After Dusk

Chapter Four

If I could explain this wedding venue in three words, it would be Heaven on earth. 

Nestled in a sea of tall vibrant green trees, Rolling Oak Farms had to be the most beautiful place I had ever seen in my life. I don't know if it was the large vintage white barn with a modern look on the inside decorated gorgeously with an exquisite hanging flora design from the rafters or the breathtaking garden outside that seemed never ending but I, without a doubt, would stay here forever if I could. 

"El, can you go find the box with the extra silverware already wrapped up for me?" Leo asked, interrupting me from my thoughts. 

"Uh, yeah. Where is the box?" I asked turning my head around, scanning the dark espresso hardwood floors as if the box would just be sitting at my feet.

"Um," Leo paused for a second in the midst of messing with the centerpieces on the long rectangular table, "I think it might be in that storage room by the kitchen," 

"Alright, no problem!" I said confidently spinning around on my heels, I headed out the large main room of the modern barn that was almost done with its preparations for the rehearsal dinner.

Once out of the main room, I crossed the entryway to the hallway that looked familiar to me but it wasn't long until my confident strides slowed down to an unsure stroll as soon as the hall lined with multiple doors seem to never end and unrecognizable. 

I don't remember the hallway being this long... Did I go down the wrong way?

As I was about to turn around and find the right way back to the kitchen when I suddenly heard a faint sound of someone crying from behind one of the closed doors by me. I  promptly stopped and slowly turned to the door in question and quietly walked closer. Leaning my head closer to the wooden door, I remained still like a statue until I heard the sounds of soft sniffles from behind the door again confirming what I thought I had originally heard. 

Leaning away from the door I looked down at my feet. What should I do? I know it wasn't my place to just open doors and see if whoever the person crying inside needed anything or if they were ok, but I hated the idea of someone crying or being sad and alone in such a beautiful place.

I rose my hand to the door and knocked before completely thinking it through. 

"Excuse me," I called through the door as I placed my other hand on the doorknob slowly turning it, opening the door just enough that half of my body could be seen by whoever it was inside.

I peered into the small barn styled powder room that the afternoon sun poured into to find a petite woman with dark brunette hair sitting at a stunning cream colored vanity that took up most of the wall that it was pressed against. The women sitting on the long vintage white cushioned vanity stool began to quickly wipe her face with the back of her hand, I assumed trying to hide any traces of her tears that were just falling before I interrupted. Leaning just my head into the room a little further I softly spoke, "Um... I'm sorry to intrude,"

The petite woman looked up swiftly and a soft gasped escaped her lips.

Seeing the surprised look on her face, it quickly dawned on me how stupid it was for me to practically trespass into someone's room just because I heard someone crying. 

"I'm so sorry!" I declared immediately, "I-I heard someone crying and I- well it made me sad because this place is so beautiful and I um- I guess I just wanted to make sure you were ok," I could feel my cheeks hastily heat up and turning red as I tried to explain myself.

Her face slowly changed from shock to amazement, "You...You really came in here just to check on me?" her angelic voice squeaked out as she placed the hand she was wiping her face with over her chest.