"The groom may now kiss the bride..."
Adrian Desmond looked at Melanie Carpenter's shy face and her full lips, but he gently kissed her forehead instead. The kiss was light, like a dragonfly brushing the water's surface, and he moved away quickly.
There was thunderous applause from the audience, and some people began to heckle.
Below the stage, Adrian's good friend Alvin Potter had also come from Olkgan, accompanied by Thalia Powell and their only son, Wiles Potter.
Thalia Powell, propping her chin on one hand, said, "The bride is truly fortunate."
"Perhaps. But marrying a man like Adrian Desmond... it's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse," Alvin interjected.
"What do you mean?" Thalia asked.
Alvin didn't elaborate, turning his head to see Thalia staring at him intently. "What?"
"You mean Adrian isn't truly in love with her?"
"Thalia, some things are not for us to meddle in."
