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  Nana smiled, “Oh stop.”

  We both had a laugh. Nana walked through the condo and made sure everything was turned off and locked up tight.

  “It was so kind of Morgan to call me personally and invite me to the wedding.”

  “She’s a nice lady. AJ, and by extension your family, has done a great deal for her. We all hope that you will join in all future family activities.”

  “I would like that.”

  “You would think so, but I’ll warn you, we are a weird but wonderful bunch. We are loud. We are annoying at times. We are always in each other’s business, and occasionally in each other’s way, but if you can put up with that, the payoff is pretty good.”

  “I’ll look forward to it. Shall we go?”

  I offered to drop Nana off at the door, but she preferred to walk from the public lot with me. We were well early so I figured there was no harm in a nice little saunter. The woman left me in the dirt. So much for respecting your elder’s frailties.

  We walked into the reception area at the bottom of the big round staircase. AJ was taking pictures of the flower girl and Jordan sliding down the grand staircase in fancy dress and tux. It would be a great picture.

  “Hi.” He turned at the sound of my voice.

  “Damn! You look… Nana?” His attention had obviously drifted away from my near perfect self.

  “Hello, Sweetheart.”

  “I’m surprised to see you. You look great.”

  “Morgan graciously invited me at the last moment. Cara was kind enough to pick me up. I thought I’d surprise you.”

  “You mean you thought you would sneak behind my back so that I wouldn’t rush around here and run over there to pick you up.”

  “That too.”

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  My parents appeared from nowhere. I couldn’t believe how nice they looked together. Like real people! Okay, I didn’t say that right, but my parents usually look like, well, like parents. Today they look like, well, like real people. Someone separate and apart from me. It was weird.

  I’ve seen my parents dressed up before, it isn’t like they hang out in sweats at formal occasions, but still, there was just something very different about today. I’ll have to think about that.

  More and more guests arrived. Jovana had opened up one of the big downstairs conference rooms behind the staircase. Bottled water. My guess is they figured the better part of good planning was not providing anything guests were likely to spill on themselves that would show in the pictures. There would be children there. What is a family celebration, without the best part of a family?

  Jordan came zipping up to my mom. “Grandma, Mom needs you.”

  I grabbed my mom before she could get away. “Did you give her the box yet?”

  “Yes, Love, I did. I thought that I would ask her to invite you girls in the room, as is our tradition, but she is quite set on no one seeing her before the wedding, and with all the respect she has given our tradition, I could not impose one more. We did get it all on film. I hope that will suffice for you and your sisters.”

  “I think that is perfect. You’d better go.”

  “Tell your father what I’m up to.”

  “I will.”

  Daddy was off talking to everyone and mingling. My father. The man who never says four words in a row. It was pretty amazing to watch.

  Teagan, Jessie, and their guest arrived. “Cara, you look lovely today.”

  “Thank you Adeline. Looks like you have been out and about. Made it to the salon. You are stunning.”

  “Your sister actually did my hair for me. She may have missed her calling.”

  “Oh, she didn’t miss it. It’s just in her head, all things glamour are about making herself more lovely, not the rest of us.”

  “Well, she is obviously successful.”

  Teagan glowed. She just loves the mushy stuff, when it’s about her.

  Jessie was in a dark suit, dark purple shirt and beautiful print tie.

  Teagan was wearing a beautiful dress. It looked like someone had taken wide, really heavy satin ribbons and sewn them together to create a really fitted dress with the seams running north to south. Then, at the top of the dress, they created a fan effect with the width of each ribbon as their guide, as the fabric stood upright and folded in and out. The ribbons were lined with jewel toned satin fabric that peeked out when Teagan moved. She looked unbelievable. And because Teagan is Teagan and Jessie is Jessie, the fabric that peeked out, perfectly coordinated with Jessie’s tie. It should be noted that Teagan’s shoes were spectacular. They were just high enough to make your heart pound, without being so high that you would spend the whole night freaked out, waiting for her to fall. Truth is, Teagan could probably run a short marathon in those puppies, but normal people would never suspect that.

  We mingled and talked and made sure that Nana and Adeline were properly introduced and well taken care of.

  When the time came, Jovana, glowing with excitement, asked that we begin to make our way upstairs to the ballroom. Some decided to take the stairs, we used Teagan’s high heels as an excuse and took Adeline and Nana up in the elevator. Chances are actually good, that those two women are more capable of making it up the stairs than eighty-five percent of the guests, but why take a chance?

  The area for the wedding was staggeringly beautiful. They had taken one of the huge windows, toned down the light somehow, and followed the curves of the architecture with flowers. The actual ceremony, when photographed from down the aisle, would be outlined in flowers. It would be beautiful. It dawned on me that I am beginning to look at everything the way it will look in a picture. Maybe AJ is rubbing off on me. Then the whole AJ rubbing on me, got my brain in a whole other direction, and when his grandma said something to me, yikes, what a game changer.

  Back to reality, we took our seats and chatted, figuring it would be a while. The bride is always late.

  Should have known better.

  Morgan is that serene and organized person that we all aspire to be.

  Two minutes after the last person was seated, my brother appeared from the side and stood just within the flowers outlining the window behind him. From the other side, an older gentleman in a navy suit appeared. I’m guessing he is the officiant. Then it dawned on me. Considering we are Irish Catholic, it’s a pretty big deal that Morgan and Liam aren’t marrying in a church, so maybe the over Irish tradition thing isn’t as unbalanced as I was thinking.

  I wasn’t even completely done with that thought, when my mom was escorted up the aisle, as was Morgan’s mom. Then my dad was next to my mom.

  Liam was letting off an aura of excitement and happiness that fully engulfed the entire room, and everyone in it.

  The music started.

  Everyone stood.

  The flower girl made her way down the middle of the aisle. She got to the very front, forgot what she was supposed to do next, ran up to Liam, kissed him, then ran to her dad. I hope they got it on film.

  Next Jordan as Morgan’s best man, walked down the aisle.

  Then Morgan and her dad.

  He looked so proud.

  She looked angelic.

  She was wearing a traditional ball gown. Subtle white, not the brilliant white of brides gone by. It was very well fitted through the bodice with just a hint of a sweetheart neckline. The back was laced up with a wide ribbon. At the hips it flared out to a very full ball gown with a really long train. The cut of the dress was very classic and very simple. It was the fabric that gave it all its glory. It looked like they’d taken thousands of flower appliques and arranged them. Some laying flat. Some with dimension. With beautiful beading in patterns to highlight the appliques.

  The dress must weigh a ton, but Morgan seemed to float down the aisle. She wore a crown of wildflowers in her hair, an Irish tradition, and carried a bouquet with a mix of wild flowers and roses, some exotic flowers with just the right hint of color, w
ith no green in sight.

  Every good Irish person knows that green on your wedding day is bad luck; it calls to the fairies to come. If the bride were to lift both her feet off the floor, they might secret her away.

  Granted, modern brides are not quite as superstitious as those of a few hundred years ago, but it’s lovely that Morgan would respect the ways of old. There is honor in tradition, along with comfort, and more than a little weirdness.

  Seemed like the actual wedding ceremony only took moments. As is our custom, the bells handed out at the beginning of the ceremony were rung right after the vows were exchanged. In their married life, when Morgan and Liam hear bells, it will remind them of that vow and that commitment. Maybe not the same as an angel getting its wings, but still, significant.

  They recited semi-traditional Irish vows.

  The bride and groom danced back down the aisle, followed by the flower girl and the best man. Then the parents of the bride and groom, beaming, walked down the aisle and out the doors.

  We were invited to join the wedding party in an adjacent conference room. There was a beautiful backdrop set up at the end of the small room, and each of us was invited to take a picture with the bride and groom, individually or as a group.

  With all the catcalls and jokes made, some of those pictures are going to be priceless.

  When all the pictures were taken, which didn’t take long since there were two photographers taking them, we were invited back to the ballroom.

  While we’d been having pictures taken, the ballroom had been transformed.

  Where just minutes before there had been an area for the ceremony, that was completely gone. To the left of where the chairs for the ceremony had been, was now the DJ’s sound equipment.

  Where the flowers had outlined the window, creating the perfect backdrop for the bride and groom making their vows, the wedding cake was now centered.

  To the right of where the chairs had been for the ceremony, the divider had been taken down. At the far end of the huge room, a buffet was set up. Long tables with silver serving dishes arranged at different heights, full of fabulous food. Cruise buffets and Las Vegas can’t do a better job than Jovana did. The only thing we were missing was an eight-foot ice sculpture.

  As we entered the door, there was a table with place cards. The outside of the card was framed with teal blue. I found the table with teal blue sand in the centerpiece and placed my card near a plate. I’d grabbed AJ’s as well, but I’m not convinced he will sit down long enough to require an actual chair. Nana and Adeline were at our table as well. So was one of my aunts, and a couple of friends of Morgan’s family.

  Morgan had disappeared when the pictures in the conference room were done.

  The DJ announced Mr. and Mrs. Liam O’Flynn, and in walked Liam and Morgan. He was still in his tux; Morgan was in a different dress. Gorgeous. Soft white. Same neckline, but this one was a fitted column dress, with lots of beading, but no appliques.

  Servers came around with drinks.

  The wedding party and parents made their way down the buffet.

  The DJ called us to the buffet one table at a time. For the people not standing in line at the buffet, drinks were brought to the tables.

  We got our food, enjoyed the meal and the company.

  Morgan and Liam came to each table to talk to their guests. It was then I got to get a close-up look at her dress.

  “I love both dresses.”

  “Just one dress.”

  “But it was a ball gown and now it isn’t.”

  “It had an overskirt that Velcro-ed on and off and some appliques that were on chiffon that came off too.”

  “Genius.”

  “I think the designer is going to go a long way. When I told her that I was going to marry a traditional Irish guy, she knew just what to do. The appliques are all of Irish flowers. There is a horseshoe, a little golden one, sewn into the dress, she will take it out and it becomes a charm or a necklace. There are little bells embroidered into the dress. She even has Jordan’s name in beads.” She showed me the personal touch.

  I introduced Morgan and Liam to Nana and Adeline.

  “The dress is beautiful, but it is the woman in it that truly shines, you are a very lucky young man.”

  Liam all but burst with pride, “I am a lucky man.”

  The whole table responded, “We know!” Good-natured laughter all around.

  The tables were cleared, the bride danced with her groom, and the groom with our mother, then my dad was dancing with her mother, and my mother was dancing with her father, then the bride was dancing with her son, and the groom was dancing with their flower girl.

  After that first dance, Liam and Morgan took to the microphone, thanked everyone for coming, their parents, then Jovana and her husband. They looked shocked. Liam and Morgan explained that without the help of Jovana and her husband, who they’d never met before their generous offer of the use of the ballroom, they would have been unable to have their fantasy wedding. The music came up. Morgan and Liam looked like they would waltz, but instead, grabbed Jovana and her husband, and danced them around the ballroom like they knew what they were doing. It was stunning. Who knew my brother could dance like that. Morgan is such a good influence. They must have been practicing for a while now.

  The next dance, Morgan took AJ out on the dance floor and Liam took Sara. The DJ announced that the dress was Sara’s design, and was commissioned with great help from AJ.

  After that, the party really got going.

  Lots of dancing. Lots of eating for those that found their way to seconds and thirds from the buffet. Lots of drinking. Lots of story telling. Lots of blending of family and friends.

  At one point, a very proper looking woman accompanied Morgan to our table. She was introduced as Nana Jo. It is sometimes the most innocent comments that shove you in a whole new direction.

  “Cara, you and your sisters are such a testimonial to the wonder of nature. Each of you looks so different.”

  “We’ve talked to my mom about that, but she swears we are actually related.”

  Teagan piped in, “It would answer a lot of questions if we were adopted, or something.”

  Nana Jo smiled politely, “What came to my mind is that although none of you girls look the least little bit alike, you all look just like your momma.”

  Teagan and I must have shown our confusion.

  “Just look at Teagan. She has her eyes. If you look at your mother, you can see each of you girls. If you look at you girls, you can see your mother. It’s when you look at each other that you don’t see it, but just wait, as you get older, you will.”

  “What a lovely thought.”

  We moved onto the next subject.

  AJ finally had a few minutes to dance. When we’d had our dance, he danced with my mom and his Nana.

  Nana and Adeline were the bells of the ball. No pun intended. They danced the evening through.

  The cake was cut, the last of the toasts were made, and I realized I was more tired than I’d been in a long time, a happy tired. We left in a little caravan. Jessie led the way, then Teagan, then me.

  Teagan and Jessie would follow me home, while AJ brought Nana home.

  Adeline was going home with Jovana.

  When we were most of the way to the apartment, I called Teagan at a stoplight. “You got a minute?”

  “Why?”

  “I got to thinking. I need your help to check something. It should only take a couple of minutes.”

  “Let me check with Jessie, I’ll call you right back.”

  I thought it through while I drove.

  My phone rang two exists before the apartment.

  “Jessie will drop me at your place, then go over to my place. He’s got some calls to make anyway. He said you can borrow me for no more than 45 minutes and you need to bring me home when you are done with me.”

  We laughed.

  When we got in the apartment, and I went straight to the com
puter. I didn’t even kick off my shoes. That never happens.

  “So, what?”

  “Something Nana Jo said. Can you just do something for me? Can you just get us back to that woman you found, the one you are so convinced is Jerkface’s sister?”

  “You can do that Cara. Just go into your history file.”

  “Good idea, but it was on your laptop, not my computer.”

  “Good point. Give me a minute.”

  She typed away, trying to retrace her steps. After a few minutes, and a few cuss words, she found it.