** Eli **
They were supposed to meet up with Harper's parents right before the ceremony, and it surprised them both to get the unexpected company much earlier than planned. But Eli didn't mind. The presence of family meant something special on a day like this, which brought him a peaceful sense of joy even more so than the excitement of the portraits.
And he found it somewhat funny and touching at the same, when Harper's mother reacted to her first look of the bride almost exactly the same way he did himself, hands flying to her mouth as she burst into tears. Only that she did it with much less reservation than him, closer to a full-on wail than just one uncontrollable teardrop.
"Oh look at you … so gorgeous, so happy." The mother cried and pulled the daughter into a big hug, while the father looked at them tenderly before stepping forward to pat Eli on the shoulder.
