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Authors: Lily Thorn
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have disappeared entirely, spirited away by his groomsmen.
Grimly, Tess kept her lens focused on Amy. She hoped that would satisfy her mother. Tess would give anything for a sip of Amy’s champagne, or the ability to sit down for just one second.
Ducking out of the tent, Tess stood in the stifling air to try and catch her breath. She wasn’t sure she had gotten any good shots of the couple before Richard had vanished. But how was she supposed to take photos of him when he couldn’t even stand by his bride for ten minutes?
Tess changed the battery for one that was fully charged, steeling herself to go back into the fray. Wildlife was never this frustrating to photograph. Sure, sometimes more elusive creatures required lots of patience, but their mothers never showed up demanding perfect photos.
She sighed. Then again, wild animals never paid her $500 for a photo session. The bride and groom might not be cooperative, but Tess was still going to give them the best photos she possibly could.
Holding her camera in front of her like a shield, Tess stepped back into the tent.
The toasts began, and some of the speeches seemed interminable. Tess had never been to a wedding where all ten members of the wedding party gave a speech. Still, she photographed each one dutifully, though she decided not to capture the moment when the maid of honor fell down mid-speech after one too many drinks.
While two of the bridesmaids consoled the maid of honor, the bride and groom had their first dance. Tess thought that these pictures actually had a chance of turning out nicely. Richard had put a wildflower behind Amy’s ear, and the two of them looked deep into each other’s eyes as they swayed across the dance floor. For a moment, Tess felt like there might be a chance that their love would last.
Then the music changed, and the spell was broken as everyone piled onto the dance floor. Tess circled the celebrants, trying to keep her lens out of range of any wild dance moves. Somehow, Amy and Richard kept dancing for over an hour until Amy’s mother pulled them away to cut their cake.
The bride and groom managed to cut their cake and share another kiss before Tess’s five hours were up. Taking one last photo, she approached the bride and groom.
“Thank you so much for letting me share your special day with you,” she said. “You’re a lovely couple, and I hope your lives together are full of happiness. I have to head out now, but I’ll do my best to get your photos back to you within a few weeks.”
“You don’t have to go.” Amy leaned heavily on her. Drink and dancing had obviously taken their toll. “You’re practically family now. Stay, have some cake.” She hiccupped dramatically.
“Thanks,” Tess said, “I might.”
Amy let out a whoop, then dragged Richard back to the dance floor, cake in hand.
“Excuse me,” a man slurred, “are you the photographer?”
She turned around to see a man with a boutonniere holding a very large glass of beer. “Yes, that’s me.” Tess hoped this wouldn’t be another request. She really wanted to go home.
“I’m the”—he hiccupped—“father of th’ bride. Shoulda given you this earlier.” He thrust a white envelope at her. “Here you go.”
She could feel the wad of cash inside. “Thank you,” she said.
“You earned it.” Clicking an imaginary shutter, he stumbled away.
“Here.” Beside her, the mother of the bride presented a piece of cake to her. It was covered with plastic wrap. “After all that work, you deserve some cake.”
Tess accepted it, shocked. “Thank you very much.”
Amy’s mother nodded, sniffed, and turned away, all without meeting Tess’s eyes.
Tucking the cake in the crook of her elbow, Tess practically sprinted out of the tent. Cutting through the field, she made her way down the path to the parking lot.
“Please don’t be dead,” she said as she approached her car. It seemed to listen about half the time these days.
Once
Grimly, Tess kept her lens focused on Amy. She hoped that would satisfy her mother. Tess would give anything for a sip of Amy’s champagne, or the ability to sit down for just one second.
Ducking out of the tent, Tess stood in the stifling air to try and catch her breath. She wasn’t sure she had gotten any good shots of the couple before Richard had vanished. But how was she supposed to take photos of him when he couldn’t even stand by his bride for ten minutes?
Tess changed the battery for one that was fully charged, steeling herself to go back into the fray. Wildlife was never this frustrating to photograph. Sure, sometimes more elusive creatures required lots of patience, but their mothers never showed up demanding perfect photos.
She sighed. Then again, wild animals never paid her $500 for a photo session. The bride and groom might not be cooperative, but Tess was still going to give them the best photos she possibly could.
Holding her camera in front of her like a shield, Tess stepped back into the tent.
The toasts began, and some of the speeches seemed interminable. Tess had never been to a wedding where all ten members of the wedding party gave a speech. Still, she photographed each one dutifully, though she decided not to capture the moment when the maid of honor fell down mid-speech after one too many drinks.
While two of the bridesmaids consoled the maid of honor, the bride and groom had their first dance. Tess thought that these pictures actually had a chance of turning out nicely. Richard had put a wildflower behind Amy’s ear, and the two of them looked deep into each other’s eyes as they swayed across the dance floor. For a moment, Tess felt like there might be a chance that their love would last.
Then the music changed, and the spell was broken as everyone piled onto the dance floor. Tess circled the celebrants, trying to keep her lens out of range of any wild dance moves. Somehow, Amy and Richard kept dancing for over an hour until Amy’s mother pulled them away to cut their cake.
The bride and groom managed to cut their cake and share another kiss before Tess’s five hours were up. Taking one last photo, she approached the bride and groom.
“Thank you so much for letting me share your special day with you,” she said. “You’re a lovely couple, and I hope your lives together are full of happiness. I have to head out now, but I’ll do my best to get your photos back to you within a few weeks.”
“You don’t have to go.” Amy leaned heavily on her. Drink and dancing had obviously taken their toll. “You’re practically family now. Stay, have some cake.” She hiccupped dramatically.
“Thanks,” Tess said, “I might.”
Amy let out a whoop, then dragged Richard back to the dance floor, cake in hand.
“Excuse me,” a man slurred, “are you the photographer?”
She turned around to see a man with a boutonniere holding a very large glass of beer. “Yes, that’s me.” Tess hoped this wouldn’t be another request. She really wanted to go home.
“I’m the”—he hiccupped—“father of th’ bride. Shoulda given you this earlier.” He thrust a white envelope at her. “Here you go.”
She could feel the wad of cash inside. “Thank you,” she said.
“You earned it.” Clicking an imaginary shutter, he stumbled away.
“Here.” Beside her, the mother of the bride presented a piece of cake to her. It was covered with plastic wrap. “After all that work, you deserve some cake.”
Tess accepted it, shocked. “Thank you very much.”
Amy’s mother nodded, sniffed, and turned away, all without meeting Tess’s eyes.
Tucking the cake in the crook of her elbow, Tess practically sprinted out of the tent. Cutting through the field, she made her way down the path to the parking lot.
“Please don’t be dead,” she said as she approached her car. It seemed to listen about half the time these days.
Once
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