AROUND THE HEART IN 80 DAYS

One

It was glorious. Magical.

These night wedding things were terrific. And he had to admit it over and over again, Rebecca Rideau had outdone herself. When she said magic, she sure as hell meant it.

Edrei Rideau watched his beautiful sister glide across the temporary mahogany floors with her brand new partner, Alex Patton. The sight was too amazing to behold.

Golden fairy lights hung low from the stretch white polyester that was the tent which was acting as a reception hall of an equally magical wedding night.

Edelweiss.

That song. Sweet, sweet melodic tune from the Sound of Music classic. Rebecca chose it as the song for the couple dance. She had always adored the loving harmony the German song had to offer. And the 27 years of ballet Becca had taken paid off that very night.

Barefoot, white tulle and silky underneath gown spinning round her slender calves, Rebecca got lost in the amazing dream that was her wedding day, or night at the time.  She spun on pointe in the arms of her lover, gone to the German tune.

German.

Germany.

Edrei tightened his grip on the stem of his wine glass, raising it dramatically to the front of his face so he could watch - or glare - at the golden couple, contrasted in black and white, in brunette and blonde, in silence and carefree, in male and female, through the golden sparkling liquid that he couldn't seem to put down.

The crowd around him seemed to be eating this up. Trending and flashy iPhones shot up from hands in the elegant crowd, taking meaningless shots and videos of the couple dance that they knew would never last long on the devices.

He took another swig. And yet another.

The mood lifted spirits, it had the golden touch.

He sighed.

It didn't lift his. Nothing ever did. Even Victor had gotten bored with him and bailed to find solace in the arms of anybody at all in a gown.

He stayed in his secluded state, never even wanting to be here. If not for the "family" thing, God knew he would have called in sick. That, and the fact that he had supplied the beverages.

He gulped another.

The German music was on replay. Germany. Mariana.

Golden, pure, beautiful.

He just wanted to go home. Hide himself away like a little coward he admitted to be. Fantasize and communicate to his picture frame and play some of the music that Mariana had liked.

He had finished a bottle. He quickly scanned his table, consisting of three other occupants, distracted by the wedding vibes.
And he'd had all the three bottles of wine.

Damn.

●

Alex kissed his wife's fingers passionately, breathing in the cold metallic smell of the ring gracing her lovely fingers. Rebecca in turn, patted his hand upon hers and reached up to kiss his cheek.

She knew he knew. That he was aware of the constant side glances she sent to her sulken brother, the sadness and disturbance in his face hidden expertly behind those rectangular glasses. He looked even worse than when he'd just gotten the news over two years ago.

And now the stubborn overgrown boy brought the downing energy to her wedding. After he'd promised he wouldn't.
It was like that with him lately.

Work, brood, fantasize. Work, brood, fantasize. Sometimes, all at once.