“It feels like our wedding day all over again, Ki. I remember watching you walk down the aisle and holding back tears.”
“It was one of the best days of my life,” I whispered.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he said as we approached their suite. I paused like a deer in headlights when Dad and Uncle Ant entered the hallway and caught us holding Kieran. Dad eased his hands into the pockets of his slacks and peered down at Kieran before peering at us.
“We’re walking down the aisle in twenty minutes. I don’t give a shit if you have to pull aWeekend at Bernie’s,but you both better make sure he gets to the altar. Do you understand me?”
His voice was as cold as ice, leaving no room for arguments or negotiation.
“Yes, sir,” we replied monotonously.
“Don’t worry about it, Jon. I have something that’ll perk you up,” Uncle Ant boasted as he reached into his jacket pocket. My brow rose when he produced a clear plastic bag of shrooms.
“Where the hell did you get that from?”
“Ronan. I planned on saving it for the reception, but we might as well dip into it now.”
“Might as well,” Dad agreed, walking away.
“Do you think we should’ve warned them?” I asked.
“Nah. Let them have their fun,” Grant insisted.
“I have a question. What the hell isWeekend at Bernie’s?”
“No fucking clue.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Grant
11:30 PM
I lay on the faded green comforter in Room 107, staring at the ceiling as I reminisced about the day as a way to distract myself from the fact that Kiyah had thirty minutes to get her ass to The Oasis Motel. She’d left the reception abruptly without informing anyone where she was going.
I think she’s running again, but I want to give her the benefit of the doubt….
The wedding went better than I anticipated. Daisy practically glowed in her cream satin mermaid gown, and Nori appeared regal and elegant in her suit. The suit was a source of contention in the Powell household. Simone wanted Nori to opt for an extravagant gown, but Nori was firm that she didn’t want to outshine her bride on her special day, and I could respect that.
The two shared heartfelt vows, which I believed were written by AI because they were too perfect—like aHallmarkmovie.
But hey. That’s none of my business.
They kissed—sealing their lifelong commitment to each other, and my sister was officially Mrs. Daisy Baker-Powell.
The reception went surprisingly well. The food was delicious, the wine and champagne flowed, and the speeches were short and sweet. We were shocked when Dad wrapped up his speechin less than five minutes. He was known to be heartfelt but long-winded.
“Daisy and Nori, there were times I was skeptical that we’d be here today. You two became frenemies when you first met at the jump place. Nori, Daisy shoved you to the ground; there were tears, forced apologies, and eventually, revenge that resulted in Daisy walking around with a fat lip for a few days. I thought the two of you would be enemies for life, but my viewpoint changed when Nori fell ill from chicken pox. We were afraid we would lose her, and Daisy was devastated. As Nori fought for her life in the hospital, the light in Daisy continued to dim and dim. We didn’t want Daisy at the hospital in case Nori passed—we didn’t want her witnessing that, but Daisy would not be deterred. So what did she do? She called her grandfather. He picked her up from the house and said he was taking her for ice cream since she’d been feeling down. I received a call from Anthony, who said he and Simone had stepped out of the room to speak with the doctors and take a quick coffee break. When they returned, Daisy was in bed with Nori, wearing gloves and a face mask. Earlier, the doctors had told Anthony and Simone to make arrangements, and a few hours after Daisy’s arrival, her condition began to improve. The word ‘miracle’ started being thrown around, but a miracle isn’t what saved Nori; it was love. Nori had lost her hearing, and Daisy looked up at me and said, ‘Daddy, I’ll be her ears.’ And now we’re here. I hope the two of you continue to be there for each other and that you remember that all you need is love.”
There wasn’t a fucking dry eye in the room once Dad took his seat. The family and the girls’ closest friends said their speeches. And after fielding off the many women who were vying for my attention and polite conversation, I ate cake with my wife in the corner of the reception hall. At some point, Kieran recovered from his bad trip and was pestering me for an explanation.I promised we’d talk later, but he wouldn’t accept no for an answer until I discreetly slipped him a $100.00 bill.
My phone vibrated.
It was my phone alerting me that it was officially midnight, and Kiyah wasn’t there.
How tragic.
There were no text messages or missed calls, but out of curiosity, I checked her location.