Chapter 3
Before dawn, Edward showed up at the staff cabin with a few people.
He knelt by the bed and gently took my left hand.
"You've worn this ring for ten years, so it might be a bit tough to get off. Just bear with it for a moment," he said.
I couldn't help but curl my fingers.
Edward's hand froze mid-motion.
"Susan just wants to wear it for ten minutes, she'll give it right back after the sunrise photos," he said softly.
I held on, refusing to let go.
He paused, then picked up the hand cream from the nightstand and carefully rubbed it into the base of my finger.
"Lily, everyone's waiting. Don't make me embarrass you in front of them over something so trivial," Edward said quietly.
The ring edged its way over my knuckle, scraping bit by bit.
A thin red line appeared where it had rubbed against my skin.
Edward leaned down and gently blew on it.
"Does it hurt?" Edward asked.
Before I could answer, he was already on his feet, the ring in his hand.
"You'll get it back soon," he said, almost offhand.
The deck had been transformed into a lavish wedding scene.
Susan stood next to Edward, wearing the custom-made dress that was meant for me.
Edward's mother, Alicia Grant, was on a video call with her, beaming as she greeted Susan as Edward's wife, like she was already part of the family.
When she saw me, her smile faded a bit.
Alicia said, "Oh, Lily, you're here. Susan doesn't have much time left, so please don't sulk and bring everyone down."
Charles handed me the ring pillow.
"Lily, can you hand them the rings?" he said.
When I didn't take it, he just stuffed it into my arms.
"You're the one Edward's actually married to, so it makes sense for you to do it. That way, nobody can say Susan's the one wrecking your marriage," he added.
Someone nearby burst out laughing.
"Talk about luck. Edward's first love gets to try on the dress, the wedding, even the husband. She takes everything for a spin, and in the end, Lily still gets it all back," someone snickered.
Charles cleared his throat.
"Blunt, but true. Lily's had Edward for ten years. Susan's just borrowing him for one morning, it's not like Lily's really losing anything," he said.
Edward's face clouded over.
"Enough. Don't mess with Lily," he said.
He reached out and smoothed my messy hair, speaking in a low voice.
"They're just joking around. Don't let it get to you," he said.
The host urged the ceremony to begin.
I carried the ring pillow and made my way toward them, one slow step at a time.
Susan took the ring from me, but didn't slip it on right away.
"Lily, would you mind putting it on for me?" she asked, her eyes shining with tears.
Her voice was shaky as she explained, "If Edward does it, people will say he's betraying you. But if you do it, it'll feel like you're truly giving us your blessing."
All the cameras swung toward me at once.
Edward didn't stop them.
"Go ahead, put it on her. It's just a ceremony, nothing more," he said.
I kept my hand perfectly still, refusing to move.
Edward took the ring and personally slid it onto Susan's finger.
"Her hand's bothering her. Let me do it," he said.
He always knew how to smooth things over for me.
And right after, he'd always go on to fulfill Susan's wishes.
The photographer called out, "Come a little closer, you two."
Just as I was about to step back, Charles handed me a book of vows.
"Lily, you wrote this, right? Edward says you've got a way with words. Susan wants to read it out loud," he said.
I opened to the first page.
It was the vow I'd spent three months preparing for our tenth anniversary.
Susan had already scribbled over my name in red ink.
"Edward, thank you for walking with me for ten years" was rewritten as "Thank you for waiting for me for twenty years."
Edward caught my gaze and said softly, "You wrote it so well. She's just borrowing a couple lines. Once tonight's over, everything goes back to you anyway."
Susan took the vows and suddenly smiled.
"Lily, you got to experience the whole journey. I'm just borrowing the finale," she said, her voice gentle.
"So when you think about it, you're actually the lucky one," she added.
After the ceremony, the photographer pressed the camera into my hands.
"Mrs. Grant, could you take a family photo for them? If you're in the shot, Ms. May can't post it," he said.
In the viewfinder, Alicia was smiling as she took Susan's hand.
Charles and a few friends crowded behind them.
Edward stood right in the middle, his hand resting on Susan's shoulder.
Everyone had found their place.
Except me, I was left outside the frame.
As I pressed the shutter, Susan raised her hand, the one now wearing my wedding ring, and pointed toward the long table.
"Edward, there's one more thing I'd like to borrow from Lily," she said softly.
On the table sat the wooden boat I'd painstakingly crafted for our tenth anniversary.