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The gathering room of the assisted living facility was packed to the brim. Pretty much every person who lived there had to have come to see the big day. Olive doubted that many weddings took place here.

Plus, every person that she’d ever seen at the church in her life was also in attendance. Or at least it seemed like that. She couldn’t think of a single person she knew who wasn’t there.

“That’s a lot of people,” Doyle whispered from behind her, leaning down so he could reach her ear and speak softly.

“Cassie even made it. I’m glad.”

“She was making food for it. Not just for us, but she wanted to bring some for herself. She really enjoys cooking.”

“Everything she makes is delicious,” Olive said, wanting to give her the credit that was her due. Even though she still wasn’t sure what exactly had gone on between Doyle and her. Doyle claimed it was nothing, other than Cassie wanting to be with him, and she had to believe him. He had not lied to her before, and she hoped that this was not the one time he made an exception. In fact, she wouldn’t allow her head to go there. It wasn’t right. It would just undermine their relationship.

What was in the past was done and over with, and she needed to focus on the future, although she appreciated knowing about the past, so she was prepared for any meetings or confrontations she might have.

Of course, she’d been burned once before, with Ricardo. She wasn’t even sure what she saw in him, other than maybe she was just lonely. That was the only excuse she could think of to explain her behavior.

A guitar started to play, and Olive craned her head trying to see who it was.

“I think it’s that family up the road from Raspberry Ridge who has all the children who sometimes go round to festivals to sing. The Carter family?”

“I knew there were benefits to being with someone who was so tall,” Olive teased.

Doyle put his free hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I’m glad I’m of some use to you.”

“You’re holding my baby too,” she said easily.

It was standing room only, and the room was warm. She truly was grateful that he was holding the baby, because she already felt faint. She could hardly take a chair when there were several ladies who were twice her age standing. But she wanted to, since she felt like she was going to fall over at any moment. Or more likely her knees were going to buckle.

“How are you doing?” Doyle asked, his lips brushing the hair beside her temple as he spoke.

She suppressed a shiver and closed her eyes to enjoy it. He couldn’t see her face, and even if he could, he might think she was just tired.

“I’m fine.” It was all she could say. What was she supposed to say other than complain? Tell him that she needed to go sit down? But she couldn’t do it in front of the older ladies, and she couldn’t take a seat that one of them might be able to use. So she just had to deal with it. It would be over soon, and while she didn’t want to rush it because it was the only wedding her sister would ever have, she did want to try to endure.

“You’ll let me know if you think you need to leave?”

“I will. But I won’t have to. I’m going to stand and I’m going to watch this and I’m going to celebrate with her because this is a fantastic day for her. Maybe the best day of her life.”

“I have to say, it’s the best wedding I’ve ever been to.”

“And probably the one with the least amount of work put into it,” Olive added, thinking that Mertie had been extremely smart to do things the way she had. No fuss, no stress, just people who wanted to be there and celebrate with them.

There would be a bit of an extra mess to clean up, but Mertie had told her that the assisted living center was going to take care of it and she was giving them a bit of money to pay any overtime their staff might need.

The crowd gasped, and Olive turned again, able to peek through the heads and see that Dabney had started walking up the aisle between two groups of chairs.

She was beautiful, with her hair piled high and the long seafoam green dress she wore swirling about her ankles. She looked so grown up. And yet vulnerable and young at the same time. Definitely she also looked happy, and why wouldn’t she be? Her parents were getting married.

She made it to the front, where Garnet already stood, waiting. He must have walked up the side and she missed it, since he hadn’t been there earlier when she checked. Regardless, father and daughter shared a sweet smile, tender and gentle and yet full of excitement and hope.

It made Olive’s chest feel light and happy. A family was being created today, one that was going to stand for Jesus and live for him. It scared her a bit, because she knew those were the kinds of families the devil attacked the most stridently, but she had faith that God would protect them and that her sister and her husband would stay true to the end and that they’d hear that coveted “well done.”

It was what she wanted to hear at the end of her life as well.

Then the folks sitting in the chairs froze as the tune on the guitar changed from a romantic melody to more of a march-type piece. Not the wedding march but something close.

More gasps as the crowd murmured and shifted, and Olive was finally able to get a glimpse of her sister walking slowly up the aisle, her eyes on her groom.

Their dad had died in a car accident, and she didn’t have anyone to walk her up, but she clutched a single blue carnation in front of her and didn’t seem bothered by the fact that she was alone.

Her eyes shone, and Olive didn’t think she’d ever seen her sister look more beautiful. There were some camera flashes, and Doyle said, “I’d heard that they were trying to keep the paparazzi out, and that was part of the reason that they were doing this quietly and low-key. Because of Mertie’s national platform and the fact that a lot of people would like to see her get married.”

“That’s what I heard too. The local police are supposed to be standing in the parking lot and keeping an eye out for people they don’t know.” Which had made Olive laugh. That was how the locals kept security. There were no invitations or badges to show. The police just had to recognize them.

They had gotten there before the police had set up their checking stations, so she didn’t know whether it was true or not, but the idea made her smile.

Mertie had confided in both her and Amara that she didn’t really care if people took pictures of her, since it didn’t matter. She just didn’t want the place to be overrun with cameras and press and have big stories in national newspapers about anything that might have happened. So they were just going to make an effort but not get legalistic about it.

It seemed like a good way to go. Do what you could, and roll with the rest. Maybe that was a good way to live life, to not get stressed and anxious, but you just do what you could, trust the Lord, and roll with the rest.

Pastor Calvin now stood beside Garnet as Mertie made her way to the front. The wedding was short and sweet, with the pastor giving a few words about marriage and what it meant, and a little advice on how to have a good marriage. He used the golden rule, which Olive figured was probably a good rule for any relationship, including marriage.

How could a marriage fail if both of the parties were trying their hardest to treat the other person the way they wanted to be treated?

The pastor mentioned that it was important to obey the golden rule no matter how the other person treated you. Olive couldn’t agree more, but she knew how hard that was. It wasn’t easy to be nice to someone who wasn’t being nice to you.

“You showed that really well with Cassie,” Doyle whispered in her ear. “He could use you as an example.”

She shook her head but didn’t answer him, and he couldn’t see the smile that his words had put on her face. She appreciated the fact that he noticed and complimented her and admired that. It was something she had done quietly, without fanfare, without drawing attention to herself, but it was still nice to get a little credit for it. Especially from Doyle; somehow that made it even better.

His words helped her take her mind off of the way her knees had started trembling and the way she felt like she couldn’t get enough air. It felt so hot, and she was so tired, and it was already so hard for her to hold herself up, since she felt so heavy.

“May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Garnet Irving. You may kiss your bride.” Pastor Calvin beamed at the couple as they glanced at him, then at each other, and Garnet leaned down for a short, sweet kiss as the crowd cheered and clapped.

Garnet straightened, and Mertie smiled, and Olive’s heart swelled. So happy for her sister and hoping that someday, maybe she would have the same good fortune, God would smile on her and give her a man who was as honorable and upright as Garnet was.

Of course, she had an honorable and upright man standing behind her, but she’d hurt him terribly, and maybe God would not give her a second chance.

She’d no sooner thought that, as she smiled weakly, than everything around her went black.