Nicole Is Getting Married

For Nicole and Ryan Bernhard

There it is, Santuario Nacional,

way down there, past that light.

I hope it's nice and cool inside. Like Heaven

is supposed to be, but maybe

a little bit darker and not so many saints.

There's going to be a lot of nose-blowing.

This is Nancy's first, you know.

I'll bet she laughs and cries

at the same time. Aunt Judy and Melina too.

Ryan?  We've never met.

Nancy says he looks like Elvis did

when he was young,

all that sexy straight black hair.

Nicole? It's been a long time.

She always had the warmest eyes.

It's funny how these kids grow up

so suddenly, all at once.

The wedding nights must be so wild.

Think of it. All those years of being alone,

and then one night, you don't know why,

you look into a stranger's  eyes and see

there's someone else inside. Someone

you've been looking for.

All your life.