A judge was marrying Dad and Jesse. I’d been watching for a serious guy in a black robe, but he turned out to look regular, smiling in a suit. Sheila had pinned a daisy to his jacket. She had pinned daisies everywhere she could think of.

When the guitar music started, we all turned in our chairs to look back at the restaurant door. Dad and Jesse came down the steps together, and we all started singing “You Are My Sunshine.” It was even nicer than I thought it would be, hearing everyone’s voices together. I looked at Sheila and she looked so, so happy. I caught her eye, and she made her smile even bigger.

Dad and Jesse walked down the aisle, just them, holding hands, all the way to the front. Then the judge started talking about how it was an honor to be there, part of a special day in our family, and how love is one of the things we should never forget to celebrate. Then Aunt Ess and Sheila each stood up to read a poem. I couldn’t pay attention to the poems because I was getting really nervous. When Sheila sat down after her poem, Jesse nodded at me and Sonia, and my heart felt like thunder. It was time for the vows.

We stood up together and got next to our dads. I was squeezing Jesse’s ring, and I could feel that my face was red. I looked across Dad and Jesse to Sonia on the other side, and she looked nervous, too. She waved at me and I waved back, and that made a few people laugh.

The judge said, “Jesse and Daniel have written their own vows.”

That’s when Mission stood up. I had forgotten all about Mission. He was near the back, in the second- or third-to-last row, but his voice was loud.

“Jesse, my man,” he said.

A couple of people laughed—I guess they thought it was a joke.

Sheila stood up and faced him across all the rows of people. Her back was to me, but I could see her face in her voice. Her voice was furious.

“Mission, what are you doing? Sit down.”

Mission said, “Don’t do this, bro.”

Sheila had her fingers buried in her hair. “Get out of here, Mission. Right now.”

Mission just stood there.

“Now!” Sheila yelled. But Mission didn’t move. Nobody did.

That’s when Uncle Frank and Aunt Ess started singing. They started out quiet: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

Aunt Ess has a really nice voice. On the next line, the whole second row—Angus and his parents, and Angelica, James, and Jojo—joined in. You make me happy when skies are gray.