May came.
The morning glories bloomed. Blue and purple and white. They covered the brick walls like a blanket.
Maya sat in the courtyard, making a list.
Guests:
Marco (best man)
Jasmine (bridesmaid)
David (Jasmine's fiancé)
Mr. Chen
Rosa (Mr. Delgado's daughter – maybe)
Irene (Mrs. Patterson's sister – maybe)
Vanessa (the lawyer)
Mr. Haddad? No.
Ms. Chen (the developer's rep)? Definitely no.
She looked at the list. Eight people. Maybe ten.
"It's small," Leo said.
"I like small."
"What about your mother?"
Maya set down the pencil. "I haven't called her."
"You should."
"I know."
"Then call her."
---
She called her mother that night.
The phone rang three times. "Maya?"
"Hi, Mom."
"I was hoping you'd call."
"I'm getting married. In June. In the courtyard of our apartment."
A pause. "To the boy? Leo?"
"Yes."
Another pause. "I'll come."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
Maya's throat tightened. "Okay."
"I'll bring a gift."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
They were quiet for a moment. Then her mother said, "I'm proud of you."
"For what?"
"For building a life. For not giving up." Her mother's voice cracked. "For being stronger than me."
Maya closed her eyes. "I learned from you."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not lying."
Her mother laughed. It was a short sound. Surprised. "You're stubborn."
"Like you."
"Like your father."
They were quiet again.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you too."
---
The guest list grew.
Marco invited a woman he'd been seeing. Her name was Sofia. She worked at a bakery. She brought croissants to the apartment. The croissants were good.
Jasmine invited her parents. They lived in Staten Island. They said they'd come.
Mr. Chen said he'd bring a friend. A woman he'd met in Florida. "She's nice," he said. "She plays cards."
Rosa said she couldn't come. "It's too far. But I'll send a gift."
Irene said she'd try. "The bus is long. But I'm old. I don't have much time left."
Vanessa said she'd come. "I never miss a wedding."
The list grew to twenty people.
"We need chairs," Maya said.
"We need a license," Leo said.
"We need food."
"We need rings."
Maya looked at the list. "We need a lot of things."
"We have time."
"June is next month."
Leo smiled. "Then we'd better start."
---
They went to City Hall on a Tuesday.
The line was long. The room was crowded. They filled out forms. They showed ID. They paid a fee.
"You're sure about this?" Leo asked.
"I'm sure."
"Because once we do this, it's legal. You can't change your mind."
"I don't want to change my mind."
He took her hand. "Neither do I."
They signed the papers. The clerk stamped them. They were legal.
"That was easy," Maya said.
"The hard part is the wedding."
"The hard part is the marriage."
Leo kissed her. The line behind them applauded. A stranger took their picture.