Another year had passed and it was late November again. Two years ago the staff had been celebrating as the democrats held the White House. Last year the senior staff and their kin had decamped to New Hampshire to spend the holiday with the President. This year he was in Europe with Abbey, lecturing to anyone and everyone who would listen.

In his absence, Leo and Margaret had foolishly offered to host the family Thanksgiving, or at least in hindsight, Leo had decided it was foolish.

Six months before leaving office, Leo had found himself still living in a hotel and spending more than the occasional evening at Margaret’s apartment. In a moment of rare optimism he’d put an offer in on a house, albeit it was still under construction, in Maryland. It was two weeks before the new President was due to be sworn in, that he, and Margaret, moved in to the four bedroom property and set about making it a home.

It had taken nearly eighteen months before Margaret was satisfied with the décor. Leo could only hope it would remain in tact after the pending arrivals had left.

Leo hid himself in the basement, arranging cots for the kids kids and keeping out of Margaret’s way. There was something about family get togethers that turned her into a tyrant, barking orders and writing endless lists of tasks. She’d dragged him out of bed at six to gather firewood and run to the store and she hadn’t given him a moment’s peace since. Not that he minded, really, at least if he was doing it, she wasn’t overdoing things.

Margaret had been up since the crack of dawn, cooking and cleaning. Flowers adorned every bedroom, lilies in CJ’s room, Gardenias in Donna’s. Margaret had gone to the trouble to make sure everything was perfect for each guest. There was even a roaring fire in the family room, it‘s warmth permeating into the rest of the house.

Now, she had seconded herself in the kitchen. The turkey was basting, the pumpkin pies stood on the counter, still warm from the oven, while pans of potatoes were set out on the hob ready for when the guests arrived.

*~*~*~*

“Leo, Margaret, we’re here,“ Josh bellowed, stamping his feet on the lobby floor.

“Josh Lyman! See the mat inside the door? The one that says please wipe your feet,” Margaret groaned.

He had the good grace to look embarrassed. “Hey Margaret. Wow, have you done something with your hair? It looks good.”

Margaret rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.

“Okay, I know. Basement, Josh. I’m going,” he mumbled, hanging his coat on the stand and heading for the stairs.

“Leo’s down there but he might need a hand. We bought the new 42 inch television last week but he can’t tune it in,” she offered, her voice already strained and the guests had only just started to arrive. “Hi, Amy. Jay.”

“Aunt Margaret.”

“How’s things?”

Amy removed her jacket and helped Jay remove hers. “J is being J. He doesn’t like the candidate I’m working for, he finds his boss. . .um. . .shall we say, difficult.”

“Daddy calls him an old. . .”

Amy placed a hand over her daughter’s mouth and smiled at Margaret. “And he’s spending too much time with Jay. I‘m going to rectify that.”

“Henry died,” Jay mumbled from beneath her mother’s hand. “And Mommy’s irate because daddy doesn’t want to get married and make me legit.”

“Henry died? I’m sorry.” Margaret looked at Amy and smiled. She could easily imagine what it was like raising Josh’s child, and for that matter taking care of Josh. She always knew when Leo had been talking to Josh. He’d lower the phone to its cradle and run his hand over his eyes, counting to ten before he’d look up at Margaret and exhale deeply. The sentence usually started with, “You won‘t believe“ and ended with, “That boy will be the death of me.”

“Jay, go and find Uncle Leo,” Margaret instructed, moving to help Amy hang up the coats.

“Are we going to play poker?”

“Please tell me you have wine?” Amy pleaded. “Jay, go.”

“But I wanted. . .”

“GO!”

Jay shrugged and skipped off to the basement.

“Let’s go and find you something to drink,” Margaret said, leading the way into the kitchen. The wine had yet to breath but she was sure she had something in the cupboard to calm Amy’s nerves, if not she’d find something.

******

CJ brought the bright red Ferrari to a stop on the gravel driveway and opened the door. She was running late, but that was where a sports car came in handy. Carol had been off on maternity leave for months and her temporary assistant had scheduled a last minute meeting. Needless to say she ducked out early and come straight to the McGarry house. There was no way that she’d miss Thanksgiving with her favorite dysfunctional family.

Slowly, she removed her sun glasses and looked towards the house, waiting for the inevitable flurry of activity. When it appeared that it wasn’t about to happen, she popped the trunk and removed her suit carrier and the bag of gifts. It seemed every time there was a family gathering there was someone new to buy for.

Her heels crunched on the driveway as she approached the house and climbed the steps, pausing briefly before knocking on the wood.

A few seconds later the door opened and she glanced down on an unruly mop of brown hair. “Aunt CJ. Dad, Aunt CJ’s here. And she brought the Ferrari.”

CJ grinned and wrapped her laden arms around the child. “Hey, Jay.”

“Hey, CJ. Can I have a ride in your car? Dad’s promised to buy me a car for my sixteenth.”

“You’re only five,” CJ dead panned, finally making her way inside the house.

“Yeah, but he took me to the Barbie movie and I threatened to tell Mom,” Jay shrugged, her hand automatically running through her hair. It was impossible to mistake whose child she was. Everything from her hair to her mannerisms came from her father. Her mother was trying to change that to no avail.

CJ nodded and glanced around the entrance hall, hoping that an adult was lurking there somewhere.

“Claudia Jean.”

Her lips twitched into a smile and she lowered her bags to the floor at the sound of his voice. “Leopold.”

“Why does she call you Leopold, Uncle Leo? And she calls Daddy, mi amour.”

The two adults exchanged looks as they moved into an embrace.

“Honey, go and find your daddy, will ya?” Leo said, releasing CJ and giving her the once over.

“You shouldn’t call me, honey, Mom says it’s degog. . .”

“Derogatory,” Leo corrected. “And it’s not. It’s a term of affection. It means I love you.”

Jay giggled as she took off to the basement to find her father.

CJ let out a sigh of relief. “I love them, really I do, but I just couldn’t eat a whole one. Anyway, how’s Margaret? Did she get the rosebush?”

Leo nodded and guided her gently from the hallway. “She’s good, really good.” His eyes danced as he thought about the last few weeks and everything that had happened.

“And you’re still shacking up?” CJ asked, entering the kitchen and waving her hand in greeting.

Margaret exchanged looks with Leo and turned back to CJ. “I’ll be an old woman before Leo goes down on one knee.”

“If I go down on one knee, I’ll never get up again,” he smirked. “Anyway, if you want me, I’ll be with Josh.”

“Okay,” Margaret bobbed her head and returned to watching Amy stir the soup.

CJ leaned against the counter and fingered the laminate top. “So what’s new?”

******

It was twenty minutes later that Sam arrived in a rental car, his flight having been delayed and the car suspension groaning under the weight of the luggage. Climbing out of the car, he walked around to the passenger side and helped his wife out.

Connie brushed her hair from her eyes and glanced up at the house. It was the first time since Sam had left the White House that they’d been to Leo’s. Of course they’d spent time at the President’s Farm, Josh’s townhouse, and even CJ’s, albeit before the children were born, but they’d never ventured out of DC. The house, she noted, was at least twice the size of their own place in New York.

“It’ll be fine,“ Sam offered, squeezing her arm and opening the rear doors.

“But. . .?“

Three boys jumped out of the car and headed towards the large tree to the side of the house.

“Thomas, Simon, Joshua, don’t even think about it,” Connie yelled, watching in horror as her eldest son began a slow ascent of the oak.

“Boys will be boys,” Sam grinned.

“If they fall, there will be blood, there will be broken bones, there will be a trip to the hospital. Sam, you will spend Thanksgiving in the hospital, you, the man who missed the birth of each of his children, because he chose to be in court rather than in the labour ward.”

“Boys, do as your mother says,” Sam called, slipping his hand into his wife’s and walking towards the house. “I had important cases to try.”

“You fainted when you had the vasectomy,” Connie stated, lifting a hand to knock.

“Sam da man had the snip,” CJ snorted, opening the door and shaking her head. “I guess it’s a little less radical than what Amy wants to do to Josh. Hey, Connie.”

Connie reached out and gave her a tentative embrace. “When are you going to come visit?”

CJ released her and grabbed Sam. “As soon as Carol’s back at work. Sam, Josh and the others are in the rec room. Connie, Margaret would like you in the kitchen. You’re on potato duty.”

“We’re watching the game?” Sam asked hopefully.

“Nothing changes,” CJ muttered. “Thanksgiving, and the boys are checking out like seniors who are done with finals and the women are working.”

******

The sound of a car door slamming echoed from the driveway accompanied by Donna’s fear invoking voice.

“Toby’s here,“ Margaret stated, drying her hands on the dish cloth and making her way towards the door.

“It’s not my fault, we’re late.“

“You’re the one who left their packing until this morning,“ Donna snapped, dragging their daughter up the steps.

“If you’d done it for me. . .,“ he trailed off as the door opened and Margaret stood on the threshold, smiling at them.

Margaret shook her head as the adults continued to glare at each other. “Glad you could make it.“ Her gaze fell to the two small children and she opened her arms to them.

Joanna launched herself at her godmother, wrapping her tiny arms around her neck and squeezing tightly. Her brother wrapped himself around Margaret’s waist and giggled.

“Josh and the kids are in the basement,” Margaret stated, extracting herself from her two charges.

“Are they watching the pre-game?” Toby asked, hopefully, avoiding the glare Donna was shooting in his direction.

Margaret nodded and stepped back in the house.

Donna rolled her eyes and followed her inside, leaving Toby stood on the driveway with the bags.

“What? It’s an important game.”

“It’s college basket ball, Toby,” Donna snorted over her shoulder. “So far this year I’ve suffered the baseball season, the World Series, women’s volleyball, and I’m not even going to get started on that, football, and the world windsurfing championships.” She shook her head. “For just one weekend, can we. . .”

“Toby, you’re missing the game,” came a muffled voice from somewhere in the basement.

Toby brushed past the two women and gave them a smug smile, “Ladies, I’m needed.”

Donna grunted something inaudible and headed for the kitchen. “I swear Margaret, I’m cancelling the cable.”

*~*~*~*

While the women stayed upstairs, making dinner, and discussing the latest gossip, the men congregated downstairs in the rec room, which occupied most of the basement. Leo had been out and bought a new media center, in preparation of their visit and it now took over one whole wall. The rest of the room was home to a collection of well worn couches, a pin ball machine and a putting set.

The six children were sitting in one corner, the two toy trunks that Leo had managed to fill over the past two years, scattered over the floor.

Toby, Sam and Josh were draped over the sofas, beers in hand, watching the pre-game.

“You know, the proclamation this morning lacked panache,” Sam said, leaning further back in his seat. “It didn’t seem to come from the heart.”

“The grammar was bordering on criminal, there was an overuse of the words thanks and I’m not sure what sentence structure they were using,“ Toby growled, his eyes never once leaving the screen.

“That’s what I said.”

“Po-ta-to, Po-te-to, “Josh mumbled and both men turned to stare at him. “The game’s about to start.”

Leo, hovered in the background, phone pressed to his ear as he made his daily check in with Jed and Abbey. He nodded every few minutes and occasionally said yes or no. When Jed had finally finished his interrogation and ascertained that everyone had arrived, he begged to speak to the guys.

Leo was happy to pass the phone on to another unsuspecting victim.

******

“The wine’s done breathing,” Margaret announced, indicating with her head the three bottles lined up on the counter. “The glasses are in the top cupboard.”

CJ kicked off her shoes and padded across the kitchen floor. She lifted five glasses from the cupboard and began to pour out the first bottle.

“This reminds me of the First Lady’s Birthday party,” Amy commented, taking a glass and returning to stirring the soup. “Except my memories are a little hazy about that night.”

“I was extremely rude to the First Lady,” Donna groaned. “And for a brief moment I was Canadian.”

“We’re not going to get melancholy,” CJ stated firmly. “We are going to get very drunk and mock the boys.”

“We need to be drunk for that?” Margaret asked seriously. “Donna, can you take the Turkey out of the oven? Connie, mash the potatoes. CJ, you. . .just do what you’re doing.” She shook her head as CJ refilled her glass and jumped up on the counter.

The women, engaged in their tasks, fell silent for a few minutes until CJ let out a deep sigh. “So, I guess I’m the only one not having sex here.”

Hands stilled as they all turned to look at her.

“What?”

“CJ?” Donna asked, her eyes widening.

She shrugged, “I go on dates, we pet, we fool around and then nothing. I’m forty six years old and I haven’t had sex in a year.”

“I. . .um, well. . .,” Leo stammered, walking into the kitchen, his face flushing pink. “The guys wanted to know how long. . .” He stole a quick glance at CJ and turned back to the other women. Listening to CJ talk about sex was nearly as bad as the idea of Mallory having sex. “How long’s dinner going to be?”

“Grab the turkey,” Margaret instructed, picking up a carving knife. “And we can get started.”

“We’ll bring the wine,” CJ agreed, picking up two bottles as Amy grabbed the other.

*~*~*~*

Leo carried the large Turkey into the dining room and placed it on the table.

CJ dropped into a chair and topped up her wine glass. She gave Leo a wide grin and he frowned, his concern evident in his eyes. He had always thought that Toby would be the one to end up with a drinking problem, Donna had been the stalwart in preventing that. CJ, he suspected was on the road to AA and he wasn’t about to let that happened. At some point over the weekend they were going to have a long conversation.

“Jackass, dinner’s ready,” Amy yelled down the stairs before turning and walking to the table.

Margaret, Connie and Donna continued to move between the kitchen carrying the remainder of the meal. Soon bowls of mashed potato, stuffing, squash, freshly baked bread and two homemade pies filled the table. A smaller side table held the various vegetables, creams and sauces.

“Wow, Margaret, you trying to feed the five thousand?” CJ teased, grabbing a slice of bread and nibbling it.

“No, just Josh,” she threw back, taking two strides to the top of the stairs leading to the basement and clearing her throat. “You have five minutes.” She tapped her feet. “Jay, Simon, Joshua, Thomas, Joanna, James, if you want ice cream, you need to be at the table in. . .”

Six sets of feet thundered up the stairs and ran to the table. Within seconds they were seated at the smaller of the two dining tables, hands folded ready to eat.

Margaret sighed, “Okay, six down, three to go.”

“We could each tell a story,” Donna offered, her voice louder than necessary, her smile widening. “How about when Josh and Sam set fire to the White House?”

Six little faces shot up, eyes wide.

“Or how about when Toby yelled at the President?” CJ shouted, following her lead.

“Or when Sam slept. . .?”

“We’re here,” Toby groaned, taking a seat beside his wife.

“OH,” Jay groaned. “Can we have the stories anyhow? I wanna here about Sam and the call girl.”

Sam glanced frantically at Josh, who shrugged.

Jay sat up straighter in her seat, reveling in the limelight, “A call girl is a lady who earns her money by providing a service. She makes a conscious choice. In some countries women are subjected to forced prosti. . .Mom?”

“Amy!” Josh whined.

“She’s your daughter too.”

“Let‘s get back to Sam and Josh setting fire to the White House,” Connie pleaded. “I haven‘t heard about that.”

“It was before your time,” CJ laughed.

“We didn’t set fire to the White House,” Sam moaned. “How were we supposed to know the flue had been welded shut?”

“Er, the plaque on the wall, maybe,” Donna taunted. “Or the fact that the wood was for display?”

“You’re an idiot,” Amy declared dryly.

Josh stuck out his tongue, “Just remember I could have had any woman and I picked you.”

“Now you tell me.”

“How about milk?” Leo stammered, walking around the table, pouring each child a glass. “Good for calcium.” He didn’t really want the kids to sit through another Amy Josh row, not that he wanted to either.

“Josh, why don’t you carve?” Margaret said, handing him the knife, ever the peacemaker . “CJ, there’s some ham there.”

“Thank you, Margaret. I haven’t been able to eat turkey since Troy and Eric,” CJ acknowledged.

“Who are Troy and Eric, Mommy?” Simon asked quietly.

Connie shrugged. “I don’t know.”

CJ placed her glass on the table as she helped herself to the ham. “It was a few days before Thanksgiving. Your Daddy, Uncle Josh and Uncle Toby let two turkeys loose in my office.”

“It was Toby’s idea.”

Toby rolled his eyes, “As I recall it was your idea. And to be correct, we didn’t put them in your office.”

“He means to be anal,” CJ groaned. “Anyway, Donna named them and I had to choose one to receive a pardon.”

Joanna sat up in her chair and furrowed her brow, “Turkeys can’t be pardoned because they haven’t committed a crime.“

“That’s what the President said, so he drafted Troy, or was it Eric, I’m not sure, into military service. So they went to a petting zoo.”

“That’s not very funny, “Jay complained.

“You had to be there, sweetie, “Donna offered. “Now who wants potato?”

The tables fell into a companionable silence as everyone began to eat. The only sound in the air was the clinking of cutlery against china.

When everyone had finished and even Josh was leaning back in his chair, groaning, Donna and Connie cleared the table. As they began to serve the pie, Leo rose to his feet.

He looked around the room before giving a wry smile, “Andrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his White House had a big block of cheese.”

“Oh good God,” Toby groaned.

“Oh, kill me now,” CJ moaned, covering her eyes with her hands.

Margaret shook her head and stifled a giggle. “That’s mean, Leo.”

He shrugged, “And that’s a problem because?“ He waited a beat. “It’s a rare opportunity when we have you all under the same roof and I would therefore like to propose a toast.”

Leo grinned and looked one last time to make sure it was all right with Margaret. “But before I get to that, we have a little announcement to make. Margaret and I are expecting a baby.”

The room fell silent, except for a single loud gasp.

“And we’re getting married,” he added, watching as all eyes turned to Margaret.

“You and Margaret?“

“Did you really score 760 on your verbal Sat, Josh, or was that the overall score?“ Donna asked, a smile firmly fixed on her face. “Of course, Margaret.“

“Wow.“ Sam looked at Leo and across at Margaret. “Wow.“

“Toby? Want to add something?“ Leo asked, a little upset by the lack of support.

“It’s about time,“ he shrugged.

CJ shook her head and rose unsteadily from the table to walk towards Leo. “Congratulations, both of you.”

“When’s the big day?” Donna asked, squeezing Margaret.

Leo glanced shyly at Margaret and kissed CJ’s cheek. “Which one?”

“Both.”

“The baby’s due May Fifteen,” Margaret offered, her hand resting on her stomach.

“And the wedding?” Donna prompted, already planning a shower in her head.

“Sunday,” Leo mumbled.

“Which Sunday?”

“This Sunday!”

“This Sunday, but that doesn’t give us much time, “ Donna whined. “There’s so much to organize.”

Josh and Sam exchanged worried glances. They didn’t like where this was going and there were things they could be doing, like watching more sports.

*~*~*~*

Margaret sat on the deck, her robe pulled tightly around her as she waited for the sun to come up. The house was silent, a rarity over the past few days and she was enjoying the opportunity to think.

The simple wedding she had envisioned had disappeared out of the window the second the others found out. Not that she minded, it had just become a little overwhelming with all the last minute preparations.

Friday had been spent searching the malls for something to wear. CJ had balked at the skirt and sweater set Margaret had wanted to wear, and between them, the five women had selected a tailored cream suit which complemented her red hair and disguised the slight swell of her stomach. Of course no one had gone home empty handed, and by the end of the day every woman had a new outfit for the occasion.

The men for their part had strayed very little from the basement, watching the endless array of sports shows, and for that matter cartoons as the women organized the wedding. Josh knew better than to get in Donna’s way when she was on a mission and they were all still a little afraid of CJ. Hence the wedding planning went smoothly and the men were allowed to relax undisturbed.

Margaret still couldn’t believe that today was the day she would finally get to pledge her lifetime commitment to Leo. In a little over three hours the flowers would arrive, and a cake, although she had no idea how they’d managed to get a cake designed and baked so quickly.

The ceremony itself was set to take place in the family room, which was also doubling as Sam and Connie’s bedroom.

What had begun as a simple task of decorating the previous evening had gotten a little out of hand.

Josh and Sam had been blowing up balloons, until Amy offered to help. The next thing Margaret knew Josh was screaming at Amy and Sam was standing in her hall, dripping water over her floor boards. Jay, in retaliation for the assault on her father, had thrown one at her mother, it missed and hit Toby. That was the point Leo had suggested the two of them adjourn to their room. CJ had extracted herself pretty soon after.

The house this morning looked as though nothing had happened. The table was set for breakfast and the cold platters for the wedding breakfast were laid out in the pantry. She assumed Donna, and probably Connie, had been very busy the night before.

Margaret shook her head. There was something about having the whole family in the same building that made her feel part of something really special. They’d go months without seeing each other but she knew, if she picked up the phone with a problem, any one of them would be there. It was strangely comforting to be part of a large unusual family.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” CJ asked, carrying a mug of steaming coffee in her hand and holding her robe tightly around her with the other.

“I. . .”

“You’re allowed to be nervous. Scared even,” CJ offered, sitting down beside her.

Margaret lowered her head and when she looked back up her eyes were twinkling and she was smiling. “I’m not nervous, CJ. I’ve been waiting for this for thirteen years.”

CJ’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me?”

“I knew there was something about him the first time he interviewed me for the job as his assistant. He was gruff and I guess you’d call him, a little rude, but I looked into his eyes and I knew that he needed me.”

“She was this quirky red head but I’d interviewed twenty girls before and she was the only one who seemed capable of handling me,” Leo stated, coming up behind them. “When I finished as Labor Secretary I asked her to stay on and the rest is history.”

CJ rose to her feet and glanced between them. “I guess you two want some time alone before the others wake up.”

“Thanks.” Leo lowered himself slowly to the step and wrapped an arm around Margaret’s shoulders. “Good morning, honey.”

“Did I wake you?” she asked, leaning into his embrace.

“Nope,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “But I did panic a little when I found the bed empty. You sure you really want to marry someone as old and cranky as me.”

Margaret bobbed her head. “I wish we’d done it yesterday, or five years ago, or. . .”

He kissed her hard on the lips. “Let’s go inside before you get cold. I don’t want my bride sneezing her way through the ceremony.” He stood and offered his hand.

Margaret let him lead her inside and settle her on the couch before he took a seat beside her.

“I spoke to Abbey this morning. She sends her love. I got a hard time about the wedding but I promised she could be here for the birth.”

“Mommy says it’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony, “ Jay sang, dropping onto the arm of the couch. “I’m going to tell Aunt Donna.”

Leo groaned audibly, knowing what was coming.

“Unless of course. . .”

“What do you want?”

“An easy bake oven. Schwarz are giving away free baking sets if you buy in November.” She gave him a satisfied smile.

“Where did you learn to negotiate like that?” Margaret asked, bemused by how soft a touch Leo was where the children were concerned.

Jay sat up straighter. “My daddy is a world class political operative. Aunt Donna is my godmother and God knows she’s put up with a lot from Daddy, and my Mommy taught me everything else I need to know about how to deal with Daddy.”

Leo shook his head and knew he was beaten. “One easy bake oven coming up. Now, why don’t you go and wake Mommy and Daddy up. We have a wedding to prepare for.” After Jay had disappeared from view he turned his attention back to his wife to be. “And I’m going to disappear back upstairs before Donna finds me here.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead and ran his fingers across her stomach. “I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll be the one in the cream carrying the bouquet,” Margaret called after him, just before the daily bout of morning sickness hit her and she dashed for the bathroom.

******

Margaret stared in the mirror, her hand resting lightly across her stomach. She had been dressed for an hour, just sitting in her room, waiting for the appointed hour to arrive and thinking back on the years she had known Leo.

A knock at the door broke her reverie and she called “come in.”

Donna’s head appeared around the door, followed by the rest of her body. “It’s time.”

Margaret nodded and picked up the hand tied posy of roses from her dressing table. Her hand shook as she took slow measured steps towards the door. “How’s Leo?” she asked, when she finally reached Donna.

“He’s fine,” she said, her lips twitching into a small smile. “You might not want to keep him waiting.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Donna, were you this nervous when you married Toby?”

“Nervous? I was petrified and stressed and crying. I didn’t eat for two days before the wedding,” Donna reminisced. “But the minute I saw him, I stopped. Except for the bawling during the vows.”

Margaret bobbed her head, “Okay, then we should get down there.” She waited for Donna to open the door fully and stepped onto the landing.

The two women walked towards the staircase before descending it slowly. At the bottom of the stairs, Donna released Margaret’s hand and went to join the other guests.

Left to her own devices, Margaret took a deep breath and waited for the first strands of music to begin before she crossed the living room and entered the family room.

Leo stood at the front of the room, shuffling from foot to foot. Mallory stood to his smile, grinning at her normally composed, together father as he fell apart. She gently squeezed his arm at the first movement at the back of the room.

Leo turned and his face broke out into a grin as he watched Margaret walk towards him, deliberately focusing on the front of the room and not the gathered guests. His eyes never left her face as he took her hand and waited for the judge to begin the ceremony.

Twenty minutes later, tears streamed down Margaret’s face as the judge pronounced them husband and wife. As Leo leaned in to kiss her, confetti cascaded from around the room but they remained oblivious to everything but each other.

The End