"Yes!" Hannah yelled back. "Yes, it’s almost time, you’ve got twenty minutes, and you’re not ready yet!"
I pouted and let her continue to put the baby’s breath in my hair. I missed Josh so much, it was unbelievable. Instead of the usual 24 hours without seeing each other, Hannah, Laura, and my mom had kicked him out three days before the wedding, and sent him to the hotel where everyone else was staying.
My eyes suddenly filled with tears.
"No!" Laura exclaimed, scaring me and causing the tears to disappear.
"What?" I demanded.
"No crying! I just finished your makeup! You better not cry during the ceremony, or the reception either, ‘cause if you do, I’ll kill you!"
"Thanks Lor," I said sarcastically.
Hannah placed a tiara on my head and held her hands up in victory. "Done!" she cried triumphantly.
I stood up and modeled in front of the full-length mirror. It was the first time I had seen myself all day. No one would give me a mirror.
I twirled around, then stopped to look at myself once more. I saw my mom tear up as I ran my hands over my dress.
I had designed it myself. It was very old-fashioned; it looked like it was straight out of the Renaissance. The top was all white, low and square cut, and it laced up the back, like a corset. It had an empire waist. The skirt was long and flowing with an intricate pink lace pattern around the bottom. The front middle of the skirt had a pink flower embroidered pattern. The train was semi-short. The sleeves were fitted until just past my elbows, where they flowed out. My makeup was very simple. My hair was up, with baby’s breath, and a tiara to hold my veil on.
I glanced at everyone, and saw their eyes were all on me. When they noticed me looking at them, they would smile and begin to smooth down their dresses.
All my bridesmaids looked wonderful in the dresses I had designed for them. They were simple pink dresses, with the empire waistline accented by a line of rhinestones. The sleeves were a sheer pink. Everyone’s hair was down and curly.
My mother looked very elegant as well, though right now she looked pretty silly, seeing as how she was so close to tears.
I walked over to her and hugged her. "I love you, Mommy." I hadn't called her that since I was ten, but it seemed appropriate.
"I love you, too, Holly." She dabbed at her eyes a little. "Ok, girls. Let’s give her a few minutes to herself. We’ll see you in a little while." She kissed my cheek and they all left the room to go downstairs.
I sat down on the bed carefully, and began to put my shoes on. There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" I called out.
"It’s me," Justin answered.
"Come in." He quickly slipped through the door and shut it once more. Josh had been trying to sneak upstairs since he’d gotten to the house a few hours before, so everyone was taking extra precautions when opening my door. I patted the empty spot next to me on the bed, and he sat next to me, silent.
"You look like a princess, Tyler," he said, breaking the silence.
"Thank you," I sniffled.
He threw his arm around my shoulder. "Now, no crying. That’s my job."
"If you cry, Timberlake, I swear, I’m just gonna break down."
He sighed a very fake sigh. "Alright, I’ll try to keep my composure."
"Yeah, you better!" I looked him up and down. "You clean up good, J."
"You think so?"
"Yeah…" I looked up at him. "Thank you for doing this for me. It wouldn’t be the same if anyone else was walking me down the aisle."
My father had failed to contact me since he left my mother. It had been almost five months, so since he very obviously didn’t want anything to do with me, I asked Justin to walk me down the aisle. I had been toying with the idea for a while, but the drama with my father had sealed the deal.
"Oh, you flatter me," he said, blushing.
"You know it’s true."
He took my hand, and that gesture alone meant the world to me. "You ready?" he asked, glancing at the alarm clock.
I slowly nodded my head. We walked hand-in-hand downstairs and to the dining room. The aisle began at the back door and led all the way to the cliff overlooking the beach.
Hannah glanced back at me and gave me one last reassuring look before the French doors were thrown open.
My grip on Justin’s hand tightened, and I think I felt him flinch. After Danny and Bri had walked down the aisle, as ring bearer and flower girl respectively, the small orchestra started my wedding march. Justin released my hand and linked my arm through his.
Josh’s gaze, which had thus far been concentrated on the ground, shifted to me. His eyes went wide, and even from the end of the aisle, I could see the sparkle in his eyes.
After the long walk down the aisle, we reached Josh. Justin kissed the back of my hand before joining my hand with Josh’s.
‘Thank you,’ I mouthed to him. He just nodded, and went to sit down.
I didn’t pay much more attention after that. Not until we were to say our vows. We turned toward each other, as the preacher instructed.
"Do you, Joshua Daniel Hartnett, take Holly Marie Tyler to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
"I do," Josh said confidently.
"Do you, Holly Marie Tyler, take Joshua Daniel Hartnett to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
I hesitated, but Josh gave my hand a comforting squeeze. I took a deep breath. "I do."
"The rings, please?" the preacher asked, and Jayce gave Danny a slight push forward. We took the rings from him, and he returned to his spot with a sigh of relief. "Josh, please repeat after me."
Josh took my hand.
"With this ring, I thee wed."
Josh slipped the tiny band onto my finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." He smiled at me and wiggled his eyebrows, causing me to giggle slightly.
"And Holly," the preacher continued. "Please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
I gave Josh’s hand a squeeze before slipping the ring onto his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."
"By the power vested in me by the state of Connecticut, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Josh was beaming, as was I. "You may now kiss your bride."
Josh took me in his arms. "I missed you," he whispered, before kissing me passionately.
The reception was being held on the beach. There were tables everywhere, with bouquets of pink roses in the middle of each table. We had a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the tables.
"Here’s the lovely couple now!" Justin announced us as Josh and I walked down the stairs to the beach. The guests burst into applause.
"My dress is gonna get ruined," I whispered as we set foot in the sand.
"Shall I pick you and carry you everywhere?" Josh asked.
"You know I would love for you to, but no thanks!" I kissed his cheek.
"I think now would be a perfect time for the newlywed’s first dance," Justin said. Josh led me out on the dance floor and the music started.
Lonestar’s Amazed played as Josh and I swayed back and forth in each other’s arms.
"Ya know," he whispered, "I’m gonna kill your friends."
He spun me around, and cameras flashed. When I was back in his arms, I asked, "And why’s that?"
"Kicking me out three days before the wedding? A little extreme, don’t ya think?"
"Maybe just a little." I smiled up at him.
"You had something to do with it!" he accused me.
"Not me," I said innocently.
"Mm hmm." He was very obviously not convinced.
The song came to an end and for a last-ditch effort at pleasing the guests, Josh unexpectedly dipped me almost to the ground.
"That was nice," I said when he brought me back up.
"I thought so." He kissed me lovingly. There was applause all around.
I gave Laura a hug, then Justin, and watched as they walked to Justin’s car, Danny in between the two of them (Danny was staying with them while Josh and I were on our honeymoon), and Laura cradling the bouquet she caught carefully in her arms.
"You better not be looking for a ring any time soon," Justin had said to her jokingly when she caught the bouquet I had thrown.
I grabbed Josh’s hand and looked at his watch. "Oh, I better go get changed. We need to leave here in an hour, ok?"
"Alright." He gave me a quick kiss and I dashed back inside and up the stairs.
I changed and took my things downstairs. I walked back outside where everyone was starting to clean up.
My mom ran up to me and grabbed my shoulders. "Get him outta here!"
"What?"
"Josh! He’s trying to help us clean up, and-"
"That’s what I came down here to do."
"No! You two don’t need to help clean up. You should just get out of here and get to the airport. The earlier you get there, the better."
"Alright…Fine. Josh! C’mon, Mom’s kicking us out." He jogged over to me. "I see you changed too."
"Yep, I couldn’t handle the suit thing much longer."
"Aww, but you look so damn good in a tux!"
"Well, thank you." He kissed my nose, causing me to giggle.
"Ok, that’s it!" my mom interrupted. "Out! Both of you, out now!"
Josh held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, we’re gone!"
"Good!" my mom retorted. She took me in her arms and kissed my cheek. "I love you, baby. Have a great time! And congratulations."
"Thank you, Mom." I kissed her cheek and hugged her close. "I’ll call you when we get back." I walked back to the house and grabbed my things.
Josh joined me and helped me into his now decorated car. He got in and sighed, looking at all the shoe polish writing that surrounded him.
"I’m sorry they did this to your car, Sweetie."
"Ah, ain’t no thing!" he shrugged it off.
I laughed and laughed. "If I ever hear you talk all ghetto like that again…" was all I could get out.
We were silent on the drive to the airport. We just held hands, and I put my head on his shoulder, just taking it all in, taking him in.
We were married. After a good year and a half, we were married. It had been almost two years since Christmas at my parents house, and New Year’s Eve at his mom’s, where he told me he was falling for me. Two long and trying years, but we made it.
Wow.
