A Bond Never Broken

Chapter 38

"Oh Mom, I'm so nervous. What if something doesn't go right. Or he suddenly backs out, or the preacher doesn't show up." I fretted nervously to my mother.

She looked up from her book and gently placed a fringed, burgundy-colored bookmark between the pages of her latest mystery novel. Every time I saw her, she seemed to have a new book with her, always engrossed in the words on the pages. I had always remembered her as an avid reader. Ever since I was a child, I could remember her sitting in her spot on the couch with the lamp light giving enough glow so she could read. I think that's what inspired me to read and led me to the now, where I'm always reading.

My mom set her book on the coffee table and sighed. She brought her legs onto the couch so she was sitting criss-cross across from me. Taking my hands into hers, she smiled softly.

"Caroline, it will be fine. Everything will turn out just as planned. I've been where you are. I can remember getting cold feet the night before your daddy and I's wedding. I really believed that nothing would work out and that it would all be a bust, but guess what? I married the love of my life the next day and it was perfect." She smiled her motherly smile and patted my knee.

I smirked. "Thanks momma, you're the best. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably lose your mind."

I laughed and shook my head. "Alright, whatever."

She smirked. "You know I'm right."

I clicked my tongue. "I will not answer to that."

In that moment, the clock ticked 6 o'clock and I looked out the window of our hotel suite, noticing how gorgeous the weather still looked outside. The sky had an orange tint to it, with little to few clouds covering it. If you listened closely, you could hear the Atlantic Ocean waves lapping up against the shore.

"Melissa!" I hollered.

I heard the distinct sound of flip-flops against the wood floor. Following the sound, Melissa eventually appeared from around the corner. Her curly red hair was let down and she was wearing boyfriend jeans with a flowy-floral button-up blouse.

"Yes Ms. Bride-To-Be?" She asked, leaning against the wall.

"You up for a walk along the beach?"

She nodded her head. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Yes," my mom spoke up, not even glancing up from the page she was on. "Get out of my hair and get some fresh air."

Melissa and I laughed, both shaking our heads. I stood up from the couch and headed for the door.

"So, cold feet, eh?" Melissa commented as the elevator doors closed shut behind us.

I picked at my newly manicured fingers and sighed. "Yah, a little bit I guess. I'm just nervous Luke will back out or something."

Sand met our toes and we both stopped to remove our flip-flops from our feet. It was silent for a moment before Melissa began to speak.

"Honestly Caroline, I know for a fact he would never do that in a million years. Have you seen the way he looks at you, talks about you, acts around you. Caroline, that man is madly in love with you and nothing would ever keep him from placing that ring on your finger and saying the words 'I do'."

I looked ahead of us and watched the few people left on the beach walk along the shore. I smiled to myself seeing a couple who seemed to be the age Luke and I were in college. Remembering those days gave me butterflies still to this day... and now I was marrying my college sweetheart.

"You're right, Melissa. I'm just being paranoid."

"No," She corrected. "You're being just like every other bride to ever exist."

"I suppose you're right."

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I sat at the old oak desk in front of the large window that gave me a view of the picturesque nighttime scene of the ocean. With a pen in hand and a piece of notebook paper in front of me, I pondered what Luke was doing with his groomsmen right this moment. Was he thinking about me or drinking that limited one beer? All I knew was that in the morning it would be a hectic rush that would have everybody bustling back and forth all so that I could marry the man of my dreams. The love of my life. My one and only. I smiled as I pressed the tip of my pen to the paper and began to pour my heart and soul onto the lines.

"Dear Luke,

Twenty years ago, I never realized what an incredible journey we were embarking upon together. I never would have believed that the twenty-two year old boy with shaggy hair and a goofy smile would grow into the strong, hardworking, and loving man that will be waiting for me at the altar.

I never dreamed that I would find someone who challenged me to see the world in the way that you do; a man who makes me laugh and love with abandon, a man who even after all of these years still gives me butterflies when he walks through the door. I didn't believe that I could find a man who would remind me every single day to dream bigger, to work harder, to open my heart to the possibilities of this beautiful life.

Luke, you are the reason that I fight so incredibly hard to be the best person that I can be. You give me a reason to make every single day even better than the last. You have shown me what it means to live and love, to give of my heart fully, to wake up every morning with the hope of helping others. You are my soulmate. My other half. The piece of my heart that I never knew was missing. You have breathed life and inspiration into this little piece of the universe, my world, and have helped me to grow into the woman that I am today.

I love you - I love every part of you. Your generosity is inspiring to me - You always find time to make me feel special and to ensure that I'm happy... even when you're on the road, miles upon miles away from me, yet you still make the effort to text me or call me. You have the ability to laugh at yourself and to have fun - that's such a wonderful thing. You have such determination - if you want something, you find a way to get it and work hard to achieve it - Because of this, I know that you will be successful and reach all of your goals.

Today is the day we will reminisce about as our hair turns gray and the wrinkles crowd the spaces on our cheeks. With grace and wisdom, I know I will look back on this day as the beginning of a journey – challenging at times, but an incredible journey nonetheless. And even as my memories fade, as the moments of my younger life seem farther behind me, I promise to never forget this day, our wedding day.

I promise to inspire you the way you have always inspired me, to lift you up when you falter, to bring you coffee in bed and kiss your cheeks when they are stained with the tears of hardship and the tears of happiness.

I promise to be the best friend, the secret keeper, the laugher-till-you-cryer that you have come to love over these past years. You are my everything and I can't wait to call you my husband.

With Love, Hugs, Kisses... And the promise of a lifetime together.Your Future Wife,The *Almost* Mrs. Caroline Bryan"

I placed the letter into an envelope and sealed it shut. Taking the pen in my hand once again, I scrawled Luke's name onto the envelope.

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Alright guys! This was the chapter before the wedding! Will everything go as planned? Or will something fall through the cracks?