"Oh, Michelle." Abby sighed. "You look so beautiful, honey."
Michelle did indeed look lovely. Her wedding gown was a very simple, sleeveless, white silk sheath with a square neckline and a discreet slit in one side to just above her knee. She didn't wear a veil, but instead left her hair down and curly, a sprig of honeysuckle anchored behind one ear. Honeysuckle was also intertwined throughout her bouquet of magnolia blossoms. She was the picture of a summer bride.
Michelle's smile as she turned to her sister-in-law was bright, but her eyes were strangely vacant.
"Thanks, Abby. I can't believe I'm getting married in less than an hour."
A small frown crossed Abby's face."Neither can I, Michelle." she said softly. Abby crossed the room to stand behind Michelle, who was looking in the mirror."Michelle, if you're not sure about this-"
"I'm sure, Abby."
"But,honey,it's just so soon and-"
"I said I'm sure, Abby." Michelle said, turning to give Abby a hug. "This is going to be the happiest day of my life."
Abby hugged Michelle tightly."Alright. As long as your happy."
"I am, Abby, I am." Michelle laughed as she pulled away, but there were tears glistening in her eyes. Michelle quickly blinked them back as she said, "You go on back downstairs and check on everybody for me. I need to finish getting ready, okay?"
Abby nodded."Ok. If you need anything, let me know."
"I will." Michelle said, patting Abby's arm reassuringly. "Now go make sure my groom doesn't run off!"
Michelle let her smile collapse the minute Abby shut the door. She wouldn't let herself cry though. Instead, she sat on her bed, slipping on a pair of strappy high-heeled sandals. "You're doing the right thing, Michelle." she told herself for the thousandth time."Bill loves you. He always has. He'll make you happy. The two of you can make a life together."
Michelle closed her eyes as she thought of the man who would soon become her husband. After Danny had left her, Michelle hadn't wanted anything to do with anyone. Jesse, seeing her obvious despair over the loss of Danny had packed up and left town. He had gone to New York to work on opening up his own gallery. Drew visited him nearly every weekend and said he was doing well. Michelle was glad for him. She had truly loved Jesse at one time. But she saw now that first love doesn't always mean true love. After Jesse had left, Michelle and Bill had begun to spend more time together. Gradually, he had become a very important person in her life. When he told her he loved her one night in June, Michelle hadn't been exactly surprised. But she had been shocked when he suddenly proposed. A refusal had been on the tip of Michelle's tongue when a voice inside her head said, "What would be so bad about marrying Bill? You care for him. He adores you. Think of what a nice, safe, quiet life you would have together." After all that she'd been through with Danny, a peaceful,uneventful life sounded like heaven.
So she had accepted.
Just like that.
She didn't know who was more surprised, she or Bill.
But now,only an hour before her wedding, doubts were running rampant through Michelle's mind. It seemed so unfair to Bill to marry him in an attempt to get over the man she really loved. It was unfair to herself as well. What kind of life would they have,really? Dull. Passionless. Predictable.
"That's what you need, Michelle." she told herself."It might not be what you want, but you can't have what you want, can you?"
Michelle shook her head as though to clear it. None of these doubts mattered anymore. She was marrying Bill and that was final.
Just then, she heard the door open behind her. Without turning around, she smiled and called out, "Ok, Rick, I'm coming!"
She stood up, bouquet in hand, and turned as she said, "Now tell me what a dazzling bri-"
It wasn't Rick in the doorway.
It was Danny.
Neither one of them spoke.
They just stood very still, absorbing the sight of each other. Danny felt his breath catch at how beautiful she looked in her white gown, her hair curling and waving down her back.
Michelle's heart ached at how haggard he looked,how heart broken.
Both of them waited for the other to say something first.
But no words came. Instead, they both crossed the room with purposeful strides, met in the middle, and fell into each others' arms. The honeysuckle in Michelle's hair was knocked askew as their mouths met hungrily and she heard the slit in her dress rip even higher and she brought her knee up against him. Danny's fingers deftly found the zipper of her wedding dress as Michelle pushed his dark suit jacket off his arms. Danny's lips traveled down the ivory column of her neck as Michelle's dress slipped to the floor and she stepped out of it. Her fingers hastily divested him of his shirt and Michelle gasped at the feel of his skin next to hers. God, how she'd missed this! They fell onto Michelle's bed, their hands and lips impatient, wanting to touch as much of the other as they could. Not one word was spoken between them as they made love. There was no need for words.
After it was over, they both just lay there, breathing heavily and waiting for their senses to return.
Michelle's returned first.
Shakily, she got off the bed and found her crumpled wedding dress.
She didn't even notice the rip in the side as she slowly put the dress back on.