“Can you smile?” Daniel asked, peering through the lens.
William forced an awkward smile. The camera flash hit him, and he dropped the grin
as soon as it did.
“Let’s do one more in case you blinked,” his father said. William gave him another
strained smile.
Casey’s parents entered a minute before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. There
were awkward hellos before they slipped down the hallway to visit Casey.
Willow came out of the bedroom as they went in and walked up to William at the
altar.
“She’ll be out in a few minutes,” she whispered to him.
William nodded and scanned around the room at the faces gathered there. David
joined him at the altar and stood to his left. William reached into his pocket and
handed David the ring. It felt like the proper thing to do, the way he had seen it
done in movies. In at least two of them, the best man had lost the ring before the
wedding. At least William knew that wouldn’t happen today.
William heard the bedroom door open. Mrs. Harlow stepped into the living room and
took a seat beside Daniel and Patty. Eric walked up to stand between William and
Willow, clutching his folded sheet of paper.
“I think I'm more nervous than you,” Eric confessed. “I'm going to be a wreck on my
wedding day.”
“You'll be fine,” David said. “You're just nervous because you have the most to
say. William just has to say, ‘I do’ and kiss her.”
“I’m so glad that’s all I have to do,” William added.
The bedroom door opened again. Everyone except those at the altar turned to look
down the hallway. William’s father crouched and raised his camera, while Patty