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Ariel smiled, her heart swelling with love for her daughter. "Yes," she agreed, her voice filled with hope. "It will be."
She didn’t have the heart to add her own fears about the wedding to the conversation.
"Mom?" Katie asked softly, her eyes reflecting the dancing flames. "Are you scared?"
"Only a little," Ariel admitted. "Get some sleep, okay?" Ariel gently squeezed her hand before releasing it. "Tomorrow's a big day."
"Goodnight, Mom," Katie replied, lying back down and pulling the covers up to her chin.
"Goodnight, love."
As Ariel closed her eyes, the anticipation of the upcoming wedding filled her with both excitement and fear. She wondered how they would all wake up in the morning and pull this off. But she had learned—was still learning—that sometimes, things that were out of your control could turn out to be beautiful.
So despite her inner turmoil, Ariel closed her eyes and managed to drift off to sleep, her daughter by her side, and her possible new forever waiting for her when the morning came.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Ariel awoke to the soft patter of raindrops against the window, accompanied by a distant melody of crashing waves. She blinked away the remnants of sleep, her heart heavy with a turmoil that hadn't abated since the night before. With her wedding to Miles fast approaching, she couldn't shake the gnawing feeling inside her chest – a relentless doubt that threatened to consume her. Her fingers traced the cool metal of her engagement ring as she contemplated calling off the entire event.
What will we do, have the wedding in the smoking remains of the living room?
Katie was not asleep beside her, and Charlie’s house was eerily quiet. Where was everyone?
"Morning, sis." Charlie entered the room, fully dressed in coat and hat, her gaze immediately drawn to Ariel's pensive expression. "You look like you could use some fresh air."
"Maybe," Ariel said hesitantly, twiddling her thumbs as she considered Charlie's suggestion.
"Get dressed and meet me outside in ten minutes. I'll take you for a drive, okay? We can talk things through."
As Charlie left the room, Ariel forced herself out of bed, her limbs heavy with the weight of unspoken fears. She changed into a warm sweater and jeans, her mind racing with thoughts of her father, her past, and the future that loomed uncertainly before her. With every step she took, the walls seemed to close in around her, suffocating her until she felt she could barely breathe.
"Ready?" Charlie asked when Ariel finally emerged from the house, her own coat and hat on. The concern in Charlie’s eyes was evident.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Ariel replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “Where is everyone else? I think we should have a family meeting about postponing the wedding.”
Charlie clicked her tongue reproachfully. “Not a word more about that. Come on.”
The car's engine purred to life as Ariel and Charlie settled into the worn leather seats. As they pulled away from Charlie’s house, the familiar landscape began to shift and blur, like watercolors bleeding into one another. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the promise of a new day.
"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Charlie said, glancing at her sister, who stared pensively out the window.
Ariel nodded, but her thoughts were far from the picturesque scene outside. The knot in her stomach tightened, threatening to tangle her words before they could leave her lips. She took a deep breath, willing herself to speak.
"Charlie, I... I don't know if I can go through with this wedding," Ariel confessed, her voice barely audible above the hum of the car's engine.
"Hey," Charlie replied softly, reaching over to give Ariel's hand a comforting squeeze. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
Ariel hesitated, uncertain of where to begin. "The day is already ruined. The house is charcoal! Half of what we had prepped for guests is up in smoke, and I don’t even know if we can serve food out of that kitchen. People haven’t been contacted. There might be people driving in right now expecting a fully put-together wedding, and what they’ll get is a big pile of ash!"
"First of all," Charlie began, guiding the car along the winding coastal road, "you've been through so much, and you've come out stronger because of it. And second, everything will be fine. No one cares about fancy food—"
“Or any food?” Ariel interjected. She sighed, watching seagulls swoop and dive above the churning waves.
"Trust me, okay?" Charlie urged, giving Ariel's hand a reassuring squeeze before turning her attention back to the road. "Now, let's head back to Leeside. There's something I need you to see."
As they neared the property, Charlie suddenly veered off the main driveway, guiding the car onto a path that led toward the bluffs and the private beach that sloped down just past Leeside. Ariel furrowed her brow in confusion as they came to a stop, the engine's hum fading into silence.
Charlie got out, and Ariel followed. Charlie marched to the beach, toward the cove where the small, colorful boats—the rowboats that Miles had made her for their first Valentine’s together—were docked. Ariel trudged after Charlie, unsure why they were headed to the beach. But when they arrived, what greeted her was a sight she could have never anticipated.
