door, the kids hovering around. Rome is catering the event, so he’s busy under a great big white tent, telling servers to be ready because the meal will come right after the ceremony.
The path along Selene’s garden is beautiful with spring in full bloom. The flowers aren’t overgrown, some looking like new buds just now coming to life. The bridal arch is decorated with an array of peach and pastel flowers with limited greenery. There are a few short rows of white chairs. With Brigette’s family not coming, they kept the ceremony small.
“It’s beautiful,” I softly say to myself. I expected nothing less. Brigette’s taste is exquisite.
There are no ushers, but halfway down the aisle, Mrs. Stone spots me and makes her way over.
“Juno,” she says, taking my hands. Her gaze shifts to Jason and back to me. “Come check on the groom with me?”
“Um.” I look at Jason, but he just smiles. “Jason, this is Colton’s mom, Mrs. Stone.”
“Macy.” She holds out her hand. “This girl was supposed to be my daughter-in-law and I still can’t get her to call me Macy.”
Jason’s eyebrows rise to his hairline and I don’t blame him.
“Mrs. Stone, I was never going to marry Colton,” I whisper.
She pats my hand. “Oh, you know what I mean. You were always so close, people assumed. I hoped.” She puts her hand over her heart.
Great. This is the last thing I need to get through today.
“Come. You don’t mind, do you, Jason? We’ll only be a moment.”
Mrs. Stone should team up with Grandma Dori. They’d be a power couple in getting people to go along with their agendas.
“Not at all. I’ll save your seat,” Jason says.
I smile graciously. “Thank you.”
We walk back down the aisle the way I came, Austin and Holly watching me from the corner of their eyes. I see they didn’t bring Easton.
“Juno.” Harley stops to say hello right before we’re about to walk into the house.
Selene starts talking to Mrs. Stone about how the bride’s room and the groom’s room are on opposite floors, that she put Colton in her painting room to make sure of it.
“Where are you going?” Harley whispers.
“Aunt Juno. Aunt Juno!” Dion jumps up and down in front of me, grabbing at my dress. I take his hands before he ruins it.
“Dion,” Harley scolds and he stares up at me with a look like I got him in trouble.
“Mrs. Stone wants me to check on Colton.” I give Harley the look that suggests I should not see him. It’s bad enough I have to witness him getting married. I’d shut my eyes and plug my ears like a child during the ceremony if I could.
“Good luck,” Harley says.
As I’m giving her a “yeah right” expression, Stella’s head pop out of the stairway. What the hell?
“What’s up, Dion?” Kingston rounds the corner.
Dion runs over to him. He’s the fun uncle. Kingston picks him up and twirls him around. My little brother is in a suit and looks way too grown-up. When did he get so old and where is that little boy with the mop of brown hair who sulked in the corner all the time?
“Come on, I heard they have bubbles,” he whispers to Calista and Phoebe at his legs.
All three cheer and follow him as if he’s Santa Claus.
“Kingston, those are for after,” Selene yells, hearing everything even if she’s distracted by someone else.
“Only a few, Mrs. Harrison.” He winks.
I turn back to see Selene smiling at him as if he’s her own.
“Okay, let’s go, Juno.” Mrs. Stone takes my hand and we slide through the glass door.
I give Harley one last look that I hope asks her to pray for me, and she laughs.
As we walk through the living area, I almost knock down a trinket of I have no idea what. There’re a lot of trinkets. Selene is an artist and I love her work, but there’s so much in here, I’m afraid of breaking something.
“Juno,” Stella whispers, showing her face one more time after Mrs. Stone has released my hand on her way to the painting room, where Colton is getting ready.
“I’m just going to run to the bathroom, Mrs. Stone. I’ll be right behind you.”
She stops and sulks. “Hurry up. You were my excuse to go in there. But I am his mom, so the hell with it. It’s his big day.”
After her own pep talk, Mrs. Stone knocks on the door then enters. I don’t hear Colton say anything, so I take it