Prologue: A Beautiful Thing

(To Amanda, for your support and inspiration; your sparkle outlasted all of ours.)

Isn't it funny how people cry at the happiest moments? While it doesn't take much stress in my own life (which is quite an abnormally large amount, I assure you) before I turn on the waterworks, I can say, with pride as well as confidence, that it's never happened to me. Not even today, of all special days. Instead, I was filled with a sheer sense of nervousness, increased ten-fold by my knack to be late for absolutely every important date of my life.

"There you are Maggie!" My best friend exclaimed crossly. She grabbed my hand and yanked me into the back room. Once inside, I was nearly stripped naked by her. If it weren't for the given circumstances, I would've been terrified out of my mind at her actions. I love my best friend, I just don't love my best friend, if you know what I mean.

"Hey!" I cried in protest.

"I'm perfectly capable of undressing myself, thank you. Hi Mrs. Jacobs," I added to her mother, who was witnessing the entire scene from a seat in the corner. A knowing smile played on her lips. At the same time, tears glistened in her eyes as she nodded silently in greeting.

"Sorry, but this is what you get for being twenty minutes late." Sarah scolded me, slipping a light green satin dress over my head.

"Oh, come on. You could've started without me." I felt like a two-year old getting ready for Sunday school. I was surprised she didn't ask me to raise my arms first before slipping the dress on.

"You're the maid of honor, Mags- no I couldn't have!"

"Can I help it I'm late for everything?" I pouted at her, puffing my lower lip out and looking at her with fake sadness. She rolled her light blue eyes and shook her head in disapproval.

"I was even late for the bachelaurette party I threw you, if you recall." I smiled, remembering that wild night. It involved lots of laughing, inappropriate presents, light alcohol, and even yours truly had gotten a stripper for the evening. Actually, it was easier than I'd orginally thought. It took about two words to convince my friend Joe from work when I ran the idea of 'offering his services' by him. He'd made forty dollars that night and had more fun that all of us too. I grinned at the memory of Sarah's sheer sense of shock throughout the whole thing, particularly when I had to scream at Joe to keep on his Speedos. I'm not sure if it was the kind of party she preferred, but I think it was more than enough to convince her not to stay single much longer.

"Step in. And I'm in no mood to deal with that crap, so don't give me any." Her sharp, commanding voice cut through my thoughts like a Gin-zhu knife. She dropped a pair of matching heels in front of my feet.

"Yes Ma'am." I slid my feet into them immediately. I didn't dare open my mouth to object, hearing that tone of her voice. I guessed it was pre-wedding jitters.

"A little nervous sweetie?" I reached out and squeezed her hand for support. Her blazing eyes met mine, a handful of bobby pins clenched between her teeth.

"Terrified, thanks for asking. Now turn around." After I did, she quickly zipped up the back of my dress. At the rate she yanked her hand up, I was surprised she didn't slip and catch some of the skin on my back in the zipper. After pinning a wreath of white roses and matching ribbons on top of my head, she just about shoved me back out the door.

What a whirlwind.

"Taylor's waiting for you." She put her hands on my shoulders and whispered hoarsely in my ear, her warm breath tickling as it brushed against my neck. I shivered slightly.

"Thanks." I smiled and winked at her. "By the way, you look absolutely beautiful. I especially love the hair."

"Shut up. And get going." Her hand flew to her head of curlers.

Reminds me a little too much of a cheeseball, I realized. Actually, my stomach thought of it, reminding me it how empty it was by rumbling loudly. Sarah glanced down at her slip and nylons before slamming the door in my face. I grinned and whirled around at the reassuring sense of someone standing behind me, not to mention his warm gales of laughter that filled my ears like comforting music. My grin widened shyly as my eyes found the love of my own life.

"Late again, weren't you?" He teased me, his blue eyes gleaming. "Shame on you, Maggie Olsen."

"Me, late? Never," I shook my head and giggled.

"But you have to admit, I clean up pretty nicely, huh?" I whirled around in front of Taylor, letting my long, full skirt fly away from my ankles. Feeling childishly happy, I opened my arms and started to tilt my head back, my eyes closing, when-

"I'll say." His fingers circled around one of my wrists and pulled me toward him. I breathed in the scent of his cologne, like the musty beginnings of spring, and greeted him with a kiss. I rested my hands on his shoulders, my heart skipping lightly as I felt how perfect our lips felt pressed softly together.

As if we were made for each other.

"Thanks," I breathed and pulled away, resisting every urge in my body to continue kissing him. My eyes brightened when I looked him up and down.

"Hey, you do too." He looked absolutely adorable. Something about guys in tuxedos turns my knees more wobbly than a bowl overfilled with Jell-O..

All during an earthquake in Taylor's case. I ran my fingers lightly over the soft, white silk shirt he wore underneath his black coat. A delicate white rose nestled in baby's breathe sat neatly in his lapel. I smiled, thinking of the matching flowers in my hair.

"Thanks. How's Sarah doing?"

"Completely freaking out. How about Ike?" I joked.

"Sweating like a pig," he played along. "Isn't marriage a beautiful thing?"

"Absolutely." I replied when the minister raised his hand in our direction, our signal to begin. Taylor chivalrously lifted his elbow to my services. Smiling, I slipped my hand around it and rested my wrist on his forearm.

"Ready to walk down the aisle with me?" I joked in a whisper.

"I've waited six years for you and I'd wait six hundred more if I had to." He whispered in response, patting my hand softly.

"Oh, Taylor.." I melted. If my smile got any wider, I'd crack my face in half. I felt my cheeks growing warm under his compliment.

"Now don't you get mushy on me. Let's go." As he led me to the back of the aisle, one hundred and fifty-seven heads turned in our direction. I only knew the exact number because earlier Zac, the head usher, had proudly informed me of how he'd seated almost every one of them, about ninty-five percent of them being on his side of the family. I smiled at the sight of him sitting at the end of the second row and found his eyes staring right back at me. Although a little wave of sadness came over me at our rocky past, the small grin on his face was comforting to me now.

.. I just want you to be happy. I remembered his kind words almost exactly six months ago, when I'd told him about me and Taylor getting together, completely dissolving any insecurities I'd had about the situation that had erupted between me and him. I grinned and blew him a little kiss as Taylor and I passed by and took our places near the minister and a very nervous Isaac. The poor guy was sheet white in the face and I could almost hear his own knees knocking together. I smiled as Taylor sweetly brushed a tiny kiss on my cheek before we parted.

I glanced over at the eldest Hanson again and winked at him. He nodded at me, relaxing his face a little. It brightened about ten thousand watts as his eyes shifted elsewhere. Hearing the wedding march, I turned in the same direction as his gaze and nearly burst into tears.. nearly.

Sarah looked absolutely beautiful: her layered dress had a simple but elegant design and her hair now hung in soft, loose ringlets around her face, the light blonde color accenting the glow that brightened her face like an angel. I smiled at the stiffness in her father's walk down the aisle; Sarah was his baby girl. The man rarely opened up to anyone and she hardly saw him because he was a chronic work-a-holic. It was dreadfully sad that now he had to give her away- this was obvious in his slight hesitation to release her arm.

"Daddy," she whispered, smiling nervously at him. He smiled back sadly and left her side, taking the empty seat next to her mother, who was already dabbing tears out of the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief. Across the aisle, Walker quietly comforted Diana in her own tearful joy. Realizing it was too much for me to witness, I quickly glanced away. The last thing I wanted was to catch the contagious crying virus. It was just asking to make the mascara run down my cheeks. As much as I really wanted the streaky, raccoon look in front of everyone, I can assure you I didn't.

"Dearly Beloved," the minister began. The rest of the service went by in a complete blur, my eyes drifting from Sarah, to Isaac, Taylor, then back to Sarah. Each time I looked into Taylor's eyes, I caught him looking right back at me. Words cannot describe the way my heart swelled not only with the intensity I felt from his gaze, but also the intensity inside me that I wanted to send back to him. For the first time since we met, we were on the same wavelength and stayed there for six glorious months. It all felt perfect.

I was also amazed by the way Sarah and Isaac looked at each other. From the little peeks they stole at each other and the monotonous tones in their voices replying to the minister, I could tell their attention was also not on the service. Ike touched me most of all in the way he looked at Sarah: so softly and tenderly, like a soft summer breeze caressing a white dandelion. My heart ached that someday, I too would have someone who'd look at me that way. Someone who would want to wrap themselves around my world and love me universally. Ok, so it was a selfish wish, but also a simple one. Until this moment, although suffering the pains of jealously toward couples that accompanies single status, I'd never dreamed I'd have a perfect match. Given my past, however, it isn't surprising.

The next thing I knew, everyone was clapping and we were throwing birdseed at the new couple outside in front of the church. I laughed with hysterics as Taylor picked up a big handful and chucked it at the back of his brother's head, hitting him squarely. Ike stopped in his tracks down the church stairs and turned around. The crowd of relatives around us fell silent momentarily as he stared down his brother. I was the first one to start laughing again when he simply shook his fist and said:

"We'll use oatmeal instead of birdseed on your big day." The rest of us erupted in loud laughter.

What an extremely happy day, I thought, glancing around the happy faces and gleaming smiles. All this was starting to give me cavities.

"In your dreams, Mr. Jacobs." Taylor replied. I patted his shoulder.

"That's enough brotherly torment for one day. Come on, let's get to the party." I grabbed his hand and practically dragged him across the lawn in front of the church. With my free hand, I lifted up the front of my skirt so I wouldn't step on it in my hurried pursuit of the parking lot. The last thing I wanted was waiting in a stand-still stream of cars to the exit when I knew what was waiting for us at the reception hall.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, nearly tripping. "What's the hurry?"

"I'm starving." I replied with a grin. "And I know there's food at the reception."

"That's right. My girlfriend, the human garbage disposal." He squeezed my hand a little tighter. I caught sight of the sunlight sparkling brightly in his eyes as I looked up at him out of the corners of mine.

"Love you too." Although cast in a sarcastic tone, every beat of my heat knew it was true.