Open Your Arms

Chapter 97

August 23, 2007

"Are you nervous?" My mom asks me as she curls my hair. I can see her from the vanity mirror and she's beginning to tear up. 

She rarely ever shows her emotions, especially when they're towards me, so the fact that she's showing this side of her just makes me feel even more excited to get married. 

"A little," I honestly reply. "No, more than a little, but I'm more excited than anything."

"It'll be more nerve wracking when you actually walk down the aisle," Hailey says, standing to the side of me and continuing to do my makeup. 

Ville was kind enough to let my family and I stay at his tower for the night and have him stay at his parents' house. I haven't seen him since last night. It's bad luck to see him before the wedding. 

A part of me isn't too upset about that because we have the rest of our lives to spend together with each other. 

"Gee, thanks Hailey," I roll my eyes at her. 

"Keep your eyes shut!" She snaps and continues to put eyeshadow on my eyelid. "Alright, I'm all done with your makeup. Look."

My eyes flutter open and I take a look at myself in the mirror. This is the most makeup I've had on, and I can say that I feel beautiful with it on. 

"Oh!" Missy gasps. "You look so beautiful!"

"When did you get here?" I ask her. 

"Just now," She says. "Bam is still at the hotel with Dico and Novak and Ryan and April and Phil."

My mom clears her throat to bring my attention onto her. "Okay, I'm done doing your hair. So what do you want done with it?"

"Just take two pieces and tie them together in the back. Don't literally tie them together, just take a ponytail and tie them together."

"Okay," She does my hair. 

This is the closest I've felt to her in a long time. I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to experience that mother-daughter bonding time right before the wedding. 

Surprisingly, I didn't even have to ask her. I just woke up this morning and she asked me what she should help me with first. I've never been more grateful for her. 

"Do you like it?" She asks me, puffing my hair up to make it look better. 

I look at myself in the mirror and smile once more. I've never felt more beautiful in my life than this moment and that's how it should be. 

"Mom, I love it," I say in awe. "I feel so beautiful."

"As you should," She pats my shoulders. "Okay, time to put on the dress. Are you ready?"

I nod. "Yeah."

No one has seen my dress. I went on my own to get it because I didn't wan other people's inputs to determine which dress I got. I wanted it to be something that I liked, despite what other people want. 

"I'll help you," My mom follows me into the bedroom I stayed in and into the closet. Right as I'm about to reach up to grab it, she brings my arm back down forcefully, but in a gentle manner. "Larissa, I need to tell you something that you need to hear before you get married."

I furrow my eyebrow. "What is it?"

She takes a deep breath. "I have not once been disappointed in you or hated you. I know that you feel like I have, but you're my daughter. I would never, ever think that way about you. You are my firstborn daughter and I am grateful that you are in my life. I love you so much, baby."