted on.” Mia pointed to her very rosy lips.
“I spent ten minutes on that mouth,” the makeup artist reminded her. “Do not mess with the mouth.”
The chatter started back up again with the arrival of the photographer. Vanessa sat while her hair was being blown out, watching and listening, happy to be there, grateful that she was part of this wonderful day when all was right in the world.
She held on to that feeling while her makeup was being applied and she slid into the light-as-a-feather green silk dress; while she floated down the stairs with the other members of the bridal party; while she listened to the strings begin to play. She felt as if she had a part in a magical play-until she started down the aisle and made the mistake of glancing to her right. There, in the last row of seats, in the chair closest to the aisle, stood a woman who looked so much like her mother they could have been twins. Vanessa did a double take.
The woman winked and waved.
Dear God, it was her mother.
Feeling a bit like a deer caught in the headlights, Vanessa somehow managed to make it down the aisle without missing a step.
How had Maggie found out about the wedding? Surely Beck hadn’t invited her. Beck never spoke to her. Hell, he rarely spoke of her.
What in the name of all that’s holy was she doing there?
And oh, God, what was Beck going to do when he saw her?
Vanessa took her place at the head of the aisle and maintained a fixed smile, even when she met Beck’s eyes. She detected no hellfire burning there, so he apparently hadn’t gotten the good news yet. She focused on Anne Marie, and then on Mia, who appeared at the foot of the aisle between her handsome brothers.
Mia was a picture-perfect bride, with every detail just so, from the flowers in her hair to the amazing gown. Vanessa stole a glance at Beck, who looked positively gob-smacked, and definitely close to needing oxygen. Then her gaze locked with Grady’s for a moment, and she felt the color rise in her cheeks, as if he could read her mind to know that she’d awakened that morning thinking about him.
The minister stood at the flower-covered altar and stepped forward to begin the ceremony. Vanessa barely heard a word, her attention divided between thinking about Grady and the big uh-oh back there in the last row.
The minister pronounced Beck and Mia husband and wife, they kissed, and Annie handed Mia her bouquet, which Annie had held while the rings were exchanged. The bride and groom turned to their guests and the strings began to play the recessional. The newly married couple was halfway down the aisle when Beck momentarily froze. Vanessa closed her eyes as Annie and Hal fell in behind Beck and Mia as they’d rehearsed, followed by Andy and Dorsey.
“Vanessa.” Grady was at her elbow.
“Oh.” Her eyes flew open and she took his arm just as a smiling Maggie took one step toward the aisle to greet Beck and Mia. Vanessa held her breath as Beck walked past Maggie, apparently without giving any sign of recognition, judging by Maggie’s reaction.
“Oh, dear God,” Vanessa muttered. “Why did she have to do that?”
“What?” Grady leaned closer.
Vanessa just shook her head and craned her neck to see if Hal had noticed Maggie, but she guessed he had not. Not yet, at least. Hal never would have ignored her the way Beck had.
But how would the tenderhearted Hal react when he realized that Maggie was there? Remembering the toast he’d given on Thursday night, one might suspect that Hal had always carried a torch for the woman who had given birth to his son and whom he’d once hoped to marry.
Well, Beck once said he wanted fireworks at his wedding, Vanessa recalled. I don’t think this is what he had in mind, but if you toss a thought out into the cosmos, you better be prepared for whatever form it takes when it comes back at you.
The guests followed the wedding party onto the veranda, where the cocktail party was to take place.
“How about a glass of champagne?” Grady asked.
“Oh, yes. Please,” she replied.
He signaled the waiter as Maggie stepped onto the porch.
“On second thought”-Vanessa grabbed Grady’s arm-“ask him to bring the whole bottle…”
From the corner of her eye, Vanessa tried to keep track of her mother in the crowd. For most of the cocktail party, Maggie kept to herself, standing alone at the doorway to the lobby, or on the lawn, sipping her champagne and looking uncomfortable.
Well, what did she expect? Vanessa thought. Did she really think that Beck would welcome her with open arms?
Apparently, she had. Otherwise, why would she have come, uninvited and unexpected?
Vanessa sighed deeply.
“Excuse me,” she said to Grady. “There’s someone here I need to talk to.”
She walked to the doorway and stopped in front of her mother.
“Hello, Maggie,” she said.
“Well, at least you remember me, which is more than your brother seems to do.”
“Oh, come on. What did you expect him to do? Seriously.”
“I guess I didn’t think about it, other than, oh, my son is getting married. This might be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for all these years.” She wiped a tear from her face. “I can’t believe he looked right through me like that, as if I didn’t exist.”
“Maggie, don’t play that card. Don’t pretend to be the injured party. You abandoned him, it wasn’t the other way around.”
“What could you possibly know about that?” Maggie’s eyes narrowed. “What could you possibly know-”
“I know what Beck’s told me, that you brought him to Hal and dumped him and went back to your life. Are you going to tell me it happened any other way?”