Lifetime

Sympathy

My hand fell into the crook of another host's arm as I was escorted to the ceremony space, a mix of rose petals in deep reds and magentas coating the edges of the aisle. Well over one hundred and fifty people were gathered for the occasion, the room illuminated with a dull, romantic lighting from the chandeliers above. Somehow the knowledge that everything in the room cost more than my college tuition made it feel less cheesy, even with the giant heart made from roses in place of an arch for the bride and groom to stand beneath.

I scored a seat at the back by the aisle next to a couple who didn't shy away from switching chairs so that I sat by the female partner. People eyed me as one of the final to arrive, unfamiliar and alone among guests who chattered among themselves to create a low buzz in the room that told me everyone knew everyone.

I snuck a peek to my phone for any notifications and turned my focus to the ceremony program that'd been waiting in my seat. The room grew quieter as the violinist allowed her playing to fade out, leaving behind a silence meant to capture our attention.

The doors to the hall opened and she started back with a romantic medley, notes that felt like a familiar song that I couldn't quite place. My gaze followed each person who entered, starting with the officiant and parents of the bride and groom.

Several photographers and videographers were stationed around points in the room that provided the best angle. The groom took his place under the heart, rubbing his hands together nervously as if he were working hard to hold back emotion.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen took turns entering at timed intervals in identical dresses and suits. Their smiles and every step were rehearsed so that no one was out of tune.

Though the aisle was already lined with petals, a young girl sprinkled more on her path as the crowd awed over her. The ring bearer who followed made it halfway down before bursting into tears from all of the attention, scrambling to the safety of his mother's arms among the bridesmaids.

I appreciated that we were instructed to remain seated during the bride's entrance, the couple's immediate family standing from their seats at the front of the hall so that they had a full view of her descent. I could already see tears that welled behind the thin veil over her face, the width of her ballgown taking up most of the space and leaving her father pushing against layers of fabric to escort her properly. At the front her groom used a handkerchief to dab at the corners of his eyes, the best man reaching out from beside him with a brotherly tap on the shoulder.

Seokjin was centered in the row of groomsmen, my eyes halting to meet his as they shifted down the line.

The ceremony was probably beautifully sentimental but I wouldn't remember a single second of it, enchanted by round lips that curved into a smile and oval eyes crinkling at the corners every time they caught mine.

The fastly increasing clamor of applause brought me to as the newlyweds were announced for the first time. I was inelegant, rising from my seat a few seconds late. Their hands clasped together, arms stretched above them with excitement and an eagerness to celebrate.

We were ushered into another room for an hour of cocktails while the bridal party stayed behind for official wedding photos to be taken. I nervously latched onto the only familiar thing in sight, food and alcohol from the servers who floated between guests.

A middle-aged woman with sharp features and an angled bob was quick to approach the bar high table I stood beside, catching me with a saucer piled with hor devours and at the bottom of a champagne glass.

"I noticed you talking to Seokjin before the ceremony. Are you here with him?" She questioned, clasping her hands at the front of her lap..

"I am." I nodded my head toward her. "I'm Seline. It's nice to meet you."