Chapter Twenty-Nine

In the morning while Conrad continues surfing, Belly brings Taylor’s planning binder to the deck and begins building the guest list. She settles on a very small group—close friends, immediate family, and a few of Jeremiah’s fraternity brothers and friends—unsure if her mother will attend but confident her father will.

Budgeting drives her choices: with about one thousand dollars, Belly envisions a beach ceremony that needs minimal decoration and a casual clambake with a couple of kegs and cheap champagne. She imagines shells and flowers for picnic tables, feeling momentum and pride in the simplicity.

Jeremiah returns from surfing, playfully approves the clambake, and they share an affectionate moment. He mentions that Mr. Fisher asked practical questions about the officiant and costs, which Jeremiah takes as a sign he is softening, even if he scoffed at the modest budget.

That afternoon, Jeremiah prepares to leave, quieter than usual, and Belly assumes he’s sad to go. Conrad is absent, his car gone. Belly and Jeremiah agree to reconnect in five days, and she watches him drive away, planning to continue the wedding preparations.