She decides to think about it later. Right now, she wants to focus on her daughter.
Willa, Carson, and Vivi get ready together at Money Pit. Vivi has made a spectacular fruit salad （she went to the trouble of peeling six kiwis, even though nobody ever eats them）， and right after her run, she picked up cheddar scones from Born and Bread.
Only Carson eats. Willa is too nervous, Vivi too excited.
Vivi opens a bottle of vintage Veuve Clicquot and makes mimosas with fresh-squeezed juice. Willa is in her slip, her hair damp. Carson is giving Willa a chignon with braid （they all looked through thousands of pictures online and picked this style） and there’s a gentleman named Rafe coming from Darya’s salon to do all of their makeup. Laurie Richards, the photographer, is due to show up any minute to take “getting ready” pictures. But right now, it’s just Vivi and her two daughters. They’re in Vivi’s bedroom, which resembles a college dorm—her mattress and box spring are on the floor, her running clothes spill out of a jute basket by the side of a dresser she got at the Take-It-or-Leave-It at the town dump. The top of the dresser is littered with candles that Vivi lights for atmosphere; there are also receipts, pens, safety pins, a brush, half a dozen red lipsticks, and a pack of matches from 21 Federal, where she and JP went on their first dinner date. In other words, the room is a disaster. Vivi can’t have Laurie take pictures in here—or can she? So many things in Vivi’s life are works in progress （she will renovate this room eventually; she wants a round bed, some kind of cool light fixture, a boho-chic vibe）， but this moment is plucked straight from Vivi’s dreams. Shawn Mendes is singing “Treat You Better” over the wireless speaker. （Willa is an unapologetic top-forty fan and always has been.）
“My beautiful girls,” Vivi says. She knows they’ll both protest if she gets overly “emo,” but how can she help herself? Her oldest child is getting married, her younger daughter is the maid of honor. Would someone please tell Vivi where the years went? It feels like she just brought Willa home from the hospital, just burst into tears because Lucinda said she “loathed” the name and JP had to explain that they （Vivi） had decided to name the baby after Willa Cather, the writer. （“First children are to be named after family,” Lucinda said. “Is Willa Cather family?”）
What about the eternity Vivi lived through when Willa was a toddler, going to the Children’s House half a day, and Carson was a baby? Then it felt like a second eternity when they were both small, Willa six and Carson three, and Leo entered the world. The girls started battling for Vivi’s remaining attention; there was name-calling and hair-pulling. Willa threw the remote control during an episode of Caillou and hit Carson above the eye （stitches）。 Carson bit Willa during bath time and broke the skin. （JP had joked about a rabies test and Vivi, delirious with lack of sleep, had laughed.）
Vivi raises her glass and the girls do as well. Through her tears, Vivi sees their three flutes come together; Shawn Mendes gives way to Lady Gaga. Vivi grants herself a moment of congratulations. She got her girls this far. Willa and Carson have always loved each other. And today, they like each other.
“To you, Willie,” Carson says.
Willa smiles. She looks as beautiful as Vivi has ever seen her—without her hair done, without makeup, without wearing the ivory silk dress that hangs on the back of Vivi’s closet door—because she is illuminated from within. Lit by love.
The florist has outdone herself with pink roses, pink lilies, and ivy. The bridesmaids are in blush, the groomsmen in navy blazers, Nantucket Reds, and matching blush bow ties. There’s a string quartet playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D. As mother of the bride, Vivi is the last person to be shown to her seat before the processional. She’s on the arm of Zach Bridgeman, with Dennis following a pace behind in his too-tight gray suit pants. Zach seats Vivi and Dennis in a pew with Amy, who was escorted down just before Tink Bonham. Amy pretends to be absorbed in the program.
When the bridesmaids come walking in, Vivi beams at the girls and winks at Carson, but she—and everyone else in the church—is waiting to see Willa.
Jeremiah Burke’s Trumpet Voluntary begins. Everyone stands and Vivi turns. Willa and JP appear in the entryway; there’s a collective intake of breath throughout the church.
Vivi quickly checks on Rip and sees his eyes shining with tears. He looks exactly as he should—as though there is no other woman in the world. There never has been, Vivi thinks with confidence. And never will be.