Wedding Bells

Chapter 8

“Oh my gosh Erin, if your father could see you now?” My mother’s hands shoot to her lips as she tries to cover the gasp. I could see the tears forming in her eyes as she looks at me. I shook my head trying to hold back my own set of tears. I couldn’t believe the day had finally come. Well, tomorrow.

Tomorrow I would be a married woman.

My heart was racing just at the thought of moving, and being a married woman. Everything was going to change and I couldn’t have been more excited.

The dress clung against my skin like it was supposed to be there. The wedding dress I had picked out so long ago. The one I almost got to wear when I was going to marry Andrew.

"Do you think it's bad luck that I didn't pick a different dress? Do you think I need to head back to the shop and pick out another one?" I could feel the panic rising in my throat as I spoke. Carter knew me better than that and he knew what dress I've been dying to wear for years. Anyone who knew me knew this was my dress and they were just waiting for the day I finally walked down the aisle.

"No, that is such a silly thought," Clara whispers as she places the veil on the top of my head. "You guys are going to take your photos today... in this dress and tomorrow you will wow everyone else just as much as you've been wowing us for years with this beauty. There isn't a damn dress in that shop that would fit you better or somewhat as close as this one does," I couldn't help but smile in the mirror as I watched Clara focus so intently on the last piece of the puzzle.

She pulled the veil over my eyes, making it slightly difficult to see. Tomorrow I would be getting dressed in this very same outfit. Tomorrow I would be walking down the aisle and marrying the man that has been in my life longer than any other boyfriend had even thought of doing.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world," I muttered, allowing one simple tear to gently slide down my cheek.

I couldn’t believe this was finally happening to me. I felt like things would be different at the bridal shop after I got married. The girls would look up to me for advice, the clients who were nervous about their big, and hopefully if everything goes smoothly tomorrow I will be able to give them positive news.

“Do you know how you are going to do your makeup?” My mother asks, her voice filled with a quivering ache, and I just knew she was going to lose it tomorrow at the wedding.

“Clara was going to do it for me, I think we were just going to go with a natural look.” I smiled, glancing over my very own makeup today. I had been very careful to make sure not to overdo it. I was these photos to be perfect.

“Are you using any of these photos as advertisements for the shop?” Clara had bugged me about this for months, so when she asked me once again it wasn't much of a shock. I shook my head laughing at the thought of my wedding photos being all over the internet, and on television to advertise for the shop. I shrugged my shoulders before coming up with a response.

“We will see, but they are pretty personal to Carter and I, so we might just keep that for ourselves. Maybe I'll include a few in some of the books we have, but i'd hardly say my wedding is special to anyone other than us.” It felt weird thinking about the advertising for the bridal shop.

The photoshoot we were doing today was usually called a 'first lion's but Clara and I had been a part of so many of these that we had set up for commercials and photographs for advertisement. Now that it was a real couple, Carter and myself it felt strange. Most the time the guy and the girl wouldn't even know each other, the passion not as real as it should be.

“I think it's a really good idea to include it Erin, your father wanted to include ours, but then we got married in a courthouse so it wasn't really ideal for the bridal adverts,” My mother looked at the ring she still wore on her finger and it warmed my heart. My father had passed away over five years ago and still my mother wore their wedding ring everyday. She has no desire to meet another man, there love was so pure, so real. I wondered if my father had that same kind of love with my birth mother.

“Yeah how did that work out? Why wouldn't you guys have done a wedding?” Clara questions. I rolled my eyes knowing the answer before she even had to say it.

“We both were married before, and so when we decided to marry each other we agreed that we didn't need to do a big wedding, since obviously that didn't guarantee it working out. We saved our money, and just enjoyed the day with each other.” I thought the story was beautiful, and I knew my mother had been married before but i'd never heard what happened to the guy.

“I know we aren't supposed to talk about divorce and everything but we obviously all know what happened to my mom and my father, but may I ask what happened with your ex husband? I don't think i've ever heard anything about him.” My heart was racing in my chest but all of this talk about their lovers helped me calm my nerves.

I tried to take a deep breathe realizing it was insane that I was so nervous for nothing more than a photo shoot. I've done plenty of these for interviews and other work related things.

“I married way young, we were nineteen, just kids. I thought he was the one for me but he ended up changing completely. He was never happy with where his life was taking him so he needed more. Eventually he signed up to be a part of the military and that just wasn't the life I signed up for, he didn't even discuss it with me. Just one day he came home from work at the factory, told me he quit his job and he was heading to boot camp in about a month. I stayed with him through boot camp but I just couldn't deal with the separation. I needed someone that was going to be there, so we decided to divorce. He wasn't happy either, to this day he is now retired and he hasn't remarried. I'm not sure why though.” My mother spoke softly, but she seemed happy with what she was saying.

“Because he will never find a woman better than you,” Clara interjected flipping her hair as if to add a little extra flair. My mother and I both rolled our eyes at the same time.

“Well, whatever his reason is, I haven't heard from him and it doesn't matter anymore.” Quickly Evelyn pulled out here phone holding it up to snap a few quick shots of Clara and I together in that large dressing room.

“These are super pretty, but we've gotta get you out there so you can see your handsome husband to be,” My mother smiled looking at the photos on her cell.

“I'm ready,” I whispered taking a quick breathe before letting it out slowly. The nerves we're still there but all the conversation had made me feel a thousand times better.

You never knew if the person you were marrying was the right one, or is the right one, but love will conquer all and we figure it out.

I took one last look in the mirror before stepping off the pedestal. All I needed to do today was smile, hang out with the people I love and allow someone to take our photographs while we did so. Easy enough.

When we walked around the corner of the building into the park set aside specifically for weddings I caught a glimpse of Carter. Clara had ran ahead of us to make sure he wasn't looking when I entered. Suddenly the nerves were in my throat again, what if when he saw me, since he knew what dress I was wearing he wouldn't be as happy as he was supposed to be. What if he was disappointed in me, that I didn't do my makeup well enough or something.

“You look beautiful,” my mother whispered into my ear, almost as if she could read my thoughts. The moment was coming. Soon Carter would be able to gaze upon me all dressed up. We would take our bridal photos and that would be that.

There was absolutely nothing to worry about.

I noticed the photographer was getting ready, the videographer standing next to her. The people that would control Carter and I for the rest of the day. I couldn’t help but smile, my lip quivering as I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape. The overwhelming sense of happiness washing over my body as I thought about the man I was going to marry tomorrow.

I could see him taking deep breaths to calm himself down. His shoulders heaving up and down in a slow motion. Like the waves of the ocean on a warm sunny day, in the state that he would prefer. The state that he gave up to live with me, to be with me.

The emotions were flooding through my skin. The happiness I felt for the moment I was about to partake in. These were memories we would never get back and memories we would never forget. I couldn't help but feel like a small child, as I could just burst with tears at any moment.

The smile on my face was wider than it had ever been in my entire life. The idea of Carter seeing me in my dress, though it wouldn't be for the very first time really made me happier than I had ever been before.

He was my best friend, my true love, and come this time tomorrow he would be my husband.

I closed the distance between us, nodding to the photographer and videographer as they gave me the cue to continue on. He was shaking, I could see it as I reach forward, my hand brushing against his shoulder as he turns to finally look at me.

Carter's face lit up as his eyes finally took in the site of me. His hands quickly covering his  mouth as the tears begin to well in his eyes. He gasps a couple of times, the deep breaths he was taking to cover up his nerves earlier were now short stutters of excitement. He pulled his hands away from his mouth before they searched for my body, pulling me closer to him as his lips met mine.

They danced together in a swarm of romance. The passion taking over. His arms were wrapped so tightly around my waist as he dipped me backwards. Treating me as if there wasn't a single person around. He whispered against my skin as he finally pulled away.

"I love you more than anything in this entire world, and I hope to god you know that Erin," His words echo through my ears, pulling me closer to him as my heart racing in my chest.

I couldn't believe we had finally made it here. The tears begin to well up in my eyes as I looked at the man I was about to marry. If only my father could be here.

"That was absolutely beautiful!" The photographer shouts from behind the camera. Her eyes as wide as can be as she runs towards us. "Don't you think Stacey?" She questions as she turns to shout towards the girl holding the bulky video camera.

Stacey and Rachel were the duo we hired for all of our major advertisement deals. They were the best at what they did. The fiery red headed twins were a duo that couldn't be beat, as they hosted so much creativity and just pure excitement for what they did.

"Yes! I love shooting couples that you can tell they truly love each other!" Rachel responds as she rushes towards us as well. I could feel the blush rushing to my cheeks.

"It's good to know we truly love each other," I turned to Carter as he still held me tightly in his arms. He nodded his head, as if he was a dramatic teenage girl.

"If we didn't have someone else to tell us, I guess I might have never noticed on my own," He let out a chuckle that shook me to the core, a range of shivers taking over my body at the thought of his laughter.

"Okay we've got plenty more shots to do, so let's get to it before the day gets old," Stacey muttered, preparing her camera. I nodded my head as they followed us around the park for hours, getting the best shots of my dress, and Carter and I spending time together, sharing all the love in the world for each other.

Later that night, once everything was said and done the group of us were sitting around the fire. I was planning on spending the night at my mother's house. I needed to get the best sleep I possibly could. Tomorrow would be a busy day and I couldn't risk messing up any of it.

"You guys were so beautiful today," Clara muttered, sipping the wine that she held so delicately in her hand. My mother was so sweet to host us, the steaming food sitting in front of us on the coffee table. The flames flickered romantically in the background.

"Is it weird that we are going to have to leave soon Carter?" Clara questions as she looked as the man holding me close to him. I nodded my head as if I was answering the question for him.

It was weird. I'd been so used to spending the nights with Carter, or at the apartment that I'd known so dearly. I didn't want him to go, but my mother was so skeptical about him seeing me before I walk down the aisle. I'm surprised she didn't separate us a week ago, pr better yet she even allowed us to go to Paris together.

"It is, but tomorrow it will all be worth it," Carter smiles, leaning forward to kiss my forehead as she squeezed my shoulder pulling me closer to him.

"Oh Clara, what are we going to do once these two are married and we are just lonely woman," My mother smiles, patting Clara's leg as she holds her glass up in the air.

"I'm not a lonely woman, and neither are you Evelyn." Clara was quick to defend her relationship with David. He was arriving early tomorrow morning for the wedding, and I knew Clara was more excited than she would like to admit.

"Oh sorry, your cross country boyfriend doesn't really count, but that's okay." My mother rolls her eyes as she leans back on the couch turning her head back to us. "Do you have any worries about tomorrow?" She questions realizing her last conversation wasn't going as well as she had hoped it would.

"No not at all," I mumbled almost immediately. There was plenty t be stressed out about but there wasn't much that really bothered me. I could tell that as soon as I was in my dress and everyone was there, everything else would fade away. The only thing that would matter was Carter and I.

Before Carter could answer my mother started coughing, her chest heaving as she leans forward grabbing a napkin off the coffee table. I was the first to jump up off the couch, watching as she heaved over.

It sounded like she was trying to rid herself of a lung. Her body convulsing as she continued to heave into the napkin.

"Mother are you okay?" I panicked. Wrapping my arms around her back as she quickly pulled the napkin away from her lips.

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry about me. I've just got a cough lately that's been affecting me a little bit. I'm okay sweetie," She patted my leg before jumping up off the couch heading for the kitchen. She quickly grabbed a glass of water before gulping half of it down. She tossed the napkin before heading back to the couch to sit in the spot she was before.

"You've had that cough for how long?" I was sure everyone could hear the worry in my voice. My mother was known for ignoring her health, something that we have tried to get her to stop doing, especially since my father had a heart attack so young. It hasn't been that long since we lost him. The years were adding up but it still felt like yesterday.

"Oh honey, don't worry about me please. I need you to focus on your wedding tomorrow. We can worry about me when you guys back from your honeymoon," She rolled her eyes taking a drink of her water once again.

"No, be honest with me how long have you had that cough?" I felt the words burning at my throat as I just hoped she would answer me. I needed her to take this as seriously as I was and tell me the truth. I wasn't sure I was ready to handle my mother being sick as well. Maybe it really was just a cough, but I needed to know. I couldn't lose her like I lost my father. It was so sudden and something no one could prevent.

She stirs the wine in her glass before she nods her head. When she finally answered the question her voice was soft, quiet, and embarrassed.

"A little over a month..."