Page 112 of Fathers of the Bride

Not to mention the fact that his mother was hyperventilating. He opened his mouth to tell me, but as he did there was a commotion amongst the guests, oooing and ahhing and then applause. I turned, and the sliding doors I saw fifty white doves flying off into the sky.

“No!” I shrieked. Throwing the door open, I shouted, “After. Release the dovesafterthe service!” It was too late though. The doves were gone and there was nothing I could do. I turned to Avery and said, “I’m so sorry. That was not supposed to happen like that.”

In the distance, I heard a helicopter. I mentally crossed my fingers that the doves had gotten away in time. It would be such an awful—

“It’s fine, Miles. The thing is, Kelly and I don’t want to get married today.”

“What?!” I screamed. Or maybe I just screamed. There might not have been an actual word involved.

Meanwhile, Andy began asking questions, “You don’t want get married? You’re dumping my daughter? No, that’s not possible. She’s dumping you, isn’t she? You seem like a nice boy but I’ve—”

“No one’s dumping anyone. We don’t want to get married like this. We’re going to the courthouse tomorrow and getting married there.”

That produced a wail from Pudge. At least, I think it was Pudge. It might have been me again.

“But you’re both here. Your guests are here. The food—” The helicopter was now rather close, and Andy had to raise his voice. “YOU CAN’T JUST WALK AWAY.”

“IT’S TOO MUCH. IT’S GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL.”

And then, as though to prove his point, the guests began to squeal as favors were dropped from the helicopter: chocolate kisses in cobalt and cornflower blue foil, heart-shaped jasmine soaps, a bookmark engraved with the happy couple’s names and the date.

“OUCH,” someone yelled.

“OH MY GOD,” came another voice.

Then, “DUCK!”

Okay, maybe putting the bookmark into a recent bestseller was not the right choice. I stood for a moment looking out the window watching in horror, hoping no one would get a concussion. Fortunately, the helicopter veered off.

“It’s going to be fine,” Bradley said. “I’ve promised the kids it’s okay.”

Which was fine for him to say since he hadn’t put a second mortgage onto his house. But I couldn’t make this about money. I began to agree that everything would be fine, but Andy got there first.

“Yes, everything will be okay. Where’s Kelly?”

“Yes, I need to talk to Kelly,” I said. “I have to talk to my daughter.”

“I’m right here, Daddy,” Kelly said, standing in the doorway, wearing a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. And not the gorgeous wedding dress—

“You can’t do this, everything is ready. People are waiting. They’ve just been attacked with wedding favors. They deserve a wedding.”

“Daddy, it’s too much.” She glanced at Andy, her eyes begging for help.

“It is Miles. It’s too much,” Andy said. “This isn’t the wedding the kids wanted.”

“But, but… it’s in the backyard.”

“Miles…” my husband said in a way that I hadn’t heard in a very long time. “Miles.”

With just my name he was telling me I was wrong—and he was right. I was wrong. I’d gone too far. When did it happen? What choice had taken things too far? Was it the chocolate fountain? The fog machine, which had just kicked on? The fireworks—oh God, Kelly didn’t even know about the fireworks. Yet. It might have been the chandelier made of inverted calla lilies hanging over the altar. Or the fact that I’d had an altar constructed—

“Daddy, we’re going to go now.”

“What should we tell people?”

“That we’re happy,” Kelly said, and then she smiled. The best smile she’d given me in ages. She jumped into my arms just long enough for me to whisper, “I love you.”

As she left me, I turned to Andy. “What are we going to do?”