“Just a little bit,” she said, spraying a light mist into the air for me to walk through.

The scent was rose and vanilla.

“You look beautiful, Mom,” Rachel said.

“Thank you, dear,” I said. “I feel… nervous.”

“That’s normal,” she said, adjusting the collar of my dress.

“But you deserve this.”

Downstairs, the doorbell rang.

My heart gave a small, sudden flutter.

I took a deep breath, smoothed the front of my dress, and walked down the stairs.

David was already at the door, opening it.

Harold was standing on the porch, holding a large black umbrella.

He wore a dark grey suit and a crisp white shirt with a dark green tie that matched my dress.

“Hello, David,” Harold said.

“Hello, Harold,” David said, stepping back to let him in.

“Come on inside.”

Harold stepped into the entry hall and shook the water from his umbrella.

He looked up and saw me standing on the bottom step.

His eyes widened slightly, and he took off his hat.

“Eleanor,” he said. “You look absolutely lovely.”

“Thank you, Harold,” I said, feeling a warmth rise in my cheeks.