THE BACKYARD WAS BEAUTIFUL, the way everyone did it up for us. Sampson, Billie, and the kids had put little white lights in the trees, and candles everywhere you looked. There was jazz in the air, and a dozen high-backed chairs arranged on the patio for the friends and family we’d invited on short notice.

The kids stood up with us for the ceremony — Ali, with the rings; Jannie, beaming in the beautiful white dress we’d let her splurge on; and Damon, looking like a taller and much more self-aware and confident version of the kid we’d dropped off at Cushing last fall.

As for Bree, no surprise, she was stunning in a simple white strapless dress. Simple and perfect in my eyes. She and Jannie had the same little white flowers in their hair, and Nana sat proudly in the front row with a single hibiscus tucked over her ear and a sparkle in her eyes that I hadn’t seen in the last few years.

At six thirty sharp, our pastor from St. Anthony’s, Dr. Gerry O’Connor, nodded to Nana that it was time to start the proceedings. She’d made one request for today — that she be allowed to offer up a convocation of her own sort.

“I believe in marriage,” she said, standing up to address the group. You could hear the church in her voice already. “More specifically, I believe in this marriage.”

She came over to where Bree and I were standing and took each of us by the hand. “You two haven’t asked me for this, but I’m giving you to each other tonight and I am so honored to do it.

“Bree, I never knew your parents, God rest their souls, but I have to believe they’d be pleased as punch to see you marrying my grandson. This man is a good man,” she said, and I could see a few rare tears brimming in her eyes. “He’s my one and only, and I don’t share that lightly.

“And you,” she said, turning to me. “You have hit the jackpot here, mister.”

“Don’t have to tell me that,” I said.

“No, but when did that ever stop me? This woman is love, Alex. I can see it on her face when she looks at you. I can see it when she looks at the children. I can even see it when she looks at loquacious, silly old me. I’ve never known a woman more generous with her spirit. Have you?” she asked the larger group, and they all came back with a decisive “No!” or, in a few cases, “No, ma’am!”

“That’s right,” she said, and leveled a bony finger at me. “So don’t ever mess it up!”

She sat back down while everyone else was still laughing, many of us through our own tears. Just a few words, but she seemed to have covered everything beautifully.