We weren’t really great at planning things. We had a marriage certificate that was expiring soon, and the Marriage Commissioner invited us to his home before he left on vacation to get married. I recall he lived on Hope Street, which seemed fitting.

It was a small wedding with my Mother in-law and sister-in-law present. Inviting my parents wasn’t on my mind, as they lived far away. My mother had run off to Florida somewhere, so I didn’t know how to reach out if I wanted to.

Since we were married on Independence day, we often celebrated with a cookout.