Fifty-two days, that was how long until the wedding. It became official when yesterday, Anderson and I had booked the location. We were going to be married at a lakeside on a grassy clearing. It was beautiful. The second we stepped foot there, we both knew it was the perfect place. We didn't have much else picked out before that, but that night things seemed to start falling into place. We had decided on colors (yellow, sea foam green, and cream), flowers (white lilies and yellow roses), and our wedding party. Sasha would be my matron of honor, with my friends Alice and Hope as bridesmaids; Kade would be the best man, with Anderson's friends Phoenix and James as the groomsmen. My mother would walk me down the aisle in place of my father. We knew that there was still plenty left to do, but today, we would celebrate over the start of things.
Sasha was ecstatic, almost demanding that we engage in the first of many dinner parties the four of us would have in the years to come. Anderson graciously complied. Sasha and I, wanting for him and Dave to get along well, planned the day accordingly. We would arrive at the Wellses townhouse around noon; the men would watch the football game while Sasha and I cooked and gossiped.
Anderson's fist rapped strongly and surely on the wooden door. I turned to face him, the humor in my tone marring the serious composure held in my face and posture. "Make sure you behave yourself today, ok?"
Half of his mouth turned up in a smirk. He looked innocently up through his long eyelashes. "Aren't I always?" His arm wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer to him.
The large front door opened swiftly, revealing Sasha and Dave on the other side. "Nyla!" my best friend called, pulling me and Anderson into the foyer. We exchanged greetings, and the guys quickly made their way to the den, the theme music of the NFL immediately blasting out of the doorway.
Sasha grabbed my hand, pulling me to the kitchen. "You two are seriously adorable,: she cooed, taking various foods out of the refrigerator. "Thanks," I blushed. I quickly reached for the ingredients, attempting to make myself busy. Sasha laughed at the color in my cheeks, pulling out a mixing bowl and instructing me on measurements. Soon we were working and chatting easily. I gave Sasha the official news of her bridal party status, pushing her into a euphoria. Immediately, she was in planning mode, deciding on a theme and possible day for the bridal shower.
"Sasha, Nyla!" Dave called from the den, interrupting her thought process. We set down the utensils in our hands, a whisk in mine and a spatula in her, making our way to the den to see what they needed.
The football game was not on the TV. This itself was surprising, as neither Dave nor Anderson were ones to miss a minute of the sport if they could help it.
The local news was on. An emergency broadcast.
"...11:49 am we have noticed no change for placement of the sun. We can only assume that the rotation of the earth has come to a standstill. There is no indication of the cause, or whether this will have a considerable effect on the..."
The ringing of Anderson's cell phone pulled us out of the silent shock we had fallen into.
"The world just stopped turning?" David said to himself.
"What does this mean?" Sasha questioned simultaneously.
I looked to Anderson. He pulled his iPhone out of his pocked, his eyes widening in shock. "NASA," he whispered, and the room fell silent once again. He took a second to compose himself before answering the call and walking out the front door of the house.
Sasha attempted to calm down out of her panic. David held her and comforted her. I sat still, waiting for Anderson to come back and explain to me what was going on. And why NASA was calling him.
