I looked at her.
Her makeup was still perfect.
Mine wasn’t.
“I only want to apologize.”
Maybe she meant it.
Maybe she’d finally understood.
Maybe tomorrow I would want to hear what she had to say.
But I wasn’t giving her another piece of my wedding night.
“I only want to apologize.”
“Not tonight.”
Isabella’s lips parted.
Nathan said nothing.
Neither did I.
After a moment, she nodded.
“Okay.”
Then she walked away.
For once, I had drawn a line and Isabella hadn’t argued about where I’d put it.
“Not tonight.”
***
Around ten, Mom admitted she was exhausted.
“I can stay.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I absolutely can.”
“You just yawned during a Bruno Mars song.”
She considered that.
“Fair.”
“I can stay.”
I walked her toward the lobby.
Nathan stayed behind to say goodbye to guests, which gave Mom and me a few quiet minutes together.
Near the doors, something tugged behind me.
