painkillers. - H.S ✔

frozen peas

Three days until the wedding
"It's not okay. I'm not okay Mar! I can't do this." Amara hyperventilated over the phone. Only three days before the wedding and reception, she was getting cold feet. I knew she loved Josh, she was just scared. Trent had run off to work for an emergency repair and I'd gotten an urgent call from Amara. She never called unless it was important.

"This happens to everyone before their wedding, you'll be fine. You love him and he loves you. You'll be so happy Amara." I wish I could say the same for myself.

"By the way, I have a great date that's perfect for you! For the wedding because..y'know." I could hear cluttering in the kitchen so I assumed she was making dinner. I had to get to that soon.

"Oh, no. I have one." I expected a shocked reaction. Amara knew that I was scared to socialize with any other men because of Trent.

"Wow. Who is it?"

"My neighbor, Harry. He's new. And British." I bit my bottom lip as I felt regret swish through my mind. I felt something thinking and being with Harry and it conflicted with mine and Trent's relationship.

"British! Oooohhhh." I rolled my eyes. I missed this. Us being sisters, talking about sister things and giving sister-like reactions.

"We're only friends. I have Trent still." I reminded her.

"Right," A silence echoed through the phone line, oh how I wished that she would just accept that Trent and I were meant to be.

"Well, I have to go and help with the final flower arrangements. I'll um..talk to you later?"

"Yeah. Okay. See you at the wedding then." I placed the phone back in its holder and sighed. Amara had said that my dress would be delivered in tomorrow or today. Her dress was a normal white, I'd seen photos of it. It was absolutely gorgeous. She wanted her hair pinned high in a braided bun.

My bridesmaid dress was a pale pink with lace patterning the top of it. My reception dress was the only beautiful one in my closet. The rest, old sundresses that had never seen the warm North Carolina sun. The dress was a deep yellow. I didn't find it very beautiful, but it was the only nice dress I had. I'd worn it once to dinner with Trent and he'd said that it was nice with my hair and skin tone.

At the reception, people were free to wear whatever they'd like. Amara had said that she wasn't going to risk ruining her wedding dress for someday she'd wear it again. She was sentimental like that. She'd left her reception dress as a surprise.

I opened the fridge and searched for something to eat. I didn't feel like going next door asking for food again so I simply pulled out frozen peas from the freezer and some quinoa from the pantry. The two didn't go great together, but I didn't have much of a choice.

My mind swirled back to a part in some romance movie where the man cooked dinner for the woman. I couldn't help but wonder if Harry would cook a meal for me.

But I began to unthaw the peas anyway, drowning in my own thoughts of what life would be like if I was with Harry. This time, I didn't push them away.

-

American hotline for domestic abuse:1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Website link for more information and numbers:
http://www.thehotline.org

Watch these:
https://youtu.be/WL3rfk2iFww
https://youtu.be/hhHdIhfK7LQ
https://youtu.be/5Z_zWIVRIWk

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A short chapter but the wedding one will definitely be longer, maybe even in two parts!

Thanks for sticking around!

-Brisa