Terms and Conditions

The wedding has finally arrived, and Iris prepares herself mentally while struggling to keep the truth from her mother. Her mother expresses her relief and joy over what she believes is Iris falling in love. She tells Iris she worried that seeing her marriage to Iris’s father would harm her and make her lose trust in the idea of love. Iris struggles having this conversation because she knows that her mother’s fears did come true, and she does not believe in love. She tries to minimize the risk of being hurt by avoiding romantic relationships altogether.

The chapter cuts to the moment of Iris’s walk down the aisle, a walk she has been determined to make alone, as a symbol that she does not need her father. She notices that Declan looks at her differently, in a way that makes her feel things that she does not yet name. Unfortunately, when she reaches him, he says only that she looks “nice,” which upsets her. The two exchange vows that avoid declarations of love but promise devotion and loyalty, and the priest announces that Declan may kiss the bride. At his peck on the corner of her mouth, Iris quietly comments that it was the worst kiss she’s ever had, to which Declan responds with a deeper kiss, to the cheers of their family and friends.