If He Had Been with Me
by Laura Nowlin
Contents
Chapter 56
Overview
At Angie and Preppy Dave’s courthouse wedding, Autumn photographs the ceremony, notices signs of Angie’s pregnancy, and witnesses mixed family emotions. Holding Jamie’s hand, Autumn is jarred by a memory of Finny, underscoring her unresolved feelings even as her friends formalize their future.
Summary
Autumn attends Angie and Preppy Dave’s courthouse wedding with Jamie, photographing the ceremony with her new birthday camera. She notes Angie’s short white dress, a large flower in her hair, and the faint swell of pregnancy, while Dave’s mother quietly cries among the small crowd of family and a few teammates.
As the couple faces each other, Autumn’s hands shake and she deletes a blurry shot, pierced by the intensity of Angie’s happiness. She reaches for Jamie’s hand, trying to anchor herself in the moment and the future she tells herself she wants.
When Angie and Dave squeeze hands, Autumn’s mind flashes to Finny guiding her at the pool table, his hand over hers. The memory sharpens her inner conflict; she clutches Jamie’s hand again, outwardly supportive yet inwardly unsettled by longing and what-ifs.
Who Appears
- AutumnNarrator; photographs the courthouse wedding, holds Jamie’s hand, and is shaken by a memory of Finny.
- JamieAutumn’s boyfriend; sits beside her, reassures her with brief smiles and hand squeezes.
- AngieBride; radiant and possibly pregnant, marries Preppy Dave at the courthouse.
- Preppy DaveGroom; marries Angie in a small ceremony, with emotional family present.
- Dave’s motherAttends the wedding and cries quietly during the ceremony.