Each time Beth contacted him, he insisted he’d be there on the wedding day.
“I’ve got something planned,” he kept saying. “Something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time.”
Janet became increasingly anxious as the wedding approached.
During the final week, I heard her ask three different people whether they’d spoken to Patrick.
On Friday evening, I found her standing alone beside the reception decorations.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
She gave me a strained smile.
“I just hope Patrick knows what he’s doing.”
I assumed she was worried about him arriving late.
I couldn’t have been more mistaken.
By Saturday afternoon, everything was ready. The flowers were arranged, the guests were seated, and Bryce stood at the front, nervously adjusting his jacket.
Beth waited outside the ceremony room with Patrick.
When the doors finally opened, the firefighters entered first.
They walked down both sides of the aisle and stopped in two lines, leaving a clear path between them.
