“I KNOW YOU ALL came here for a wedding, but never let it be said the Summerhills don’t try to give everybody their money’s worth. Rather than just one wedding, we’re having two weddings this Christmas Day.”
A little gasp went up from the crowd.
Seth, wearing a white linen suit and yellow tie, walked from the family group to my side.
Some people looked confused. A few figured it out. Claire whistled, and then Lizzie started everybody clapping.
“Turn and face back toward the house and you will see the most beautiful bride: my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Andie.”
Andie—her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders—began her own walk down the aisle.
The audience continued to applaud at the surprise.
Andie looked as gorgeous as I had promised. She was wearing what was essentially a sundress—a bright yellow cotton dress with even brighter red poppies, a halter top, tan sandals. She smiled delicately, radiantly.
And in the time it took her to make it to the front of the barn, a cold Christmas Day had turned warm and sweet and full of hope.
When I looked at my daughter-in-law-to-be, I thought: Andie has a family now, a family who’ll love her always. She’ll never be alone again. Andie smiled at me. Maybe she was thinking the same thing.
I took Seth’s hands as he passed me on the way to meet Andie. I kissed my son and then I stepped out of the way.
You could barely hear their voices as they exchanged vows. But they held hands, and nuzzled each other once, and it was just so simple and right. Seth and Andie had known this was the time and the place. When they kissed, everyone started to cheer again. They finally broke apart, and Seth said “We did it” and his voice was cracking, the way it did when he was twelve or thirteen. People say they grow up so fast, in the blink of an eye, and it’s so true, isn’t it?
The band played a traditional version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as Seth and Andie moved back to join the family group. They were still holding hands.
Now it was my turn, my Christmas wedding—with the perfect man for me.