Chapter 42

Hayden looked down the aisle, and the sight took his breath away. Abigail was standing there with her father. She was dressed in a light champagne-coloured dress that was strapless like the others. She was radiant. Her hair shone, and the sun reflected off the clips in it, adding sparkle. Suddenly, Hayden felt his palms grow sweaty and his mouth grow dry. When her father handed Abigail's hand to him, Hayden took a deep breath and faced the minister.

After the ceremony, the people mingled. There were about fifty of them. Most were either relatives who Hayden had never met or close friends of the family. There were even some faces Hayden recognised as Jayson's old political friends. The food was delicious, mostly finger food, and Emelyn had made the cake. The DJ played a mixed bag of music, and an area had been set aside for dancing. Genna and Jessica found common ground to talk about: their teenagers. Carol was hanging out with her cousins, so everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.