Lily looked around with wide eyes, taking in the grandeur of the room, the towering ice sculptures, the string quartet playing softly in the corner. She had never seen anything like this. Neither had Nathan. If he was being honest. The ceremony began at 6:00 sharp.
Rachel walked down the aisle in a gown that probably cost more than Nathan's annual salary. Her face radiant with the kind of happiness he hadn't seen since the early years of their marriage. Brandon waited for her at the altar, tall and confident. His smile bright enough to be seen from the back row. Nathan watched them exchange vows, their voices amplified through hidden speakers, and he felt something strange settle in his chest.
Not jealousy, exactly, but a dull ache of recognition. He had once stood where Brandon was standing. He had once believed that love was enough to build a life on. He had been wrong. Lily tugged at his sleeve as the officiant pronounced them husband and wife.
"Daddy, why does Mommy look so happy? " Her voice was innocent, curious, without any of the complicated emotions that churned beneath Nathan's carefully composed exterior. He looked down at her and managed a smile that he hoped didn't look as hollow as it felt. "Because she's starting a new chapter," he said quietly. "And new chapters are exciting. " The reception that followed was a carefully choreographed display of wealth and taste. Waiters in white gloves circulated with trays of hors d'oeuvres that Nathan couldn't identify.
A 12-piece band replaced the string quartet, filling the ballroom with music that made conversation difficult and mingling mandatory. Nathan stayed close to Lily, fetching her plates of food from the buffet, making sure she had enough to drink, keeping her entertained with quiet games and whispered jokes. He was trying to be invisible to get through the evening without drawing attention to himself, without becoming a story that guests would tell at brunch the next morning. That plan lasted approximately 45 minutes. Rachel found him near the dessert table, where Lily was carefully selecting a chocolate eclair from an arrangement that looked more like art than food.
The bride was still in her wedding gown, though she had changed into more comfortable shoes, and she approached Nathan with the kind of gracious smile that never quite reached her eyes. Two of her bridesmaids flanked her like bodyguards, their faces arranged in expressions of polite curiosity. Nathan, you came. Rachel's voice was warm, pleasant, pitched perfectly for the audience she knew was watching. I wasn't sure you would.
Nathan straightened his shoulders, keeping his expression neutral. Lily wanted me here. Of course she did. Rachel glanced at their daughter, who was obliviously focused on her eclair, then turned back to Nathan with that same practiced smile. I'm glad you could make it, really.
I just assumed you'd bring someone. A girlfriend, maybe? Or are you still She let the sentence trail off, the implication hanging in the air like a bad smell. Still what? Nathan asked, though he already knew the answer.