2: 2

When my father heard me say that, he thought I was just being stubborn. He sighed, and the look he gave me was full of ache.

"But Peter, just now, he... won't this whole thing leave a bad taste between you two?"

I shook my head. "The fireworks have nothing to do with him. We're changing grooms today."

His eyes went wide with shock. "That phone call earlier — you meant it?"

"Sweetheart, this is not the time to be stubborn. I heard the call you made. Even if the wedding really gets canceled today, your mother and I can accept that. You don't have to grab just anyone to come fetch you out of spite."

"Marriage is a lifelong thing. If Peter won't do, we can wait a little longer. Your mother and I aren't afraid of the gossip. We're only afraid you won't be happy."

His words made my eyes sting at once. He had never been a man of many words, and here he was, defying tradition for the sake of my happiness.

Our village clings hard to its customs. If the wedding fell through today, there was no telling how the whole village would talk about my parents, how they'd twist it around.

I don't live at home for work, but my parents would be the ones facing the rumors day after day.

I couldn't let them worry over me any longer. And the man I'd chosen shouldn't be a bad pick.

I stood and looped my arm through my father's, keeping my tone light. "Dad, I didn't make this call carelessly. This man is good. Better than Peter. You'll be pleased with him."

Seeing he still looked uncertain, I smiled. "If you're not happy with him when he gets here, I just won't get in his car. Simple."

Only then did my father let out a breath. "If you're this set on it, I'll go light the fireworks. Otherwise, if the party arrives before the fireworks go off, they'll think we don't respect him."

The colorful bursts cracked open, one after another, ringing out for nearly ten minutes.

Around here, fetching the bride comes with a welcoming ritual: before the bridal car arrives, you set off fireworks to greet it.

The more fireworks, the more it means you're pleased with your son-in-law.

To show how much he valued Peter, my father had prepared a hundred and twenty tubes well in advance, the highest honor our village could offer.

Afraid the delivery people wouldn't be careful, he'd driven his own three-wheeler back and forth, hauling every tube home with his own hands.

And yet all that had been thrown back in his face. The man on the other end never cared about his heart at all, and now he'd flung it on the ground and ground it under his heel.

Just then, Peter called me again.

When I picked up, his voice was thick with anger. "I told you to hold the fireworks until I arrived. Joanna wants to see them. Now you've set them off early — what's she supposed to look at when she gets there?"

"Today is our big wedding day. Can you not make a scene?"

"There's still time. Have your family go buy more, right now, so we can set off another round once we arrive."

I let out a cold laugh. "Peter, so you do remember today is supposed to be a joyful day."

"You sent the bridal car to pick up Joanna first, then turned it around for her, and now you're demanding I delay the fireworks — all because Joanna wants to watch them."

"Don't you know there's an auspicious hour for fetching the bride, and an auspicious hour for the fireworks too? Today is our wedding. But have you put our wedding first at all?"

He paused, maybe realizing his attitude really was off, and his voice softened. "All right, say I was wrong. I just didn't think it through. The fireworks are set off, they're set off. I won't make you buy more."

"But you'll have to wait a bit longer. Joanna's dress got dirty, so I'm taking her to the mall to buy a new outfit first. The moment we're done, we'll come straight over to get you."

"And the hotel ceremony might run a little late. Find some excuse and let people know."

I wanted to tell him again that the wedding was off, but suddenly I decided to hold it back. I wanted to see the look on his face when he arrived and there was no bride to collect.

"Fine."

At that, he breathed easier. "I knew you'd be reasonable about it."

The moment I hung up, cheering broke out from outside. "The wedding party's here!"

3: 3

I went to the window and looked down, and sure enough there was a line of wedding cars waiting below, the one in front decked out in the yellow roses I loved most.

Once, I'd told Peter I wanted the cars and the ceremony done up in yellow roses, but he'd said a wedding was a joyful occasion and only red roses were festive enough.

So I'd let it drop. And now here was a man who hadn't needed me to say a word, and he'd chosen my favorite flower on his own.

A moment later, he was shown up to the room.

His name was Luke Farley. We'd met on a trip through the Rocky Mountains. He'd come down with altitude sickness and I'd given him medicine, and after that he'd started pursuing me.

I told him I already had a boyfriend, but he wouldn't give up.

Even when he heard I was getting married, he didn't back off. The day before the wedding he came to find me and said that the moment I changed my mind, he would drive the wedding car over to collect me at once.

I'd thought he was just sore about it, throwing out a bold line.

So when I called today, I only meant to test him. I never expected him to agree on the spot, and to have everything prepared so completely. It seemed he really had put together a whole wedding for me somewhere else.

He held a bouquet of yellow roses, his eyes full of nerves, sweat even beading on his forehead. "Nora, I'm here to take you."

My parents could see how much thought he'd put in, and they said nothing.

Sitting in the wedding car, I took out my phone and sent a message in the bride's side family group chat, telling the relatives who were heading straight to the hotel to go to a different one instead.

The group chat blew up at once.

"What's going on?"

"Isn't the wedding at this hotel? The welcome photo by the door is Nora."

"Right, by rights you should be about at the hotel by now. Did something happen?"

I typed out another line. "I've changed grooms today. It's at a different hotel. Sorry for the trouble, everyone."

Then I sent a big cash gift into the group.

"Consider this to cover your travel, and thank you all. I'll explain the reason at the wedding."

Seeing me say that, and hand out an envelope so freely, everyone figured it had to be something serious for the groom to be swapped out this suddenly, and for the moment no one pressed further.

Then, out of nowhere, Peter's mother called me.

Her voice carried both worry and probing. "Nora, did something happen? Why did your side's relatives suddenly leave, and why are they saying the reception's at a different hotel?"

"What on earth is going on? Today's the big day. If Peter did something wrong, I'll scold him for you myself, just don't lose your temper today."

"Alberta, you'd better ask Peter about the details. I can't go through with this wedding to him."

And with that I hung up.

Right after, Peter's call came through. There was a note of awkwardness in his voice. "Nora, it'll be a little while before I can come get you. Joanna suddenly got bad cramps, so I'm taking her to the hospital first."

4: 4

"Don't make a scene. Calm your parents down. I'll apologize to them the moment I get there."

So he still hadn't gotten the call from his mother.

"You go do your thing."

My flat tone caught him off guard. Peter sounded puzzled. "You don't mind?"

"I don't mind."

I was about to marry someone else. Who he went off to take care of was none of my business.

"I have things to handle too. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

He went right along with it. "Right, you still have to explain things to the relatives. Go on then, get to it. I'll take Joanna to the hospital first."

Just then Joanna's coaxing voice drifted over. "Peter, my stomach hurts. Come rub it for me."

Then the fumbling click of the call ending.

My heart still ached, out of nowhere.

Barely a few minutes later, his call came again.

This time his tone had turned furious. "Nora, what's the meaning of this? You already agreed to let me take Joanna to the hospital first, so why did you send the relatives away and tell my mother the wedding's canceled?"

"Do you have any idea? My mother tore into me. She yelled at Joanna too."

"You're about to be my wife. Can't you show a little sense?"

On his end, Joanna spoke through her sniffles. "Peter, don't worry about me. Your wife's already angry. Just let me off the car, I'll go to the hospital myself."

"I'm fine, really. Even if I pass out on the side of the road later, I can't hold you up from going to fetch your bride."

Peter got even angrier at once. "Nora, are you set on driving Joanna to her death? The wedding matters, and Joanna doesn't?"

"Hurry up and explain to my mother. The wedding isn't off today, it's just running late. Can't you stop kicking up a fuss and show some sense?"

Even now he was still calling it a fuss. I glanced at the time on my watch. My voice went cold. "Peter, do you know what time it is right now?"

"Why are you asking that?"

Hearing how clueless he sounded, I couldn't hold back the sneer. "It's almost midnight. You're still off taking Joanna to the hospital, so what day exactly do you plan to come fetch me?"

His tone turned guilty in an instant. "Didn't we say even if it's late—"

I cut him off. "At first you said ten minutes to take Joanna to buy pads. Then it was buying clothes. Then it was going to the hospital."

"If she needs to be admitted in a bit, are you going to stay in the hospital with her too? Do you actually intend to hold the wedding today? Have you ever once put me in your heart? "

"There were plenty of people in the wedding party. You're telling me not one of them could take her to buy pads, buy clothes, go to the hospital?"

Battered by one question after another, he had nothing to say. In the end he could only manage weakly, "She's not comfortable with other people, I—"

"Enough, Peter. Since she's only comfortable with you, then just marry her."

I hung up the moment I finished.

He called again. I blocked the number outright.

Then his message came through.

"Nora, I'm rushing back right now to apologize to you and your parents. It won't take long."

I blocked him again.

Then the car came to a smooth stop. We'd reached the hotel where the reception was being held.

Luke got out to help me down, while over on his end Peter had already turned the car around and was driving toward my home.

But when he got there, he found the front doors shut tight, not a single family member in sight.

He was baffled. Even if I was angry, I should still be waiting at home for his apology now. How could there be no one? And right then his phone rang.

"Peter, I sent you some photos. Take a look at how Nora's marrying somebody else."

He fumbled his messages open, and when he saw the photos his friend had sent, panic seized him at once.