Alina and Cora assisted Iva along the brick walkway to the dressing rooms behind the chapel. Thirty minutes until show time and guests were beginning to arrive.
The girls sneaked past the open doors to the sanctuary, and Iva wobbled along the uneven stones in her high heels, holding up her billowing wedding dress in both fists.
She just hoped she wouldn't have blisters for the bride and groom's first dance.
Ducking under the breezeway and then into the hallway, Iva knew it was bad luck for a bride to be seen until she appeared at the back of the church aisle on the arm of her father, but she was fairly certain that "rule" only applied to the groom.
Her father had gone on ahead and should already be here, organizing the minister and Noah's best man. "Put your shoes back on," Iva ordered her sister.
"You're my bridesmaid." Alina was her maid of honor, of course. The wedding consisted of only two attendants apiece. Her family couldn't afford a bigger wedding party, even though Iva was helping with the expense. A fry shack in a town the size of a speck didn't bring in anywhere close to a six figure income for her parents. A moment of nostalgia swept over Iva. Vancouver was too far away for most of her childhood friends to attend. No neighbors or teachers from school. Her grandparents lived on Prince Edward Island and were too elderly to make the long trip. Besides, she'd been away at university and grad school for six years-and now two years of working. Most old friends from home only saw her at Christmas time anymore.
"Maybe we should have honeymooned on PE Island," Iva mused, touching up her makeup in the dressing room mirror.
"Oh, yeah, that would be romantic. You could visit your grandparents," Alina said wryly.
They giggled, their eyes catching in the mirror. Alina whispered, married doesn't change things."I hope you getting married doesn't---"
"Marriage always changes things," Mrs. Remington cut in.
Iva cleared her throat and tried not to roll her eyes. "Mothers,"
Alina whispered. "Pay no attention. Enjoy every moment of your day, Iva. It'll never come again. Have happy memories---and I'll take a thousand pictures just to make sure you never forget."
"I have the best wedding photographer in the country," Iva told her, watching Alina fuss with the huge camera around her neck.
She was playing with the buttons and stops, shoving a hand inside her enormous handbag to check for the extra camera lenses she always carried.
Alina lifted an eyebrow in her signature gesture, whether it was amusement, mockery, or sarcasm.
"Honey, you're my only gig this year so far, but you know I'm grateful."
Iva looked at her sympathetically. "One day you'll be a world-renowned photographer."
"From your lips to God's ears, as they say."
Alina brushed it off, ever flippant, but Iva knew she hated having to take a part-time waitressing job to make ends meet.
"Okay, girl. Let's go have ourselves the best wedding of the century."
Mrs. Remington kissed her daughter's cheek. "That is for just in case I don't get a chance later. I hope you'll be very happy sweetheart. Noah is a nice young man. Just don't forget to bring home some grandbabies once in awhile."
Iva laughed. "Mother! I'm barely twenty-six, there's time for that."