Mia Vega struggled to sit still as her best friend arranged her hair into a perfectly disorganized updo. She had butterflies in her stomach. This was it! The day she would tie the knot with Grant Fisher, her real-life Prince Charming.
Mrs. Mia Fisher. It had a nice ring to it.
She’d been friends with Grant for years. But it wasn’t until years later their love truly story began. It was a story paved with ups and downs, bumps and blows, and twists and turns. Grant was every woman’s dream, ticking all the right boxes. She was fully aware how fortunate she was to have him in her life. There was nothing she would have done differently. There was nothing she could have done...differently.
Not even…
“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet,” her best friend chimed, bringing her back from going further down the rocky Road of Remembrance.
“Never!” Mia gushed, smiling. “He’s the one, Gaby…” Overcome with emotion she batted away the tears threatening to escape the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t ruin her stunning makeup. “And I know you’ll find your person too…”
Yikes.
She noticed the smile on Gaby’s face fade into a stiff grimace, and her heart sank. She shouldn’t have said anything. She didn’t want to be that friend.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” Gaby singsonged happily to Mia’s relief. It could have easily gotten awkward. And she was sure she just imagined the stilted tone in Gaby's voice.
It was just the stress of the day. Everyone was on edge. Normal wedding jitters. That’s all.
Mia leaned back while Gaby put on the final touches. She’d missed her friend and was happy they’d managed to reconnect before the wedding. She wouldn't take that for granted.
“There…” Gaby said lightly tapping Mia’s nose. “Perfection!”
Looking at herself in the mirror, she thought warmly about the years they’d spent stumbling through life. Together. Sure, they'd had their fallouts, but they'd always managed to figure things out and ultimately be stronger. Together.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Gaby.” Mia’s voice was infused with emotion, and she meant every word.
“You’d manage, I’m sure,” Gaby replied playfully, trying to lighten the mood that had suddenly turned morose. But that's what Gaby always did, and Mia wanted her friend to know how she truly felt about their friendship. How much she loved her.
“You being here means the world to me…I didn’t think you would come after everything that…”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be…” Gaby whispered hurriedly and tightly wrapped her arms around Mia. “Now, let’s make this an unforgettable day.”
Tears welled up in Mia’s eyes as they both chuckled between soft sobs, coming to a mutual understanding.
No use digging up the past.
Today was a day of new beginnings and bright future.
Now she could have complete focus on saying I do! to the man of her dreams.
It was after all her big day.
***
Grant couldn’t wait for this day to be over. His idea had been, a small, intimate celebration, or elope. But having a big wedding was Mia’s dream, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for that woman.
This big celebration, however, posed certain challenges. Logistically. And emotionally.
He poured more whiskey into his glass while leaning back in the lounge chair, watching the mayhem of wedding insanity unfold before his eyes. It probably was too early for a breakfast bourbon, but hey…it was after all his big day too. Right?
He recognized only a handful of people running around. The rest were all a part of the hired help or long-lost relatives he’d never heard of until the guest list was assembled.
Freeloaders.
Should he call the whole thing off? Nope. That would break Mia’s heart, and that was the last thing he'd want to do. His only option, suck it up and pretend to enjoy this charade. By the end of the night, they’d be husband and wife. That was what he wanted.
“Cold feet, mate?” Nick, his best-man, teased and beamed with mischief, taking another swig of his own breakfast.
“Nah…otherwise I’d have bolted months ago,” Grant sighed with exhaustion.
The past year he’d witnessed his otherwise docile fiancée turn into a bridezilla. Sure, there had been comical moments, but mostly he couldn’t wait for this whole thing to be over. He would never understand the hysteria that surrounded weddings in general.
“You don’t look like you’re ready to get hitched…”
Grant shrugged off his friend’s comment. “I’m probably not…but I’ll do anything for Mia.”
“You’re so whipped, man,” Nick chirped, rolling his eyes.
“Wait until it’s your turn,” Grant shot back.
Maybe he was whipped. He’d agreed to wait a year so Mia could get her perfect party. He’d even agreed to invite people he didn’t want there. Some who had no business sharing in their special day. But for the most parts he’d kept his opinions to himself.
Hopefully it would all be worth it.
He was about to pour himself another drink when a piercing scream echoed through the house.
Mia!
Reacting on pure instinct he was instantly on his feet and ran upstairs. When he burst into the room, the first thing he noticed was his fiancée kneeling on the floor, crying hysterically into pieces of fabric he assumed were the remains of her wedding dress.
Not. Good.
How on earth had that happened?
Others had joined the unfolding drama and were trying to console his distraught bride-to-be. He noticed Gaby standing to the side, looking shell-shocked. Frozen. But he couldn't worry about her. Not now. He brushed past Gaby without giving her a second thought. Mia was his main concern. Mia was his life.
“Babe!” Grant knelt beside his fiancée and wrapped an arm around her quivering body.
“It’s ruined,” she cried. He looked into her teary eyes and tried to calm her, but she was inconsolable. “We need to postpone the wedding,” she sobbed frantically.
Not happening.
He hoped she wasn't being serious, but the determined look she gave him told him otherwise. He was empathetic and understood why she was upset, but he wasn’t going to let a little wardrobe malfunction stand in the way of walking down the aisle. “I’m sure it’s not that bad…” he started to say, but when Mia's determined glare turned into pure rage, Grant knew the only course of action was to keep his mouth shut.
For now.
He wanted to fix this, but this whole fiasco might be beyond his ability to fix. Nothing he would say or do could bring Mia back from the obvious distress she was in. Against his better judgment he looked at Gaby, pleading for help. Maybe her best friend could do something. Maybe all their troubles were under the bridge.
That’s when all hell broke loose…
***
Gaby
You’re going to hate me. But bear with me. You might change your mind when you hear my side of the story.
I’d been fortunate enough to plan this whole celebration with my bestie. Well, ex-bestie. But I can be very convincing when I need to.
Truth be told Mia and Grant's relationship was built on lies and the pain of others.
Is that surprising?
Fact, Grant and I were engaged to be married, right about the time he and Mia started dating. Yes, that's right. He swore there wasn’t another woman. But I knew better. The timing was suspicious. And then there were those subtle changes I ignored. I'll accept responsibility for that one.
But he’d been mine for five…happy…years.
Or so I thought.
He even had the audacity to tell me that he wasn't the marrying type. How ironic!
The breakup shattered my world. And my thirst for retribution needed to be quenched.
Hence, my masterful planning.
After the dress incident, the caterers announced that 100 pounds of shrimps were ruined, and the food had been shipped to another venue.
Half of the guests had driven to the wrong location.
Hmm...I wonder how that happened.
The band was a no-show. The officiant turned up drunk. Guys from a local fraternity barged in with legitimate invitations.
"Open bar!"
Clever, right?
I quietly stood in one corner, admiring what I had set in motion. Mia and Grant were arguing. The parents tried to salvage the remainders of the festivities. And people were shouting and crying in every corner.
Did I feel guilty? Maybe I would...later.
In the moment it all unfolded I felt…vindicated.
After months of plotting and planning, ironically with the bride, the two people I had trusted the most finally experienced the pain they’d caused me. It's what you'd call poetic justice.
Strangely, the whole scenario left me…hollow.
I grabbed the bridal bouquet, my final strike, and sneaked out to my car. I'd better leave before everyone's eyes would turn in my direction.
As I looked at the house from the safe space of my Volkswagen Beetle, I knew I had to let go of the past. I had to move on. It was the only way forward.
If Mia and Grant survived this, they were truly meant to be. Despite everything, deep down I hoped they would. Deep. Deep. Down.
After all, when you commit to someone, you also say yes to the mess.
But I wasn’t sticking around for the clean-up.
Comentários