I put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed and said, “Sometimes when everything gets messed up, all we can do is embrace the storm and ride it out. Rainbows come after the rain.” I was wandering into cheesy platitudes, but I would have said anything if it would cheer her up.
She gave me a weak smile, and I hoped that meant it was working.
The main door of Sadie’s villa slammed shut, and I heard Troy calling for Anton. “I’ll be right back,” I told her. I grabbed the box of tissues from her nightstand and handed them to her, just in case.
Troy was soaking wet and looked a little like a drowned cat. I almost asked him how things were going, but decided not to given his current expression. I tried for helpful instead. “Is there anything I can do? Do you have a backup plan?”
His glare was like two giant laser beams, set for destruction. “Obviously I planned for the completely unexpected rainstorm that didn’t show up on any weather report.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic. I hoped he was serious.
He put my fears to rest by adding, “There’s already a large tent up on the west lawn, next to the ballroom so that the reception would have an indoor/outdoor feel. I’m going to move the ceremony there. I just need some time and manpower to set it up.”
“Tell me what you want me to do.” I’d happily get out there and set up chairs if that’s what it took.
“Right now I need you to keep Sadie calm while I figure out what to do with a van full of peacocks.”
For a second I thought I’d misheard. “A van full of peacocks? Why do you have a van full of peacocks?”
“For ambience, Rachel!” he yelled and I knew I shouldn’t have asked. I got the kind of stress he was under.
Troy sighed and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take this out on you. I just need to get Anton so we can come up with a new battle plan. Keep your phone within reach so that I can call you if I need to.”
“I will absolutely do that.”
He rushed off and I squared my shoulders back, ready to do what I did best. Keep the women in this villa calm. I didn’t know how long it would take Troy to move everything over, but I’d have this bridal party ready when he was.
There were a couple of hiccups as we got ready for the ceremony—Mary-Ellen mistook spray deodorant for hair spray and there were little white flecks on her gray bridesmaid dress and Krista lost one of her pearl earrings—but in the grand scheme of things they were minor issues.
The wedding was delayed by only forty-five minutes. Troy’s assistants had umbrellas for us, including a massive one to cover Sadie’s dress, and we went to the spot he’d designated for us to wait in.
We stood there in anticipation as the music started and everyone followed Troy’s detailed instructions. The flower girl and the ring bearer made it down the aisle without any issues. Mary-Ellen walked down the aisle with Vance, followed by Krista and Rick. Then it was my turn. Camden waited for me and put out his arm so that I could put my hand through it.
Troy was an absolute magician. Somehow he had managed to move everything over and nothing seemed like it was out of place or missing. Flowers decorated the archway that the officiator stood under, and there were pale-pink and white flowers attached to the chairs closest to the aisle. A white runner had been staked to the ground for us to walk down. The rain outside gave everything surrounding the tent a misty, hazy quality so that it all seemed even more romantic.
The overabundance of romance made it hard to calm down my overactive imagination as Camden and I walked down the aisle together. I wanted this fantasy. This belief that love could conquer everything and that there was a happy ending waiting for me.
We separated once we reached the front and then everyone stood when Sadie entered the tent. Despite everything she’d gone through that morning, she looked absolutely radiant. I glanced at Dan, and saw that he had gotten choked up, and was trying to fight off tears at seeing his luminous bride.
To my surprise, she walked down the aisle with her stepfather and mother, but then I saw the wisdom in her making certain that they were on opposite sides of her and not able to interact. It seemed as if someone had forgotten to measure the aisle properly as her dress was hitting every row of chairs as she walked. A couple of the floral decorations tumbled down, but it somehow made the whole thing even more endearing.
When she got to the front her parents kissed her cheeks before taking their seats, separated by the aisle, and she handed me her bouquet before she took both of Dan’s hands.