Page 44 of Gray Hair Don't Care
“What was that?”
“Don’t put someone on a pedestal they don’t want to be on. When I was in college, I was in awe of your dad. I thought he was the coolest, smartest, most handsome guy I had ever met. Since then, I’ve learned that he might be a lot of those things, but he’s still human. Just like me.”
“So you don’t have a magic wand that will make everything better? Not even for yourself?”
“I’m afraid I don’t, other than good old fashioned emotional labor. As a woman, you’ll do a whole bunch of it in your life. Just make sure you get the men around you to understand it’s their job to do some, too.”
Echo managed a smile. “I feel like an idiot for being such a drama queen.”
“Don’t. Every wedding needs drama. That’s half of what makes it memorable.” Lela nodded toward the house. “Shall we head inside? Fix your tragic mascara?”
“I guess so.”
“You are ready to get married, aren’t you?”
“I’m ready tobemarried. Yes.”
Chapter Twenty
Donovan had promisedhimself he wasn’t going to cry. But dammit, sitting there and watching his only kid get married was overwhelming—heavy and light, sad and happy, serious and sentimental. Unable to make any sense of it, the only logical conclusion was to let the tears wash his eyes out.
“Are you crying?” Genevieve whispered, although it came out a bit like a hiss. She was seated to Donovan’s right, while his mother and Stuart were to his left. Unfortunately, Lela was with Austin in the row behind them. He’d heard them giggling a few times during the ceremony, enough to make him second-guess Lela’s assertion that love and romance weren’t a thing she cared about anymore.
“Yes. I’m crying. Our daughter is getting married. Shhh.” He sat straighter, listening to Echo and Lucius exchange vows. He couldn’t help but think about the day she came into the world, when he and Genevieve were scared out of their wits and completely out of their depth. Hell, they were practically kids, too, hardly equipped to care and nurture each other, let alone a baby. That was Day One of Donovan’s biggest life lesson—sometimes, you have to find your way. When a tiny, defenseless, and utterly helpless human being depends on you for everything? You figure it out.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the officiant said. Eileen had hired the man, a suspiciously handsome candlemaker she’d met at a farmer’s market. Apparently he was licensed to perform this ceremony? Donovan hadn’t asked for his credentials. It did make him wonder, however, if said candle man might become the new Stuart. He wouldn’t put it past his mom. Perhaps that was the reason she didn’t want to get married. She was still playing the field.
The small gathering of guests all stood and threw confetti—biodegradable, of course—as Echo and Lucius marched victoriously down the aisle, arm in arm, gleeful grins pasted to their faces. The trip took twenty steps or less. Echo had said she’d wanted small, and that was what she got.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Lela said, making a point to address Genevieve and Donovan’s mom. “You both did a great job with organizing everything.”
Genevieve did seem noticeably more relaxed now. Hopefully that would stick. “Thank you, Lela. I appreciate that.”
Lucius and Echo led the parade up the grassy slope to the east side of the house, where a more formal garden and patio were situated. It was an area rarely used when Donovan was a kid, but it was a lovely space, perfect for the occasion, with room for several round cloth-topped tables and a dance floor. At one end, a DJ was setting up. String lights zigzagged overhead. Although it would be quite some time until the sun would set, the house cast a long shadow, allowing the Edison bulbs to brightly glow.
Champagne and passed hors d’oeuvres made the rounds for a while, then everyone sat for a dinner of crab cakes and rice pilaf, which was Lucius’s favorite. Donovan endeavored to focus on his conversation with Lucius’s father, who he was seated next to, but all too often his attention was drawn to Lela and Austin at the table next to them. They were getting chummier. This bothered Donovan, mostly because he knew it shouldn’t bother him. Lela was a grown woman and could do whatever she wanted. But still feeling the effects of the Vespa ride earlier in the afternoon, he was having a hard time convincing himself that he and Lela should never be more than friends. He was stuck with phantom feelings of Lela all over his body, of her arms wrapped tightly around him, her inner thighs squeezing his hips, and the lightness in the vicinity of his heart when she laughed. Lela was haunting him in real time, from a table away.
As the meal ended, Echo got up from her seat and walked over to Donovan, crouching down to speak to him. “Are you having fun?”
“Of course. Everything’s perfect.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. He caressed her arm, feeling nothing less than lucky to have such a wonderful daughter. It made him all the more thankful for the relationship they had now. If this wedding had taken place two or three years ago, it wouldn’t have been quite the same. “The important question is, are you having fun?”
“Yes. Although I feel stupid for the drama earlier.”
“Don’t. I’m no expert, but I think every bride has to panic about something.”
“Maybe. Thank God Lela was here. She was amazing. She really helped me sort through everything.”
“Good. I’m glad. What was the takeaway?”
“That feelings can be messy. And sometimes, understanding where the other person is coming from is as good as it’s going to get. Some situations aren’t fixable.”
He couldn’t help but look at his own relationship with Lela through that lens. Everything between them had indeed been messy, but that was his track record with all women, not just her. Logic said that romance and sex were what got in the way every time, and that had been the case with Lela. But something about focusing on friendship, and only that, still didn’t sit right with him. “That sounds like good advice.”
“Is there something going on between her and Uncle Austin? Because he seems like he’s trying really hard.”
Donovan laughed, but none of this struck him as funny. “I don’t think so, but it’s not my place to say. You should probably ask one of them.”
“Well, I’m glad you and Lela have figured out a way to be friends. She seems happy about it, too.”
