There was a wave of people into the library. The library she’d never been inside because it never rained long in Florida. But yes, she got it—it was a spectacular place to get married. There was her father at her side, her mother at her other. Her father said, I can’t believe it’s time. Her mother said, I’m so happy for you, JoJo.

There was Alexia, complaining loudly to the event planner that her bouquet wasn’t as robust as the other ones. There was the event planner pushing Alexia down the aisle anyway. There was Siya lifting her foot clad in a Manolo up in a ta-da before starting her walk. Joey waved, feeling like she was sending off a child to her first day at school instead of sending her best friend down her aisle. Next came Lily in her feathered gown, fluffing her train behind her as she began to strut.

There was the music, the soulful Hebrew song of which Joey didn’t understand a word but always made her emotional at other people’s weddings. The cue. That’s you, said the event planner. Her father said, Congratulations, my darling. Her mother said, Congratulations to you too, dear.

Joey was heading down the aisle now. There was a chuppah draped in bougainvillea. She loved bougainvillea. How had her mother known?

There was Grant at the end of the aisle. There was G waving from her seat. There was the Lilly Pulitzer Fan Club—a schizophrenic lineup of pastel beside Siya’s vivid-yellow gown and Lily’s cobalt one. There was Rand sitting stiffly in a middle row.

Joey kept walking. She was afraid she wasn’t smiling. But it was the most unnatural feeling to walk down this aisle. Everyone said, You won’t notice a thing besides Grant. But they were wrong. She was noticing everything, and what she noticed was that Leo wasn’t there.

The realization smacked her the moment the aisle ran out.

Grant reached out his arm. There was a moment where no one moved. Then she realized, this was her cue to perform. She had to circle Grant seven times. Why? She had no clue. Something biblical, maybe. She began to circle him. One. Where was Leo? Two. Did he decide he couldn’t come? Three. But why? Four. Why did she care? Five. Maybe he got lost. Six. But Rand was here. Seven. She was going to faint.

Grant gripped Joey’s arm. Her parents filed in to her side. Lily took her bouquet.

Wait. She wasn’t ready yet. She needed a minute. But the rabbi was already welcoming the friends and family of the Abrewmans. He was talking about Bali and true love. Joey wondered what she was supposed to say when it came down to it. Maybe they should have done the rehearsal. Was it Yes, or I do?