Darkened Heart

Chapter Twenty

"Charlotte? Charlotte, are you in here?" He opened the door slightly, enough to peer inside the room. "Yes! But it's bad luck to see me in my dress before the wedding!" She replied, pressing her back against the door playfully, enough to almost squish his face. Her wavy ginger hair fell gracefully onto her shoulders as the lightness of her dress hugged her torso, flowing from her waist. "I know, darling! I just wanted to tell you that there is a special guest I invited. They're waiting for you downstairs." His words made her tilt her head. "Who is it?" She asked. "It wouldn't be special if I told you, would it?" He chuckled. Charlotte smiled lightly, "Alright. I'm almost done getting ready, I'll be right there." The other father, now Victor, turned and stuck his hand through the crack in the door. Instinctively, she took it in hers. "I look forward to this evening." His mellow voice said lovingly. "I'll meet you there." She said, giving it a squeeze. Pulling his hand away, the door shut. His footsteps faded down the hall and eventually down the stairs. Charlotte quickly walked over to the mirror, placing the glistening white veil onto her head before checking her makeup one final time. Her heart was aching with happiness as she looked at herself and at the room around her. As much as he wanted to make her dress himself, she managed to convince him to keep it a surprise. The past weeks had been busy. They had gone shopping to buy him some modern day clothing as well as some plane tickets. True to his word, they would get away from the pink palace as soon as possible. After their honeymoon, they'd travel. They'd see the world and forget about the pain in their past. She looked down at the ring on her finger, trying not to cry tears of joy. Charlotte had been dreaming of this moment for a long time.

The next thing she knew, she was making her way down the stairs for the last time. She picked up the flowing white skirt of her dress as she did so. Just as she made it to the foot of the stairs, what she heard made her heart want to explode. "Charlotte... You look beautiful." The voice caused her to look up, eyes widening as her eyes met the owner. "Mom?!" She exclaimed, nearly dropping the bouquet of pink tulips in her hands. A woman, in her early fifties with the same ginger hair and emerald eyes, gazed back at her with a grin. "I'm sorry I didn't show up sooner." She said, bringing her daughter into an embrace. Charlotte, immediately hugged her back as tightly as possible, feeling as if she'd never let go. "Oh mom, I missed you so much! I-I wasn't sure you'd come!" Charlotte tried so hard not to cry, knowing that her mascara would smear if she did such a thing. "You didn't think you'd walk down that isle, alone did you? I know your father couldn't give you away, but I'd be happy to." Her mother stated, pulling away to breathe. "How did you know about-" "Your fiance was such a catch, he told me everything. It definitely explained why you sounded so frightened on the voicemail." She gave Charlotte a sympathetic look. "But I'm glad you're in love. Speaking of which, I want some grand kids!" She laughed, causing Charlotte to roll her eyes. Hugging her mom once more, she shook her head, "Even if you want to embarrass me, I'm just glad you're here."

With that, they made their way to the front door. Charlotte, now feeling her insides move and sway with excitement, welcomed the sunlight as it poured onto her. It was the first time she saw the sun in several months. From the first day they got here it had been cloudy and dim with a good chance of fog or rain. However, that curse seemed to be lifted. It made her smile. Locking arms with her mother, the two walked down the front steps and onto the path that led to the garden. Even from far away, Charlotte could see the pink balloons that were tied to the ends of each chair. The altar was also visible, with red tulips overlapping one another. In the garden, everyone, including the neighbors such as Bobinsky, Spink, and Forcible were waiting. Jacque, the little black terrier, had a shiny gold collar in place of his raggedy old scarf. Since the other father had no one to be his best man, Jacque happily took up the position, even wearing a little red bow tie underneath his neck to prove himself as sophisticated enough. The other father wore a black suit with a white bow tie and a classic white flower on his chest. He didn't want to do anything too unique, knowing that they wanted something simple rather than extravagant. He was surprised to find that he wasn't nervous. In fact, he never recalled a moment where he was more peaceful. Wylie stood right beside him, serving as both the maid of honor and the one who would perform the ceremony. She wore a grey knee-length dress that was velvety and somewhat rough. It acted as a turtleneck that was accompanied by a simple pearl necklace. Her curly brown hair was in a low ponytail behind her neck.