Project Guardian Angel

What Might Have Been

I was dreaming. I had to be. Everything had an unearthly quality, shimmering about the edges. For another thing, my mother was there.

I gazed at my reflection in the vanity mirror. My blue eyes were wide, startled but dancing with starts. Another delicate braid was pinned atop my head and my mother smiled.

"Look at you. You're so beautiful." She rested her hands on my shoulders, lowering her head to level with mine. "You look frightened. Are you having second thoughts?"

I shook my head and stood from the vanity, the saphire edged snowy silk flowing around me like a waterfall.

"No, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I guess I'm still trying to process." I smoothed out the front of the dress nervously. "I guess I can't believe this is actually happening." My mother took my hands to keep me from fidgeting.

"Remember what I told you when you wanted to sign up for the talent show but you were too frightened?"

"Get out there and get it done, you can be scared later."

"Exactly. Now let's go see if your blushing bride is ready hmm?" I took a calming breath and nodded.

"Okay." I lifted the skirt of the dress with both hands and left my room to carefully traverse the stairs. Melody met us in the hall.

"Isn't it bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding?" I teased. She laughed sending a flock of butterflies looping through my stomach.

"This is our wedding silly." She kissed my sweetly and I sighed contently.

"I love you.

"I know." She smiled at my and gave my hand a squeeze. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay." She kissed me again and vanished to put her dress on. I took a slow breath to calm my racing heart.

"Let's get you some water while we wait for Melody." My mother steered my into the kitchen and poured me a glass of water. When I reached out to take the cup, my hand was trembling.

"I'm so nervous and excited I feel like I'm going to puke." I took a sip of the cool water to settle my stomach and sighed. My mother chuckled.

"That's how you know it's love." I sipped on the water for a little while  then handed the cup back to my mom who hugged my tight. "You'll always be my little girl." Cup in sink we headed back out into the hall and I gasped.

Melody stood by the door in a forest green and white silk dress. It flowed off her shoulders and gathered at her waist then spilled to the floor in a pool of emerald that seemed to shift and ripple as she stepped toward me. Golden thread embroidered patterns into the silk so that the whole dress appeared to flicker with trapped sunlight. Melody's chestnut hair was unbound and waved past her shoulders, a simple flower crown rested atop her head. It took me a moment to realize she was speaking to me.

"Love?"

"Yes?" I looked into those sunlit whiskey eyes and lost myself again. This beautiful woman was about to become my wife. She smiled and I melted.

"Shall we?" Melody held her hand out to me and I took it. Together we stepped out into the bright spring day and walked barefoot through the grass and daisies over to the towering maple tree where our friends and family waited in the dappled light. My mother had elected to officiate our union. Hand in hand we stopped before her and she beamed at us.

"Family, dear friends, we thank you for attending this most joyous event. If anyone objects to this marriage please speak now." A light breeze ruffled the leaves overhead but no one spoke. Nodded my mother looked at us.

"Do you, Melody Kinoskia, promise to love and protect your beloved, to care for her when she is sick and bind her wounds when hurt? Do you promise to listen to her and respect her till death do you so part?"

Melody's voice was clear as she said. "I do." It was my turn next.

"Do you, Isis Sacuru, promise to love and protect your beloved, to care for her when she is sick and bind her wounds when hurt? Do you promise to listen to her and respect her till death do you so part?"

"I do."

We held our hands our and my mother began to tie us together with a ribbon.

"By the Father Sun and the Moon Mother, by the Horned One and the Wild Huntress, by fire and water, earth and sky I bind you. These two souls be one. You may kiss the bride."

Melody turned to face me and smiled. I cupped her cheek in my free hand and kissed her sweet lips. She was mine. And I was hers, from this day till the end of our days.