Thick as Thieves

XXII

CAITLIN

I'm running through the church hallway, dodging guests left and right. Maddie pulled me aside earlier asking if I could do her a favor and to keep it between us. With no thought, I agreed, being the good bridesmaid I am.

I almost make it back to the bridal suite when I spot Bea. She's standing in a huddle with the other groomsmen, laughing at something Zolo just said. I take a quick moment to watch them. Zolo looks happy. Anxious, but he's been waiting for this moment since the day he met Maddie. Bea looks beyond handsome in her tuxedo. She lifts her arm to pat my brother on the shoulder when her newest tattoo pops out through her linen shirt sleeve. The view causes me to smile, lifting my fingers to graze down my own arm.

Thick as thieves.

A symbol that tells us that no matter what obstacles we face -- good or bad -- we'll face them together. Because we are a forever thing. That's our promise.

I know Bea senses me, so I duck out before she sees me. I don't have time to get tossed into the broom closet and lose a few sequins off my dress. She already caught me this morning trying to sneak out of the house, letting me know I'd forgotten something.

I'm sneaking back into the bridal suite just as Mom is helping Carly into her dress. I find Maddie sitting at the parlor table while the stylist finishes curling her hair. I bend down, slipping her what she needed, and whisper in her ear. "In and out. Like a ninja."

She offers me her sweet smile, her wedding day beauty radiating. "Thank you."

I give her a kiss on the cheek and head back to Carly, who seems to be having some trouble getting her zipper up.

"Sweet girl, just stay still, it's probably just stuck," my poor mother says as she looks at me, giving me that it's not stuck, it's too tight look.

"How hard is it to make a dress that fits? That dress tailor was not listening to me!" Carly gripes as she sucks in another breath before my mom attempts another tug. Relieving her of her duty, I nod to Mom to move aside as I take over wrestling with the zipper.

"Mine was tight, too. Don't worry. We just need to wiggle it a bit. Ready?" We both count to three and with a big suck of air in, the zipper cooperates and slides up, allowing me to clasp it at the top. "There you go! Perfect."

Carly turns around and we both look at ourselves in the full-length mirror. It's almost impossible not to make fun of the disco dresses Maddie picked out. With each ray of sun that assaults us through the window, we turn on creating a 360-sparkle show.

"You both look so beautiful." We both turn to see Maddie, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. She's the one who's beautiful. Her dress that lies on her perfect little form as if it was made just for her. I think about what Zolo is going to do when he finally sees his bride and it causes my eyes to fill as well.

"Oh Jesus! No crying right now! We just spent a shit ton on makeup, and if someone has to fuck with these fake eyelashes one more time, I'm going to flip out." We both laugh at Carly who also seems to be fighting back tears.

I take a step closer to my soon-to-be sister-in-law. "You look absolutely breathtaking, Maddie." Might not have been the right thing to say, because the first tear falls from her cheeks. "I'm sorry, please don't cry. This is a happy day." She grabs me and hugs me tightly. I embrace her, feeling such love for my growing family. "This is going to be the best day ever. I'm so excited for you."

She pulls away as we both wipe our wet cheeks. "Caitlin, I have no doubt that your day will be coming very soon--"

"Already has," Carly mumbles under her breath.