The day before the wedding, Willard probably couldn't hold it in any longer and finally called me. "Cynthia, have you confirmed all the procedures before and after the wedding? Tomorrow we'll go to the City Hall first, then to the wedding venue. You know the exact schedule, right?"
I nodded in agreement while stuffing the last item into my suitcase. "Yes, I know everything."
Willard looked visibly relaxed. "Good, that's good. I'll pick you up tomorrow."
The next day, I changed into a simple white shirt instead of the $800 wedding dress he thought was too expensive.
A car horn blared downstairs and my phone buzzed simultaneously.
Willard's voice sounded urgent. "Cynthia, Jolene is having some trouble with her move, so I need to go help her and I won't have time to pick you up."
"Just take a taxi to the City Hall first. It's just for the marriage certificate, anyway. I'll head over later."
I calmly replied, "Okay."
That man paused, as if he sensed something was off. "You're … not upset, are you?"
"No, you go ahead."
After that, he hung up and let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Jolene in the passenger seat. "All set. Let's finish moving your stuff first."