As I look into the mirror hanging on the back of my bathroom door, I am amazed at the girl staring back at me. Her blue eyes, usually dark, are bright, her usually pale cheeks have some color to them, and her light pink lips are turned into a smile. The girl in the mirror looks happy.
Of course, part of that happiness comes from the dark blue dress she has on. The lacy material gently swisses against the floor as I turn. The dress is beautiful, but the happiness stems from what it signals - today is Amelia and Duke's wedding at long last!
After another four months following the finalization of the menu, the wedding date has finally arrived. I couldn't be happier, and more relieved, that the day is here.
"Rose! We need to leave soon!" Damon's boisterous voice carries from my kitchen to my bathroom. Footsteps could be heard making their way closer to where I am getting ready.
I step out of the bathroom, making sure to hold my dress so I don't trip, and put on my silver glitter heels. The shoes add a few inches and help the dress become less of a hazard. Checking myself one final time in the mirror, two manly figures appear behind me, their eyes trained on me through the reflective surface.
"You look beautiful," the boys say in unison.
Damon is wearing a black suit with a black undershirt and dark blue tie. The suit fits him well, but it doesn't hide the mass of muscle underneath the material. Brandon's suit is also black, but he has on a dark blue undershirt and black tie. Being a part of Amelia's wedding party, I didn't get to choose the dress I would wear, although I love her choice, but the boys insisted on matching me. It was challenging finding the right blue items to match my dress while also making them look different from one another. Despite being step-brothers, their resemblance is uncanny.
"Thank you. Are you both ready to go?"
With two affirmative replies from the boys, I quickly grab my purse and shove all the essentials inside as I'm walking out of the door. If I am any later, Amelia will have my head.
We all climb into Damon's car, the radio blasting as the engine starts. Despite the inappropriately loud music trying to push its way out of the confining vehicle, the windows remain rolled up. And, as if the noise wasn't enough, the three of us belt out the lyrics of the song currently playing and continue that way the entire drive to the wedding venue.
As we pull into the gravel driveway, my jaw drops. Despite helping Amelia and Duke all of these months, this was one of the things they did together. The gravel driveway is lined by full green trees, its leaves create dancing shadows on the gravel. At the end of the driveway sits a mansion-sized gray building with a large patio and ivy climbing up its structure. All in all, it is beautiful, the perfect place for the two of them because, despite the distance, their love was like ivy and continued to grow even though the conditions weren't right.
Rounding the fountain that sits in front of the building, valet rushes over to the car. Damon hands the young kid the keys, and a five dollar bill, and we head inside. Damon's arm is laced with my left one, Brandon's laced with my right.
Inside the building, there are signs telling people where they should go. The ceremony will be held outdoors on the left side of the building, the cocktail hour and reception will take place outdoors in the back, and all the reserved rooms are on the right side of the building, indoors, of course.
"This is where we part. I will see you both in two hours," I say, disentangling my arms from theirs.
As they walk out to where the cocktail hour will be held, I walk to the dressing rooms.
My heels clack on the tiled floor with each step, the rest of the building quiet… until I reach the dressing rooms.
The sound of multiple women's laughter and conversations is no match for the door as it plunges the once quiet hallway into a cacophony of sounds.
I hesitate opening the door, my palm outstretched toward the circular, golden handle. I know the moment I open these doors, the sound will be tenfold and I'll be pulled into a world full of tulle, curling irons, and eyeshadow palettes. With a deep breath, my hand firmly grabs the door handle and twists it open. The moment a crack is between the door and doorframe, the muffled noise from the hallway slams into me, almost knocking me back, but with the door open, I know I cannot retreat. Pushing forward, I open the door wider and then step in, my senses overstimulated by the chaos in the room.
Half-dressed women are running around the room with curlers in their hair. Others are sitting in front of little vanities getting their makeup or hair done. The professionals hired to do so, are dressed in black, their eyes darting to those still waiting to be tended to. Then, in all of that, Amelia sits in an armchair in the far corner of the room, a flute glass in her hand and her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose.
Ignoring the others walking past me, I weave my way further into the room to the bride.
"Amelia, are you alright?"
At the sound of someone talking to her, Amelia lowers her hands and opens her eyes. "Rose! Thank goodness you are here!" Her tone is relieved, but frustrated. "I love everyone in this room, that's why they were invited to be in my bridal party, but they are driving me nuts! All I want to do is get married to Duke today. I don't care what I look like or am wearing or who shows up. All I want is to walk down the aisle and say 'I do.' Is that so bad?" She huffs her final words out, her fingers going back to the bridge of her nose after downing the rest of the liquid in her glass.
Gently prying the glass out of her hands, unsure of its contents, I place it on the nearby table. "Of course it's not bad, Amelia, it is your day. I think the reason everyone is so crazy is because they want it to be perfect for you. People do not forget their wedding day and, frankly, the pictures last even longer than those memories. I think they always want you to look back on the rest of today and remember feeling beautiful and confident and completely assured that this is what you want."
"And I appreciate that, but this is what I want regardless of my clothes or hair or makeup. I know Duke is it for me; I don't need to be all dressed up to know that."
My mouth opens and closes, taken aback by her words. I thought, from the movies, that every couple experienced wedding jitters before they said those two words, binding them to another for eternity. Her certainty and conviction surprise me, even though they shouldn't. Duke and Amelia were always meant to be with each other.
"Perhaps Duke would like this wedding to be perfect for you."
This time Amelia is the one to pause from my words.
"Maybe you're right. He was stressing about every task on his part of the list. I mean, I don't even know how many DJs he listened to before finally settling on one and don't even get me started on the favors." Her eyes are bright, a gentle smile on her face.
With the crisis averted and Amelia more in-tune with the rest of her bridal party, everyone gets ready quickly and before we know it, it is time for the bridal party to walk down the aisle.
Just as we rehearsed, Duke's cousin, Doug, is waiting for me, his arm outstretched. Shifting the bouquet full of blue forget-me-nots, white roses, blue hydrangeas, and baby's breath, I put my arm through his and grab the bouquet with both hands again.
Slowly, we move up together as the rest of the bridal party makes their debut and settles on the left side of the altar, their bouquets still clutched in their hands, their eyes looking at the door. Finally, it is my turn.
As we walk down the aisle, white rose petals covering our path, mixed emotions rise within me.
A sadness fills my chest, weighing down my heart, at the realization that my own father will never be able to walk me down the aisle. A moment that is supposed to be sacred and special between a daughter and her father, stolen from me. I fight to keep the smile on my face as we pass another row of pews.
The sadness, however, comes with another, more pleasant feeling. One day I will get married. When that time comes I can only hope to have the same amount of conviction and confidence in my groom and our relationship.
We pass another pew, all eyes on us, when my thoughts shift again. Dark hair and steel blue eyes take up the forefront of my mind. The setting changes from Amelia's wedding to my own, white with maroon accents, and Duke changes to Damon. He stands there proudly, strongly, waiting for me to reach him. Surprise, hope and happiness flutter in my chest.
"Slow down," Doug whispers in my ear, breaking me away from my thoughts.
Shaking my head unnoticeably, I clear my mind and I'm back to walking down Amelia's aisle with Duke at the altar.
The thought of Damon being the one I am going to marry surprises me. I know I want him in my life forever - having the both of them in my life forever - but, I guess, with everything that is and was going on, I never really thought about my more distant future.
To keep my eyebrows from furrowing at this new revelation, I look back up into the crowd, but, as luck would have it, my eyes automatically, instinctually, find the boys in the crowd. They smile at me from their seated positions, and give me a thumbs up. Finally, Damon's eyes lock on mine.
The look in his eyes is so intense - more intense than I have ever seen, even when they found me. I feel them penetrate through my soul as if he is searching for something in my eyes - the same something I suspect I am searching for in his.
As if he can reach my mind, he gently nods his head, the smile, reserved only for me, gracing his lips. Then we pass by his pew and the spell is broken. With another subtle shake of my head, I finish the walk to the altar and take my position on the left side in front of all of the bridesmaids while Doug stands on the right side behind an anxiously-awaiting Duke.
Then the big moment arrives.
"All rise." The officiant's voice booms throughout the space and everyone seems to stand up at the exact same moment. The doors to the entrance open and Amelia stands there in her white mermaid style wedding gown with lace detailing and a jeweled bodice. She looks beautiful.
Her father accompanies her, holding her arm on his own. Their lips move as they have a private conversation as they walk to one of the biggest milestones any person can have. Amelia looks so bright and happy, it's as though her smile has permanently molded her lips in that position. I can hear Duke gasp as he sees Amelia and take deep breaths as she gets closer and closer to him.
Sneaking a peek, he has tears in the corners of his eyes and his fists are clenched, his breathing going from deep breaths to more shallow ones.
Almost indiscernible, Amelia quickens her pace to get to us, her eyes locked on Duke.
Three pews to go and their eye contact never waivers, Duke's breathing has started to settle down.
Two pews to go and he wipes his eyes with his still clenched fists.
One pew to go and both of his first unclench, the right one extended to take Amelia's hand and never let it go again.
Amelia stands in front of us, the jewels on her bodice lightly shining under the lights in the room so that it seems as though she's glowing.
Duke pulls her to him, the smile on his face threatening to split his cheeks in two.
With everyone at the altar, the officiant begins the wedding ceremony: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"
His words fade away as my eyes, once again, search the crowd for my own soulmates. They find them easily and our eyes never stray throughout the ceremony. The meaning from the earlier nod, unmistakable. Hope and happiness fill my chest and lift my heart. Maybe my distant future is not so distant after all.