Full of Blessings
While the guests, children included, pure and open in their wonder, marveled at the beautiful reception hall, I silently applauded the pub staff and the bridal party who had made it all possible.
There had been a wedding planner, of course, but when it came to the decorations I had heard Cassandra insisted on handling them herself so she could put her own stamp on everything. And who, then, had done all the actual work?
I had not lifted a finger myself, so what did I know—but I could guess well enough.
So every time I crossed paths with one of the pub employees I heaped praise on the hall, telling them how magnificent it looked, and they either beamed with gratitude or made a show of wiping away tears before giving me a high five.
Everyone really must have worked themselves to the bone.
Grateful that the children had spared me from that hard labor, I pushed the stroller slowly toward the stage so they could take in their fill of the surroundings. Then I parked it between the faux woodland groves arranged on either side of the stage.
It would keep other people’s eyes off them while still letting them watch the performance—perfect for the kids, and for Luca especially. Cassandra had almost certainly designed that little corner with care.
I texted Greg that we had arrived, and he appeared with Charlie in tow, a ridiculous fake mustache stuck to his face.
Apparently Greg had drawn babysitting duty for Charlie and Dimitri’s kids for the evening.
“Uncle! Reni! Luca!”
Charlie came flying over, a black cape streaming behind him. No fangs, but he had clearly gone for Dracula. Greg stood behind him with his hands clasped behind his back, wearing a solemn, exaggerated expression. What are you even doing, man.
I ignored my friend and his bizarre role-play and ruffled Charlie’s hair.
“Long time no see. Looking pretty sharp today, Charlie.”
I grinned and offered the compliment to the carefully costumed boy, and Charlie smiled bashfully. Praise landed the same whether you were four or ten.
“You look super cool too, Uncle! And Reni and Luca are so cute!”
“Charlie hyung! Meow!”
Reni, delighted, waved his magic wand and meowed, drawing glances from the people nearby.
Among them stood two slightly shy teenagers. Charlie waved them over.
“Uncle Jun, these are my new big sisters!”
Two girls in their mid-teens approached with shy smiles and greeted us.
“Hello.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.”
I returned the greeting warmly and had Luca and Reni say hello as well. Their eyes went straight to the babies sitting doll-like in the stroller.
“Oh my gosh, they’re so adorable.”
“Can we take a picture with them?”
I had never been entirely sure how to handle teenagers—they were at that sensitive age—but Dimitri’s kids were polite and bright, putting my worries to shame.
I had heard that Dimitri had lost his previous wife. Even without seeing it, I could imagine how hard it must have been for him to raise these children alone.
There had been moments when I wondered if Cassandra had been too hasty in deciding to marry, but seeing Dimitri’s kids dissolved every last one of those concerns.
“Want to go check out that side? There’s a chocolate fountain over there.”
“Yeah!”
Reni excitedly held out his hands for me to lift him from the stroller. As I set him down I gave Charlie and his sisters a firm reminder.
“You all know this already, but you absolutely cannot go outside the building. And before the ceremony starts, you need to bring him back to this stage. I’m counting on you.”
Of course, no matter how old they were, leaving kids in charge of kids still made me uneasy, so I sent Greg along with them.
Reni took Charlie’s hand and set off cheerfully with the older girls to explore, Greg trailing after them like a nanny.
“All right, shall Luca and Daddy go look around too?”
The little one did not so much as glance after his departing brother. His gaze was locked, as if enchanted, on the glowing mass of enormous pumpkin vines. I lifted Luca out of the stroller and carried him closer.
“Whoa, that’s a huge pumpkin, huh? Looks like they hollowed it out and put a candle inside. If we get too close—ow, hot!”
“Mm.”
“Want to go look at that tree over there? It’s not a Christmas tree—they made a candy tree.”
Beside the tree, decorated with orange lights and oversized candies, other children and parents had already gathered.
When I brought him close enough to look, Luca immediately reached out and grabbed a huge lollipop swirled with every color.
“Luca, you like that one?”
“Mm.”
He liked it so much he even tossed aside the magic wand he had been holding. Luckily I caught it in time and slipped it into my pocket.
“Maa-mua!”
“Yeah, Daddy has no idea what Luca’s saying.”
“Mua!”
Still, it was clear the bright lollipop had won him over. Fortunately he did not seem to realize it was food—just a pretty toy.
“You like it? I wonder if Reni hyung stopped by here already.”
Just in case, I pocketed another matching lollipop. After making a rough circuit of the first floor, I headed up to the second, where the bride and groom’s waiting rooms were, to find one of the day’s main characters—the groom.
I exchanged a quick greeting with Dimitri, who was already swamped receiving well-wishers, and then went to see Cassandra.
Knock knock.
I gave a light rap on the door labeled “Bridal Suite,” and it flew open.
Judging by her outfit she was one of the bridesmaids, and the moment she saw my face she let out a little scream.
“Oh my goodness! So this is him!”
A complete stranger shrieking at the sight of me nearly made me jump. I spun around on reflex, but there was no one behind me. So yes—she had meant me.
“Oh, wow. You look exactly the same as you do on screen!”
“Ah…”
Was I supposed to say thank you? While I was still flustered, someone else called out that I had arrived.
A brief uproar followed. Bridesmaids and half a dozen others suddenly crowded toward the doorway where I stood.
“Oh my gosh, he brought the baby too.”
“Doesn’t he have one more at home?”
Everyone here was a friend of Cassandra’s, so of course they had all seen our channel.
“Look at the little panda outfit—he is way too cute.”
Luca waved his lollipop up and down as if he knew perfectly well they meant him.
It was more than a little overwhelming, but greeting them first seemed like the right move. I cleared my throat and managed an awkward hello.
“Hello. Um, I came to see Cassandra…”
“Oh, of course. This way, this way.”
They were Cassandra’s people, all right—full of easy charm. The bridesmaids laughed and cleared a path for me.
Clutching the baby a little tighter against a wave of inexplicable embarrassment, I stepped past them into the room. Cassandra sat before a large mirror, radiant in her full bridal array.
She had succeeded with the diet after all. Two days ago the dress had fit perfectly, and today, thankfully, there seemed to be no trouble at all. Our joint diet had been worth it.
I smiled wide and offered my congratulations.
“You look truly beautiful today, Cassandra. Congratulations on your wedding.”
Cassandra set her bouquet aside, rose, and answered with a brilliant smile of her own.
“Jun, I honestly don’t know how to thank you enough.”
With that she pulled me into a firm hug. Luca, squished between us, wriggled a little.
“You dressed the kids so adorably again today. You filmed them separately, right?”
“Of course. But for today, forget about the videos and just focus on yourself.”
We were chatting warmly when one of the people ringed around us could no longer hold back her curiosity.
“Did he really make the dress?”
“He did. We’re going to include that part when we edit the wedding video.”
Cassandra answered with open pride, and fresh waves of admiration rose around us.
My face burned. I made my escape from the bridal suite with the excuse that I needed to go downstairs and get ready for the congratulatory songs.
I had brought a portable sewing kit just in case, but the dress looked flawless. Thinking about it, if anything had gone wrong Cassandra would have sent an SOS already—so the visit had been unnecessary after all.
“Daaaddy, look at this!”
I had returned to the stage and was holding Luca’s hands, swinging them back and forth, when Reni came running up with a bag that doubled as a generously filled candy basket.
Proudly displaying his haul, he said,
“I did trick-a-treat with hyung and the noonas!”
Inside the nonwoven bag were several small gift boxes wrapped in Halloween-themed paper. Cassandra and Dimitri must have prepared them especially for the children.
Seeing the bright glow on his face made me truly grateful for that small kindness.
“That’s amazing, Reni. Want to try trick-or-treating Daddy too?”
“Yeah! Daddy, trick-a-treat!”
I handed the eager child the big lollipop I had been carrying in my pocket all evening.
“Whoa!”
Watching him hold up a lollipop nearly as big as his own face with wide, astonished eyes, I guessed he must have missed the candy tree earlier.
I carefully stowed the bag and candies he had treasured so carefully into the stroller, then took off Reni’s shoes and settled him comfortably inside. I propped soft cushions behind both boys’ backs, draped a blanket over their knees, and gave my instructions.
“Reni. Daddy has to go sing the congratulatory songs soon, so you have to look after Luca for me, okay?”
“Okay!”
I ruffled the hair of the boy who had taken Luca’s hand with a responsible little face.
“And Luca, you listen to hyung. No mischief.”
“Mua.”
I pressed a finger into Luca’s soft, pale cheek as he blinked those big eyes as if to say, When have I ever made trouble? Then I returned to my place and picked up my guitar.
Out of the corner of my eye I checked on them: Luca, already familiar with this routine, was leaning into the cushion as if ready for a nap. Reni, on the other hand, was watching with bright, expectant eyes—the first time he would see his dad perform in person.
Reni, you can stare all you want, but Daddy still remembers the last time you wandered off with your friends halfway through the set.
I swallowed a smile and glanced at Greg, who exchanged a hand signal with someone standing by the stairs.
The autumn jazz that had been drifting through the air gradually faded.
Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.
The wedding emcee’s voice came through the speakers, and the lights all around dimmed.
Everyone settling into their seats and the hall going dark was our cue. Greg and I locked eyes once, then began to play.
The rich sound of acoustic guitars filled the room as Cassandra and Dimitri descended the stairs together.
The new couple had requested a soft guitar accompaniment instead of the usual wedding march, and thanks to that they appeared like a king and queen emerging in a palace—utterly elegant.
Through the gentle applause and occasional cheers of the guests, the two of them walked gracefully toward the officiant waiting on the far side of the stairs.
The ceremony itself, as befitting a couple who had chosen their own officiant, was simple and lighthearted.
After a short but blessing-filled address, a small confetti popper went off, and then it was time for Greg and me to deliver the congratulatory songs.
Cassandra laughed with pure joy, while Dimitri discreetly wiped at his eyes. Even when the guests laughed, he could not stop the tears.
As we began our second song, the couple of the hour did not exit; instead they walked to the very center of the floor and shared their first dance beneath a brilliant pin spotlight.
Soon the bridal party joined them, and the rest of the guests rose naturally to their feet until everyone was dancing together.
For people who loved each other, the people who loved them gathered to sing and dance.
They shared warm food and drink, strangers and friends alike blooming into conversation, and with one heart they blessed the birth of a new family.
After three congratulatory songs we handed the stage over to the band that would handle the rest of the night’s live music and headed with the children to the table assigned to us.
Maria and Rachel, who had come to celebrate the wedding, welcomed us warmly.
On a table seating four adults and two babies, flowers and food were laid out so abundantly it looked like a fairy banquet.
Reni, eyes still bright, handled his fork and spoon with competence and joined the adults’ conversation while he ate, the very picture of composure.
Luca, on the other hand—whose short nap during the performance had been interrupted—fussed in my arms with a sulky face and sleep-laced babble. But the moment I unwrapped the giant lollipop and let him taste it, his eyes went round.
The joyful night deepened.