Whatever It Takes

Message

I was biting the inside of my mouth, trying my hardest not to cry as I helped set the veil in my best friend's hair. Nancy was watching herself in the floor-length mirror in the bridal suite, her eyes welling with tears as me and Robin settled her veil around her and her dress. She finally looked at me, and she let out a frustrated squawk.

"Dovey, you can't cry, or I'll start crying!" she admonished. I smiled, a tear finally falling.

"I've been crying this whole time," Robin finally croaked.

We looked at her, and sure enough, tears were streaming down her face. I started laughing, and then Nancy joined in, and the three of us held each other tightly. I pulled back, smiling at my best friends.

"I can't believe it's actually happening" Nancy exclaimed, looking back at her reflection in the mirror.

Her dress was beautiful – covered in lace brocade that she pulled from her grandmother's dress with a skirt that flared out at her waist. There was a white, silk ribbon that wrapped around her waist into a bow in the back – this was from her mom's dress. Her sleeves were off the shoulder, and her veil surrounded her like rays of light. She smiled at me, fluffing her skirt.

"Not so bad, right?" she joked. I set my hands on her shoulders.

"It's perfect, Nance," I insisted. She smiled again, studying herself in the mirror and thinking about something. I could read her mind, and I squeezed her shoulders. "Jonathan is going to love it."

Her face lit up, and I seemed to have answered the question mulling around in her head. She let out an excited squawk, and I handed her the large bouquet Eddie and I had worked on last week. She took it, posing for me and Robin. She looked absolutely beautiful. There was a knock at the door, and we turned to see the wedding planner poke her head around.

"We're ready for you," the plump-faced woman said with a kind smile.

We started helping Nancy collect herself, following behind her as we carried her train and veil. We made our way down the hallway, each of us reduced to giggles as we got more and more excited about what was about to happen. In front of the large double doors that Nancy was about to walk through, Mr. Wheeler was waiting for her. As soon as he saw Nancy, he started to tear up, trying his hardest not to let tears fall.

"Oh, dad," Nancy sighed, taking him in for tight hug. He let out a shuddering breath, holding her tight.

"You're my only daughter, I'm allowed to be emotional," he croaked as he squeezed her close. I felt my throat catch at the sight and shook my head. The wedding planner bustled over to me and Robin.

"Who's the Maid of Honor?" she asked. I raised my hand in response, and she smiled. "Great – that means you'll go down second, after you, sweetheart, and right before the bride. And when you walk back, you'll walk back with the Best Man – Jonathan's little brother."

I smiled and nodded, confirming I understood the plan. Robin elbowed me, wearing her usual shit-eating grin.

"Don't worry, I promise not to make a move on your lover," she teased, winking at me, and referencing the fact that she would be walking back with Eddie during the processional. I raised an eyebrow.

"He's not really your type, so I'm not worried," I joked back, making her smile. She bumped with her hip.

"Any message you want me to pass on to him?" she asked. My mouth twisted into a smile, and I thought for a beat.

"You can tell him that he can have more than one dance tonight," I replied. Robin furrowed her brows.

"You were only going to dance with him once?" she asked. I rolled my eyes.