Ken checked his watch. Impatience clawed at him from the inside like a beast trapped behind his rib cage. Twenty minutes to go. He glanced up at the balcony and waited.
Daisyran her hands across her stomach and rested her hands on the waist of her dress. She could tell, but Camila assured her no one else could. Well, not really. Her dress had spaghetti straps, a heart-shaped bodice, and a skirt that fell straight down from the waist to the floor. She’d gone with simple. She didn’t have a huge wedding party in a church, so she had no need for a long train.
Her cousin had pulled the sides of her hair back and twisted them into an elaborate bun, leaving the rest of her hair to fall in curled waves.
“Eyes,” Camila said, holding up the can of hair spray. Daisy grinned and shielded her eyes while Camila doused her hair. She stepped back and examined her masterpiece.
“Perfect,” her mom said, lifting the lace veil out of the box. Daisy’s grandmother had worn it when she married her grandfather in Puebla, Mexico, before immigrating to the United States and taking a position with a Bible college. Daisy stayed seated in the chair, and her mom fastened the veil to the bun while Camila took a dozen photos. Daisy held up the mirror and checked. The veil cascaded down the back of her head to the tops of her shoulders. It took her breath away to think that her grandmother had worn it, along with her aunt and one cousin as well.
Diego’s wife, Amy, unboxed the white satin heels and knelt to help Daisy slip her feet into them. Amy had gone to school with the Dixon brothers and had been friends with them and Diego all of her adult life.
“Perfect fit,” Amy said, grinning up at her sister-in-law. Daisy wiggled her toes. She wondered if she should have gone for a slightly lower heel. Before she could mention it, a tap on the door brought Rosaline.
“Oh, Daisy,” she said, walking around the chair, “how beautiful you look.”
Her mom ran her finger over the lace. “My husband’s family has had this veil for three generations now.”
“Such a treasure,” Rosaline breathed. She pulled a long jewel case out of her pocket. “I wore these pearls at my wedding. They were the first real piece of jewelry I ever owned. Valerie and Alex both wore them at their weddings. I would be so honored if you would wear them today.”
She’d been present when Rosaline offered them to Alex. Daisy teared up but didn’t want to mess up her makeup, so she waved at her eyes. “I was hoping you’d offer,” she said. “I would be honored to wear them.”
Rosaline secured them around her neck, then stood back, and Daisy got to her feet. The mothers held hands and admired her while Camila handed her the bouquet of white roses, white daisies, and rich green seeded eucalyptus greens.
“Ready?” Camila asked. She wore a dark blue dress with bright embroidered yellow, red, and white flowers along the bodice and the skirt. She’d put her black hair up in a loose bun, and tendrils fell in curls around her face, framing it. Daisy thought she’d never looked so beautiful.
Amy wore a bright red dress with blue and white flowers embroidered in the same pattern. Camila had pulled her blonde hair into a similar style.
Daisy nodded and took a deep breath. Even though the reality had almost nothing in common with her dreams of what her wedding day might entail, she could hardly believe this day had finally come. “Ready.”
Her mom came up and put her hands on her shoulders. “Thank you for waiting so we could all celebrate with you.” Rosaline echoed the sentiment.
She kissed both of their cheeks, still amazed at the way Ken’s family had simply accepted her as one of their own. She ran her finger over the heavy pearls, a little shocked at their weight, feeling like that sealed the deal and made her one of Rosaline’s children.
Camila picked up the bouquets of yellow and white daisies and handed one to Amy. “It’s time.”
Rosaline looked at her mother. “Ready, Rita?”
“Very much so.”
She opened the door, and her grandfather stood outside it. Daisy took his arm and walked down the hall. As they passed the balcony, she glanced down and spotted Ken standing next to his brothers in front of the fireplace. He looked up at her, and her heart raced in reaction to his handsome face. She hoped he always invoked that kind of response in her.
As she walked down the staircase and ran her hand along the rail and felt the smooth surface, she thought about how he’d built this house for her, about how much she loved him and how proud she was of him. Getting married here, in this structure that he had fashioned for them with his own strong hands, made all the sense in the world.
Her grandfather handed her off to Ken. Her father spoke the traditional wedding words, talking about love in a Biblical sense, holy matrimony as God intended in the beginning. Brad and Jon stood near Ken, and Camila and Amy stood near her. While he spoke, she looked into Ken’s gray eyes and felt solid, steady, not at all nervous or afraid.
Looking into his steady gaze, she realized that they’d build a life together in this home. They’d raise a family. They could walk to either Brad’s house or Jon’s house in minutes. Their children would all grow up in the same community, with the same schools and the same peer groups. It filled her with wonder how God had worked everything out with an obvious plan and purpose.
They repeated their vows and exchanged rings. Daisy stared at the gold band set with the line of diamonds and realized her dream had come true. After she slipped the thick gold band onto Ken’s finger, they still faced each other and gripped hands while Diego stood and carried the big gold box to her father. He opened the lid and pulled out the long loop of flowers made from white daisies, white roses, and greenery similar to the bouquet she carried.
Diego helped her father loop the strand over Ken’s head, twist it, then loop it over her head, forming an eternity symbol. The gathered family and friends murmured. Daisy glanced at the audience and saw smiles and tears.
“The wedding lasso represents the coming together as one,” her father announced. “Let us pray. God bless this union. We pray that Ken and Daisy continue to grow in faith and love as one for the rest of their lives. Amen.”
Daisy smiled up at Ken as her father said, “You may now kiss the bride.”
Ken smiled, flashing white teeth. “Finally. I’ve wanted to kiss you all day.”
Ken kissed Daisy with warm, soft lips full of promise, passion, and love. She heard the clapping and cheers, but even though they had an audience, she wanted this particular kiss, this special kiss, this one-of-a-kind kiss, to just go on and on. One of his hands rested on her hip, the other rested on her neck, and he gently pulled her closer, deeper into the kiss. Suddenly, she wanted to be much closer to him, much closer to her husband. She wanted every barrier between them to vanish. Nothing existed except for this moment.
