"Im sure. "
Tully appeared unconvinced; more than that, she looked afraid. "Good," she said, biting her lower lip, nodding stiffly. "Cause its forever. "
"You know what else is forever?"
"Dirty diapers. "
Kate reached out for Tullys hand, noticing how cold her friends skin was. How could she convince Tully that this was the Y in their lives, the inevitable separation, but not an abandonment? "Us," she said pointedly. "Well be friends through jobs and kids and marriages. " She grinned. "Im sure Ill outlast several of your husbands. "
"Oh, thats nice. " Tully laughed, bumping her shoulder into Kates. "You think I wont be able to stay married. "
Kate leaned against her friend. "I think youll do whatever you want, Tully. Youre such a bright light. Me, I just want Johnny. I love him so much it hurts sometimes. "
"How can you say you only want Johnny? You have a great career. Someday youre going to be running that agency. This pregnancy wont throw you off course. These days women can have it all. "
Kate smiled. "Thats you, Tully. And Im so proud of you that I cant stand it. Sometimes at Safeway I tell complete strangers that Im your friend. But I need you to be proud of me, too. No matter what I do. Or dont do. "
"Im always there for you. You know that. "
"I know. "
They stared at each other, and in that moment, with both of them dressed up like princesses and standing in front of a mirror, they were fourteen years old again, planning the whole of their lives.
Tully finally smiled. This time it was the real thing. "When are you going to tell your mom about the baby?"
"After Im married. " Kate laughed. "Ill confess to God, but Im not telling my mom till Im Mrs. Ryan. "
For a single, glorious moment, time simply stopped. They were TullyandKate again; girls sharing secrets.
Then the door opened.
"Its time," Dad said. "The church is full. Tully: youre up. "
Tully gave Kate a big hug, then hurried out of the dressing room.
Kate stared at her dad in his rented tux, with his newly cut hair, and felt a rolling wave of love for him. Through the doors, they heard the music start up.
"You look beautiful," he said after a moment. His voice was uneven, not his usual sound at all.
She went to him, looked up, remembering a hundred moments in the space of a heartbeat. The way he read her bedtime stories when she was little and tucked spare money in her back pocket when she was older, the way he sang off-key at church.
He touched her chin, tilted her face up. That was when she saw the tears in his eyes. "Youll always be my little girl, Katie Scarlett. Dont you forget that. "
"I could never forget it. "
Inside, the music changed to "Here Comes the Bride. " They linked arms and walked toward the churchs double doors. One halting step after another, they made their way down the aisle.
Johnny stood at the altar, waiting for her. When he took her hand in his and smiled down at her, she felt that swelling in her chest again, the sweet knowing that this was the man for her. No matter what else would happen to her in this life, she knew that she was marrying her true love, and that made her one of the lucky ones.
From then on, the night took on the hazy, insubstantial edges of a dream. They stood at the end of the receiving line, kissing friends and relatives and collecting their well-wishes.
The world felt wide open. Anything was possible. Kate found that she couldnt stop smiling or crying.
When the music started—Madonnas "Crazy for You"—Johnny found her in the crowd and reached for her hand.
"Hey, Mrs. Ryan. "
Touch me once and youll know its true . . .