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June 9, 1992
Nancy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, gathering her strength. As she exhaled, she opened her eyes back up and took a seat down on the grass, sitting cross-legged in front of the light gray headstone that read Barbara Holland.
“Hey, Barb, it’s Nancy. It’s been a long time. Too long. I meant to see you sooner, but it’s hard to find the time to get away. I live so far away now, it’s not like I can just walk over whenever I want.
“I should have come to see you more in high school, back when I still lived here. I regret not visiting more often,” Nancy admitted. “But I was a busy bee, like I always have been, not to mention the fact that I had to deal with multiple world-ending crises all throughout high school. I hope that earns me a pass for not being diligent about stopping by.”
A small smile settled on Nancy’s face. “I have so much to catch you up on. I think the last time I came to see you was before college, which feels so long ago now. I graduated college two full years ago. Can you believe that? Sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were going through all those college booklets, dreaming about what colleges we were going to go to. I know we probably wouldn’t have even gone to the same college, but it was always fun imagining going together. I wish I’d gotten to experience college with you. I wish you’d gotten to experience it at all.”
Nancy felt a pang in her heart, but she quickly pushed that to the side and kept going. “I, uh, ended up going to Emerson. You were right, I did not go to Harvard, like I’d been convinced I would for a while. Emerson fit me much better. I finally figured out what I want to do: I’m a journalist now! I’ve been working as a reporter at a mid-sized publication for the last few years, and my goal is to work up to a major paper eventually. And I love it, so much. Once I discovered journalism, I realized that’s all I ever wanted to do. It’s like…it’s like I was made for it. And it’s hard sometimes, and sometimes it really feels like the men in the industry are actively working against me, but I’ve got a good support system, and I told myself to never give up when I wanted something or when I believed in something, and to this day I haven’t. And it is so rewarding. I can’t get enough. Some people would say that I work too much; I have been called a workaholic more times than I can count. Is it really so bad that I like to be busy?
“But don’t worry, work is not all I do; I know it’s important to have a good work-life balance. I have a lot of things going on in my life. I have friends that I see regularly, as well as friends from home that I call on a routine basis. I keep in touch with my family. I’ve done a lot of traveling. And I also just take some time to enjoy things, you know? Whether that be a restaurant, a movie, a club, or going out and trying something new.” She smiled. “I really love where my life is right now. I’m very happy.”
Nancy took a breath and sat up. It was time for what she’d come here to tell Barb. “I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing back in town. There’s got to be a real important reason for me to interrupt my busy life and come all the way back to Hawkins, right?” She cracked a slight grin at her own attempt at a joke before softening up, warmth blooming throughout her chest. “Well, I’m actually here for my wedding. I’m marrying Jonathan Byers.”
Nancy broke out into a huge, involuntary smile just thinking about it, her cheeks growing warm. “Yes, I know, trust me, I know. I can hear what you’d say: ‘Jonathan Byers, Nance, really?’ And you’d shake your head at me. Affectionately, of course. But trust me, he’s not a freak or a weirdo. Okay, maybe a little weird, but he’s just shy and has a really emo, pretentious taste in music. It’s not like what we all thought back then. And…I really think you would’ve liked him, if you’d ever gotten to know him properly. You would’ve liked him much better than Steve or anyone else I had a crush on back then. I think you probably would’ve become good friends, actually. He’s so smart, you two could’ve discussed books and things together, I can totally see you two getting into a really heated argument about that stuff.”
She sighed. “Sometimes I think about if things had gone differently. I sometimes imagine the three of us sitting together at lunch, talking together, or Jonathan driving us home in his car and you making fun of his music taste, because I know you would hate it, you didn’t like anything he likes. And it’s…nice. The thought of us being friends and just enjoying time together. And it makes me sad that it never happened.”
Nancy could feel herself growing sad again, so she pulled back from those emotions and returned her thoughts to Jonathan once more. That was what she’d come here to talk about, after all.
“Now, if you could, I’m sure you’d ask, ‘You and Jonathan Byers? How in the world did that happen, Nance?’ It’s a funny story, actually. And…it kind of happened because of you.”
Nancy adjusted her position, settling in to tell the story. “After you disappeared, Jonathan and I went hunting for the monster that killed you. He was the only one that believed me, and it got his brother, too, so we tried to kill it. And it brought us closer together. I got to know him, I connected with him. He pulled me out of the Upside Down, and he made me feel safe during what remains to this day one of the scariest moments of my life. We even have matching scars on our hands now, as a memento of what we did together.” She proudly held her hand up to display the scar. “Look, my engagement ring is on this hand, too. He really picked such a beautiful ring.”
She turned her palm back towards her, looking at it fondly. She ran her finger over the scar. “You know, I didn’t even realize until he proposed that we both have our scars on our left hands. Which we will both be putting wedding rings on in a matter of days. It feels poetic.”
She put her hand down and focused on the headstone once more. “Now I know what you’d be thinking: ‘You battled a monster, got matching scars, and realized you were into one another, so that means you got together and lived happily ever after, right?’ Well, not exactly. See, that’s the thing about Jonathan. He’s not aggressive about what he wants like a lot of guys. He would never make assumptions, and he would never want to cross boundaries. That and he was convinced there was no way I would ever like him. So he backed off, and he spent time helping his mother and brother, which was necessary for them, and admirable. And I…didn’t go to him. Like an idiot. It seems silly now, but I was scared to dump the King of Hawkins High for the school outcast. So I tried to ignore my feelings and just blissfully date Steve, even though it was all a lie.
“But, obviously, we did get together eventually. You just have to fast forward a year. I was…not in a great place. I was feeling so guilty about you, and I wanted justice for you — needed justice for you. I wanted the people responsible to pay for what they’d done. So, once again, I turned to Jonathan, who always listens to me, and he helped me expose the lab to the public. And this time, our mission actually did end with us getting together. So, I guess I owe my thanks to you. Well, you and a grumpy old conspiracy theorist who part-times as a love guru.”
Nancy chuckled. “I can’t even imagine what you would’ve had to say about Murray. He’s…eccentric, to say the least. But he has done so much for us. He helped us get the story out and take down the lab and get justice for you, he helped pull off a rescue mission in Russia, he helped us save the world from the Upside Down at least three times, and, not only was he responsible for me and Jonathan getting off our asses and admitting our feelings for each other, but he also apparently did the same thing for Hopper and Joyce. Oh, I totally forgot to mention — Chief Hopper? He’s married to Joyce now. Happened about four years ago. Yeah, I know. Jonathan definitely had trouble adjusting at first, but it’s sweet. I’m glad they have each other. Joyce is such a kind and caring woman; she deserves to have someone who loves her.
“Anyway, where was I? Right, Murray. So, we went to him to help us with the story, because he used to be a reporter. And he did that, but he also psychoanalyzed me and Jonathan down to our bones, until there was nowhere left for our feelings to hide. And we…well, we hooked up that night at Murray’s bunker. A couple times. And until the day I get married, I can say that was the best night of my life. It was…god, it feels cheesy to say magical, but it really was. Jonathan is so gentle, so compassionate, and so loving. Being with him makes me feel like I’m on fire, like every inch of me has come alive. When I’m with him, I feel desired, I feel beautiful, and I feel…loved.”
Nancy sighed wistfully. “Barb, I don’t mean to sound like a character from a romance novel, but I really do love him so much. More than I ever thought I could love anyone. I always thought I’d be stuck in a loveless marriage like my parents, but Jonathan has given me more love than I ever could have imagined. He listens to me, cares for me, and treats me like an equal. He makes me feel heard and validated, and he makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. He protects me and makes me feel safe, and he always puts my needs and my safety before his own. I remember the fight in the hospital with the Flayed monster, when he was hurt and broken and bloody, and he was still trying his damnedest to get the monster away from me and make sure I was safe. He is…the most selfless and deeply caring person I know. He’s given me the world, and I want to give it right back to him.
“I will admit, he did give me a bit of a scare with the college stuff. Imagine that: all that unbelievable stuff we went through, and I was worried about college. But, you know, after multiple world-ending life-or-death situations, I realized being with him was the most important thing to me, and I didn’t want to be without him. I didn’t like him being away in California for that year; it was way too far, and I missed him so much. And I think the distance made him start spiraling in his own head, and he’d convinced himself that I didn’t want to be with him or that he needed to stay behind and care for his mom and brother. Joyce and I knocked some sense into him eventually. No, he did not go to Emerson with me, which I selfishly really wanted, and it hurt a little bit, but he went where he wanted to go: NYU, to study photography. It was his dream school since he was a child, and there was nothing I wanted more than for him to reach for his dreams. He doesn’t think about himself or what he wants nearly enough, and I could tell that being there made him happy. And, NYU was only four hours away. Felt like nothing after the distance between Hawkins and Lenora. It was a lot of effort, but we made it work. Collectively we spent so much money on phone calls and gas mileage, but it was completely worth it.
“We moved in together after college. We’ve got a tiny little apartment in New York that’s just right for us. I absolutely love it there. Jonathan sometimes gets nervous about being so far away from his family, but he worries less and less as time goes on. Plus, Will and Joyce call him all the time, so he never feels out of the loop. Not to mention that the whole Byers-Hopper clan will take any excuse they can to take a mini-vacation to the city to see us.
“But, even though Jonathan would never admit it, I know he likes having a little bit of distance, because then it really feels like just the two of us. At times, it feels like a dream. It’s just me and my favorite person in the world, the love of my life. And we don’t have to worry about the nagging criticisms of our parents — well, mostly my parents — and we don’t have to deal with the judgemental stares of everyone who hated us in high school. We’re free to just be ourselves and enjoy each other. And boy, do I enjoy him. Not like that — well, yes like that, I very much enjoy that — but I meant more of the small, everyday stuff. I love seeing all his little quirks, the stuff that no one else gets to see. I love seeing the way his hair sticks up when he gets out of bed in the morning, I love the annoyed look on his face when I play music he doesn’t like, I love the fact that he uses the same brand of cologne as he did when he was sixteen, and I love how meticulously organized all his photography stuff is even while his side of the closet is an absolute mess. I love being able to see every little part of him, just as he sees every part of me.
“Though I think my favorite part of living together is just doing all the mundane little things with him. I love cooking dinner together, I love shopping for furniture together, I love sitting down to watch a movie together. We could just be lying on our bed staring at the ceiling and I would love it, as long as it was with him. And I know that’s his favorite, too.
“Y’know, it’s always been the little things with him. He’s never been one for big gestures or sweeping declarations of love. It’s the little things he does that tell me how much he loves me. He takes care of a lot of minor tasks so that I don’t have to, he listens to the things that I say are annoying me or that I want and remembers them later, he gives me his jacket if he sees I’m cold, which I often am, on rainy days he holds the umbrella for me at the expense of himself, he lets me decide if I want to be big or little spoon, and he always asks me if I want the lights off or on, every night.” She felt a pleasant fluttering sensation in her chest. “I fall more and more in love with him every day. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, and I got lucky enough to be able to do just that.”
Nancy caught a glimpse of her engagement ring in the corner of her eye, making her smile. “I know you would want to hear all about the proposal; if I could’ve, I would’ve called you immediately to relay every single little detail about it. So, I know it’s almost two years late, but I’m going to tell you all about it right now.”
A warm, bubbly feeling rose in her chest as she recalled that day. “He proposed a few months after we graduated college, after we’d been living in New York together for a while. It was early October; there was a chill in the air, but the sun was still warm. I remember that particular day it was beautiful, and he suggested we go to Central Park. We both love Central Park; the grass and trees remind me of home. Jonathan and I go there a lot, and we found this little secluded area away from most of the tourists and other parkgoers. It’s almost like the clearing in the woods in Hawkins where he taught me to shoot a gun for the first time, and it had sort of become our spot in Central Park. I should’ve realized he had ulterior motives when he took me to our spot, but fortunately I was none the wiser, and I didn’t ruin any of his plans. I had no idea he was planning to propose, and I didn’t even pick up what was happening when he started talking about how much he loved me and how being with me has made him the happiest he’s ever been. It’s not often that he talks a lot all at once, so I was soaking it in, and the stuff he was saying was just so sweet, and I got lost in his romantic spiel, and then suddenly, he got down on one knee. I think my jaw dropped to the ground when he pulled out the ring. And honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t cry. He did, though, after I said yes, which just made the whole thing even sweeter. He’s such a softie at heart. I don’t think either of us stopped smiling for the entire rest of that day.
“I’m a little ashamed to say that the first person I called after he proposed wasn’t my mother, it was Joyce. Joyce and I have gotten closer over the years, and she’s so easy to talk to. She tried to act surprised when I told her the news, but turns out he told her when he bought the ring and was calling her panicked every other day for three and a half weeks. She was trying to be patient but was very relieved after learning that he actually did it. And she was so excited, she kept saying how happy she was for us, and how she knows we’re going to be really happy together. I could hear the warmth in her voice as she said it. I adore Joyce so much; she’s going to be the best mother-in-law a girl could hope for.
“The only person that I didn’t call was Will, because Jonathan said he wanted to be the one to tell him. When Will heard the news, his reaction was something along the lines of ‘fucking finally.’ I couldn’t help but laugh when Jonathan relayed that to me.
“My favorite person to tell was El, because she just had this genuinely joyful reaction that warmed my heart. And after I told her, she asked if she could see the ring, and I said sure, the next time I see you I’ll show you right away. And she said actually she could look and see it right now, if I let her. I always forget that she has superpowers and can just see me from hundreds of miles away. So I gave her the okay, and a few minutes later, she said to me, ‘It’s really pretty, Nancy. I really like the round diamond.’ And it is a round diamond! It weirded me out a tiny bit, but it’s definitely not the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me. She said she was really happy for me, and that she couldn’t wait to be sisters. And I can’t wait either. I’ve always liked El, she’s such a sweet girl.
“I did call the rest of my family shortly afterwards; I made one call back home and one to Mike at college. Holly was excited, but I honestly think at her age she would’ve been excited no matter who I was marrying. My mother was absolutely ecstatic, she was in tears. She told me how happy she was, how she thinks Jonathan is ‘such a nice young man,’ and she can see how much he loves me and how much I love him, and how this is all she ever could have wanted for me. I had to stop her from babbling on and on about her ideas for the wedding, even though I know they were still churning in her mind. And Mike said it was weird that I’m marrying his best friend’s brother, despite the fact that I know he got over the weirdness of that a long time ago. And even though he was being typical Mike about it and gave me a sarcastic and aloof ‘congratulations, I guess,’ I could tell he was happy for me.
“My dad, on the other hand, is not happy. He wanted me to marry someone rich, someone upstanding, someone with connections and ‘prospects,’ some ‘good All-American boy!’ In his eyes, Jonathan checks none of the boxes. However, my mom convinced him to suck it up and shut his mouth. Luckily she just adores Jonathan. So my dad mostly just grunts whenever the topic is brought up. But I honestly don’t care about what my dad thinks. I love Jonathan so much, and that’s all that matters.
Nancy took a deep breath to regroup. “So, yeah, we are currently in town for our wedding. We decided to have it back home because both of our families are here, and it would make it much easier to coordinate everything. We got here on Saturday, and we’ve spent the last few days catching up with everyone and doing all the last-minute preparations. We are so close to the big day, and I can hardly contain myself. I want to tell you about all the wedding details, because I’m just so excited. And I know you would’ve wanted to know everything.
“First of all, I so wish you could see my dress. It’s got this gorgeous, off-shoulder neckline, and it’s not too showy, not too poofy. Hugs whatever curves I have in all the right places. I can’t wait to see the expression on Jonathan’s face when he sees me in it.” She smiled to herself at the thought. “As for the wedding itself, I had a lot of fun picking out all the little details, like the flowers and the decorations. Our wedding color is pink, my favorite, meaning all the decorations are mostly pink and the wedding party is donned in pink, much to Jonathan’s chagrin. But his choice would’ve been black, which is a no-go for June, so I said I will hear no complaints from you on this.
“But don’t worry, I’m not just dictating everything myself. I definitely had to make some compromises, particularly on the time of year. I wanted to get married in the spring — you knew I always wanted to get married in the spring, it’s pleasantly warm and there are so many beautiful flowers out — and Jonathan wanted to get married in the fall. He says he likes the colors of the fall and that it would make for fantastic photos, and while he is right, we’ve already got so much going on in the fall. My birthday’s in November, and his is in September. Not to mention Thanksgiving. I don’t know when he was planning on fitting our anniversary in there. Either way, neither of us quite got what we wanted, because Mom convinced us to do June so that our siblings and the rest of the kids could be involved, because they’d all be home from college for the summer by then. It was a good compromise. I’ll admit, I was a little bit worried about the heat, but…it’s looking to be absolutely beautiful this weekend.”
Nancy smiled. “We’re having an outdoor wedding, of course. We found a great outdoor venue that’s just perfect, and then we’re heading over to a nice little indoor venue for the reception. It’s not going to be a huge wedding. There aren’t too many people involved, and Jonathan’s piece of shit father is not invited. Jonathan says he never wants to see or have anything to do with that man again, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with. His dad sucks, and I don’t want him ruining our day with his presence. I told Jonathan if he somehow shows his face I won’t hesitate to pull my gun on him, which earned me the most genuine declaration of ‘I love you’ that he’s ever given me in his life.
“So, like I said, it’s going to be a small, intimate affair, and as such our wedding party is pretty small, too. We have three bridesmaids and three groomsmen: I have Robin, El, and Holly, and Jonathan has Will, Mike, and Argyle. Two family members and one friend each. Though if Jonathan had his way he’d only have one groomsman; Mike only made the cut because he’s my brother. And Jonathan said he’d be fine with just two, but I really wanted us to have even numbers, so I told him he should ask Argyle. He didn’t want to pressure Argyle to commit to being so heavily involved, what with him living in California, and we didn’t even know if he’d be able to make it to the wedding, let alone all the preparation. But Argyle said he would be honored. We did have a backup plan, though: in the case that he didn’t show, Steve was going to step in. We even had an extra suit and tie and boutonniere set aside and everything. But Jonathan desperately did not want to resort to that. He and Steve are friends now, but they’re not that close, and I think it would’ve made Jonathan feel really weird. However, I can confirm that Argyle is currently in Hawkins, so we don’t have to worry about that.
“Aside from those of us already in the wedding party, the rest of the monster-hunting crew will be there: Dustin, Lucas, Max, Erica, Steve, and even Murray. We somehow managed to convince him to crawl out of his bunker to attend our wedding. Truth be told, I think he’s got a bit of a soft spot for us. Or maybe he just wanted to see the fruits of his labor. Probably both.
“I think one of the most important decisions we had to make during this process was picking who would be best man and maid of honor. Will is Jonathan’s best man, of course; it was the only option he ever even considered. They’re so close, and they love each other so much. It felt right. And, as for me, Holly is my maid of honor. Yes, she’s only twelve, so it’s really just a formality. But she was the only choice, really, because I couldn’t give it to my other friends. The only person I really want to be my maid of honor is you. It was always supposed to be you. I remember we’d always talked about being maid of honor for each other’s weddings, and how we were just going to have the most fun bachelorette parties, and how we were going to cry at how beautiful the other was in their wedding dress, and stand behind each other as we said ‘I do.’ And as much as I’m so ecstatic to marry Jonathan, there’s still going to be a little hole in my heart, because you won’t be there. And it won’t be quite the same.”
Suddenly, Nancy felt her chest tighten, like someone was squeezing her heart. She had tried to keep her emotions at bay, but once she had thought about Barb at her wedding and how that would never happen, the feelings came flooding in, and she couldn’t avoid them anymore. So she gave in, tears falling down her cheeks.
“I really miss you, Barb. So, so much. I haven’t had a friend like you since you died. Close girlfriends have been hard to come by. Robin’s great, and I made some good friends in college, but they don’t compare to you. I don’t have anyone I tell absolutely everything to — except for Jonathan, of course, but that’s different. And I can’t gossip and gush about Jonathan to Jonathan, you know?”
She took a deep, shuddering breath. “This November, it will be nine years since you died. That feels so hard to believe. We’ve all changed so much since then, and so much has happened, and yet at times it still feels like yesterday. And while it’s gotten easier, it still hurts, knowing you’re not here. I think about you every day, even now.” Nancy sniffled. “I wish you were part of my everyday life so I could share it with you. I want to have coffee with you at my favorite cafe, I want to take you sightseeing around the city, I want to watch all these new movies with you so we can discuss them together — oh god, you would have loved this movie that came out last year, Thelma and Louise — and I want to go to a karaoke bar and sing really terrible duets while Jonathan films us, I want to take you shopping in some fancy stores, I want to go on vacation together, I want to call you on the phone to hear you talk about your life, I want to get drunk on wine and laugh until we cry, and I want to have you over for dinner so you can try Jonathan’s amazing cooking — or so you can criticize my mediocre cooking. Really, it doesn’t matter what it is; I just want to do anything with you.”
Nancy repressed a couple sobs. “I think about everything we never got to do together, and all the life events you never got to experience at all. And it’s so not fair that it was taken from you. During all of the major moments in my life, I thought about you, and I wished you could’ve been there to share it with me — prom, high school graduation, college, getting my first real job. I wanted to call you so badly when Jonathan proposed. And I really, really, really wish you could be at my wedding. It’s going to be the happiest day of my life, and I want all the people who are important to me to be there. But, no matter what I do, there will be one person missing, and that’s you, because you can’t be there. I’ve accepted that, but it still makes me sad.”
The tears began to flow down her cheeks with more intensity. “And I know all you would want is for me to be happy. So, I’m going to enjoy my wedding, say ‘I do’ to the person I love most in the whole world, and have a fun time with my family and friends.” She choked out a desperate sob. “But I’m still gonna miss you so much.”
And then, Nancy sat there and cried. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest as she let out everything she had been holding in. Her shoulders shook with sobs, and her throat felt so tight it was a little difficult to breathe. She cried for her friend who had been taken from her too soon, she cried for the stolen life that Barb had never gotten to live, and she cried for the memories they were supposed to make together that had never become reality. She cried until she couldn’t cry anymore, when the tears slowed from a waterfall to the occasional trickle and her sobbing ceased and became an ache in her chest. It had been a while since she’d had a long, cathartic cry. It was strange, because she still felt sad, but she also felt better. She’d needed this. She’d needed to talk to Barb and update her on her life like they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while, and she’d needed to tell her how much she missed her, even if it meant having a bit of a breakdown in a graveyard.
After her crying had fully subsided and she’d taken the time to calm down, Nancy checked her watch. She’d been here a lot longer than she’d thought. “I’ve got to go. Wedding week, you know? Things to do, people to see.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to come back again, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m always thinking of you, no matter where I am. You’re my best friend, always. And I love you so much.”
Nancy took one last look at the headstone and managed a bittersweet smile. “Until next time, Barb.”
With heaviness in her heart, Nancy got to her feet and left the cemetery.
Out in the parking lot, Jonathan was leaning up against the car, waiting for her. When he noticed her, he shut the paperback he’d been reading and tossed it into the open car window, immediately going to her and putting his arm around her.
“Hey. You okay?”
She nodded. “It was nice to talk to her again. But I still wish she was here for our wedding.”
“I know.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head. “I wish she could’ve been here, too.”
She snaked her arms around him and pulled him close. “Thank you for waiting here for me.”
“Of course,” he said, running his hand soothingly up and down her back. “Whatever you need.”
Nancy squeezed him tighter, nuzzling her face into his chest. Holding him always seemed to relieve her stress, and she could already feel some of her heartache start to melt away. But even so, she still felt a few more tears escape and trickle down her face, which did not go unnoticed by Jonathan. He put a hand to her cheek and coaxed her to look at him.
“Hey,” he said softly, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb. “Are you sure you don’t want me to call and cancel? We can just go back to Mom’s house and hide out for the rest of the day.”
Nancy shook her head. “No. If I bailed on our plans, Steve and Robin would kill me. Robin might hunt me down.”
Jonathan chuckled at the accuracy of the statement, knowing that Robin could be like a bloodhound if she really wanted to. He looked at her once more, gentle concern in his eyes. “Okay. If you’re sure. But if you change your mind just say the word. I’ll even take the blame. Say I just can’t stand to see Steve and his perfect hair.”
In that moment, Nancy felt her heart just absolutely overflowing with love for him. She leaned up and laid a kiss on his lips. “It means a lot that you’d be willing to take the fall for me. But I actually do want to see our friends. Robin said she tricked Steve into spending way too much money on stocking his place full of alcohol for us.”
“Oh, speaking of tricking Steve, do you think I can pressure him into purposefully making his hair look stupid for our wedding? I can tell him it’s bad practice to upstage the groom on his own wedding day and then make him quit with the hairspray or put his hair in a ponytail or something.”
That made her laugh, and suddenly she felt so much lighter. She kissed him once more, deeper this time. “I love you. And I can’t wait to marry you.”
“I love you too,” he said, giving her that crooked smile that drove her heart crazy. “Only four more days.”
She felt a smile of her own spread across her face. “Can’t come soon enough.”
The way Jonathan was gazing at her reminded her of all the good she had in her life and the amazing future that was ahead of her. No matter what happened, she’d be alright as long as she had this amazing man by her side.
Jonathan took her hand and started leading her back to the car. “Come on, let’s go.”
Nancy held onto him tight, like she intended to do for the rest of her life. They got into the car, and then they drove away from the cemetery, off to see their friends, and, in just a few days’ time, get married to one another.