Rock & Roll

The wedding reception was at the same hotel where the brides had gotten ready. A grand decorated ballroom, tables arranged around a dance floor, and a head table where the four newlyweds would sit. A grand event for what was supposed to be just a family dinner.

Gradually, people filled the place, greeting the parents of the newlyweds. The two couples arrived a bit later; Deanna insisted on just making a quick appearance, and Daniel agreed because he couldn't stand being the center of attention.

"Deanna! That was beautiful," Susan exclaimed.

"Thank you."

"Really wonderful. Did you know she could sing like that, brother?"

"No, I didn't," Daniel replied while Deanna blushed.

"I just wanted to give them something special. The university guys helped me set up the sound."

"You should have told me," Daniel reproached. What was he supposed to think if she was in there with all those guys?

"It was supposed to be a surprise. If I told you, you probably would have mentioned something to Harry, Harry would have told Laura, and no more surprise."

"I can keep secrets..."

"I doubt it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're too... straightforward to keep secrets."

"This whole thing is a big secret..."

This wasn't a secret - it was a lie. A lie they had to maintain, even though Harry's wedding had already taken place. The plan was to keep it up for at least a year to give time for the baby to be born and make the inevitable divorce less scandalous.

When it came time for the father-daughter dance, Charles resumed his duty of accompanying Deanna. Dear Charles, good-natured and open-hearted, was very happy for his eldest son. The lady in question, though simple, was stunning, and what could be better than dancing with a beautiful woman? The smile on his face showed he was enjoying the moment.

"You're supposed to go get your wife and dance with her too, Daniel."

"I know, Susan."

"So what are you waiting for? The song's going to end and you're still standing here. Don't tell me you're shy?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Susan watched him walk to his father and tap his shoulder. She was going to have endless fun with this marriage. The hardest thing he'd done so far was having to put his hand on her waist to dance. But to Deanna, it seemed the most natural thing in the world. Why didn't she have the expected reactions? It was very difficult for him to keep a straight face; he couldn't take his eyes off her shoulders or her hair. And on top of that, she had a very soft but sweet fragrance.

But that wouldn't be his biggest problem that night. Things would get more complicated for him when the party really started.

The music sounded great; the sound crew from Harry's classes was getting everyone moving to the rhythm of the songs. Most of the guests were young, friends of the newlyweds or classmates, so the chosen rhythms matched their era. Laura and Harry were having the time of their lives on the dance floor, while Deanna sat next to her brand new husband, watching.

It would have been at least courteous of him to maintain a conversation with her. But Daniel just stared at the dance floor without making a sound. He didn't know what to say to her. No one would ask her to dance, and she couldn't just jump out of her chair. This was going to be very boring. But Harry knew this would happen, so he took Laura's hand and went to get her.

"Deanna, come! Come dance with us!"

She didn't need to be told twice; she didn't even look at Daniel as she left her little corner of the ballroom. They didn't even invite him - he would never set foot on a dance floor in his life.

Deanna joined the group of people around Harry and Laura and started moving. She loved music for singing, for listening, or for dancing, and she enjoyed it tremendously. But to Daniel, it seemed she was moving her hips too much. Is this how they danced now? And not only that, several men were approaching her trying to follow her rhythm. It seemed Mrs. Crusher had forgotten she was married. The more he watched her, the less he liked how much she was moving. Or not...

The children were sitting at a table with their grandparents. Camila was outraged by Deanna's behavior. Jonathan, on the other hand, watched her move as if she were a fairy dancing on water. He felt he could communicate with her without using words. Carefully, while the others were distracted, he slipped from his seat and ran to where Deanna was.

Suddenly, she felt a small hand touching her fingers, and when she looked down, she saw little Jonathan smiling from ear to ear. She crouched down until she could look him in the eyes and asked:

"Would you like to dance with me, little gentleman?"

The boy stretched out his arms, and Deanna picked him up. He wrapped his arms around her neck, causing some of her hair to come loose, and smiled as they swayed to the rhythm of the music. None of the immediate family could believe what they were seeing; Jonathan had always been reluctant to make contact with people he didn't know. He had only seen her a couple of times, but that was enough for him to run into her arms, and he was even laughing.

Daniel stood up to get closer to them. He couldn't remember seeing that expression on his son's face; while the little one was usually very lively and active, it was clear that now he was happy. Harry and Laura joined their dance, and the boy stretched out one of his little arms as if inviting them. Deanna was unaware that this behavior wasn't usual for him; she was just enjoying the music and her dance partner. Every now and then, Jonathan would tightly hug her neck and rest his little face on her shoulder, and Dean's heart would melt. How could he be so tender and sweet? She just wanted to eat him up.

"Jonathan wants something to drink," she said casually, unaware of how significant it was that the boy had opened up like this.

"Of course," Daniel replied, unable to hide his amazement.

The boy didn't want to leave her side until he fell asleep in her arms. The scene was a bit strange for everyone else, especially Daniel. Susan came to take him to give Deanna a break.

"Looks like you've got competition. This little one just fell in love," she said to Daniel.

He would have to talk to her about her constant teasing comments. She was going too far.

In the distance, the party continued, and Harry was calling her from the dance floor, waving both arms. Laura was too tired to keep up with her husband's rhythm and went to sit with her parents for a while. Deanna responded with a wave and stood up to leave, but before going, she turned around.

"Want to come?" she asked her husband.

"No," he responded dryly. Of course not, Daniel didn't dance.

Dean rolled her eyes and went to find her friend. Of course he would say no, what was she thinking? This was the second time she'd left him alone, and he was getting fed up. If the whole marriage would be like this, people would start talking and gossiping right away. She was supposed to stay by his side always.

The music changed at the groom's express request, and they started playing first-generation rock & roll, classics that were great for dancing. On campus, they were both known for dominating this genre very well. So the songs had been chosen exclusively for them. And Deanna and Harry didn't hold back, throwing themselves into dancing with everything they had.

Daniel instinctively looked at Laura and saw her smiling. Apparently, this happened often. Deanna's hair had completely come loose with the more vigorous moves, and this was about to become the first scandal involving her.