06

Kathie Jane

I smoothed down my dress and made sure my curls lay perfectly in place. My sister deserves a beautiful maid of honor on her wedding day. I tamped down any non-positive feelings and made sure there’s no trace of puffiness to my eyes.

When I entered the bridal suite that smelled of peonies, I heard my mother crying. She was hugging a stiff Chassie.

As if sensing I just came in, Chassie pointed an accusing finger to me beside her reflection in the enormous mirror. « You told them ? »

Welp. I knew this would happen. « It was dad who told mom. »

He chokes on his champagne as he hides guiltily in a corner. « I’m sorry, sweetheart. It just slipped. »

Chassie turns around and faces me in a silk satin A-line wedding dress that hung breathtakingly to her body. Although adorned only with a satin sash that crisscrosses her waist, it accentuated her curves too well. After all this time, she’s still the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. And I’ve been to a lot of weddings with blushing brides.

« Wow, Chassie. You look gorgeous. »

She shyly smiles down to her gown. « Thanks, » she murmured and looks at me again with a pucker between her brows. « But this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You told dad. »

« I-«  I look around to see if I can blame someone for it but there were only four of us in the room. Okay, so this one’s on me. « It just slipped. »

« Oh, there’s nothing to fuss about, sweetheart. I didn’t tell anyone. » Mom rubs Chassie’s back comfortingly.

Still, her not telling anyone this long is close to a miracle. Chassie, dad and I arched an eyebrow at her as if we’re all thinking the same thing.

Mom feigned innocence but couldn’t keep up the act for long. « Okay, I might have told my hairdresser. But, » she holds up a finger before anyone could react. « I made her sworn to secrecy. »

Chassie groans. « Please, don’t jeopardize the surprise. »

« We’re not. » Mom shrugs. « We’re simply celebrating in silence. And not a soul on earth has a clue why. »

Dad leaves his corner and finished his drink. « I agree with your mom, sweetie. I promise you your surprise will be safe until you get on the plane to your honeymoon. »

« Can you guys make it until we landed ? Because then I may have already told Nathan. » Chassie shifts her gaze on the three of us.

I raised a hand. « I can do that. »

« I will try for my beautiful princess. » Mom locks Chassie in what looked like a tight hug. « You’re the most stunning bride I have ever seen in my life. » She started to sniffle again.

« Mom, you’re aware that this is the second time that I’m going to marry Nathan, right ? » Chassie snorted.

She holds her in arm’s length. « Who cares ? You can marry him a hundred more times and I’d still cry you a river. »

« I’ll be walking down the aisle in two hours. Are you sure you want to spend those hours crying ? »

« Yeah, or maybe you want to be the mother of the bride with swollen eyes and Rodulph’s nose. » I grinned.

Mom looks up, blinking her tears back. « You’re both right. »

Dad shakes his head with a soft laugh. « Where’s Ethan ? »

« She’s with Nathan’s parents. »

« Just to be clear. He’ll be staying with us while you and Nathan are in your honeymoon, right ? » Mom beams at her with twinkling eyes.

Chassie shakes her head slowly. « It should be a week with you and dad and a week with Nathan’s parents. »

« We can share Ethan with Sebastian and Claire. » Dad turns his full attention to Chassie, the empty flute of champagne neglected where he left it. His eyes softened. So did Chassie’s, the resemblance between them unmistakable.

I feel a prick behind my eyes. Not because it might take me longer to finally walk down the aisle. It’s because of something much stronger than my broken heart – happiness for my little sister and best friend.

Mom looks up and blinks rapidly. « Oh, god, my mascara. »

« Family huddle. » I spread my arms out and shuffled close to them.

It was a dèjá vu.

A sweet dèjá vu up to the part where I made it down the aisle at my sister’s wedding.

My eyes were stuck at the beautiful bride. It’s the first time I haven’t been constantly checking on my phone. When it was her turn to walk toward the altar, all heads were on her.

I know it wasn’t for the fact that it’s her big day and all the attention must be on her. As it turned out, when Chassie started down the aisle on dad’s arm, it was difficult not to stare at how gorgeous she is.

I did a quick glance at the groom. He waits patiently for his bride to make it to the altar. The urge to cry becomes more insistent when Nathan’s eyes tendered and watered just a touch.

Mom hiccups softly beside me which has something to do with suppressing an audible sob. Nathan’s mother, Claire Forester offers her a tissue which she gratefully took.

« The mother of the bride can’t have mascara making straight line down her face, » she kidded although her voice sounded a little watery too.

I let a tear run down my cheek. When they exchanged vows though, I went from restrained sobs to full-fledged weeping.

I hear sobs echoing inside the church – most of them coming from our side of the pew. I hear a camera shutter which draws my attention to Jessica who’s shed a few tears herself. She’s not much of a crier but by the looks of it, she might as well drop the camera and let her two assistants do all the work while she weeps along with me.

I thought it was beautiful. But then it wasn’t quite as beautiful as when Nathan slip the ring on her finger and leans in to whisper ‘I love you’ to her ear. It was only meant for her. But it seemed as though he shouted it out from the mountain tops.

Jessica mouthed ‘aww’ to me and I nodded.

The lump inside my throat finally departed when Nathan lifts her bride’s veil and they share a kiss as husband and wife.

« Aunt Kathie ? » Ethan whispers. He remained quiet the entire ceremony that I hadn’t notice he moved from dad’s lap to mom’s. « Does this mean I’m finally getting a baby brother ? »

Oh, if he only knew.

He grins at me and crawls to my lap. He looked like the little version of his daddy in his tiny tuxedo. Nathan made sure Chassie wouldn’t even be able to lie about the baby daddy.

I hugged him and kissed the top of his head. « Yes, baby. You’re going to be a big brother soon. »

Caught up in the overwhelming happiness as I am, his blue eyes lit up.

Nathan and Chassie made it back up the aisle. She blew a kiss at Ethan which made him clapped a lot louder than the cheering guests. I lift Ethan to my arms as we all stood from our seats.

« Oh, there’s Margaret. » Mom carefully dabs the corners of her eyes with a tissue. She waves at the direction of her close friend.

Three pews away, just behind Chassie’s closest friends, Summer Daniels, Francesco Piero, Andrei Parkinson. And then there’s Nathan’s buddies, Spence Parkinson (with his wife Athena and one year old son), Vren and Christian Parkinson.

Margaret Parkinson waves back. She has been my mother’s best friend since she started joining pageants. They stayed friends even when they both got married and started raising their families.

Margaret and her husband Nicholas Parkinson sure did a lot of family building. They had six children – one of which I have just met in worse ways possible. I have met Vren, Christian, Matthew, Andrei and Ichinandra.

« I always had my hopes that you would end up with one of her sons. » Mom whispers to me.

I shake my head. « I don’t think they’re my type. »

« I wasn’t talking about Vren and Christian. I was talking about her other sons. » She winks.

« I’m with Owen. »

« Your dad said you guys are broken up. »

Horror filled my guts. « Dad told you ? »

« You’re too good for him, sweetie. » She cups my cheek, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. « He’s not worth your time. »

Margaret smiled at both of us. Cade Parkinson is standing beside her, a phone over his ear. He and I met gazes. I sighed, permanently crossing out the first couple of times we met undesirably on both parties.

I smiled and wave at him.

He didn’t so much as blink. He just look back, his face a mirror of nothingness.

Cadey’s not a fan. We established that. Well, not a fan… yet.