The Third Wedding

Chapter 14: Water Lantern Festival (Part 1)

How do you describe a perfect storm? Is it where everything goes right until the last minute? For Sonny it was everything going wrong at the worst moments.

"SONNY!!!" The excited shrill voice called out waking Sondra from her sleep.

Sondra stumbled out of bed, "today's the day!" She beamed. She dressed in a white shirt with beautiful baggy lace sleeves. She wore blue pants and white boots along with a light blue version of her signature skirt.

She gently set her thick curls with a potion concoction before rushing out.

Maisey had been the one to call for her. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a boy dressed in a beautiful dark blue suit for the lantern ceremony.

After pushing his thick blonde locks out of his eyes he looked up at Sondra and melted, "wow..."

She rushed down to meet him. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and allowed her to sweep him off his feet in a spiral hug.

Sonny put him down after her heart thundered. They had an understanding of what today was. Both knew and felt adrenaline and excite, it was unspoken but they both knew, tonight was their night.

Sonny turned to Maisey and gave her a small box, "please get this to Mr. Garth, okay?" She said softly. "I told him to collect it from you today."

Maisey took a peak inside and saw a beautiful rose gold ring, the diamond inside was beautiful with little rose diamonds circling it. It was quite obvious that Sondra had picked it out for her sister.

"I will miss, don't you worry." Maisey beamed.

"Speaking of this Garth, when do I get to meet him?" Ashton smiled. He was looking forward to meeting the man who Rosalina was fawning over.

"We'll meet up with them around lunch." Sondra smiled and took Ashton's hands, "come, we have so much to talk about." She winked.

The walk down to the lake took a while for them, they didn't mind though.

Sondra told him all of the things she'd learned in regard to magic. She told him of Elora, and Dorthy the woman in the forest. The bad feelings she was getting, all of it.

They got to the lake to begin the festival early, in preparation for the floating lanterns people sat on blankets near the lakes edge, making roasted marshmallows. Music was playing all around filling the atmosphere with joy.

Sondra looked around for her sister feeling content. None of her siblings were there here yet. That meant Garth was grabbing the ring. He'd asked her to not hand it to him herself, he didn't want it to be too obvious. And she'd agreed that Maisey was the best option. Of course Sondra told Ashton of all of this.

"You trust her a lot don't you?" Ash asked her.

"Maisey? With my whole heart, she's always been by my side. She actually encouraged me to go after you." Sondra teased.

"Ah, so I am in debt to her forever." He teased taking Sondra's hand.

They could feel the festival in their souls, the joy the celebration. At one point in their wandering they found vendors that sold rings, ponchos, food.

Ashton was so sucked up in the celebration he couldn't help but get a hand spun blanket.

Sondra couldn't think of a time she'd been happier, on their way back to their blanket she spotted Garth and Rosalina. She waved over to them.

Garth got up and quickly made his way over, "I'll take that off your hands now."

Sondra blinked and looked at Ash. "Take what off my hands..." she said concerned.

"The ring, I know you said you were gonna give it to Maisey, but I'm hoping you forgot like me," Garth said with a bit of a smirk, "you do have it right?"