The Water Keeper(83)

“While it was delayed almost a year, she would not be denied what she’d always dreamed of. The chapel was small, but that was the way they made them back then. I stood at the altar. The room was full of friends and family, priest to my right, groomsmen and bridesmaids lined up in either direction. My best man and oldest friend, Roger, stood just over my shoulder, and then the music started, and I blinked and there she was. I just remember seeing white, and sunshine, and . . . my knees nearly buckled.

“I wobbled and Roger caught me, bringing a laugh out of the priest and all the attendees. Then she took a step, and I watched in slow motion. It was as if whatever world had been there before just faded, leaving her. Only her. I’d never seen anyone so beautiful. So . . . She made it halfway down the aisle and her best maid was handing me a handkerchief. Evidently I was crying. More laughter. She climbed the steps, and when she took my hand, hers was trembling.

“I had graduated the Academy. I was working a job I couldn’t tell her much about—although she had her suspicions because she’d just spent the last six months nursing me back to health. Taught me how to walk again. Bodies don’t react well to bullets.”

Ellie had pretended not to be paying attention before, but she was locked in now.

I continued, “She had said she felt like the world had been laid out before us. I told her she was my whole world. She stared at her feet, then at me, back at her feet. She was nervous. I was too. We tried to follow the priest, Bones, but he had to back up a few times and start over, and then when he got to the vows, she leaned across and whispered to me, just low enough so no one else could hear, ‘You sure you want me?’

“Bones—” I looked at the two of them and held up my phone. “You know him as Colorado. He was clearing his throat, smiling, trying to get my attention. I whispered. Leaned in. My face inches from hers. ‘You are my whole world.’

“She shook her head once as tears rained down. A pregnant pause. She looked up, pleading. ‘It’s not too late.’ Marie was trying really hard not to tell me something she really wanted to tell me.

“I smiled and repeated after the priest. ‘I, David, take you, Marie—’”

At the mention of my real first name, Summer’s face twitched just slightly. She stiffened.

I continued my story. “‘To have and to hold . . . ’til death do us part.’ I remember my hands sweating. I tried to wipe them on my pants, but she wouldn’t let them go. Finally, Bones turned to her and asked her to repeat after him. Her voice was so low, almost a whisper. Then Bones served us communion, we lit the candle, and then he turned us to face the congregation. She had locked her arm in mine. Just the two of us. We could take on anything. As long as it was ‘us.’ I kissed her, and when she kissed me back, she held me a long time. Her entire body was trembling. Her teeth were chattering. The audience laughed. We almost danced down the aisle. It was November, and the air was cool. The reception was set up beneath a tent on the grass, and when we walked in they introduced us. I remember laughing.”

I paused. “I remember laughter. My dreams had all come true. Hands down the happiest day of my life. No question. Nothing even came close.”

I paused while the bitterness returned.

“We danced, took pictures. She was never beyond arm’s reach. Never let go of me. Then we sat to eat, and my feet were killing me ’cause my tux shoes were two sizes too small ’cause they’d messed up my order, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t planning on being in them too much longer. Or the tux for that matter. Then the toasts started.”

Another pause.

“Several people said a lot of stuff I can’t remember, and then Roger, my best man . . . clinked his glass. And I remember that when he did, Marie grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard and her eyes were teary and she was trying to smile and . . . he lifted his glass and . . .”

I faded off. Tried not to look into the memory, but it was too late. It had returned.

“He was smiling when he said, ‘David and I have been best friends a long time. I’m honored he would ask me to stand with him. Really. And I have a gift for the bride and groom. It’s one of my favorite memories. One of my favorite moments. Something I’ll never forget. I’ve also given each of you a copy.’ Something in his tone of voice caught me as just a bit off, but he was already reaching beneath the chair I was sitting in. He pulled out a manila envelope taped to the underside. He lifted it and said, ‘Each of you has one as well.’ I watched as people began opening their envelopes and their faces changed from smiles to horror. One hundred–plus people sucked in a collective gasp that turned the room into a vacuum. They covered their mouths and looked at me.

“Roger lifted his glass. ‘To David and Marie.’ Marie opened the envelope, the light drained out of her face, she dropped the photos, and the color of her skin matched her dress. She looked at me. Shook her head. The slow motion returned. I reached down, flipped the photos over, and stared at the first. It took a minute to register. It was a picture of a hotel room where we’d had the rehearsal dinner the night before. On the bedside table was yesterday’s newspaper, and in the bed were two naked figures.”

I swallowed as my voice broke down to a whisper. “The next four pictures were variations of the first. Just different positions.” I stared out across the water. “My best man and my wife. And—on her hand was the ring I’d given her.”