Can't Stay Away (BBC Sherlock) -2-

1. Two Years Later

Today was a big day. Not for me, though. I was a bridesmaid and moral support.

Darien had been the lucky one out of my group of friends to get engaged. Mandy was still on the lookout for love after her relationship with Alex fell through (he'd been trying to multitask between girls). Kendal didn't have anyone, and Madison and her girlfriend were far from marriage.

The last eight months had been nothing but stressful for Darien, even with our help. All the thought, all the planning, all the coordination, we tried our best to lend her a hand.

To loosen some of the pressure off of Darien, Kendal had taken it upon herself to be the bride's stylist for the big day. Kendal had taken cosmetology in high school, so she practically leapt at the chance.

Darien's bedroom was huge, so we all managed to fit inside. Kendal had dragged Darien off into her bathroom, and we hadn't seen either one of them since.

During the first few hours, Madison, Amanda, and I all prepped ourselves, well, what we could anyway. Knowing Kendal she'd want to doll one of us up more.

Amanda had excused herself to go change into her dress. Madi and I changed in Darien's bedroom, having our backs turned to each other. Our dresses were a beautiful pale pink, and strapless. I wasn't exactly all for the no-straps idea, but I couldn't argue with Darien. It was her wedding, and what she wanted, she got.

Madison and I made sure each other's dress wasn't slipping down our bodies. Madi was lucky she didn't have to do much with her hair, being that she kept it in a pixie. I didn't want to do much with my hair on this occasion, so I left it in its natural straight form. The only major change to my appearance was that I dyed my hair blonde. I wanted change.

For a while now, change has been good in my life.

I fingered the necklace I was wearing around my neck. It was another reminder of what good change had come into my life in recent years.

Amanda came back, with her hair up in a messy bun. My eyes went to the still-closed bathroom door.

"Wonder when Kendal is going to release her," I joked. "She can't miss her wedding."

"If Darien isn't out within the next half hour, I say we break the door down and steal her," Madison suggested. "I get that Kendal wants Darien to look awesome, but seriously, this is getting ridiculous." Being that Madison was the maid of honor, I could see why she was impatient. She felt just as much pressure as Darien did. Sure, the rest of us chipped in on helping out, but Madi took on most of the workload.

"You know I can hear you!" Kendal snapped from the other side of the door. "And I'm almost done."

"Even if she wasn't, you aren't breaking down the door," Darien piped. "Can somebody get my dress? I might as well change in here once Kendal is done."

Madison was closest to Darien's white dress, so she hauled it to the bathroom door. We all saw a quick skinny arm snatch it and then close the door again.

"So you're positive that your dad isn't coming?" Amanda asked me out of the blue.

"Mandy, he can't just catch a flight down here whenever he wants to. It costs money," I told her. "Remember how long it took me to come back home?"

"Well, it wasn't just a money issue with you."

I cringed inwardly. She wasn't wrong, but I didn't want to be reminded of that fact.