“No, she looks like a queen,” Toby corrected while standing very still. Maxwell arrived a few hours later and he forgot to speak for a moment when he saw her.
“You look exactly like he hoped you would never look again,” Maxwell said with a quiet intensity. The white limousine arrived at the curb and the boys nearly jumped out of their skin with excitement.
They drove through the city while the twins pressed their faces against the tinted glass to see the palm trees. “Are we rich now?” Mason asked while looking at the leather seats.
“No, we are just being driven somewhere very important,” Maxwell answered gently. “Important is about what people protect while rich is just about what they can buy.”
When they arrived at the historic chapel the sunlight was reflecting off the stone walls and the manicured hedges. Justin was standing near the entrance in a suit that was a little too tight for his shoulders.
His mother Gillian was beside him wearing pearls and a look of practiced judgment that she used on everyone. People began to turn their heads when the long white car pulled into the drop off lane.
Maxwell stepped out first and the crowd whispered as they recognized the famous executive. Then he reached back and offered his hand to Cassidy as she emerged from the car in her emerald dress.
The reaction from the wedding guests was immediate and visible as the air seemed to leave the room. Justin smile vanished and was replaced by a look of total confusion and sudden fear.
“Cassidy?” he stammered as she approached the steps with the twins and Maxwell. “You invited us and we decided to come,” she said with a calm and steady voice.
Maxwell shook Justin hand and introduced himself as the boys father employer. The phrasing was a subtle reminder that Justin was not the most important person in the conversation.
Gillian looked at Cassidy dress with a mixture of envy and shock that she could not hide. “This is quite a surprise,” Gillian said while clutching her pearls.
“Weddings are full of surprises,” Cassidy replied with a small smile. The ceremony was beautiful but Cassidy felt Justin eyes on her from across the aisle during the entire service.
She sat between Maxwell and her sons and felt a sense of peace she had not known in a long time. During the vows she noticed that Maxwell was answering the boys whispered questions with great patience.