She dropped her hand, smoothed her blouse one last time, and hurried after her husband.

Allison looked up from her phone.

She looked at the gold bars on my shoulders, then turned and followed her parents.

I stood alone in the middle of the courtyard.

The brass band inside the reception hall started playing a lively march.

The music drifted out through the open glass doors behind me.

I watched the three of them walk away down the long brick path.

They passed under the huge stone archway of the academy gates and stepped out onto the public sidewalk.