The hearty laughter made Elsie turn around, eager to know who the bouquet was fated to be. She gasped in surprise once she saw it was Ruediger.
"Rudy?" she blinked in disbelief, "Hey! You weren't even standing with the ladies!"
Ruediger stared at the bouquet, then at Elsie, before he caught a laughing Lariette among the crowd. He said deadpan, "Well, seems like your bouquet wanted to land in my hands, so."
The entire garden burst into another wave of laughter. A few shouted, teasing the young man.
Nathaniel bent over, clutching his stomach. He pointed at Ruediger, "Guess we'll be attending your wedding with Lari soon. Don't you think so?"
Madeline exclaimed between giggles, "Yeah! You guys have been married longer than they! Better start planning your wedding now."
Ruediger stood frozen for a second, the bouquet still in his grasp. His cheeks flushed as Nathaniel and Madeline mentioned his wedding to Lariette. Some guests chorused the same sentiment.
