Page 27 of Fathers of the Bride

“Yes, I went—”

“Free-Derma took care of it just like that,” Raj lied. I couldn’t blame him for lying, it was technically his job description. I smiled, a mute lie.

“I’m so glad—Oh, here’s my old husband.”

I had no idea whether she meant old as in previous or old as in, well, old. Of course, I recognized the man coming out of the house as well, but I’d forgotten whether he was Lincoln or Collins.

“Hello. Bradley Lincoln. I’m married to Pudge.”

And then everyone came out of the house.

“Hi! Melissa Lincoln-Collins. I used to be married to Bradley now I’m married to Terry. You can call me Lissa.”

Terry Collins squeezed his way out of the house with my daughter and her fiancé under each arm.

“Dad, you’re being clingy again,” I was sure I heard Avery say under his breath.

“This one’s mine,” Terry said regarding Avery.

“And mine!” Pudge added.

I felt compelled to say something about Kelly being mine, but I never got the chance. Bradley was saying, “We just love this girl of yours. We’re completely smitten.”

“We are,” said Lissa, his former wife.

“Head over heels,” added Pudge.

“Well, I love her too,” I finally managed to add to the love fest.

“I think that’s enough of that,” Kelly said. “My head will swell, and I won’t be able to leave the room.”

“Oh, that’s just not possible,” Lissa exclaimed. “The glass doors are eight feet wide.”

“More important, you’re not like Avery’s other girlfriends,” Bradley said. “They walked in with swelled heads.”

“Um, Bradley,” Avery said, blushing.

“They were Greek to me—” Pudge joked.

“Sorority girls,” Lissa explained.

“Ah, so I guess you two weren’t sorority girls?” I asked.

“Well, of course we were,” Pudge said. “Kappa Kappa Something or other.”

“We didn’t take it seriously. Not like the girls today.”

“No, they’reveryserious.”

“Could we talk about something else,” Avery said.

“I don’t know,” Kelly teased. “I’m finding this an interesting conversation.”

“Africa changed our boy,” Terry said.

“For the better,” Pudge added.

“Though I’d say Kelly had a hand in things,” Bradley added.