The Beautiful Truth

2 Years Later // 179

It was an occasion—one that was incredibly long overdue. And, as that was the case, we came from all over to bear witness.

After my dad's book tour, he and Amy had bought a house in Sonoma—Jenny had practically predicted the future back when my Freshman English friends were lounging around Sal's apartment making guesses at whatever happened to Grant and Madison.

Actually, the 'house' was more of an estate on 10 acres of rolling hills, four of which were leased to a vineyard. Anyway, on this estate, they were getting married today.

Grant and Madison—Kerry and Amy, were finally getting their happily ever after.

"You are so beautiful," Barton Black sighed when I stepped into the kitchen where he was waiting for me.

I twirled around in my white and powder blue striped maxi dress, perfect for this mid-summer wedding in wine country, before crossing the kitchen to him. "Just keeping up with my man," I said with a wink before kissing him on the cheek.

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer to him. "I love you."

I smiled softly and pressed my forehead to his. "I love you, too."

Like my dad and Amy, Barton and I had rarely been apart since he found me on the beach that morning after he came home from New York. Two tours and a year of college happened between now and then. We'd been together nearly every day of that.

"Come on you two, you're gonna hold the whole thing up!" Micki interrupted, walking in with Alex in tow, to usher us outside and toward the ceremony.

"Eh, they've waited 24 years for this, they can probably wait for SF and Barton to have one of their moments," Seth reminded her.

Barton and I stepped away from each other and smiled, first at each other, then at our friends.

"Come on then, let's go," Barton said, taking my hand.

"Rockstars, always late to the party," Talyn teased, waiting at the wheel of the Gator ATV that would take us out to the hilltop where my dad and Amy were about to say their vows.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Hadley added next to him.

"Hads, you look ridiculous riding on a Gator," Seth joked.

"Just call me Wine Country Barbie, baby, get in," Hadley laughed.

My dad, having moved here and spent time with both me and Amy in Berkeley before my graduation last spring, had gotten to know all my friends—the Berkeley ones and the Hollywood ones. Where I'd once mused that my dad and I sometimes felt more like peers than only father and daughter, it was truer than ever. When he and Amy had put together their small guest list, they'd made sure to include all of my friends.

"Hey, look this way," Micki commanded from her backwards facing seat on the modified John Deere.

Talyn and Hadley, and Barton and I turned to face her as her camera clicked.

"The sun is perfect," she grinned, showing her shot to Alex. "I couldn't resist."

Micki was also here semi-working—she was one of two photographers shooting this wedding. When Amy came back to Cal after the book tour had concluded, she reprised her role as Micki's academic advisor, helping to shape her into quite the photographer. Wedding photography was more of a hobby, though. Little more than a year removed from graduation, she worked as a freelancer for several magazines in LA and San Francisco, most notably Spin. She'd always loved going to rock shows—now she got paid for it.