Page 38 of The Wedding Run
Which is humorous, considering I blew up my happily-ever-after when I canceled my wedding. However, a marriage certificate certainly doesn’t guarantee security or happiness. Not even a spouse, partner, or BFF can provide that. I’ve come to realize that one’s bliss must be found within.
“You okay?” Luke asks. “You look pensive.”
“Oh, um… thinking about Andrea. Do you know her photographer?" I show him the name on my iPad.
He shakes his head.
"I'll get it worked out. If the photographer is local, they might just be slow in responding."
Luke rocks on his heels, looking skyward. “Storybrook is a slower pace.”
“You can’t get that view in the city.” I gesture toward the twinkling stars, thankful the clouds are only gauzy wisps forming no exotic shapes. “So beautiful.”
“Yes,” he says, and something in his voice compels me to turn. He’s staring at me, not the night sky.
My heart thumps in response. I step off the porch to give us some space. Looking up, I’m mesmerized by the pearl-shaped moon looming overhead.
“When my mother died,” I say, “I was young, and my father didn’t really know how to answer my questions. You know… where’s Momma? Is she coming back? You can imagine.”
He nods, simply listening.
“After we put my sisters to bed each night, Dad and I would sit outside and count the stars. Somehow, I figured Momma was a star, and I kept looking for her to show up one day. Dad was probably relieved I quit asking so many questions. I think it was my way of understanding what is unimaginable.” My throat tightens.
“My mom always said counting stars was like counting blessings,” Luke says. “So, maybe you had the right idea.”
My gaze shifts toward the house behind him. “Your folks are very kind, Luke. And they are so funny together. I can tell they love each other.”
“They’ve been married for over thirty years. ”
“That’s rare these days.”
“They’ve weathered some difficult times. Maybe those troubles and heartache forged their love and made it stronger.”
I nod, believing it to be true. “In my mother’s letter, she regretted that we… my sisters and I, didn’t grow up seeing our parents as a couple, didn’t see how a marriage worked in the daily slog through life.”
“There are always ups and downs,” Luke adds.
“Pushing through problems and disagreements…”
“The joys,” he says.
I counter with, “The heartaches.”
Our gazes meet again. We see life through different lenses, yet we connect deeply. Even though Luke seems happy-go-lucky, at ease with the world and his place in it, I sense he’s suffered somehow. Derek hinted at a lost love for Luke. I want to ask him questions, but I don’t say anything.
“What stopped you from marrying Derek?” he asks, startling me. “Your mother’s letter was part of the reason. But didn’t you think you had the forever kind of love? Or the potential for it with Derek?”
I hug my iPad to my chest. “Momma said marriage is more than compromise. Derek and I met somewhere between each other’s wants and needs. More often than I want to admit, we leaned into Derek’s. I went along with what he wanted. I don’t even know why. It’s like I gave up a part of myself. Or locked that part of me away. Does that make sense?”
“I’m not one to speak on marriage. I’m no expert.”
“Surely you have opinions.”
“I was engaged once,” he confesses, tucking his fingers into his hip pockets.
So that’s what happened – a broken heart.
“Ended up,” he says, his voice so deep I have to lean closer to catch each word, “we didn’t want the same things. Maybe we weren’t even meeting each other halfway. I’m glad we didn’t take that plunge. But I guess it makes me an amateur in love.” Pain etches lines around his mouth.
