The Caged Bird Must Sing

Chapter 20

Dodging through a few people in the courtyard of the country club, Summer dropped down to one knee and lined up a shot with the bride and groom, snapping a quick picture or two before standing again. Immediately looking back to review what she'd just taken, she sighed in relief, pleased to notice the lights in the tree branches behind the bride and groom gave the whole scene an ethereal feeling. The bride was sure to be thrilled with this one in the wedding album.

"Mrs. King?" An elderly voice called behind her, and she turned to see who she vaguely recalled to be the mother of the bride approaching her. The older woman gestured to her husband and another older couple-no doubt the groom's parents. "If you would, get a picture of the four of us together? I know this day is about Trisha and Chris, but..." The woman trailed off, as if embarrassed to even be asking.

Summer shook her head with a smile, holding up her camera in reassurance. "It's no problem at all! Is here alright? Or we can choose a better backdrop?"

"Let go in front of the fountains, they look beautiful during the evening with all the lights twinkling." Chris' mother suggested, and the two fathers nodded their agreement, probably happy just to get the pictures over with.

Smiling, she lead the group over to the fountain and guided them into several formal poses. The mothers were eager to comply with her directions, though it was no surprise the fathers were a less bit enthusiastic. After a multitude of shots, to be sure there was at least one they'd all approve of, they thanked her and went to enjoy the rest of the reception. The blonde watched them go, letting out a little sigh with the sudden lull in the activity. Most of the guests had filtered over to the open bar, so there wasn't a lot going on at the moment. Nothing to take pictures of.

Her feet took her to a stone bench overlooking most of the courtyard below, and she sat in relief. All this walking around was getting to her feet. They ached something fierce, and these heels weren't helping much. Propping a leg on her knee, she took off the shoe and rubbed the calloused skin through her socks to try easing the pain.

Below, the two families and closest friends to the newlywed couple drank and ate the night away, talking and laughing as they celebrated the love of the bride and groom. Summer looked over the dusky sky, and the gallery of lights that were strung through the trees surrounding the main stone-paved area. The whole courtyard, past the line of trees for aesthetic appeal, was surrounded by rolling hills, a high-end golf course further down the way, with the cityscape on the horizon. All in all, a beautiful venue for a wedding such as this.

The main courtyard was brightly lit with area lamps, the white-clothed tables lighting up in a pale yellow light. People walked to and fro as the festivities continued, a little unsteadily now that the alcohol was freely being served. Most of the socialization was centered around the bar tenders fulfilling drink requests. Smiles were ever-present, laughter filling the air.

It was a perk of the job, Summer supposed, being able to attend some of the most memorable moments in a person's life, photographing and cataloging every moment, each laugh, each joyful smile, and the loving look between two people bound together in love. Recalling a photo she'd taken previously, her finger pressed the gallery button on her camera, and with several more clicks she scrolled through the numerous pictures to find the one in particular she'd been looking for.

Trisha was seated on the stone bench, Chris standing behind her. The sunset illuminated their two figures, but the centerpiece were their faces. So filled with love as they gazed at each other, Summer couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was sure to be the highlight of the photo album once she compiled the best shots of the night.

A buzzing in her pocket caught her attention, and Summer put the camera down once more, pulling her phone from her bag pocket. It was a text from Law.