“Mom, I already told you I don’t like makeup. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t wear makeup to my wedding.”
Mrs. Tolken let out a sigh. “Well, you still look beautiful,” she said after a long pause. She reached out and brushed the hair out of her daughter’s eyes. “I can’t believe it, you’re so grown up.” At one point, her eyes were swelling up with tears. It all felt so surreal to her; not that she was getting married to the woman of her dreams, but that her mother was okay with her getting married to the woman of her dreams.
Alicia still hadn’t seen her. They had both agreed to wear dresses because who said suits were relevant, anyway? Gabriella’s dress flowed like a waterfall down the course of her body. It shimmered in the light, like a sky full of stars. She pirouetted three times in front of the mirror, smiling each time she caught a glimpse of the light bouncing off the sequins on her dress.
“Alright,” she said finally. “I think I’m ready.”
***
Alicia smoothed a hand over her hair and waited. The entire church was painted white. Hundreds of eyes were watching her, rows of teeth flashed themselves to her, pouted lips whispered things to each other. This was more nerve-wracking than any show. She couldn’t wait to see Gabriella’s dress. Alicia begged her to see it before it was time to walk down the altar, but Gabriella wasn’t having it. Alicia wasn’t much of a superstitious person, in fact, she was the exact opposite of that. Gabriella, on the other hand, was the kind of woman that would go to great lengths to avoid stepping on a crack.
The hymns seemed to go on forever. The guests stood at their benches, waiting eagerly for the bride to step in. Alicia waited at the altar, her hands shaking, her legs wobbling underneath her. But it was a good kind of scared. The tension was building and Alicia could barely focus on one thing. Her eyes darted from the priest, who just stood there with his lips pursed, to looking around for her father, to the flower petals scattered all over the crimson red carpet rolled out on the aisle. Suddenly the music became louder; Alicia knew it was time.
The flower girls stepped in first. They were mostly Gabriella’s friends, and the rest were Alicia’s younger cousins. They wore maroon dresses, which hugged their bodies perfectly, and marched gracefully down the aisle. Finally, Gabriella appeared.
Alicia’s heart skipped a beat the moment her eyes caught sight of Gabriella. She wore a long flowing off-white gown with pearls sewn into it. The bridesmaids helped her as she trotted down the red carpet, lifting her train off the floor and marching slowly. They smiled at the guests, who were cheering and throwing confetti into the air. Alicia’s eyes were tearing up. Mr. Tolken walked his daughter down the aisle. He walked slowly, but Alicia could tell he was over the moon. The entire time, though, it was Gabriella she was looking at.
She couldn’t take her eyes off her, or her gown, or her hair which cascaded down the length of her back like a waterfall. She had a wreath around her head; Alicia thought it made her look like a Greek goddess. Her cheekbones glowed in the light of the church, and so did her collarbones and shoulders. Everything about her was glowing, even her smile.
Alicia had been working on her wedding vows for a long time now. That shit’s hard, she remembered telling herself, over and over again. She spent countless nights trying to think of the right words to say, and when she finally realized that there were no “right” words, she decided she was going to sing her vows, instead.
Writing a song was never this hard. Every night, Alicia would sneak into the balcony to write a few lyrics, get frustrated and then go back to sleep. She remembered waking up suddenly at dawn, jotting down a verse or two and then falling back asleep. She would wake up the next day with no recollection of what she wrote, or when she wrote it, but she would be happy with it, anyway. Today was the day, and she couldn’t be more excited.
A wave of applause rose amongst the people. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. Gabriella seemed to be moving along slower than she actually was, the people around them looked blurry, like participants in a dream. Alicia could see nothing and nobody but her. The priest smiled at her and held onto his Bible. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Gabriella arrived at the altar. Mr. Tolken was tearing up, the bags under his eyes looking more swollen than usual.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Ms. Alicia Harper and Ms. Gabriella Tolken …”
Alicia closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Gabriella could tell she was nervous. The truth was, she was nervous, too. She was about to get married to this woman. All eyes were on them, but their eyes were on each other only. Alicia spaced out. All she could think about were her vows. Before she knew it, the priest was turning to Gabriella with a modest grin plastered to his face. “Gabriella, please read your vows to Alicia.”
Gabriella had no paper on her. She looked straight into Alicia’s eyes, her lips parting slightly. “Alicia, the first time I met you, you were waiting tables. And know how you say you hate diners and waitressing?” She paused for a moment, clearing her throat. “Well, I love diners. I love diners because if it weren’t for that run-down place, that place you hate so much, I would’ve never met you.” A collective sigh rose from the crowd. “I’ll never forget the first time I saw you. I remember you were floating around the tables, scribbling down people’s orders. And then suddenly you just stood there and looked at me; I swear I was praying that you would come by my table.” Gabriella’s eyes were swelling up with tears. “I gotta be honest, though, the first time we talked, I never expected it to come to this. I never expected to be talking to the love of my life, the person who changed my life the most. Alicia Harper, you’re the woman of my dreams, and even though we’ve been through a lot, I still think you’re the woman of my dreams. Now more than ever.”
Another collective sigh rose from the crowd. It broke over Alicia like a wave; suddenly she found herself crying. Her tears burst forth like water from a dam, but she tried to contain herself. “I love you,” she mouthed.
“I love you, too.”
The priest pursed his lips and averted his gaze to Alicia. “Alicia, will you please read your vows to Gabriella?”
Alicia froze. She looked around, her eyes scanning the audience. They weren’t exactly an audience, but she would’ve liked to think of them as one. She cleared her throat and looked ahead.
Golden locks shimmering in the light
And I never thought
You might
Be the one
Big doe eyes glowing in the night
And I never thought
You might
Be the one
Be the one
Be the one
Be the one
And I never thought
You might
Be the one
I saw you once
And went around asking for you
Because deep down I knew
You might
Be the one
Be the one
Be the one
And I never thought
You might
Be the one
Alicia’s voice broke over the crowd like a wave. She sang with no mic, but somehow everyone in that chapel could hear her. They had taken all the security measures necessary to block out the wedding crashers, and for the first time ever, they nailed it. Alicia looked around and saw nothing but familiar faces, staring back at her with tears in their eyes. Some people sniffed, while others whispered things to each other. By the time Alicia was done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“And by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you wife and wife.”
Wave after wave of applause washed over them. Gabriella leaned in and pressed her lips to Alicia’s. They were salty with tears; she had never tasted more beautiful. Finally, they looked at each other through heavy-lidded eyes, their faces glittery with makeup they didn’t want to wear but still looked good with. Gabriella held Alicia’s
hand and dragged her down the aisle. “Our car’s waiting for us.”
They stepped out into the courtyard, which was filled with white roses. Alicia picked one and gave it to Gabriella. “To new beginnings?” she beamed.
“To new beginnings.”
* * *
Thank You!
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Just For You: A lesbian romance (Play Me a Song Book 3) Page 14
