On Lena's computer, wedding guests were tidy colored rectangles. Divorced people far from their exes, lonely people near talkative ones, feuding relatives separated by tables. She had organized weddings for ten years and believed a good seating plan could prevent almost any disaster. In private, she began applying the same principle, only without asking the people she moved.
She had chosen a young lawyer for her friend Iva. Iva did often talk about Alen, the baker who left bread for her after her shift. Lena thought her friend underestimated her own possibilities. At the rehearsal dinner, she placed her beside the lawyer and assigned Alen a seat next to her aunt, who was hard of hearing.
The lawyer spent half the evening talking about himself and the other half trying to get Lena's attention. Iva smiled out of politeness. Alen left early because he worked in the morning. The next day, he told Iva he had not realized he was invited only to make up the numbers. She replied that she had not known what her friend had arranged for her either.
Lena's business partner, Petar, pointed out her mistake. He said people were not chairs to move until the picture looked right. She became angry, especially when Iva later praised Petar for walking her home and listening. Lena suddenly began listing his faults. Iva asked why, all at once, no decent man seemed good enough for her.
The answer came with uncomfortable clarity: Lena disliked the possibility of Petar becoming someone's partner outside work. For years, she had kept him in the category of dependable people always available to her. She had plans for everyone else, while leaving her own feelings unnamed.
First, she apologized to Iva without offering new advice about whom to choose. She also called Alen, explained her behavior, and stopped mediating. Iva visited the bakery herself. Lena told Petar she would like a dinner that did not end in a discussion of suppliers. He agreed with a smile that suddenly seemed entirely unfamiliar.
At the next wedding, the bride asked her to pair two single guests. Lena asked whether they wanted to sit together. The bride shrugged, surprised by the question. Lena left the seating plan open until morning. After work, Petar waited outside the entrance. He suggested one restaurant, she another, and they spent ten minutes debating which had better soup. She did not know what their future would look like. For tonight, it was enough that both had chosen their place at the table.