“He’s earned that, at least,” Olivia adds.
I know they’re right. I’m not being fair to Declan, projecting all my fears and insecurities and old hurts from the past onto him. It would be different, I think, if he had turned down the job in New York. He says he doesn’t plan to leave, but he’s left that door open for now, and I can’t help but worry that he’s going to use it.
“You’re right,” I finally say. Even if I know the reason for my worries and this self-destructive urge I have to call the whole thing off, I also know Declan doesn’t deserve it.
“We know,” my friends say in unison.
“Alright, enough aboutmylove life. It’s Olivia’s wedding day.”
“It’s my wedding day!” She laughs, like she still can’t quite believe it. She and Grace return to their spots on the couch to finish their lunch, which I plan to scarf down the second Petra finishes working on my face.
“How are we even old enough to be getting married?” Grace wonders. “I still don’t even feel like an adult yet.”
“Same,” Olivia agrees. “I feel like a kid playing house. Like, who let me live with amanand become a wholewife? I’m just a girl.”
“You’re the most adult out of all of us,” I point out.
“Girl, you own a business,” Grace volleys back. “You two might be tied. Meanwhile, I’m over here barely qualifying as a grownup.”
“Not true,” Olivia disagrees. “You’re hustling with multiple jobs and have thousands of followers on social media. I know you hate the term, but you’re –”
“Do not say influencer,” Grace cuts in.
“An influencer,” Olivia finishes.
“Still doesn’t make me an adult,” Grace scoffs. “We’re deep into the twenty-first century. There arechildinfluencers now. Do you know there are kids making millions of dollars unboxing their toys online?”
“Insane,” Petra chimes in.
“Truly,” I agree.
The conversation turns to a guessing game about who’s going to get the most drunk on the dance floor tonight (a tie between Ethan and Cam’s crazy uncle Eddie), and before we know it, our final hour to get ready is nearly up.
Though the jury remains out on whether we qualify as real adults, there’s no denying Olivia looks every bit the stunning bride who’s ready to marry the love of her life. Her dress fits like it was handcrafted with her in mind, a gorgeous A-line with delicate straps and a low back that leaves her tanned skin on display. The bottom layers of fabric are off-white so that the intricate, lace floral pattern in a classic ivory stands out and catches the eye. It’s perfect for a summer wedding in the chapel of an inn on the coast of Maine.
“Cam is going to be thanking every lucky star, guardian angel and whatever deity he believes in when he sees you walking down that aisle,” Grace says approvingly.
We’re crowded in the floor-length mirror in the room where we’ve spent the majority of our day. In just a few minutes, we’ll descend the stairs just outside this room that will take us to the entrance of the chapel, where Cam waits for his bride along with all of their family, friends and half of Port Myles.
“Good,” Olivia smiles. “Although I’m not sure who will be looking at me when I’ll have you two by my side.”
I scoff, though I sneak another look at Grace and I in the mirror, taking my eyes off our bride one last time. I was skeptical when Olivia said she wanted orange for her maid of honor dresses, but I should have known better than to question the queen of planning on a single detail. Our dresses are the same peachy, light orange color, but Olivia had us choose our own style. Mine is comfortable and flowy, tight around the chest with light, off-the-shoulder sleeves. Grace opted for a one-shoulder style that hugs her curves to her waist. We both have slits on one side. Nothing scandalous, but enough to make walking down the aisle – and in Grace’s case, tearing up the dance floor – more comfortable.
Gail won’t be standing with us while Olivia and Cam exchange vows, but Olivia helped her pick out a dress that complements ours in a pretty shade of light blue. Again, I should have known better than to question Olivia – the blue and orange look lovely together, just as she assured me they would.
“Are you ready?” Gail asks, popping her head through the doorway. When she sees the three of us huddled together in front of the mirror, she smiles. Even from across the room, I can see the way her eyes well with tears. “My girls,” she says softly.
Olivia meets my eyes in the mirror, then Grace’s. There aren’t words to explain this feeling, standing at your best friend’s side as she’s about to walk down the aisle to take a leap from this chapter of her life into the next one. The one where she’s a wife and partner, and someday a mother, if all goes according to their plans. A wedding is just an interlude, the part that comes before all of the momentous years to come – the good times and bad, the tiny feet padding down the hall, the weathered skin and the hair that’s graying in sync, a sign of a life well lived together. Olivia will lookback on today as one of the best days of her life, but I know that Cam will do his best to ensure that there are so many morebest daysto come.
“I love you,” Grace whispers from Olivia’s other side, her voice wobbling in a rare show of emotion. I watch in the mirror as she slips her hand into Olivia’s, and I do the same with her other one.
“I love you both,” Olivia says, her voice strong and sure. She squeezes our hands as she meets our eyes in the mirror again. “Thank you for being by my side today, through all of the years before this, and all of the years to come. I’m lucky enough to have three soulmates in this life, and I don’t take that for granted.”
“Love you back,” I tell her. “Always.”
With one last, final look in the mirror, Olivia lets go of our hands and takes a step toward the door.
“I’m ready,” she tells her mom. “Let’s go make me a wife.”
