*The morning of the wedding*
Mary's POV:
"Are you nervous?" My mom asks me
"Just a little."
"Don't be nervous. I'll be with you all the way."
I play with my food, too nervous to eat.
"Hey Mom,"
"Hm?"
"Shouldn't you be the one giving me away since you know...you're my mom?"
"No," she says, shaking her head, "Ashton should. He needs to."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know if you've realized, but this has really hit him hard. He doesn't want to let you go. Giving you away is almost like getting some closure."
"But I want both of you to give me away."
"No, it just needs to be Ashton."
I don't say anything else and go back to playing with my food. I wasn't really nervous until I woke up and realized I'm getting married today.
"Are you excited about your honeymoon?" She asks, her voice bringing me back to the kitchen
"Yeah." I say plainly
Luke wanted to take me to Disneyland but I told him no, that it would be too much. So he said he's going to take me in a few months because, as he put it, he's going to get me there one day even if he has to sell vital organs.
So we decided we'd go off somewhere for a week and then come back and spend some time together at our house before he has to go back.
I don't want him to have to go back, but I guess I'll have to get used to it.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing,just...I woke up this morning and realized I'm getting married," I start thinking about it even more and my eyes fill up with tears, "Mom I can't do this."
"Yes you can sweetie."
"No. Not now."
"You've been waiting for this. You're just a little nervous."
"Hey!" Sarah says as she walks in, "There's the bride to be!"
"What if he doesn't want to marry me?" I ask her frantically
"Woah. What?"
"What if he's changed his mind?"
"Why would he ask you to marry him and then continue to be engaged to you if he doesn't want to marry you?"
"Maybe he'll get cold feet."
"He's not going to."
"I can't!"
"Mary, calm down. You need to start getting ready."
"Mom-"
"You're just nervous. Nothing is going to change."
"She's right," Sarah says, "you guys have practically been married for years."
"But what if things are different?"
"They won't be, now go get ready."
*
After what feels like days I'm ready to go. I just have to put my dress in when we get there.
"Um, have you seen Ashton?" Mom asks out of the blue
"No. Why?"
"Oh uh...no reason. Just wondering."
"Is something wrong?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Now let's finish getting you off to the wedding."
We get there and make sure everything thing is right. It's nothing big, but I still want to make sure there aren't going to be any surprise difficulties.
"Mary!"
"What?"
"You need to get out of here!"
"Why?"
"Luke is about to be here and you know the groom isn't supposed to see the bride!"
"Okay I'll be there in a minute."
"Mary!"
"Okay I'm coming!"
I get back in the room before Luke sees me and slip into my dress.
"Okay," Sarah says, slightly moving a piece of hair, "let us look at you."
I just stand there and she walks around me and examines me.
"You look beautiful." Mom says
"Now remember: left, right, left, right. Okay?"
"I'm not going to trip."
"You never know."
We laugh but then quickly stop and she hugs me.
"I love you Sarah. Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. I've been waiting for this day for years."
"Me too."
"Thirty minutes and we'll be ready to go."
"Is Luke out there yet?"
"Yeah, he's ready to go."
I feel my stomach twist and my chest gets tight. It's getting hard to breathe.
"Mom." I say quietly
She doesn't hear me.
"Mom." I say again, as calm as I can manage
"What?"
"I think I might puke."
"No no no." She says
"Yes yes yes."
"Okay just calm down. It's only a few people."
Fifteen minutes later and I still haven't calmed down.
"Can I at least talk to him? So I can calm down?"
Sarah looks at Mom and Mom nods.
We sit a chair right beside the door so I can talk to him but he won't see me. I hear him walking and he stops at the door.
"Hey," he says softly, "you okay?"
I shake my head even though he can't see me.
"Sweetie?"
"No. I'm getting nervous. I think I might puke."
"Well I don't want you puking at the thought of marrying me." He says, letting out an small laugh
"No it's not that. I just get really nervous."
"I'm a little nervous too." He mumbles
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
We sit in silence and I can hear him breathing on the other side of the door.
"I bet you look so fucking beautiful."
"I'm okay."
"Shush I bet you're dress is so pretty and I bet your hair is fixed so nice and neat and I bet you smell pretty too."
"Why do I feel like you've imagined me at our wedding?"
"Because I have."
"Luke, you gotta go." I hear someone whisper
"I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"
"Okay."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Are you okay now?" Mom asks me
"Yeah," I say, standing up, "let's do this."
*
I stand in the same spot for fifteen minutes, waiting for them to tell me when I can go. I'm getting nervous, Ashton hasn't shown up yet.
"Sorry I'm late," Ashton says, rushing in with his tie pretty much draped around his neck.
"Ashton!" Mom exclaims, "Where have you been? And what's wrong with your tie?"
She hastily starts fixing it.
"I got held up but I'm okay now."
I peep through the door to see Luke quickly making his way to his spot and feel my stomach drop. The music has started.
"Oh gosh."
"What?" Ashton asks
"It's happening."
He holds out his arm and I wrap my arm around it.
"Let's do this."
