While I’ve been lost in thought about every situation that could happen tonight, from a Cinderella story to an epic, life-altering embarrassment, it seems like we have arrived at our destination.
“Whoa, is this where Sloan’s parents live?” Priya gasps before she catches herself then smiles. “Kade is marrying up!”
“Wow,” is all I can manage at the sight of the stately manor house in front of me. It looks like it belongs in a fairy tale.
The house is crisp white with sleek black shutters and accents. It looks like a place fit for a novel with beautiful chairs and tables set up on the wrap-around porch. It’s two stories high with a pointed roof and well-kept ivy growing up the sides; somehow, it is the perfect place for a wedding or a fairytale.
Priya slowly guides her car around to the front of the large estate, past the fountain and around the driveway. We park next to Kade’s car, gather our things, and we both go and knock on the door with the old-fashioned bronze door knocker. My heart is thrumming with anticipation. We’ve briefly met Sloan’s parents at family events, but this house feels so fancy. It’s easy to imagine all kinds of people behind the huge wooden door.
To my surprise and relief, our mom opens the door with a smile on her face. “Hi, my babies. How are you feeling?”
She wraps her arms around us and squeezes us together. She already seems incredibly upbeat today.
“Honestly, Mom, I’m happy. I’m so happy for Kade, and I’m glad we’re kind of having a fresh start today.” I smile.
Mom’s smile cracks but just for a moment while she pets my hair lovingly. “You’re so right. You two go upstairs; it’s the first room on the right. Everything is set up for you. Have a drink and relax.”
This is the first time I’ve stopped to take in the beautiful house before me. It’s all immaculately decorated and shiny. In front of us, there is a large staircase with a thick wooden banister.
“What about Sloan?” Priya asks as she hugs Mom again.
“She is having a time with her vows. I’ll send her up soon.” Mom giggles.
Priya and I make our way up the stairs and wander down the hall until we find the bedroom that is obviously set up for the bridal suite. Priya makes us each a mimosa, then starts to pick through the makeup and hair supplies on offer.
Now that we’re here, I feel much better. I thought it would be a wild crazy scene, but I guess that only happens in the movies. Right now, I can handle this: relaxation in a pretty room with a mimosa. There are a lot worse ways to start my day.
When Sloan walks into the room in her white bridal robe, we can’t help but squeal.
“Whoa! It’s early,” Sloan laughs in reply.
She’s absolutely glowing today, her smile looks as big as the sky.
“Come on Sloan! Aren’t you happy? It’s your wedding day,” Priya teases.
“Oh, I am. I’m just tired,” Sloan says, running a mindless hand through her short hair. “I’ve been working like crazy this week and your niece is sucking all my energy,” she says as she palms her tiny belly.
“I’m sure today is going to be perfect. Come sit,” I say, gesturing to a fluffy chair we’ve decided is going to be Sloan’s throne.
Sloan works at a popular fashion news company but she is not stuck up or prissy. She said that she wants us to do her makeup, since it’s a tradition in our family for the family to prepare the bride. She didn’t fuss even for a second and seemed genuinely thankful for our help.
After a while of curling Sloan’s hair and putting on her foundation, our mom comes up to join us. “How is it going up here?” she asks as she steps through the door.
“Honestly? It’s great. I’m just sitting here.” Sloan giggles happily.
“I just talked to Kade, and he is so happy. He asked me to check on you and Clover,” Mom gushes.
“Is he here?” Sloan says, sitting up straighter.
“I’m not sure if I should tell you that.” Mom laughs. “You two are having a really hard time being away from each other, huh?”
“Yeah, but isn’t that a good thing? We’re already going to have to put our honeymoon off until he finishes the album and my event is done. We just want to be together,” Sloan says with a playfully pitiful smile.
She is so adorable and the fact that she loves my brother only makes me love her more.
“It is a good thing. You two were made for each other,” Priya adds.
That’s when a girl I’ve never met comes upstairs with Sloan’s mom. She is really cute. She looks like someone I’d get along with because she seems a bit timid and shy. She has a cute floral dress on and bright blue eyes.
“Wow, Sloan, you look so pretty,” the new arrival grins as she takes it all in.
“Thank you. Little miss decided to make an appearance, so I just hope my dress fits,” Sloan gestures to her belly, but she still looks incredible. Maybe she can see Clover but I can’t.
“These are Kade’s sisters, Priya and Rhea,” Sloan says, snapping me back to attention. “This is my friend Carly. We work together,” she gestures to the blue-eyed girl.
Carly jumps right into our conversation, as much as a quiet girl would. She seems so nice and it feels like we’re all friends already. Together we manage to get Sloan’s golden brown hair twisted into an updo befitting of a Grecian goddess. She barely needs makeup so we spend a bit of time getting to know each other better.
After a while, Mom brings another girl we don’t know into the room. She is very outgoing and chatty. Her name is Abbot, and she also knows Sloan from work.
“Wow, Sloan, you look gorgeous. What are you going to wear?” Abbot asks as she gives Sloan a hug.
“Honestly, I haven’t decided yet…maybe you can help me?” Sloan pouts as she looks at us all.
She explains that she didn’t know what state her belly would be in so she brought three dresses from work. The gowns are glorious, all famous designers with gorgeous embroidery or beading. After she tries them all on, it’s clear that she should wear the one-shoulder gown with the gathered details. When it’s all put together, Sloan is a gorgeous bride with classic and modern style and I couldn’t be happier for my brother.
Sloan is whisked away to be with her parents because she’s almost ready to walk down the aisle. Abbot and Carly head outside to sit with the other guests and all that is left to do is for Priya and I to get into our bridesmaid dresses. I slip into the floor-length, navy blue gown. It’s silky and slinky; I feel pretty sexy in it. I guess at least if I’m going to be embarrassed, I’ll look good doing it. After brushing out my shoulder-length hair, I give myself a once-over in the mirror. Right now I don’t feel plain. Priya made my brown eyes pop and my skin is shiny with bronzer. I’m as ready as I’m going to get.
Before I know it, I’m downstairs waiting next to Finn, behind Priya and Sean. Priya keeps sending me passing glances over her shoulder, and it makes me wish I never told her that I’m curious about Sean. It also keeps me from checking out his butt in those tight blue pants though, and that’s probably a good thing. If I thought he was built nice from the front, I clearly had not seen the back. Broad, strong shoulders lead to a tapered muscular back…
I pop my head up and turn toward Finn who is looking down at me with a perplexed, shy grin. His floppy golden hair moves when his head does and it makes me smile even though he pulled me from my daydream.
“Ready?” he whispers with a grin.
I smile and nod; when I look up again, Kade is already at the altar. First, the moms walk in together hand in hand. They’ve become such fast friends but I’m so thankful because Mom really needed someone. Then Sean escorts Priya down the aisle. I can’t help feeling a bit jealous as I watch her cling onto his bicep but I muster a smile and hold onto Finn as he escorts me down the aisle behind them.
I know from the rehearsal that Sean got ordained just to marry Kade and Sloan because they wanted it to be a fun, lighthearted ceremony, and they couldn’t think of anyone better. I’m excited to see what he does because it might give me some insight into how to approach him. As I watch Sean step out of line, he scans our line of girls and smiles, stopping a bit longer at me with a look in his eye I can’t ascertain. Then before I know it, it’s over and he’s standing in front of Kade and Sloan.
Kade looks so handsome in his blue groom’s suit. I’ve always been proud of my brother. He’s unapologetically himself and he doesn’t care about stereotypes or expectations. He’s just good and true. I know he’s going to be a great husband and father. He’s been waiting his whole life for this.
The happiness of the moment swallows me whole as I watch Sean smile and joke his way through the hysterical ceremony. It’s easy for me to get lost in just looking at his handsome face. Like, when did this happen? He’s so dreamy now, a drummer in a rock band with arms thicker than my leg and brown swoopy hair. All in all, it was the most fun I’ve had at a wedding ceremony. I think we all laughed more than we cried but it was a truly joyous occasion.
When it’s over, we all gather outside on the lawn in preparation for the reception. Priya and I run around and try to make sure everything is looking up to snuff. Kade and Sloan disappear while everyone else mills around trying to find their places.
As I try to force my anxiety away, I’m failing and my heart starts to pound, so I put tunnel vision on my chair and head straight for it. Once I’ve sat down at my place, I find myself next to someone, Sean. Sean, who is the only other person sat at this table right now. Sean who is tall and broad and wearing an incredible navy suit. Is that him that smells so good?
“Rhea, you look amazing, even better than the pity date you threw at me for my prom,” Sean says with a casual grin.
That was classic Sean, carefree and nice. It’s not flirtation. We talked last night and it was comfortable even if I was nervous. Act naturally, this is no big thing. But damn, that one crooked tooth in the grin he’s giving me and the dimple on his cheek are hard to ignore.
“Thank you, Sean,” I hear my voice shake and just have to hope he didn’t notice.
He smiles like he’s waiting for me to say something else. It’s the same smile from just before the ceremony but I still can’t figure out what it means.
“You were incredible. The ceremony was so epic,” is what I decided to say.
“Thank you. I can’t take all the credit. The internet helped.” He smiles and flirts with his eyes while he runs a hand through his perfectly moussed hair.
“But when you were all like they had to get the government involved, I was dying,” I laugh.
The boy I knew is still in there. His boyish charm is just underneath this bigger exterior and it makes me feel more at ease. It’s just like last night when we all sat around and reminisced about high school, back when I didn’t realize that I was going to be crushing on Sean and we were all just catching up.
“I’m glad you think I’m funny,” Sean says as he shifts a bit closer to me. His tone has changed, and I can sense something in his eyes, but it’s still too off to discern.
“You’re hilarious,” I admit but I can feel my cheeks flushing.
“Whoa, don’t inflate my ego. Lord knows it barely fits in this place,” Sean gestures around in the air.
“We’re outside,” I tease.
Sean smirks at me as if to tell me that was the joke. Awkward tension hangs in the air between us but it’s charged with something I can’t see but definitely feel.
“Rhea, I’m sorry if this is out of line,” Sean says with a bit of a boyish blush rising to his cheekbones. “You’re beautiful.” He finishes with his voice trailing as if he’s out of breath.
“I’m sorry.” He pouts a little like a puppy dog, clearly embarrassed.
I don’t know what is happening to me right now but the nerves are sort of gone. My whole body feels charged and the last thing I want is for Sean to think I’m not into him.
“Don’t say that. I just…” I move my face closer to Sean’s because it’s what my body is telling me to do.
I’ve lost control. Maybe I just can’t hear him, that has to be it. I’m honestly not sure how to deal with what I’m feeling.
“Rhea, you just?” he insists, bringing me back to reality.
His lips somehow seem dangerously closer to mine now, and his nearness makes it even harder to explain myself.
“Sean, this last year and then this thing, the wedding, with Kade.” I stumble over my words grasping for something that makes sense.
“It’s made you think…” he fills in the blanks as if he knows me perfectly.
“Yeah, like when will this happen for me, am I missing something?” I add.
“I understand more than you know.” He leans decidedly closer to me, a little too close, and my nose brushes against his cheek.
“Your nose is incredibly soft,” he says quietly.
“You’re probably not supposed to know that.” I blush but at least I don’t have to manage direct eye contact right now.
“Do you feel this, what I feel?” he asks.
His breath hits my cheek and sends chills all over. I feel like the writing is on the wall here and it seems like he’s feeling what I’m feeling. But I can’t get over the little insecure girl in my head telling me that there is no way this is what’s happening. I’m overwhelmed but I want to believe it so badly.
“Yes and no, Sean. I’m not in your head, so I don’t know what you feel. I feel something,” I admit as I force myself to look into his hazel eyes again.
“I don’t want to make a mistake but one of us is going to have to be brave if we want to know,” he says.
If he thinks that’s going to be me, he’s wrong. I’m not that bold. If any moves are being made, he is going to be making them. So I channel Priya and say the first sassy thing I can think of. “That’s on you, babe. You’re the man, and I’m a traditionalist.”
“Babe?” he raises his eyebrow and gives me a flirty smirk.
Okay, if I don’t just put it all out there right now, I’ll never know so I’m going for it. “Sean, I’m trying here. I feel a connection to you. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other and then last night…” my cheeks heat and I have to take a breath to compose myself.
Before I can say anymore, Sean cups my cheek in his hand and pulls my face close to his as he says, “I really want this, more than anything, but are you sure you’re okay?”
There is no misreading this signal. “Kiss me… Sean…,” I say breathlessly.
He presses his lips to mine, and it’s like the world just came alive for the first time. Colors and lights flash in my closed eyes…coupled with the loss of feeling in my limbs, it’s powerful.
“Sean, don’t stop,” I whisper.
I don’t even care who is watching right now. This is better than anything I was imagining. He slides his hand into my hair and keeps kissing me like he’ll never get to again. He tastes clean and fresh and his lips are soft and gentle. It’s the perfect kiss. When he breaks away, we’re both breathless.
