The day of the wedding finally dawned. It was southern California so even though autumn had arrived, the temperature was still comfortable and balmy. A soft breeze ruffled through the bride's hair as she stepped out of her father's car and stole away into the chapel, hiding behind the garment bag with her dress in it and her mother hot on her heels. Her sisters and best friend had arrived just ahead of her to make certain Paul wasn't able to catch a glimpse of his lovely bride before the processional.

Hamilton, realizing that his part wouldn't come until it was time to walk the bride down the aisle, shook his head with amusement at the unbridled enthusiasm of all those women vanishing into the bride's room in a cloud of excited chatter, giggles, and satin dresses. Passing by a mirror, he straightened the jacket of his tux and adjusted the bow tie. Seeing his reflection, it suddenly dawned on him the reality of what he was about to do and of how quickly the time had flown by. It seemed like only yesterday that he and Alexandra had brought their much wanted firstborn home from the hospital and today he would be giving her away to another man who he would have to trust to take good care of his beloved daughter. With Paul though, Burger couldn't imagine that would ever be an issue. It was a moment of perfect pain and perfect joy for Hamilton Burger.

"So do I get to call you dad yet?" Paul Drake joked as he spied his very soon to be father in law and joined him in front of the mirror.

Burger spared him a withering look, but his clear blue eyes held amusement. "Remind me again what my daughter sees in you?" He jabbed with an evil grin.

Holding his arms out wide to indicate how good he looked in a tux, Paul gave his most charming smile.

"Uh huh," Burger said. "I hope you have a daughter just so one day you can go through what I'm going through!"

"Me too, Hamilton," Drake said seriously. "Me too."

W^^^W^^^W

Helen had ultimately decided to follow in her parents' footsteps and chose to have the small ceremony in the same chapel her parents had married in nearly a quarter century before. She had a large number of bridesmaids compared to the number of guests, but Helen was close with all of her sisters and couldn't have imagined excluding any of them from her big day.

Finally fastened into her mother's dress, Helen stepped into dainty heels and admired herself in the full length mirror.

"T minus 10 minutes," her sister, Kathryn said. "We're gonna need to line up in a few minutes. Are you nervous?"

Helen nodded as she pulled the veil over her face and took the big bouquet of blue flowers from Kathryn. "A little, sis, but it's a good nervous. I think it's mostly just all the people watching."

A knock on the door startled them out of their chatter and another of Helen's sisters, Ella answered the door.

"It's just dad," she called back to Helen. "We're all decent, dad. You can come in."

"Well, I hope so," Burger said, entering the room. "You only have about five minutes left and Paul has moved to the altar so you can all start coming out and lining up if you want."

The bridesmaids filed out leaving Helen alone with her parents for a few minutes.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Burger said, pulling his daughter into a hug. It was a moment he wished would never have to end, but she had a husband to be to join at the altar in a few short minutes.

"Thanks, dad. Well… ready whenever you are," she said excited and nervous all at the same time.

W^^^W^^^W

"And I thought I was nervous at *your* wedding," Paul joked as he glanced back at Perry Mason, who was smirking in that maddening way he had. The longtime private investigator didn't need to be a super sleuth to note the appearance of the bridesmaids lining up back down the aisle and he realized that the big moment was heralding.

At the mention of his own elopement, Mason glanced back toward Della who was cradling their own sleeping infant a few rows back. Della smiled warmly back at him as the processional music began.

"Oh my god…," Paul inhaled deeply. He paled slightly and his posture was stiff as butterflies danced in his stomach.

"Just breathe, Paul. You'll be fine," Mason smirked, knowingly.

"I think I forgot how to breathe, Perry…"

The bridesmaids' processional continued for a few more moments and then the moment of truth dawned as a joyful and radiant Helen made her way down the aisle on her father's arm. Seeing her brilliant smile and all the love in her eyes finally relaxed Paul for the first time in probably the last 48 hours; and all the eyes focused on them went away as his entire world had been reduced to his beautiful bride and their future together.