In Love and Diplomacy

Chapter Fifty-Four: In Love and Diplomacy

"Hey, hey, hey, lover
I love you just the way you are
For love is just the same
Without fortune and fame
Just give me true love and understanding"

- The Daughters of Eve, "Hey Lover" (the song that would play somewhere near the end of the movie)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Kennedy looked beautiful.

Her long brown hair was braided and twisted into an elegant updo, and her white gown hung delicately from her shoulders. Baby's breath flowers were tucked into the succulent-inspired bouquet clasped tightly in her hands; the same flowers were interspersed perfectly in her hair.

Those same flowers were also woven around Rolo's new fancy white collar. I'd bought it specifically for the occasion. Luckily, he hadn't tried to eat them yet. Kennedy hadn't been joking about having Rolo at the wedding. Apparently, her 'god-dog' needed to be at his 'god-dog mother's wedding'. I think that meant she was saying she was his godmother, but it was slurred out the night of her bachelorette, so I wasn't sure.

For someone who'd been planning this wedding since she was little, Kennedy was very calm.

Too calm.

The other bridesmaids and I were wary the other shoe would drop, but she was settled and peaceful as she finished getting ready. The only time she seemed stressed was when a groomsmen passed by. He let slip Oliver had clunked his head doing something stupid with his friends — something no one was surprised to hear. The groomsmen reassured her he was fine, but then her mother called, having a hard time finding parking. An attendant at the venue left to sort out the parking confusion, and the groomsmen received the greatest death glare of his life, then dispatched to relay the message.

Overall, it went smoothly.

Later, she told me it was because all she could think about was Oliver — nothing else ended up mattering to her.

The ceremony was beautiful. There was no 'speak now or forever hold your peace', because as Kennedy pointed out, if someone had an issue, they were absolutely not invited to speak up about it. Kennedy and Oliver didn't really care if someone had an issue. Photographs had been done before the ceremony, giving the couple a private first look, but Oliver still seemed just as stunned when Kennedy walked down the aisle.

Also, Simon really had been invited. I didn't know how, but he sat rather comfortably next to my plus-one during the ceremony.

The cocktail hour had an open bar, which then remained open the rest of the night, leading to some memorable conversations with both families of the couple. Games were spread out across the sweeping grounds of the venue, and waiters carried platters of finger foods as guests mingled. A mini bar sat across from the main bar. It was complete with a scrawling cutesy slogan, where guests could get either Oliver's favorite drink or Kennedy's. 'His mai tai' vs 'her whiskey sour' was a delightful matter of conversation among the guests.

And even with an aperol spritz in one hand, I was crushing Reed and Simon at cornhole.

"Oh, come on!" Simon complained as the beanbag sailed through the air and landed on the wood stand. With a smooth glide, the bag slid into the carved hole.

"Another point for me," I said with a curtsy.

"Show-off."

I laughed and took another sip of my drink. My eyes looked around the venue as I waited for Simon to try, and fail, to regain his dignity at cornhole. Reed stood next to Simon as they bickered about technique and best force for the throw.