“Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention please? If everyone could take a seat, I’d like to say a few words.”

Em turned in her chair towards the stage where Nick stood. The party room tittered with sounds of the friends and family who had gathered to surprise the Beckenbachs. Almost two hours earlier, they’d yelled ‘Surprise!’ to the unsuspecting couple and since then Em had been on her feet working the room and avoiding the seat next to Bas she was supposed to occupy. He’d finally gotten up from the table and she’d pounced. Now that she’d taken a moment to sit down, Nick had decided to give his speech. Any other time she might have made a sprint for the bathroom, but she’d made the mistake of wearing new heels. They looked killer, but her feet were threatening mutiny if she didn’t stay put. Assuring herself that if she kept her focus on Nick and her back to Bas’ chair, she’d be fine until she could hobble into hiding again.

When enough people had gotten seated Nick sent a beam around the room. Em had to say he looked handsomer and happier than she’d ever remembered seeing him before. Love truly did suit him. As if he could hear his friend’s thoughts, Nick gave Cady a quick wink before continuing.

“I wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight o help us celebrate my parent’s anniversary. When you have something as huge and amazing as thirty-five years of love and marriage to celebrate you want to do it justice. I couldn’t possibly do that with just words, but I’m do have a story I want to tell. When I was fifteen they put me in a Family Life class. My teacher gave us an assignment once. He told us to go and ask one of our parents what they thought marriage was and to write about their answer. Mom was out of town at a conference, so I asked my dad. He made one of his lame jokes at first, you’ve all heard one of those right? But then he said something that I’ve never forgotten. ‘Marriage is waking up next to your best friend and knowing no matter where life is going to take you, the day will be survivable because they’re beside you.’” Nick paused to retrieve a champagne flute before continuing. “My mom and dad committed themselves to sharing their days with each other for better or for  worse. There have been some bad days, but the good ones far out number those. So I want to toast my parents, who have survived with each other. Good days, bad days, it doesn’t matter. May they all be days where you’re by each other’s side.”

Raising her own flute along with everyone else, Em took a deep swig of the flavorful champagne. The band she’d hired launched into their next set. Guests flooded the dance floor moving along to the popular Sinatra tune. She smiled as she caught sight of Catherine and James on the floor swaying along. The night was going beautifully for them. And from the looks of Cady, Nick, Deacon and Libby theirs weren’t going so badly either. Habit had her looking for the remaining two Beckenbachs and she immediately spotted Casper coming towards her. When he was close enough he invited her to dance with him, extending a hand to his friend. Pausing long enough to down the remaining contents of her flute, she stood and placed her hand in his.

As Frank crooned Casper pulled Em close and began to sway along rhythmically. She couldn’t help but to feel her somber mood lighten as Casper’s own uplifted spirit radiated onto her. As he moved to give her a twirl, an outright laugh burst from her. Only when he began to draw her back to him did she stop short at seeing Bas approaching over his brother’s shoulder. Immediately her eyes dropped down to the front of Casper’s suit. She’d done a pretty respectable job of avoiding him all day, ducking out of the way every time she even thought he was coming. From the grip Casper had on her hand, she knew that if she tried to make a run from him it would only result in some type of disaster, so she stood there hoping he hadn’t noticed who his brother’s dance partner was.

All hope of that being the case flashed away as Bas’s deep voice requested to cut in. Em knew Casper too well to think that he would object to handing her over to her older brother. Even as Bas finished the request, Casper was loosening the hold he had on her and stepping away. Her brain raced to think of an excuse, anything to get her away before he touched her. Lifting her eyes, Em immediately realized she’d made a mistake. His gaze held her in place as he stepped into place and pulled her into his embrace. When she made no immediate move, Bas patiently took one hand in his and maneuvered her other to his shoulder.

The band launched into another tune and as Bas began to lead them thru the dance steps, Em found herself taking a good hard look at the man holding her. The navy suit did everything to accentuate his broad shoulders and the white of his shirt set off his skin tone. The gray tie he wore, she recognized as a gift from her, only made the green of his eyes all that more apparent. Once she was gone, once he got pass his feelings, she knew other women would flood his way. A pang at the thought of him being gone hit her.

“So I owe you an apology.” Confusion at his words must have appeared in her expression. “I’ve been a moody jerk this weekend. Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“You didn’t. I mean you weren’t one.”

“Yes I was. It’s why you’ve been running off like a scared rabbit every time you see me. And I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No it’s not. You’re my best friend Emmy and treating you like that wasn’t cool. I would never want to hurt you-” Bas stopped as tears began to cloud him from Em’s vision. She began to pull away, unable to stop herself from starting to cry. “Emmy?”

The nickname that only he’d ever dared to use was too much. Tugging her hand free from his, Em turned and started to run from the room. She bumped into people as  she tried to get to the bathroom, ignoring Bas calling after her. His voice had ceased once she got the hallway outside the party room, so Em thought he’d given up. She should have known better when a large hand caught hold of her arm and Bas turned her to face him. “Emmy, please, I’m sorry.”

Tears streaming down her face, Em shook away his repeated apology. “It’s not that.”

“Then what? What’s wrong?”

“Nick told me.”