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JULIET
ONE MONTH LATER
“Hold your breath.”Mara says as she pulls up the zipper on my wedding gown.
It’s a Cinderella dress, a huge confection of lace and tulle, the kind that will probably get me stuck in doorways.
“Is it too much?” I wonder, fretting over my reflection.
Mara laughs. “There’s no such thing as too much on your wedding day.”
“Yes, but the last thing I want is to be a Bridezilla.” I grin.
“You’re not. Trust me. You put together this whole event in what—three weeks?” Mara beams. “You haven’t had time to go crazy. Except for your groom,” she adds with a wink.
I give a smug grin. “Well, that’s just part of the deal, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely,” my mom agrees.
I turn to her with my heart in my throat. She’s here at the church with one of the nurses, Joanie, and to my utter delight, she’s having a good day. Lucid. Remembering.
She looks at me proudly. “You look beautiful. Just perfect.”
“You look amazing, too, Mom,” I say, so happy to have her here—however long it lasts. A part of me wonders if knowing I’m happy and in love is helping her somehow, giving her something to hold onto.
“Not bad for short notice,” she says with a smug grin.
Short is an understatement. The past weeks have flown by, filled with a whirlwind of wedding plans; officially moving into Caleb’s apartment, and—of course—christening every room in the place. It’s been a non-stop blur of passion and future plans, but underpinning everything is the bone-deep certainty that I’m making the right choice.
Caleb is my forever, and the sooner that forever starts, the better.
“Now, I have a gift for you.” Mara beams mysteriously. She produces a jewelry box from her bag, and hands it over. “I demanded an unlimited budget from your husband-to-be,” she adds with a smirk. “My genius shouldn’t be restrained by mere numbers.”
I open it excitedly, and gasp. “Mara!”
It’s a jeweled headpiece, adorned with scrolls of diamonds and pearls. “It’s gorgeous,” I breathe, lifting it out.”
“Naturally.” Mara helps me fasten it in place.
“I look like a princess.”
“You look like a Sterling.” She winks, and I feel a jolt of anticipation.
There’s a tap at the door. One of the event planners peeks in. “We’re ready for you,” she says, and everyone squeals in anticipation.
“This is is.” I take a deep breath.
“Nervous?” my mom asks me, fussing with my hair.
I shake my head. “Excited,” I admit. “I can’t wait for us to start our life together.”
She cups my cheek. “I’m so proud of you. I know it hasn’t been easy, these past few years. And if I could be there for you, you know I would be.”
“I know,” I tell her, tearing up.
“You have no idea how happy it makes me, knowing you have someone to take care of you, too.” She says, eyes also glazing over with tears. “I know, you don’t need it. You take care of everyone. But the way Caleb looks at you… I know he’ll protect you, when I…” she trails off. “When I can’t.”
Now I’m really trying not to cry. We hug each other tightly, until Mara claps her hands.
