AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, it’s a start.”
Chapter Thirty
A month later
Anica
“You look stunning, darling,” Mom whispers, sounding teary.
“Of course she does.” Alison smiles up at us from where she’s fiddling with the hem of my dress. “I told you this dress would be perfect for you.”
I smooth my hands over the skirt, turning back to my reflection in the full-length mirror. Alison and Mom trooped around all the dress shops with me, and as soon as she saw this one, Alison demanded I try it on. I hesitated because it didnotseem like me. At all. Then I tried it on, and I knew it was the one. So, I’m getting ready to get married in a lace-covered fishtail gown with a floral embroidered bodice, a rosette, and a dramatic flair. It’s perfect.
JJ fixes the lace-covered headband into my chignon and fluffs out the lacy veil. Her hands come down on my lace-covered shoulders as her eyes meet me in the mirror. “You only need to blush, and you’ll be a fairytale bride.”
Her eyes dart to Mom and Alison’s reflections in the mirror.
“I’m going to give you three a minute,” she whispers, squeezing my hand. I nod gratefully, squeezing back before she melts out of the room.
Mom glances over as the door shuts quietly behind JJ. “Where’s she off to?”
“Bathroom,” I lie smoothly. Mom nods, and I leave my floor-length reflection and cross to her and Alison, taking both their hands.
“Thank you for being part of this today, Alison. It really means a lot.”
She beams over at me. Mom reaches over for Alison’s other hand and squeezes it.
“I’m happy to be a part of your special day. But you didn’t have to have me as a bridesmaid, you know.”
I shake my head fiercely at her. “Having you here makes it feel like Andrew is here today too.”
Alison blinks back tears, and so does Mom.
“Thank you for thinking of me,” Alison whispers back, her lower lip wobbling. “I still miss him a lot. Jason insists that we have his picture up on the mantle next to our wedding photo.”
Mom sniffs. Alison’s husband, Jason, went to school with all of us and played on the same football team as Andrew. It’s nice to know that he’s including Andrew in some way in their life too.
“Are you ready to get married, darling?” Mom asks, drawing us away from melancholy topics. I grin, squeezing both their hands tightly.
“So ready.”
“Should I tell JJ that she doesn’t need to stand awkwardly outside the door anymore?” Mom’s words break the last of the tension, and Alison and I giggle.
“Please.”
Mom slips across the room, poking her head out the door to say something, and JJ follows her back inside the room with a smirk on her face.
“It’s almost time to head down to the cars,” JJ announces, crossing to the table and handing out the bouquets. Mom is giving me away since Andrew isn’t here to do it, so she’ll ride with me, and JJ and Alison will ride in the other town car.
“Ready?” Mom asks, her hand finding mine and squeezing tightly.
“Let’s do this,” I whisper back, my heart thumping in my chest as Mom herds the three of us out of her hotel room and down to the lobby.
I can feel eyes on me as we cross the lobby and people whispering and smiling. Everyone likes a bride. I ignore the feeling of being watched. As I learned when David and I would go out for dinner together in New York – this is going to be my new normal. Everyone stares at a Westerhaven. Especially when that Westerhaven will look like me – a girl from Oregon who somehow managed to capture David’s heart. It’s the best thing I ever did.
David
Mom dabs at her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief, smiling mistily at me. Light is shining through the cathedral’s stained glass windows, and the aisle is lined with flowers and pretty material. Ani picked it all. I like it, but I’m more interested in seeing her. That’s all I care about today.
