The Warmest Winter✓

Three

Spending more time around the stables with Julian managed to restore my mood. When I return to the house, Sam and Eleanor are at the front porch having breakfast. Together with them is another woman I have never seen before.

Maybe it's the wedding planner? I probe, recalling last night's chat.

"Hello. I'm back." I grin widely, presenting myself.

"Oh, it's good that you're here. Meet Grace Rodgers—your wedding planner!" Eleanor announces sassily as I wander toward them. "Grace, this is the bride-to-be. Beautiful, isn't she?" They all look at me.

Well, here goes nothing.

"Um . . . hi, Grace." I regard the dark skinned woman with terrific curves befitting the denim jumpsuit she's wearing.

"Hi, Kira," Grace returns, and a big smile crosses her face. "Of course, she is beautiful. Congratulations, dear. A wedding is a big and wonderful step for us women to own it."

Own it. Her words are inspiring.

Well, it's happening at last. My wedding planner is here, ready to discuss my wedding. I sit down ready to listen to whatever she has to say. But my head is all over the place and miserably I fail to concentrate as I probably should.

"Are you okay, honey?" Eleanor asks, making everyone eye me with attention.

"Yeah," I answer quickly, derailed from my trance. "You were saying?" I think I got lost for a while.

"We're asking which one you'd prefer between traditional, romantic, and this contemporary decoration theme? I'm aware that you want something simple, but elegance must be incorporated, right?" Grace tries to be cheerful, and her mood is infectious.

"You're right. Well, I prefer something romantic and a bit traditional considering that we'll be surrounded by nature," I say and the subject continues.

After the meeting with the wedding planner, which was somehow funny as I got to laugh and hear everyone's opinion, we head to the city. Now we're meeting the dressmaker, who happens to be Eleanor's designer friend.

God, this whole thing is tiring for my laziness. Can't we just wear grandma's dress like the old times? I muse inside, sadly reminding myself that I don't have a grandma anyway. Maybe I could've used my mom's if she were still alive—I suddenly miss her.

"Eleanor, darling!" A man snaps cheerily upon our arrival. Judging from his classy clothes, I believe he's the designer. "What an honor to have you here!" Slim and blonde, he is quite a sassy guy whose smile hardly vanishes.

"Ricky." Eleanor shares a hug with him, as Sam and I roam our gaze around the store. "I told you I need a gorgeous wedding dress and here is my daughter in law," she says, talking about me.

"Oh, gorgeous." Ricky's ingenuous eyes drink me in with feminine decorum, scanning my figure—I suppose. "You're splendid, darling. I could even use you for my next designs."

"Wow. Thanks." I smile.

Moments later we begin doing what has brought us here, and I'm so glad.

"I believe with her skin tone, this amazing hair, and such a fine bone structure, this dress will look amazing!" Ricky states.

"What do you say, Kira? Do you absolutely like this?" Eleanor asks, her voice warm.

"Yeah, it's fine," I reply, my eyes on the sketch of my wedding dress, something fancy and Disney-like.

Do I like it? I honestly don't know.

"Kiki, you're going to look amazing in this!" Sam chirps enthusiastically, eyeing the same design. Everyone seems to acquiesce. "Aw, I also want to get married now," she adds, making me laugh softly.