Page 3 of Coping Skills

Her mouth twisted. “Okay. Later. After everything.” She looked away from him, glancing at the people past him, then met his eyes again. The tears were gone now. “I think they’re getting started. We should sit.”

They claimed two seats on the end. A violinist stood off to one side, playing something pretty and classical sounding while everyone took their seats, switching to a different song while the wedding party walked down the tiny aisle.

“Please rise,” intoned the minister as the traditional wedding march began. He turned to see Abby walking through the hedges bordering the garden, her eyes fixed on Lance. She walked alone, a small bouquet of multicolored roses in her hands, wearing a simple, strapless wedding dress. She looked beautiful, her face radiant. And Lance’s expression matched hers. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning, like it took everything in him to stay in place and wait for her to walk to him. Chris’s hand on Lance’s arm confirmed that impression.

They exchanged the traditional vows, smiling widely as they slipped rings on each other’s fingers. The minister read the Bible passage about love, and everyone clapped and cheered when he said, “You may now kiss the bride.” Lance bent Abby backward for a thorough kiss. When he stood her back up, her cheeks glowed pink, and she hid her face in Lance’s chest. He chuckled, rubbing his hand down her back as the minister announced, “I’m happy to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Lance and Abby Kane!”

The violinist played the familiar recessional music as Lance and Abby walked back down the aisle, her arm through his, followed by the other two couples. Daniel glanced down at Elena, and was happy to see her smiling, even if it was still tinged with sadness. “Do you want to go to the reception? Or would you rather bail?”

She looked around, glancing back at the wedding party gathered behind the chairs, laughing and talking. “I should go for a little while, at least. They have a room reserved at Luigi’s for lunch.”

“Alright. Did you drive?”

She nodded, her eyes sliding away from him again. They stayed for a while longer, waiting while everyone else talked and laughed. Daniel helped fold and stack the chairs in the back of someone’s pickup so they could be returned to the rental company. After that they all drove to Luigi’s for the reception. He laughed and chatted, too, but all he really wanted to do was get Elena alone and find out what was responsible for the sadness that never left her face, even when she smiled, making her laughter subdued and rare rather than quick and full like it used to be. She seemed like a shadow of the girl he’d met.

Every time she met his eyes, she looked away quickly, like she didn’t want to let him see too much. Would she let him in enough to tell him what was going on? She’d said she wanted to tell him, but she seemed to be delaying. And he didn’t know what that meant.

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