After the dress was on and everyone had smoothed it out, I slipped on a pair of white flip-flops adorned with crystals. They were Ari’s idea since there would be no way I could walk on the beach in heels. Next came my mother’s wedding veil. She had given it to me when I turned eighteen. I smiled as Ari placed it on my head.
“Oh, Heather! It looks beautiful on you,” Ari said.
I tried so hard not to cry.
I glanced over at my three best friends and smiled. They were each dressed in a beautiful light steel blue strapless bodice with a taffeta knee-length skirt.
Jenny walked up and handed each of them a bouquet of bright blue hydrangeas. I smiled because hydrangeas were my mother’s favorite flowers. The stems were wrapped in a beautiful bright blue satin fabric with white lace and silver accents. Then, she turned and handed me my bouquet.
I sucked in a breath of air. “Oh, Jenny! It’s beautiful. ” I fought to hold back the tears.
The bouquet was filled with light blue hydrangeas and white roses. The stems were wrapped in a white silk fabric and pinned with mother-of-pearl pins.
“Jenny, did you make these?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Thank you so much. All I had to do was leave the flowers up to you, and I knew you wouldn’t let me down. How did you know about the hydrangeas?”
“I asked Ellie. ” Jenny smiled over toward Ellie.
I walked over to Ellie and hugged her. “Thank you, sweets,” I whispered.
“I love you, Heather,” Ellie whispered back.
I pulled back and stared at the three of them for a few seconds. “Y’all ready to do this?”
Ari laughed. “The question is…are you?”
“Never been more ready in my entire life. ”
Jenny turned to me. “You have your vows written down?”
“Um…I decided to just wing it. ”
“What?” all four of them said at the same time.
Elizabeth started laughing.
“Oh. My. God. Heather! It was your idea to say your own vows. Poor Josh probably spent days on his, and you’re going to just wing it?” Amanda said.
I laughed as I shook my head and started toward the door. I stopped and turned to them. “I’ll bet each of y’all that he doesn’t have his vows written down. He’s going to do the same thing as me. ”
“Shit, I’ll take you up on that. A hundred bucks says that boy pulls out a piece of paper or stumbles on his words ’cause he forgot them,” Ari said with a laugh.
“I’m in,” Ellie said.
“Oh hell yes! I’m in, and I’ll double that shit!” Amanda said.
Jenny laughed. “Come on, ladies. Let’s get a move on, shall we?”
Amanda walked out first, then Ari followed, and Ellie was last.
Ellie turned and kissed me on the cheek. “They’re with you, sweets,” she whispered in my ear.
I smiled and nodded. “I know. I feel them with me. ”
I watched as Ellie started to walk around the corner. I took a deep breath, looked up, and saw Josh’s dad standing there.