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Kerry paused as they waited at the near the bottom of the steps for the crowd to clear, spotting her mother standing near the grand entrance, talking to her staff, while the rest of the wedding party assembled.   “Dar?”

“Hm?” Dar removed a pair of gloves from her jacket pocket. “Here. These are yours.”

Kerry took them. “Next time I volunteer for something like this, spank me.”

“Hang in there, hon.” Dar draped an arm over her shoulders. “It'll be over before you know it.”

She knew that. Kerry put her gloves on and sighed, content to stay in her little huddle of Roberts before she had to join the gathering of wedding party assembling at the door.

“Ah, Kerrison.”  Her mother spotted her and headed over.  “All ready?” She turned to the others. “I am so sorry we don't have room in the limos for you to join us.. would you like my driver to take you over to the church?”

“We're fine.” Ceci answered graciously. “But if there's not much room, maybe Kerry should ride with us.”  She offered “After all, she knows how to get there. I'd hate for Dar to get lost and end up at Dairy Queen.”

“Ah wouldn't.” Andrew muttered, under his breath.

“Oh.” Cynthia Stuart seemed taken aback. “Well... “ She half turned. “Kerrison would you mind terribly? Then Aunt Mildred can ride with us. She's quite upset.”

“No, mother. I would be glad to.” Kerry answered, in the warmest, most sincere tone possible. “I know Aunt Mildred really wanted to be with you, please.  Let her take my place.”  She said. “We'll meet you over there.”

Cynthia smiled. “Thank you.” She said. “Let me go let her know.  See you at the church shortly.” She hurried away, leaving them to edge down the stairs and thread their way through the crowd.

“That was slick.”  Dar commented, as they ducked out the front door and she blinked at the snow hitting her face. “Nice job, mom.”

Ceci chuckled as they walked past the waiting limos.  Each one had at least one doorman standing by, and they had to pick their way carefully past the clouds of exhaust obscuring the snow slick driveway to the bottom of the entrance, where a dark blue SUV was parked.

Kerry glanced behind her as they got to the car, watching the swirl of activity around the limos as the rest of the wedding party got situated.  She imagined herself getting into the car with them, the women and her relatives so far nothing more than a collection of disapproving eyeballs she'd had to deal with over breakfast.

Why had she thought it would be different this time?  Because her mother had visited her in Miami, and liked her cabin? She got in the car and repeated the question aloud. “Thanks mom. I have no clue why I thought things would be that much better this trip.”

“Well.” Ceci got in behind Dar, while Andy folded his long legs in behind Kerry's seat. “Just think of being here for your sister, kiddo.  The hell with everyone else.”

Dar put the car into drive, and eased forward, leaving the brightly lit mansion behind.

* * *

The church was already filling when they got there, parking as close to the building as they could in deference to the worsening weather.  Kerry spotted the press there, and as they climbed up the steps to the front door to the stately brick church the press spotted them.

Andy got between them and the men though, and they made it to the door and inside before the cameras could catch them. “Jackass.”  He shook the snow off his shoulders as they cleared the door, almost crashing into a tall, spare man with a priest's collar.  “Sorry bout that.”

The man's face twitched, as he recognized Kerry. “Miss Stuart.” He said. “Your sister is in the second dressing room. She was asking for you.”

Kerry took a breath and released it. “Thanks.” She touched Dar's arm. “Go on in and sit down. I'll meet up with you after the service.”

Dar patted her on the side. “Say hi to Angie for me.”

“I will.” Kerry ducked past the pastor and slipped into the inner hallway, that led to the schoolrooms and side chambers she remembered roaming through as a child.   The smell was still the same, a mixture of wax and old paper, the wooden floorboards creaking a little under her steps. 

Happy memories, the earliest of them.  A time when Sunday school was just a time to gather with her friends, and listen to Pastor Robert, then himself just out of seminary, teach them basic, simple lessons that held no charge and didn't weigh them down morally.

She remembered learning to sing hymns, though she never stood out in that regard as some of her classmates had, and the times when they'd decorated the church for this festival, or that one. 

Sunday service with her family, sitting in the first pew, not understanding then why everyone paid so close attention to them, or why her father was always the center of attention.

The place rubbed her raw now.   She found the second dressing room and knocked lightly on it, loosening the belt on her coat as the door opened and swung back and she spotted her sister inside. “Hey Ang.”

“There you are!” Angie looked up from fiddling with her bouquet and waved her inside. “I thought you'd never get here.”

Kerry smiled and entered, removing her scarf and hanging it on the coat rack just inside the door. “I skipped the limo.” She said. “Or I'd still probably on our mother's doorstep.”

“Ugh.” Angie got the ribbons sorted and put the bouquet down. “I should have stuck to my idea of having it be just mom, you and mike, us, and the justice of the peace.”  She turned as Kerry stripped off her coat and hung it up. “Dar outside?”

“I left her and her folks with Pastor Durham.” Kerry turned to face her sister. “I figure if he survives he'll just shut up and marry you without any commentary.”

Angie grinned.  “I love that dress.” She complimented her sister. “You look gorgeous.”

Kerry felt her shoulders relax and she grinned back. “You too.” She said. “I really like that lace top.” She joined her sister, who was wearing a cream colored dress, simple and elegant, strapless as her own was and flattering to her somewhat angular figure.  “Was the strapless bit your idea of rebellion?”

Angie chuckled. “Hey, it's my second time.” She said. “They say you're supposed to know what you're doing after the first, and none of this princess neckline stuff or veils.  Besides.” She studied Kerry's chest. “I wanted everyone to see my sister's gorgeous tattoo.”

Kerry glanced down at the mark, the snake's intricate scale pattern glistening slightly, it's sinuous body wrapping in and out of Dar's name inked clearly and distinctly on her skin.  “Everyone's going to freak.”

“Yeah,  I know.”  Angie admitted. “But I may break dance with Brian at the banquet so at least they'll all be loosened up for it.” She gently touched the tattoo. “Are you mad?”

Kerry thought about that. “No.  Everyone's going to be pissed off at me on general principals. Might as well give them a solid reason.”  She sighed. “Too bad you and Brian couldn't have gotten married down at our place last week.”

“I wish.”  Angie patted her sister's shoulder. “But remember Mike stayed those extra two days?”

“Yeah?”

“He got his nose pierced.”

Kerry covered her eyes with one hand. “Jesus.”

“So don't worry sis.” Angie chuckled. “You really are going to turn out to be the Republican in the family.”

* * *

Pastor Durham cleared his throat. “You are friends of Kerrison, I believe?” He said, in a chilly voice.

Dar regarded him, then extended her hand. “We met in the hospital.” She said. “I”m Dar Roberts, Kerry's partner.”  She waited for him to very reluctantly shake her hand. “These are my parents, Andrew and Cecilia Roberts.”