Claire smiled. “I hope he wouldn’t be mad.”
“Are you kidding? He would’ve told everyone it looked better on you.”
Then Mom looked at me. “He’d be proud of you, Danny.”
Claire changed into her actual wedding dress before the reception.
When she came out, I finally got the traditional moment I’d imagined.
She wore a simple white dress with a fitted waist and lace along the back.
She looked incredible.
She turned in a little circle. “Better?”
I walked over and kissed her. “Different.”
“Good different?”
“Very good different.”
She smiled.
“So you’re not divorcing me over the suit?”
“We’ve been married for 45 minutes.”
“So that’s a no?”
“Ask me after the cake.”
At the reception, people kept asking about the suit.
Most hadn’t heard what Claire said at the altar.
My mother ended up telling the story at least six times.
Eventually Aaron mentioned it during his speech.
He raised his glass and said, “Most brides try to make the groom cry by looking beautiful. Claire decided to take a more aggressive approach and dress as his deceased father.”
The room exploded.
Claire nearly choked on her drink.
Aaron continued, “But seriously, I knew Richard. And if he were here, he’d be the loudest person in this room. He would also be incredibly happy about the woman Daniel married today.”
I looked at Claire.
Later that night, after dinner, cake, speeches, and several terrible attempts at dancing, we finally had five quiet minutes outside.
The venue had strung little lights through the trees.
Claire leaned against me.
“Can I admit something?”
“Sure.”
“I almost didn’t do it.”
“Wear the suit?”
She nodded.
“This morning, everyone thought I’d completely lost it.”
“I can confirm that impression.”
She elbowed me.
“Jenna kept asking if I was sure. My mom kept saying, ‘Claire, you have a perfectly good wedding dress hanging 10 feet away.’”
“Reasonable people.”
“I started wondering if I’d turned something meaningful into something ridiculous.”
“You didn’t.”
“I should’ve told you.”
“Maybe.”
She pulled back. “Maybe?”
“I was embarrassed for about 20 seconds.”
Her face fell slightly.
I squeezed her hand.
“Then I read the label.”
She nodded.
“And I understood.”
I looked through the glass doors toward the reception.
My mother was dancing with Aaron.
Dad should have been there.
Nothing Claire did could change that.
But somehow, the day didn’t feel like it had a hole in it anymore.
