Del was true to his word. He had spoken to Wiley before leaving the rehearsal dinner about switching him and Cade in line.
"You have to admit," Del had said to the groom with a hearty laugh, like nothing was wrong. "Lilith and I look ludicrous."
Sara's heart pounded when she saw Cade linking arms with an emaciated-looking Elsa before the ceremony. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she felt as if she might heave up everything in her stomach from two days ago.
"Hey," Del whispered. "Smile, remember?"
"You know, in my line of work," Sara replied, thinking of Nick, "smiling offsets the gagging reflex."
"Really? My line of work, too."
Sara stifled a laugh as she spotted Gia coming down the line, straightening wreaths, smoothing wrinkles on dresses and fixing Polexia's veil.
"Okay, people!" Gia said as she paused in front of Del, flattening his pink tie. "Once the music starts, it's a go!"
No sooner were the words out of Gia's mouth than a soft lilting of a melody came in through the French doors of the living room that was leading out to the porch, from a small string quartet that had played at the cocktail party.
"Okay, here goes!" exclaimed Gia in a whisper. "Elizabeth and Keith, go!"
Elizabeth, the junior bridesmaid, was first out of the house and down the aisle, looking like she was ready for the prom on the arm of her junior usher—Keith, the son of Wiley's best man.
Gia continued her direction, "And Daphne and Gavin, go. Left, right, together. Right, left, together. Go, go! Okay…Maaike and Andrew, go…"
On she went. Sara and Del were the last to go before Crisli, the matron-of-honor, trailed by Kirya and Troy. At the very end, near the minister, beneath a beautiful arch of pink and white flowers, Sara could spot Wiley and his best man, his childhood friend Liam. Like the ushers, Liam wore silken a pink tie and cummerbund to match the bridesmaid dresses while Wiley was spared the pink (to Sara's dismay) and instead wore a sophisticated all-white tux.
Sara held her breath and prayed she wouldn't tumble down the porch steps in these stupid pink high heeled sandals she wore while still trying to remember the rhythm Gia had pounded into her brain (left-right-together-right-left-together). Del must have read her mind, for he held onto her tightly. She grinned as he guided her steps (left-right-together-right-left-together).
When the pair marched (left-right-together-right-left-together) down the aisle past the guests, Sara spotted Grissom and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He had a look of adoration on his face and his lips curved into a soft smile. She blushed slightly as she marched past him (left-right-together-right-left-together). Her parents sat beside each other, their hands entwined, in the first row, possibly remembering their own wedding. Cecilia was seated beside Phil, a slim digital camera in hand. Sara fought the urge to wince when Cecilia flashed a picture in all her Pepto-Bismol glory.
Sara and Del parted ways at the alter and he gave her a small wink. She took her spot beside Lilith and watched as little Kirya sprinkled rose petals as dainty-as-you-please all over the aisle for Polexia. Her flower girl dress was the perfect shade of pink with seven tiers of lace and ruffles. She also wore in her hair a flowered wreath and had ribbons trailing down the back. Troy, the little ring bearer, looked handsome in his miniature tux, complete with the pink tie and cummerbund. He held his pillow up high, the rings securely attached and glinting in the sunlight.
Then, the wedding march. The familiar chords filled the air as the guests stood and watched Polexia descend the porch stairs. An angel in white, just like Gia had said. There was a beautiful silvery glow about her, making her look like she wore a halo. Megan and Sophie held the train as Polexia made her way down the aisle on her father Lemuel's arm. She seemed to take forever, basking in the glory of her family and friends. Sara wondered how many on the bride's side knew that Polexia was to be her brother's fourth wife. She then chastised herself for thinking that way.
Wiley seemed to be lost in his gaze of his bride-to-be. He couldn't take his eyes off her for one moment, drinking her in.
Oh, how much he really did love her! Sara thought. Yes, they are going to be different, I can feel it. This is not a quickie thing. Something about the way he's staring…they're going to last.
Polexia and her father reached the alter beneath the arch and the music ceased. The guests were seated and the minister, a heavy older man with a jolly disposition who spoke with the silkiness of a professional thespian, began the ceremony.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this day, the twelfth of June, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"
Sara didn't pay much attention to the minister's speech. Her eyes roamed the guests, particularly the ones on Polexia's side. Those who resembled rodents were probably from her mother's family and the ones looking like models were most likely from her father's.
Sara snapped back to the ceremony. The minister had finished his speech and they were now exchanging rings.
The minister turned to her brother: "Repeat after me, please. 'I, Wiley Martin Sidle'…"
"I, Wiley Martin Sidle," Wiley's voice was strong and deep.
"'Take thee, Polexia Merise Woulfe'…"
"Take thee, Polexia Merise Woulfe…"
When the ring had been slipped onto Polexia's finger, it was her turn to repeat the vows.
"I, Polexia Merise Woulfe, take thee, Wiley Martin Sidle…" Polexia's voice came as soft and as delicate as a feather.
"By the power vested in me," the minister said, in a "this-is-the-finale-folks" voice, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."
With beautifully dramatic gestures, Wiley lifted the filmy veil and planted the sweetest of kisses on the lips of his new bride. Sara felt the her stomach do flip-flops—oh, that's the way Grissom should have kissed her last night! The guests released a collective blissful sigh and the women dabbed at their eyes with tissues or hankies.
The ceremony concluded with the bride and groom retreating into the house to take pictures on the front lawn of Sara's Place. The wedding party exited behind them, in line, as they would be included in the pictures as well. Kirya and Troy raced ahead, their childish giggling wafting through the air like a breeze.
"Some show, huh?" Del smiled, catching up to Sara. "Jeez, you sure walk fast for a girl."
"I do a lot of walking," Sara replied. She saw Grissom chitchatting with her mother out of the corner of her eye, a small smile playing upon his lips. Idly, she began to toss her nosegay of carnations up in the air and catch it again. "I used to be a track star, can't do anything slow."
"Yeah? Me too. I was a hurdler," Del boasted.
Sara eyed her escort up and down. "You don't look tall enough to jump hurdles."
"My mom used to tell me I had legs that went all the way up to my neck."
"Your mom sure says a lot, huh?" Sara smiled.
"Too much sometimes," Del gave her a sideways smile.
Posing for pictures was excruciating. The sandals Sara was wearing were biting viciously into her feet. She was definitely going to have blisters. And her stomach was growling. She hadn't eaten breakfast and it was past lunchtime.
"One more, once more," was the photographer's eternal chant. It was worse than Gia's left-right-together-right-left-together.
"Kill me," Maaike muttered through gritted teeth.
"Shh," snapped Lilith as Sara fought the urge to laugh.
They were finally released after nearly two hours of snapping cameras and posing and smiling. Sara was sure her cheek muscles were permanently damaged. She'd never smiled so much in one day. The photographer had even called in Eavan, Cecilia, Phil and Polexia's parents, Georgia and Lemuel, in for a few photos. Eavan hesitated when she was asked to stand with everyone, but Cecilia and Phil insisted.
"You helped raise Wiley too, you know," Phil said.
Sara's favorite of the pictures was of the newlyweds posing with all four of Wiley's girls. Elizabeth looking very grown up in her junior bridesmaid gown, Megan and Sophie in matching dresses and Kirya looking like a perfect little Dresden doll.
"Beautiful family," the photographer remarked. "All looking like cherubs."
It struck Sara as funny that her new sister-in-law was the only one in this photo who had red hair.
As the wedding party trekked back to the party, Sara and Del walked slower, lagging behind, to chat.
"Save a dance for me, okay?" Del asked.
"Of course," Sara smiled. "I owe you…so much. A dance is the least I could do."
"It's all I want you to do."
"Oh, Del…if you hadn't been there…I don't know what Cade would have done…"
"Don't mention it," Del blushed. "After all, I promised I would look out for you."
"What?"
Del suddenly looked as if he had swallowed an ice cube unexpectedly. "Oh, uh…um, n-never mind…" he mumbled.
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Del said, louder. "I'll see you later, kid. Just remember the dance, okay?"
He hurried ahead, leaving Sara in a fog of confusion. She tossed her nosegay up in the air one more time and decided to go get a drink.