The Time Capsule (Old Version)

Chapter Forty-Three

Amber

I look at the reflection in the mirror. A woman wearing a short cream colored dress was staring back. Her hair was down, curled in medium-sized ringlets, with small flowers placed here and there. The sun shined in through the window, telling her that it was near time for the evening to begin.
“I might just have to use that dress for my wedding.” Selena jokes, slipping into the view. “You look gorgeous, Amber.”

I smile at her, well, more like grin. “Thank you Selena, for everything.”

“None of this was my doing, hun.”

I shake my head, disagreeing with her. Because the truth was that it was all her doing. If she hadn’t forced us to keep a promise that was sixteen years old, Greg and I wouldn’t be where we are today. Hell, I’d most like still be dating some engaged guy and Greg would still be scared to let anyone into his life. Yet here we are, July 6th, exactly one year since we made it official.

“It was all you. If you hadn’t pushed us to do this random adventure, none of us would be together again. We’d have continued living our separate lives, wondering ‘what if’ every day.”

“I highly doubt that’s true. I mean, we would have come together at some point. There would have been a wedding or funeral or something.”

“you mean like your wedding or James’ mom’s funeral?”

I nudge her a little, trying to lighten the mood, “okay. So maybe I am the only reason we’re all happy. I’m not going to go around saying that though.”

There was a knock on the door and then my dad peeked in, “you two ready?”

I look over to Selena for an answer and she just laughs, “it’s your wedding, Amber, not mine. The question was directed to you.”

“just five more minutes,” I tell my dad and he closes the door.

“you’re not getting cold feet, are you? Cause even if he doesn’t love you, he’s not going to let you go.”

“No I’m not getting cold feet in that sense. Not at all. Just trying to catch up with time I guess. It seems just like yesterday that we were forcing James and Greg to have pretend weddings with us.” Memories of the four of us running around in dress-up pop in my head. Music from the 90’s and 2000’s would play as Selena and I walked down the aisle, one of us holding the dress for the other since it usually never fit correctly.

“I know that look. That look means you forgot something.” Selena says, “and this isn’t the time to have forgotten something.”

I shake my head, “I didn’t forget anything. There’s just something I wish I had down differently. The music, I wish I had thought of us dressing up before now.”

A grin crosses Selena’s face, “music I can change, what you want?”

I tell her the song and she hurries outside to tell the band. I’m sure it’s something they will know just because it’s a classic. My dad enters the room then, playfully glaring at me. “You’ve got that boy sweating buckets dear.”

“he knows I’m not going anywhere. Mind you there’s nowhere to go. This place is covered with security. It’s almost like a forced marriage.” I joke, turning to look at my dad instead of our reflection. “You and mom doing okay?”

“of course honey. You’re getting married to Greg. Why wouldn’t we be okay?”

“well, your one and only daughter is getting married today.”

“yes, but to Greg, so there’s no problem. Plus, you’re 31. And I’ve seen you more in the past year than in the 10 years before that. So there’s no complaining on my end.”