Nightingale (Sequel to Solider Boy)

Seventy-Eight

"It's not too late to run," Sharon told her in an undertone, hiding herself and Melody carefully in the shadows as Steve led Wanda down the aisle. "I'll fly the get away chopper, no questions asked." 

Melody knew the statement was as much a joke as it was a serious offer. Taking a shaky breath, she tightened her grip on the flowers and let up in the same moment, fearing her death-grip would break the fragile stems. Just breathe, she thought to herself, but that was a bit hard given how tight the dress suddenly felt. Melody knew, rationally that it wasn't. She couldn't have gained that much weight in twenty-five minutes. The only explanation was anxiety and the erratic beat of her heart and the cold sweat on her palms only further supported the hypothesis.

"Mel," Sharon said, grabbing her gently by her shoulders and turning her so that they were face to face. More than ten seconds had passed for sure now. That was how long Steve told them to wait before following.  "You do not have to do this if you don't want to."

"I-it's not that," she managed, shivering though she wasn't cold. The night air was perfect, just like a clear summer in New York. "The moment I walk out there, everyone is going to look at me." 

Her face burned saying that, already imaging the wide-eyed looks of horror she was going to get. Trying one the dress, the slight gaps in the lace pattern, the parts where her scars became most visible had not bothered her. It had been enough coverage then, but now she felt like a fool for thinking that. No one wanted to see the carnage that had been carved into her body. 

"Mel," Sharon said in a firm tone, fixing her with a stern look. "Look," she clasped her hands gently on Melody's shoulders. "I know you're afraid of what everyone else is going to think when they see you-but I want you to forget them."

"How?" she whispered, hating how much the word trembled. "They're all out there."

"Yep and so is Bucky. He's out there waiting for you too." That calmed Melody a little and suddenly, relaxing her grip on the bouquet was easier. Sharon nodded, reading her like a book. "While I will always maintain that no man will ever be good enough for you," she said smiling softly, "Bucky's not so bad. He loves you."

Not so bad was putting it very mildly in Melody's opinion. "I know that."

"When you walk down that aisle, don't look at any of them-Sam, Scott, Clint, Steve-none of them." Her voice was firm and clipped, almost like she was giving orders on a recon mission. "Look at Bucky. Just him."

Melody's breathing eased up a little. They were very late now. She wondered how much longer they could stand there before someone came back to see if she'd run off. "Just him," she repeated, more to herself than Sharon.

"Exactly," her friend reaffirmed, grabbing her arm and sliding it through hers. "Just look at him."   Hearing that again was like a Xanax. Her heart began to slow to a normal pace, the dress was no longer like a straight jacket. Sharon met her gaze and her red-lipped smile was warm and understanding. "Do you want to walk out there? Whatever you decide, I'm here."

Melody felt an uneasy smile come to her face. Her fears weren't gone, they were too ingrained to be forced out so easily. But even so, her fear was being pushed out of the forefront of her mind as determination hit her. James was only a few feet away, waiting for her and she wanted to meet him. Her fear could wait, she had something more important to take care of.

"Let's go," she said and Sharon beamed. 

"Okay." She took a step forward, but Melody didn't move. Sharon wobbled for a moment on her three inch-heels but recovered quickly and a confused frown came to her face. "Mel-?"

Melody let go of Sharon's arm and wrapped her in an embrace. "I love you Sharon," she said, voice tight as held her friend. Her family.

Two warm hands collapsed onto her back. "I love you too," she replied, voice breathy as and Melody knew she was trying not to cry. Sharon let go first and rubbed Melody's arm. "Ready?"