Clear skies greeted Kathryn as she stepped out of the gray SUV she borrowed from her father while in town. She drove to the church but would return the car and get an Uber to and from the reception to allow her to drink. She put on a pair of sunglasses and retrieved a clutch that complimented her lilac sundress. She crossed immediately with a break in traffic and then started towards the church.
As she approached the church, she passed in front of a courtyard next to the main building.
“Kat?!?”
Kathryn was startled at the sound of her name. She searched for the source and found it in the courtyard. A woman in a white wedding gown was tucked behind some trees in the expansive, yet secluded green space. Kathryn raised her sunglasses to her head as she entered the area.
“Jenna?” she shrieked back when she recognized her friend. She moved quickly to embrace her.
When the pair separated, Kathryn took a step back to take in the bride in her gown. She thought it was so white that it still glowed in the shade of the courtyard. The dress was full-length satin. It had an unembellished skirt that met a simple bodice above the beltline. Lace made sheer short sleeves up to the shoulders and adorned the bodice, offering a texture. Jenna opted for simple, natural makeup. This was offset with a simple up-hairstyle which belied its underlying complexity.
“You look amazing,” Kathryn offered. “I love it all,” she added, emphasizing the last word while scanning the whole look.
“Thanks so much. You look great too. It’s been so long.”
“Thank you. I don’t make it back up here enough,” Kathryn said, adding, “Are you excited?”
“Oh, hell yes.”
The two smiled and shared a few minutes of catching up on small talk.
Kathryn seemed to bring that part of the conversation to an end when she looked at her watch.
“Do you have to get going?” she asked.
“Oh, I have time, I got ready a bit early and came out here so I wouldn’t melt inside and ruin my makeup. No one’s noticed me tucked away, which is nice, but I saw you and had to say something.”
“I’m glad you did. It’s great to see you. By the way, have you seen your brother Davis? I was hoping to catch up with him inside.”
Kathryn casually looked around the nearby sidewalks. Jenna’s demeanor shifted slightly. A bit of concern and confusion crept in from the sides.
“No, I haven’t. I hope he makes it," Jenna responded tentatively. "I heard he’s in town, I don’t know if,” she let the sentence trail off. The look of recognition on Kathryn’s face allowed her to abandon that thought. She continued in another direction, “So, hmph, how do you know Davis?” she inquired.
“We’re friends. We met a little while after he moved to Portland. We’ve started to get close in the last few weeks. I didn’t find out he was your brother until, like, four days ago.”
“Wow, that’s right, you both are living in Portland. That’s so weird,” Jenna responded nervously.
Kathryn picked up on her friend’s reticence.
“Yeah, he mentioned he was invited to a wedding, and I said I was too. It,” she paused, “it made for an enlightening conversation. He gave me a little bit of the history and, well…”
“His side of things?” Jenna asked. She was unaware that she would later admit she sounded bitchier than she intended. She didn’t have a side in whatever constituted a rift. She did assume he’d present himself in as positive of a light as possible.
“Oddly, no,” she replied, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose in confusion.
“He’s an interesting guy,” she continued. “I’m still trying to process everything, but I know his being here is a big deal. He said he was coming. He seemed nervous, so I was going to sit with him.”
“That’s great,” Jenna offered, relieved. “I’m glad he has someone. I can’t imagine what he is going through, but it’ll be nice to see him after all this time. Even this week, we talked when I invited him, but I only received a text saying he would try to come. I mean, I optimistically took that to mean he was coming, but you never know.”
Jenna’s expression shifted to crestfallen as she talked. Kathryn picked up on the cue and embraced her friend. She then grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
“It’s your day. You deserve to get what you want." She paused and added, "You will get what you want,” hoping to will a smile onto Jenna’s face. She finished with, “If you want Davis here. He’ll be here, even if I have to track him down and drag him here.”
Jenna smiled and gave her friend another deep hug as she appreciated the sentiment.
“Jenna,” came a voice from the doorway. One of the bridesmaids, Ellen, was standing there to retrieve her cousin. “We’re getting close, we have to get ready.”
The bride obeyed. She gave a last wave to her friend and hiked up the bottom of her dress to head indoors. Kathryn turned and pulled out her phone as she exited the courtyard.
“Are you at the church yet?” she texted.
Shortly after hitting “send,” she was greeted by an audible “almost,” coming from a smiling Davis. She snapped her head to her right. She saw him approaching wearing a white dress shirt with rolled up sleeves. He was wearing a black tie and black slacks. He carried a light casual coat, also black, under his arm.
The sight of Kathryn eased some of Davis’ anxiety and vice versa, as she was nervous he may not show. The hug they shared next did well to ease a bit the concerns they each felt. When she pulled away, Davis caught the sight of familiar faces entering the front of the church. Those concerns came rushing back for Davis. The look of concern was clear in his eyes.
“I was hoping you saved me a seat,” she said in a coy manner. She adjusted her position to his side for the short walk to the church door. She felt the urge to take his arm, or hold his hand, but chickened out.
Kathryn give Davis an overview of her trip to Seattle so far. He wasn't eager to share his trip, so he asked her a lot of questions. This got them up the stairs to the church’s front doors. Davis’ lack of momentum then caused them to pause. He took a deep breath, with Kathryn watching for cues intently, and the two entered. Following his lead, they moved to the left side of the church, which he hoped was the bride’s side. They found seats at the far end of the empty last aisle.
The rest of the pews started to fill as the start time approached, but Davis and Kathryn’s row remained empty. The nearest people were in the row ahead of them. The group was, guessing by the conversation, co-workers from the Seattle University library. Their arrival gave Davis comfort. He had been avoiding eye contact with each guest that entered after they were seated.
He was unable to completely escape recognition. Despite last being seen as a 13-year-old, he was the spitting image of the bride’s brother. He heard faint whispers from passersby. He pretended to not overhear the feint conversations. He'd lean into Kathryn from time to time. He interspersed non sequiturs with what little family intel he had to offer.
The music started not a moment too soon and the ceremony got underway. The bridal party entered in pairs. Each pairing had one person Davis recognized, mostly from social media. They were walking with someone that Kathryn recognized. She resisted the urge to wave to her friends among the wedding party. Instead, she made eye contact and smiled brightly.
After four co-ed groupings, two men in tuxedos walked down the aisle in step. The man on the right, he gathered from the program, was Trent’s brother and best man. He was joined by A.J., who did not seem to notice his brother tucked away in the corner, much to Davis’ relief.
For his part, A.J. was relieved to not see Davis. For a brief few moments, he’d forgotten his brother might even be attending the wedding. Roland and Uncle Lyle didn't mention Davis’ visit the night before. A.J. was allowed to focus on the wedding ceremony without the added stress of an unwanted guest.
As the organ shifted to the bridal march, the congregation rose. Davis instinctively reached for his phone to get a video of his sister’s entrance. This was the first time he’d seen his sister in person since she was eight years old. He covered his welling eyes with the phone and captured her entrance. On her arm was an equally emotional Roland. He did his best to remain stoic but was failing miserably in an endearing way. Davis’ tracked them the entire length of the aisle. He hit ‘stop’ after the passing of Jenna’s hand from Roland to Trent.
Once everyone was seated, Kathryn leaned into Davis a bit and looped her left arm under his right, and held his hand. With her right hand, she offered him one of the tissues from the supply she was utilizing as well.
The ceremony itself was charming. There was a bit of humor and some reverence for Jenna’s family members that could not be in attendance. When it was complete, everyone cheered and the couple exited the church’s nave. Davis once again was filming. The party then followed in the opposite order in which they arrived. A.J. once again didn't notice his brother. Slowly, the church started to let out, as well, with the front pews leading the exit. The process was slow, as the bridal party received each guest on their way out.
Anxiety had built to a near fever pitch as Davis and Kathryn left their row and tucked in behind the Seattle U crowd. In trying to go unnoticed by other guests, he had made himself the last person through the receiving line. As they approached, Kathryn offered genuine good wishes and hugs to the party. She was friends with a couple of the bridesmaids and was familiar with A.J.
Davis followed. He hoped to appear as Kathryn's unaffiliated date. It worked as he managed to pass undetected by a pair of his own first cousins.
A.J.’s expression shifted dramatically after Kathryn passed him. When her embrace fell away, he caught Davis’ nervous eyes. All the mirth washed away from his face.
“I’m glad you could make it,” he said through a noticeable clenched jaw, offering a hand robotically.
“Thanks. I was happy to be invited,” responded Davis, matching his brother.
A.J. turned his attention elsewhere as the last of the guests had now come through the line. In the meantime, Davis greeted Trent’s parents like the other bridal party members. He then had his handshake turned into an embrace by Roland. As Davis pulled away, Roland held the hand and put his other on his shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said with an affirming smile. “We’re glad you’re here,” he followed up quickly, shooting a not-so-subtle look at his husband.
As Davis was released by Roland, he turned to face his little sister, who was sobbing. This immediately triggered tears in his own eyes. He fought to put forth a “stoic crying face” rather than an “ugly crying face.” This was how Kathryn described it when she complimented him on the way out of the church.
“You came,” she choked out, throwing her arms around her brother.
The two held each other for a couple minutes, not saying a word. Neither one wanted to let go, but they relented in synchronization.
“Thank you for inviting me, I really appreciate it,” he said after clearing his throat.
“I’m just,” she paused, fighting back more tears, “I’m so happy you’re here.”
While they talked, Kathryn reached into Davis’ front pocket to retrieve his phone. She committed the act with less of a pick-pocket’s precision. There was an intimacy to the deed that neither acknowledged and seemed natural. She then took pictures of the siblings as they talked. At Jenna’s behest, she also took a picture of them posing next to each other.
“Here,” Davis said, retrieving an envelope from his jacket pocket. He turned it over in his hands to assess its condition and handed it to his sister. “For the wedding. Congratulations.”
Jenna took the envelope—in which there was a hand-written letter and a sizable check. She took one more long look at her brother and threw her arms around him once more. When the embrace ended, Davis then turned to Trent. Jenna's new husband had stood by for the encounter. He was secretly wishing he’d greeted people first so that he could've left.
“Congratulations,” Davis offered with his hand in a straightforward manner. He didn’t know how much Trent wanted him to be a part of their day and didn’t want to betray that apprehension.
Trent reciprocated and offered a genuine “Thanks for coming,” to his new brother-in-law.
Emotionally drained, Davis joined Kathryn and they exited the church’s front doors. There was a refreshing breeze that cooled his tear-soaked face as it washed over him. Kathryn was walking arm in arm with him and slid his phone back into his front right pocket.
He walked her to her car and they chatted about the ceremony. The moment that was so normal to onlookers, but so foreign to Davis. They could be a couple leaving a wedding without a care in the world. They could be wondering how the event would compare to their own nuptials. That’s what other people on the street likely thought. In truth, it was another welcome feature of his decreasingly isolated life. He may not have been with Kathryn in a romantic sense, but the fact that she was with him as a friend meant the world to him.
The moment was not lost on her.
As they reached the car, she offered to go with him to the ceremony. He could come with her to drop off the car at her parents’ house and they'd ride together to the venue. She knew deep down that he would not take her up on the offer, but there was a genuine hopefulness behind it.
“Y’know,” he started. He rubbed her upper arms as if to warm them. He was intently focused on the act, which demonstrated he was avoiding eye contact. “I’m not going to the reception. I should head to the hospital right away.”
She understood and nodded.
“Have fun, though. I saw how excited you were by some of the people you saw at the wedding. It should be a good time.”
“I figured,” she said.
She put her hands on his upper arms and leaned in to give him a platonic kiss on the lips. It caught him off guard.
“For luck,” she said as she pulled away smiling. As she started to get into her car, she added, “I don’t care what you say, I’ll see you at the hospital before your procedure.”
He beamed appreciatively and offered back, “I’m counting on it.”
Davis helped her the last bit into the car and closed the door after her. He instinctively tapped twice on the top and stepped away to let her drive off. At the first intersection she paused, causing a car behind her to honk at the extra 20-second wait. She looked to the left—the fastest way back to her parents—but opted to go right and head directly to the reception. Davis watched her car out of sight as he milled towards the sidewalk. With her gone, he headed off towards King Street Station.