I nodded.
Then he smiled.
“But we can decide what we’re ordering.”
I laughed.
“What are you getting?”
“The lamb.”
“Of course.”
“And probably dessert.”
“Definitely dessert.”
He reached across the table.
I took his hand.
Below us, the water reflected the last light of the sun.
For the first time in years, I wasn’t calculating whether I needed to leave enough money in my account for somebody else’s emergency.
***
When we returned home, the credit card refund had posted.
The entire $11,842 charge had been credited back to the account.
There was no outstanding balance from the canceled tickets.
I’d kept the agency’s written confirmation and the card statements.
The original honeymoon had been completed exactly as booked.
The venue’s final report also arrived.
The unauthorized smoke had required additional cleaning and staff time.
The manager documented the incident and worked with Tyler, who agreed to cover the resulting charges directly.
Lena sent me a final note.
*I’m sorry the interruption happened despite our earlier refusal. Thank you for allowing us to handle the safety issue. I hope the rest of your celebration and your honeymoon were wonderful.*
I replied to thank her.
Then I returned to work.
For several days, life was almost ordinary.
Laundry.
Email.
Groceries.
