The story begins with the opening words of the traditional wedding ceremony, "Dearly Beloved." The two words, italicized, hang above a paragraph of prose, with no explanation. Following the paragraph are a few more words from the ceremony, "we are gathered here." The brief story is arranged this way throughout. A paragraph or two of prose is followed by a bit of the minister's words, until two sentences from the wedding are complete: "Dearly Beloved, / we are gathered here / in the sight of God / to join this man and this woman / in holy matrimony" and "If there's anybody here that knows a reason why / these two should not be joined / together, / let him speak / or forever hold / his peace."

The eleven prose sections are spoken in the third person by a narrator who can see into the mind of Roselily, the central character. Each section reports...