Page 75 of Pride & Precedents

Once the I do's are done, we move inside to the elegantly appointed banquet hall. I have to sit at the head table with the rest of the wedding party, but luckily, Maya managed to squeezeCamila into a table up front, where we can stare at each other until the dance floor finally opens.

Dings from a knife against a water glass get everyone's attention and Maya's father stands from a table at the front of the room. He's a formidable man at over six feet, and almost a dead ringer for Blade. Like my father, he keeps himself up, but he's much more fashionable, sporting a navy, three-piece suit with a steel gray cravat. I met him for the first time at the rehearsal dinner last night, and I was more than a little intimidated.

"Good evening, everyone," he says with a voice so smooth and deep, he could give James Earl Jones a run for his money. He hardly even needs the mic. All remaining chatter in the room ceases.

"On behalf of the bride and groom, thank you for coming to celebrate this momentous occasion. For those that don't know, I'm Michael Davis, father of the bride." In the center of the head table, Maya is glowing with pride for her father.

"We'll get a chance to cut a rug later, but, for now, it's time for the speeches." Michael takes a paper out of his breast pocket and clears his throat.

"When Adam came to visit Evelyn and I—" He points to a regal woman that could be the queen from "Coming to America". "Evelyn is my lovely wife and Maya's mother. Anyway, when Adam came to meet with us to ask for Maya's hand, we were a little skeptical. He and Maya hadn't been dating for very long, and they met through the internet, although thank God it wasn't a dating app!" Laughter spreads through the audience and Maya covers her face in embarrassment.

"Dad!" More laughter from the crowd.

"We weren't sure if they really knew what they were getting into, and not just because of how fast they wanted to get married." His face turns serious.

"I look around this room and can guess that almost everyone has experienced the harsh judgments of those with different backgrounds and different viewpoints." Mutterings of agreement come from the crowd. "Those judgments can become almost overwhelming when two people such as Maya and Adam come together."

I look at the happy couple and they are staring into each other's eyes, hands clasped together.

"But even though there's no way a mother or father can protect their daughter from life's sometimes cruel treatment, we knew after talking to him and looking into his eyes that Adam is a truly good man. He loves our daughter and will do everything in his power to protect her. Together, they will weather any storm. A father couldn't wish for anything more in a son-in-law."

There's not a dry eye in the room, and even Cory is blinking back tears.

"So raise your glasses," he says. Everywhere around us, glasses are raised high in the air. "To Maya and Adam! May their marriage be long and healthy, and may the skies always be clear!"

Everyone drinks and cheers. Adam and Maya embrace, sharing a loving kiss. Evelyn pats her husband on the back. I look at Camila and find her dabbing her eyes with a dinner napkin. Dancing can't come soon enough.

The speeches conclude, dinner is served, the cake is cut, and finally,finally, my duties as a groomsman are done. I scoot behind my brothers' chairs to the dance floor and weave betweenother guests to stand in front of Camila. She's currently trapped talking to my chattiest relative, Aunt Soo Yun.

"A lawyer? Really?," Aunt Soo Yun coos. Outside of her line of sight, Mila begs me to rescue her with her eyes. I chuckle under my breath.

"Auntie, how are you?!" I lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "You look lovely. Do you have your eye on any lucky bachelors tonight?"

She playfully swats my arm for being fresh, but preens under my compliment, nonetheless.

"Oh, Henry. You always were incorrigible." I wink at her and gesture towards my date for the night.

"Do you mind if I steal Ms. Sanchez from you? After making her wait through the ceremony, I owe her a dance." Aunt Soo Yun smiles slyly.

"Of course!" She urges Camila out of her seat and into my arms. On the way out to the dance floor, I call back over my shoulder.

"Don't break too many hearts tonight, Auntie!" She laughs and shoos me away like I'm being ridiculous.

The DJ has perfect timing, putting on a slow song as soon as we find a place on the dance floor. I pull Mila tighter into my arms, one hand on the small of her back and the other holding her hand.

"Have I told you how ravishing you look tonight?" She giggles as I lead her into a twirl.

"Ravishing? Did we suddenly teleport into a Jane Austen novel?"

"Jane Austen's characters never did half the things we did last night," I say with a devilish smirk. Her cheeks turn the most charming pink and I can't help but give her a quick kiss.

"Have I told you 'thank you' for being my date tonight?"

"Yes," she murmurs against my chest, snuggling deeper into my arms. "Once last night, when we were…" She trails off and blushes again. "And once when I got here, before you were whisked off to join the wedding party.

I take a deep breath. Here comes the moment of truth.

"And have I told you I love you?" I ask. My heart is pounding, and Camila stops swaying to the music, eyes wide. "It's pretty obvious. I've hardly been hiding it, but I wanted to say the words."

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