Kenny basically woke up to the sound of the wedding bells. The month had flown over his head mainly either watching Denny or Riona pick their outfits, visiting and helping out with the décor at the venue or frequently getting lost in his head about you-know-what. Now he stood there awkwardly smiling in his favorite black corduroy blazer with his hands tied behind his back as his brother’s best man. The wedding was nothing short of impressive with floral arrangements cascading down every corner of the hall and silver satin sashes swinging from one end to the other. A chandelier of three polished, beige pearls of diameters close to the neatly dressed tables below, hung precariously over the heads of the guests. As he waited, Kenny wondered what would happen if they might fall, unsure whether they will bounce, shatter or create a crater large enough to confuse the various UFO-theorists he had seen on TV.

He looked at his brother who stood a couple of feet away from him on the small podium meant for the bride and groom. He was crying, in a very professional manner that can be pulled off only by future celebrities-to-be. A dab under the eye here, a quiet sniffle there, anyone can hardly notice. As the sun started to set, the band- comprised of students from Denny’s university started playing a powerful, modernized version of ‘Salut d’amour’ and the large marble carved doors burst open revealing the bride. White doves fluttered all over and perched atop the neatly placed pillars that stood in orderly queues from the start to the end of the hall, as she walked forward in her graceful platinum gown, leaving the guests wondering where the birds showed up from in the first place. Having a theatrically talented brother meant you got to witness things with a little more pizzazz than they had to be. The front of the dress bounced at each step she took, making her look like she was riding the foamy waves of the sea- the small pearls and sequins giving the effect of dew and bubbles that floated over- while the long trail at the back dragged across as if the waves were receding back into the ocean. Her arms were covered in thin floral-patterned lace and mesh, like the sleeves of a snow queen and her midriff and back remained bare in two diamond cut windows, revealing the massive Court of Roses tattoo etched across the top of her shoulder blades. Kenny most surely suspected that Riona had designed and sewn the dress for herself. He had never seen anything quite so captivating in the stores they had visited: the way some corners of the skirt were slightly flared into place while others were free-flowing fluttery sashes of organza at the sides – it was heavenly. She might not have possessed the physical strength and aggression Lois had, but every stride showed the audience that she was much more than just the head of wardrobe backstage.

“Kenny,” Denny sauntered up after the reception had finally ended, “meet the new Mrs. Moore” he showcased his newly wedded wife as if she were a delicate artifact, “your sister-in-law!”

Kenny whooped and hugged Riona, “It’s about time I had a sister.”

Riona smiled, “I’m honored”. She wasn’t able to stand around and chat for long as her friends came in and roped her onto the dance floor, leaving the husband in the dust.

“Didn’t you see anyone you recognize?” Denny hinted. Kenny’s heart dropped. So, he HAD seen Lois! So, Lane WAS around the place TOO. He looked at his brother distraught. His tuxedo suddenly felt a lot more sweltering than it already was. He was still too shocked to speak or control his own body as Denny drove him through the crowds, frequently stopping to get congratulated or say hello to relatives Kenny had never met before. All that went through Kenny’s mind was how he possible missed Lane- he stood taller than everyone in the room and his bright strawberry-blonde hair easily caught attention. He might have been too occupied with trying to catch glimpses of Lois and figure out whether he was tripping, that he missed Lane entirely. They found him by the dessert spread, standing alone and staring at the small adorable all-sorts in their numerous colors, shapes and design. Kenny tried to run away, however, his brother’s grip on his collar was too strong, leaving him running on place in the air.

“Lane!” Denny said, clapping his hand onto Lane’s bony shoulder. Kenny looked up awed as Lane gingerly turned around to see who was talking to him- a serving of cake carefully balanced on his palm. An endearing smile stretched across his face as he recognized the two of them.

“Dennis” Lane settled his plate on the table next to him. Denny was already quite a big person, having inherited Beau’s genes of being tall (unlike Kenny who stayed closer to the ground like his mother)- reaching up to a good six feet and five inches. And yet, Lane was taller still by just more than half a foot. “Oh, my goodness, congrats! Kenny never told me- “

“He didn’t know” Denny chuckled, he pushed Kenny forward and Kenny returned a scowl of disapproval. He watched his brother look Lane up and down, before nudging him in the ribs with his elbow. Kenny looked up in annoyance to see his brother mouthing the word ‘pretty’ and nodding proudly. Denny scratched the back of his head, looking up at him “you gonna go any higher?”

“Higher?” Lane repeated-confusedly fluttering his long eyelashes whose eyelids were swathed in graduating blue to purple. He looked himself down and up; then continued his gaze all the way up to the high ceiling in hopes of understanding what Denny had meant. “Oh!” he chuckled, putting his hand over his face in shame, “I’m sorry! I’m being a little slow”, he looked back at the ceiling then back again at Denny, “no- no I don’t think so…Hopefully not!” he tittered. The three of them looked down at the glossy floor in awkward silence-the little glimpses Lane gave Kenny making his ears hot.

“I’ll head out” Denny said, turning on his heel, “wives, you know? High maintenance” he winked.

Lane giggled, “Please! You just got hitched!”

For the rest of the evening, Kenny spent his time pretending to be his brother’s shadow, quietly following him when he walked, quietly listening when he talked and quietly swaying side to side gloomily when he danced. He had remained completely unnoticed until he made the mistake of accidently giving his brother a flat tyre.

“KENNY?!” Denny gasped as he turned around to pull his shoe back on. He bent down to look Kenny in the eye and grabbed his shoulders. “What are you doing over here?! You should be over there!” he said in a loud whisper, jabbing his finger in the air dramatically. Kenny didn’t even have any time to open his mouth. “GO!” he shoved Kenny into the crowd that overlapped the path back within minutes. Understanding that going back to his brother would be asking for a death sentence, he decided to roam around the place, appreciating all the décor and food that stretched in endless columns down both sides of the dance hall.

He dragged his feet aimlessly here and there until he finally found Lane standing around the water fountain at the corner by the entrance. “Hey” Kenny muttered sheepishly.

Lane looked up from his phone which gave his sharp cheekbones and fine contours a ghostly glow. “Hey” he echoed back. The smile that drew across his face made Kenny’s stomach somersault and sing. “I…” Lane’s sentence drowned as he bothered with putting his phone back into his pocket, “You left, so I thought-“

“Well, I’m here now!” Kenny announced, spreading his arms, “ta-da?” he exclaimed weakly. He wished he could take it back. A part of him was still searching for his brother- even Riona would do!

Lane gave out a half-suppressed laugh. Kenny could not help but notice the growing shades of pink on Lane’s cheeks. He brushed his hair back stiffly. “It’s pretty loud in here” Lane commented.

Kenny raised an eyebrow with a smirk, “You want to go see the garden, don’t you?”

“I caught glimpses of it on the way here…” Lane railed off. He had already danced his way outside gracefully, hiding behind the half-opened door and beckoning Kenny out with his long dainty index. Kenny swallowed. Was Lane flirting? Maybe the music and lights were getting to him. Smiling like a dumb idiot, he followed Lane who skipped ahead a few paces away.