Variation on a Theme, Book 7
Copyright© 2026 by Grey Wolf
Chapter 8: You’ve Got A Friend
Saturday, July 19, 1986 (continued)
Angie wound up being the one to fetch our gifts from the car and place them on the table set aside for gifts. Janet spotted her and gave her an obligatory, “Oh, you shouldn’t have!”
Angie just smiled, and that was that.
As a member of the wedding party, I was on the hook for the receiving line. I wound up standing next to Colleen Bradford, with Suzi Yang one step further along the line. We smiled and shook hands with, or hugged, the other guests as seemed fit. I was more hesitant with the Stanford guests, while they were less sure of the Memorial contingent.
Meg, though, got a warm reception from everyone. Both Lizzie and Janet had obviously talked extensively about her. Steffie was a mystery to them, while several professors were a mystery to me. The whole thing was fun, at least for me. Suzi seemed to embrace it, while Colleen was slightly more reserved.
Once we’d gotten the vast majority of people seated (there are always stragglers), we went to our tables. They’d opted for a somewhat more egalitarian seating arrangement. Instead of a head table, Lizzie and Janet had a round table at the center of the room. Suzi sat next to Lizzie, while Colleen sat next to Janet. Nina, Colleen’s wife, sat next to her. I sat next to Suzi, with Jas between me and Nina.
Angie and Paige were at a different table from Cammie and Mel, by their own choice. Both couples felt confident mingling with others. I was a bit amused to see Meg, Steffie, and Tom seated next to various professors. Woe be unto anyone who looked down on them for being mere high school teachers. All three of them could hold their own in any crowd.
They were serving everyone buffet-style, with all-you-wanted-to-eat side dishes and servers (guest volunteers) serving steak, chicken, or vegetarian options. I was a veteran of many, many similar meals, and was nearly certain they would have been fine letting people serve themselves the main dishes. They clearly had plenty.
Lizzie and Janet were the first through the line, with the rest of us following just after. That had the unfortunate effect of putting us at the middle of the room with full plates while others had none. We refrained from digging in until a reasonable number of people had also been served.
I got to chat a bit with Suzi. She turned out to be a business major, and seemed happy that I was also one. She was really pre-law, though. When I mentioned waffling a bit on whether I would get a law degree, she spoke enthusiastically about it. It could certainly happen. Thus far, I was one of those weird souls who truly enjoyed business law. But enjoying what’s taught as ‘business law’ to undergrads is very different from knowing it at the level a lawyer needs.
I couldn’t imagine ever practicing. But having the knowledge could turn out to be valuable.
Suzi turned out to be a local girl, born in Cupertino and growing up in Palo Alto. That sounded like my ex-wife, but she was five years younger. They likely would never have crossed paths. It was a bit odd realizing that my ex-wife’s parents were probably within a few miles of me right now. There was no chance of my looking them up, but ... still.
Colleen and Nina were from Connecticut, and had gone here together largely to avoid going to Yale. I gathered that was a bit of a break with family tradition for Nina. So was marrying a woman. They both felt like the kind of people who could handle some parental disapproval, though. It was clearly not at Cammie’s level, anyway.
Colleen was also in business, but seemed more likely to stick with it. Nina turned out to be in computer science. We wound up talking about that for a bit. I was careful to restrict my comments to things I should know.
As we were finishing dinner, Janet grinned.
“Sorry, Steve, but you missed one bit of the planning.”
“Uh oh?” I said, smiling.
“We’re having a bridal party dance. A couple of them, actually. You’re on the hook to dance with Colleen and Suzi.”
I glanced at them. Both of them smiled at me, while Nina gave me a somewhat curious look.
“I’m sure I’ll enjoy it,” I said.
“It’ll be after a break, not at the start with the other pre-set dances.”
“Sounds good.”
My mouth came about a second away from running away from me, but I got it stopped. I was much too close to starting with, ‘At my wedding... ‘
I could have covered it, most likely. As it was, I said, “We’ve talked about that a bit. Having too many limited-participation dances annoys people. But the classics are classics for a reason.”
Jas smiled at me and nodded. We had done no such thing, but no one would have gotten that from her reaction.
“And ... really ... that’s probably our cue, love,” Lizzie said, rising. “May I have this dance?”
“By all means!” Janet said. “Anything else would be...”
Everyone at the table — even Jas, filled in, “Bogus!”
Lizzie pretended to groan, but I could see how happy it made her.
The two of them consulted briefly with the DJ, then headed out to the dance floor. Their first dance was surprising, but I thought it was a wonderful choice, and one we would at least consider using. The unmistakable sound of the Beach Boys rang out, and Brian Wilson sang a phrase that sounded absurd at a wedding: ‘I may not always love you’. The rest of the song set out to contradict that, of course.
That got me. I’d only misted up a bit through most of the wedding this far, but this? This was a solid cry. Not shaking, nor sobbing, but it resonated with me. The literal words didn’t quite fit my ex-wife and me, of course. Or ... did they? God only knew what I would be, now, had she not been part of my life. And, though she had left me, somehow the world was very, very busily proving just how much it could show me.
It fit Jas, too, of course. God only knew what I would be without her, but it was hard to imagine that it wouldn’t be someone lesser. I couldn’t imagine anyone else who I would want to be at the center of my life for as long as I lived.
Jas squeezed my hand. I’m sure she knew where the tears came from, in general, if not the specifics of them. Her eyes weren’t dry, either, but many of the others in the room were sniffling away as well. It truly fit Lizzie and Janet. I was as certain as could be that each of them would be an enormously different person without the other. Janet had softened Lizzie’s rough edges and shown her that she could find love and happiness. Lizzie had given Janet an edge she hadn’t had, and helped her blend her ‘Valley Girl’ side and her innate brilliance together.
The father-daughter dances let me recover some composure. They’d chosen ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’. An interesting choice. It resonated, but in a very different way. I hadn’t wished to be here, nor had Angie, yet ... here we were, and so many dreams were coming true. Laura had, perhaps, made a wish, but could her wish really be the explanation? None of us believed it was sufficient in itself.
After the second dance, Lizzie’s dad walked over to the DJ. Janet’s dad followed him. After a bit of discussion, the DJ handed a microphone to Lizzie’s dad. While they were negotiating, a group of volunteers from among the wedding guests quickly handed out champagne flutes to everyone.
“Hello!” he said, his voice surprisingly mild, even with the amplification. “I’m Darren Vinton, and I’d like to thank each and every one of you for attending my daughter’s wedding. And, far more than that, for what you mean to my daughter and her wonderful, amazing wife!”
There was an enthusiastic wave of applause at that. As it faded, Darren passed the microphone to Janet’s father.
“I’m Mike Collins, and I’ll second everything Darren just said. Your presence is a blessing, and our daughters treasure your love and support. It’s been, and continues to be, a long, strange trip. There were times when — as a wise man said — we thought they would never just let our daughters be. Yet, here we are.”
He passed the microphone back. Darren said, “With that, we would like to propose the first toast. To our lovely daughters, their amazing wives, and to everyone who’s joining us in celebrating their union.”
“Hear, hear!” rang out as they raised their glasses. Many glasses clinked, and little sips were taken.
Mike took the microphone and said, “We’d like to invite Janet’s Maid of Honor, Colleen Bradford, and Lizzie’s Maid of Honor, Suzi Yang, to speak next. We realize this is a break with the usual order. But ... this is not the usual wedding.”
Colleen squeaked and gave Janet a look. It was playful, but there was more than a hint of ‘I’m going to get you for this!’ in it. She rose and walked to the front, poise fully regained by the time she took the microphone.
“Hello, everyone! It took me only a few days after arriving at Stanford to meet Janet. It was at the second meeting of our American Government class. We wound up commiserating about some of the ... foibles ... of some of our so-called leaders.”
That got another round of laughter.
“Somehow, Lizzie’s name came up, and I realized I already knew her from another class. She invited me over to a start-the-semester party the two of them were throwing and ... the rest is history.”
Colleen smiled, then added, “I’ll take what you two...”
She gestured to the fathers.
“ ... said and turn it around. We are grateful to each of you — Mike, Susie, Darren, and Kay — for the wonderful people you raised and brought into our lives. All of us are better people for knowing them. And the world had best watch out, because they’re just getting started!”
There was a round of applause, clinking glasses, and more sipping.
She beckoned Suzi up. Suzi said, “Wish me luck!”, then scooted up to the front of the room. When she got there, she took the microphone and said, “Lizzie and I met in the fall of 1983. It was before classes even started. We ran into each other — literally! — at the Safeway.”
There was a wave of laughter.
“Janet is an amazing person. Had I not already been dating someone, well...”
She grinned.
“Nothing would have happened. Because Lizzie is just as amazing. We’ve studied together, played together, goofed off together, and ... it feels like they’ve always been a part of my life, even though it’s not yet been three years. To Janet, to Lizzie, and to many, many wonderful years together for them, and years of friendship for us.”
Another cheer, more clinking glasses, and more people sipped.
She stepped over to Colleen and said, “Now, it’s our pleasure to introduce you to Janet...”
Colleen said, “ ... and Lizzie’s...”
Suzi said, “ ... most excellent Best Man, Steve Marshall.”
In a stage whisper, she added, “Janet made me add that.”
Most of the crowd roared. Lizzie rolled her eyes playfully, but grinned all the same, and planted a kiss on Janet’s cheek.
I rose and walked up to the front. Taking the microphone, I said, “Thank you, Suzi, and thank you, Colleen.”
They smiled and took a step back and to the side, giving me a bit more space.
I looked out over the crowd and said, “The order is fitting, perhaps. I’ve had the luxury of knowing Janet and Lizzie longer than most of the people in this room. Oh, certainly not longer than their parents. Nor the wonderful Meg, who features in this tale.”
Meg blushed a bit, but smiled.
“Meg Ames, for those who don’t know, was our debate teacher. That class is central to this part of the story. For one thing, it’s where they met. For another, it’s where a lot of friendships started. And this is a story of many friendships just as much as it’s a story of one couple.”
I paused, then said, “I come into this story in the fall of 1980, when Janet and I shared the back row of a bus on our way to a math tournament.”
I saw the look on Janet’s face and said, “Yes, it’s true. Janet was, in fact, pretty bodacious at math tournaments.”
A lot of people groaned. Including Janet.
“The thing is: like me, and not like my sister, Janet is a better debater than she is a mathematician.”
Angie’s mouth opened, then closed. It was true. Angie was, in fact, a damn good communicator. But she was a math prodigy. Debate, on the other hand, wasn’t even her first love in high school. It was well behind drama.
“Soon after joining debate, I met this very cool girl — Cammie Clarke — who just happened to be gay. And just happened to be the girlfriend of another girl I knew fairly well, Mel Riley.”
Both of them waved when I mentioned their names.
“Janet and Lizzie were instrumental in helping me make friends with Cammie. Which matters a lot, because Cammie and I turned out to be excellent debate partners. Much to Lizzie and Janet’s consternation, sometimes, but that competition made all of us better.”
I smiled.
“Again ... things happened. Many of you know about the student council race of 1982, for instance. If you don’t, ask Lizzie. It’s quite a story.”
Lizzie grinned and nodded.
“There’s more there than I could cover if we went on for an hour. But that, in turn, connects to our 1983 high school prom. If you don’t know that story, ask any of us. It’s not every couple whose prom receives national media attention, but Lizzie and Janet managed it.”
There was a wide ripple of laughter.
“The thing is: that prom changed the world, but not Lizzie and not Janet. They were the people after their prom that they were before. Great friends, teammates, competitors, loyal, honorable, and fiercely in love with each other.”
People’s heads were nodding.
“What I’ve learned about Lizzie and Janet is not just that they’re great people, but they’re a great team. A great couple. Both of them share some traits: intelligence, loyalty, drive, passion, and so much more. But they complement each other perfectly. Would either be as great without the other? From my perspective, at least, no.”
Both Lizzie and Janet were smiling and nodding, so I figured I wasn’t saying anything they didn’t also think.
“It’s easy to see Janet as the free spirit, and Lizzie as the buttoned-down one. Yet I’m not sure that’s always it. Janet can be restrained. Lizzie can take a wild leap of faith. And so many things, including that very noteworthy prom, wouldn’t have happened without both restraint and adventurousness.”
I paused, then said, “And isn’t that what a marriage should be? People who complement each other? A couple of whom you can say: the whole is better than the sum of the parts? I think so, anyway. It’s certainly how my parents are, and my in-laws-to-be, and how my life has been with my fiancée Jasmine.”
I nodded to her, and she waved back.
I turned, waved to Lizzie and Janet, and said, “We’re here today because of both what a great couple Janet and Lizzie are, and also the wonderful friends they are. Strong friendships change the world, and bring people together. Strong partnerships change each other, and create amazing couples.”
I waved to the newlyweds again and said, “We all wish Lizzie and Janet a long life and a wonderful marriage. I think that starts with wishing that they always remain friends. You can be married without being friends, and friends without being married, but I feel pretty certain that a happy marriage involves a strong, deep friendship. To Lizzie and Janet! May they always be best friends, and may we always be good friends to them as the years pass.”
As I raised my glass, I got a round of loud applause, followed by many glasses clinking. Mine clinked against Colleen’s, then Suzi’s, before the three of us drank.
“And now,” I said, “I promised a very special dance to a very special friend.”
I walked over to Lizzie.
“Shall we dance?”
She grinned, rising.
“Yes. We definitely shall!”
She took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. At this point, the leading was subtle, but clear.
I was truly not prepared for the song she chose, and it was yet another episode of my ongoing fight against crying. A fight I didn’t win this time, though I kept it to a minimum. My guess had been a reprise of ‘Unforgettable’, the song we’d danced to at prom. Instead, she swept me into her arms and began leading as Carole King sang out, ‘When you’re down, and troubled’.
I just let myself go, trusting in the lessons, the training, and Lizzie’s skill. Thanks to all of the practice with Debbie, it felt perfectly normal to be following the lead of a girl shorter than me.
She chuckled softly, and said, “Well. You couldn’t have paired that toast better with the music if we’d planned it.”
“A lucky guess,” I said.
“Tell me the truth. You extemped that, didn’t you?”
Her lips curled up in a soft smile.
“I had the bones of it. You have to follow those who speak before you. Suzi and Colleen made it about friendship. It always was, but they turned it up.”
She smiled, pulling me in just a trifle closer.
“Janet and I have talked about it. Often. You walking into our lives, on that bus and then in class, was ... magical.”
“Only because you already had magic,” I said. “The best friendships enhance what’s already there. I wouldn’t be the person I am without both of you.”
She smiled again, and squeezed my shoulder.
“I said, long ago, that Janet said you were all right, and that she’s always right. She was, and you are.”
I smiled.
“It’s one of those things. I almost didn’t go on the TEES trip. And ... the trip itself was of almost no importance. But meeting Janet? That was very important.”
“So many things seem to happen for a reason, if you just listen.”
“Don’t I know it,” I said, smiling and nodding.
As the song ended, we hugged, and applause erupted around us.
Lizzie and I parted, and she waved her arms.
“Everyone! Come dance!”
I headed over to Janet.
“May I have this dance? Your lovely wife said I should ask.”
She grinned.
“That would be most excellent!”
This turned out not to be a slow dance. This was the first of the fast dances. And — though there was no way they could know it — it resonated with me. The DJ put on Men Without Hats’ ‘The Safety Dance’, and we were off to the races. It was one of the very, very few songs I could remember dancing to in high school my first time through, and I remembered it from this life’s Northwestern as well. Was this a message? The universe having fun? Or just one of those things?
It hardly mattered. We had a great time dancing, to that song and to many more. I didn’t sit down again for about half an hour, during which time I danced with Jas, Angie, Paige, Cammie, Mel, Kay Vinton, Susie Collins, and a bunch of others. None of the bridesmaids (besides Cammie), though.
My next slow dance, to ‘Stand By Me’, was with Darla. I asked her, and she said yes, of course. After a quick glance to Hank, and a nod from him, which I didn’t miss. I gave him a quick smile of my own. It all fit, and I was happy to see it.
“Enjoying the wedding?” I asked.
“So much! That was a great speech! And you dancing with Lizzie? So sweet! God, who thought I would ever say ‘so sweet’ about Lizzie Vinton? Certainly not me, not when we just knew her as Lizzie the Lezzie. Before Debate, I mean.”
“She still might be annoyed by being called ‘sweet.’ I doubt it, though.”
“Oh, I told her that, and she just hugged me and agreed. She’s who she always was, but ... without the armor. Or that’s what I think, anyway.”
“That makes sense,” I said, nodding. I wasn’t as sure, but it’s not as if I was close to Lizzie Vinton in my first life. A year sharing a classroom, and tournaments, but not a friendship. Not even a rivalry.
“I suppose you’re wondering about Hank.”
“Just a tiny bit.”
She giggled. “So ... you can guess this isn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. We’ve been talking about it for a while now. Like he said, he could have backed out until the last minute. Refundable tickets, all that. But we felt like, if we were doing well, why not go to a wedding together? It’s not a commitment, but ... so, say, could I see myself doing this next to him? Could he see himself doing this next to me?”
“And?”
She giggled again, then grinned.
“For me, right now, yes. For him, he says yes, and I feel pretty sure it’s just the truth. We’re a long, long way from a proposal or anything, but that’s fine. It’s just ... it’s kinda fun ... touching base, I guess. Seeing how things go. And, so far, so good, definitely.”
“I’m glad. I really am.”
She grinned and said, “Of course, you are! You get me off your hands!”
She leaned in and said, “Joking, obviously. But ... also, kinda not. We both know I’m ... tricky. Hank, honestly, is tricky, too. We might be the right puzzle pieces for each other. And ... I don’t know that I would understand myself without you. Nor would I have met Hank without you, almost certainly. Basically ... you done good, and I’m ready to move on. But if Hank doesn’t put the moves on me before too long, I’ll be looking you up.”
“Always there for you, honey. Happily.”
“I am a catch! Literally, if we go back to a certain magical night.”
“It was pretty magical, I completely agree.”
She grinned.
The song ended, and I walked her over to Hank.
“Thanks for letting me borrow your girlfriend.”
He laughed.
“Oh, she’s got a mind of her own. Now, and forever.”
Those were two sides of the same coin. Hank needed to be in the loop on everything, and hold the reins overall, but Darla was a strong woman. Their relationship would be defined by those things.
After Hank and I exchanged words, Sue tapped me on the shoulder.
“Hey,” she said. “Wanna dance? My guy is busy.”
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