Canopy — Kristine Kathryn Rusch

He expected a joyous wedding on Christmas Eve. But when the justice of the peace arrives, he finds a pregnant bride, no congratulatory family, and reluctant witnesses.

What joy can the future hold for this young couple? Unless they can find someone, an unexpected someone, someone who understands.

“A joy of clarity and lyricism. [Rusch] is a new breed of writer: a Renaissance woman.”
-- Charles de Lint