I park the golf cart right next to the barn and look around, seeing the ceremony space is as it should be. Making my way toward the wooden path that was just laid down as the aisle for Sofia, I walk down toward the trees and see the lights even from here.
Wisteria vine ratta white flowers are hanging all the way to the ground and are then pinned at the side, giving a curtain effect. The minute I saw this picture online, I knew it would look amazing here. I pick up a strand of flowers and smell it while I continue to walk down the wooden path. White rose petals are along the pathway, the tall trees closing off the sun from coming in. The soft yellow tea lights add some extra light besides the sunlight that is trying to cut through the trees. “Hey,” I greet as I walk down and see Ace and Bennett putting the white and gold chairs on each side of the aisle. “How is it going?”
“It would be going a lot better if we could be in the barn drinking,” Ace complains, huffing as he puts the last chair down. “Do you know how many people we had at my surprise wedding?” His wedding to Shelby was after they found out their significant others were sleeping with each other. Shelby found out the night before her wedding and then walked down the aisle and exposed him like the boss she is. Then the two of them went on her honeymoon, and from the way they act, they are still on their honeymoon. I shake my head.
“Maybe sixty people,” he fills me in and then looks over at Bennett.
“Mine doesn’t count; it was really a gender reveal and there were about two hundred people,” Bennett says of his and Presley’s wedding.
“What was the head count?” Ace asks me, putting his hands on his hips.
“I think it was something close to three hundred, if not a touch more,” I reply, and Bennett whistles. “They both have huge families.” The sting of tears still shocks me, even after all this time. “This looks amazing,” I praise, looking toward the end of the aisle where there is a canopy of flowers and lights. “I have to check the reception space. Why don’t you guys come and enjoy a cold one while you can?” I motion with my head toward the golf cart that is waiting for me.
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Ace says, the both of them following me to the golf cart. I drive them to the barn and they quickly get out and walk into the building.
I look around, making sure no one is trying to shoot off any more guns before I see Shelby and Presley walking toward me, holding up a glass of champagne. “What is that for?”
“That is for this,” Shelby declares, holding her hand up, and I look around at all the hard work I did the past two weeks to make this a reality. I can’t help but feel proud I actually pulled it off.
“It was easy with you guys helping me,” I tell her, and she just throws her head back and laughs.
“This was all you,” Presley compliments, “the little touches of detail are everything.” She turns and points at the empty wine barrels I found with rustic glass vases on top with candles. Instead of round tables, I put long tables so everyone can more or less be together. In the middle of the tables are little round pieces of wood that hold the flowers on them.
“That shake it like a Polaroid picture is amazing,” Shelby declares, pointing at the big board that has string hanging, waiting for pictures to be added. There will be a photographer snapping pictures of everyone when they arrive and then hanging the pictures up. “She’s going to love it.”
“I hope so,” I tell them. “Speaking of the bride, I need to make sure everything is going okay, and everyone is less sweet tea and more normal.” I smile at them as I turn and walk out of the barn.
The sound of birds chirping off in the distance fills me with a peace, of sorts. Until I hear shots again. This time I look up and see Billy and Cooper Sr. standing together, while he shows him how to hold the gun.
I put my hands on my head before I run toward them. “Do you think we can hide all the weapons for today?” I ask Billy, who just smiles at me.
“Will do, lass,” he agrees, ignoring me and turning and walking away from me. I turn back, running to the bride’s room, and when I’m about to open the door, another shot fires through the air.
I rush, gasping for breath. “Everything is fine,” I pant out when I walk into the room. I try to settle my breathing as I push my hair to the side and put a smile on my face, even though it’s a fake smile. “The men were thinking of maybe saluting you guys by shooting off guns and one sort of misfired.” I see the horror on Sofia’s face, and I know I have to calm the situation down. “No one is hurt.”
She laughs at me at the same time someone knocks at the door. “Can I come in?” a male voice says as he sticks his head in. “I come with gifts.” I turn my head to look toward the door and the voice.
It’s as if everything happens in slow motion. I can literally hear myself blink as it happens. My eyes fall onto the man who is coming in. I can feel the blood drain out of my whole body as he steps in, his six-foot-four frame filling the room. His black hair that felt like silk under my fingers is styled perfectly on his head. He doesn’t have to look at me for me to know that his eyes are green. He’s wearing tan pants with a white shirt and a tan vest; the same thing the groom’s party will be wearing. Someone gasps and I have to wonder if it’s Sofia, and when I turn to her, I see her looking at me with confusion on her face. It’s then I realize I’m the one who gasped. It was me. This can’t be happening, I think to myself; my head feels like it’s spinning around and around at the same time that I feel the room spinning the complete opposite way. My mouth goes drier than the desert on a hot summer day, my tongue feels like it just grew in my mouth. The back of my neck slowly starts to get clammy and my fingers are tingly. Am I having a stroke? Maybe he’s not here in front of me. Maybe it’s my mind playing tricks on me from the sun and heat from outside. Maybe I got shot by one of the bullets.
All these things run through my mind but halt when his eyes stop looking around the room and then, finally, he’s looking straight at me. “Oh my God,” I declare as I put my hand to my mouth. “It’s you.” It’s him, the man who has been haunting my dreams for the last five years. The man I met one night in a bar and went home with. The man who all I knew is I fell in love with his name. The man who is the father of my child. The minute I think of Avery, I know I have to get out of here and get her away from here. Except, I have no idea where she is. I know she’s somewhere with Shelby’s kids and she is fine.
The color on Stefano’s face drains and he looks like he’s seen a ghost. “You,” he says in a whisper. I can see Sofia at the side of me, her head going from me to Stefano and back to me again. I can’t even imagine what she is thinking. The only thing I’m thankful for is no one in the room besides the three of us sees what is going on. I’m about to sit down or my legs are about to give out when I hear Avery shriek. I close my eyes, trying to force her to go away. Or maybe I close my eyes, thinking if I do this, everything that is happening right now isn’t actually happening. Maybe all of this is a dream. Maybe he’s not right here in front of me.
“Momma, Momma!” Avery shouts, running to me and I look down at her. Her hair is pinned at the sides and she’s wearing a halo of flowers. The white dress she is wearing has short sleeves and looks like there are flowers all over it. It kicks off and looks like a mini ball gown as it brushes her knees. Her little blush-pink, sparkly ballerina shoes make the outfit complete. “I get to wear a princess dress.” She turns around in a circle on one foot, stumbling while she looks at Sofia and then at Stefano.
“Oh my God.” Stefano gulps, putting his hand to his mouth. I have no doubt he’s put two and two together. Her eyes are the same eyes he has. They have the same golden ring around them. The sound of my heart beating in my chest is filling my ears, along with the sound of buzzing.
“Stefano,” I hear someone call to him. As the door closes, my eyes go over to see a woman coming into the room. She’s stunning as she saunters over to him, her long legs coming out of the split of her dress. A dress that molds her form and shows you she’s got the perfect body. Her breasts look like two small balls, and if this was happening to anyone else, I would laugh. “Baby, where did you go?” she questions, slipping her hand through his. “Who do we have here?” It’s a wonder I don’t vomit all over the place. It’s a wonder there aren’t screams coming out of my mouth instead of all in my head.
He doesn’t say anything to her as she looks at him with a huge smile on her face. Her blond hair is perfectly curled at the end. My eyes immediately go to her ring finger to see if maybe they are married, but it’s empty.
I look at Stefano and then look back down at Avery. “Aunt Sofia,” she says, “do I look like a princess?”
Sofia, whose eyes were as big as saucers not two seconds ago, smiles down at Avery and squats down in front of her. “You are the most beautiful princess I’ve ever seen,” she assures her.
“Look, I have a crown of flowers,” she brags, touching the crown on top of her head, “like a real princess.
“Momma,” Avery says, coming over to me. “I have a basket full of flowers and I have to throw them.” She mimics what she has to do.
The blonde laughs. “She is so adorable; what is her name?”
I look up now and add this one moment to the list of things I will never forget. “Her name is Avery.”
