Pretty When You Cry ୨୧ Rafe Cameron

forty five

The Little Wedding Chapel was just off of the main highway. It was quant, almost nostalgic. It had a white exterior, both simple and elegant. The front of the chapel was adorned with a traditional steeple, and the white-painted walls were accented with classic details like arches and latticework. Isla thought it felt weirdly romantic for the quickest possible way to get married.

They got out of the car and headed inside. They were met with a wide eyed old woman with white permed hair and a floral pink dress on. "Hello, what brings you two here? You sure are a beautiful couple."

Isla looked around while Rafe figured out what to say to the woman. There was a double door with a flower arch above it that Isla could only assume lead to the actual chapel. The room they were currently in had bouquets of flowers on the wall behind the desk that the woman stood behind, a wall of suits and wedding gowns and veils and shoes, and an area full of rings, from ring pops to large diamonds.

"Can you just like... get married here?" Rafe laughed out, feeling a little silly but giddy to have Isla back in his life, ready to commit to him and everything.

"Yeah, I'm licensed to officiate the marriage. It's all legal and everything," the old woman explained. "My name is Gladys."

"I'm Rafe and this is my girlfriend Isla," Rafe smiled, gesturing to Isla who was walking around the room, looking at everything.

"You two are expecting?" Gladys asked, a smile on her face.

"Yeah she's uh, yeah. We're young but it just... it happened," Rafe said.

"Gods got a plan, kid. So, you two wanna get married tonight or what?"

"That's the plan," Isla piped up, holding a beautiful yet simple silk white dress with flowy sleeves. "Do you have one of these in my size you think?"

"Well, if you weren't pregnant I'd hand you a small and call it a day, but if you want a large we've got bobby pins." She shuffled through the selection of dresses, grabbing a large and bringing it to the cash.

Isla also grabbed a veil and a pair of white heels. Gladys lead her to a fitting room in the corner. Rafe picked up the most expensive ring, gold band with little diamonds and a big diamond as the centrepiece, princess cut. He grabbed a suit and put it on in the other fitting room. He liked that even though this was probably the most short notice wedding of all time, it had all the bells and whistles.

He walked on out in the chapel and stood by the altar, waiting for Isla to come out in that makeshift dress with a veil on her head and shoes she couldn't walk on on her feet.

Gladys came in the room and turned on the speakers that were in each corner. She had asked Isla for a song request, and Isla knew exactly what to play for her walkout music.

Fade Into You by Mazzy Star played as she opened those two double doors and walked out. She could hardly walk on those heels, especially pregnant. She cautiously did a little spin, showing all the little bobby pins keeping the dress clad to her body. She had a sheer veil flowing down her back.

Rafe thought she looked like a star cut open. She was broken and beautiful. She'd just looked like a crumpled ball of paper a couple hours ago, and here she was looking goddamn fluorescent. She looked like an angel with messy short hair and freckled cheeks.

Sure, she looked silly. Blunt haircut, five months pregnant, unable to walk in heels. But it was that kind of authenticity that made him fall so deeply for this girl in the first place.

When she reached him, she held his hand. In this moment she realized that she couldn't live without Rafe in her life. That these past months she'd been sleep walking. She admired his face. Soft blue eyes, smooth skin, contoured face, messy hair. He was perfect.