Sia gives a solemn nod like it’s gospel.
Laughing, I shake my head and join Joseph and Kira at the table. “I just want to say… thank you. For being here. All of you. I wouldn’t want to share this day with anyone else.”
A chorus of “awws” rings out.
“You know we love ya guts,” Kira says, grinning. “Now prepare to be pampered, chicka.” She removes the band from my ponytail and begins running her fingers through my hair, gently playing with the strands.
Okay—guess she’s doing my hair and makeup.
Truthfully, I don’t know much about how the day’s going to unfold. Anna has kept most of it under wraps. But if I know her, it’ll be amazing.
“It’s wild to think that Colt is getting married today,” Kira says with a laugh. “Honestly, never thought I’d see the day that man would settle down. I bet Jessi is well pissed.”
Ugh. Jessi.
The one person I wish wouldneverbe mentioned again.
“Ha! Jessi is a scrag,” Sia says with a shrug. “She used Colt to chase her fifteen minutes of fame. I can’t believe I ever called her a friend.”
I blink, surprised at her bluntness.
Sia continues, “That bullshit she pulled about being pregnant with Colt’s baby?Please. I lost all sympathy for her after that circus act.”
“We’re not thinking about her today,” Anna interjects firmly. “Today is about Colt loving Dee. Period. They’re perfect for each other.”
I glance around the room, the love radiating from my friends washing over me.
“Yeah, we are a perfect match, hey?” I say softly.
Joseph leans in and kisses my cheek. “Absolutely perfect, Princess.”
Anna and Sia walk over with plates of colorful fruit, buttery croissants, and bowls of creamy Greek yogurt. My stomach growls on cue, and I dig in without hesitation, scooping a piece of cantaloupe and dipping it into the yogurt. It tastes like sunshine and heaven.
Outside, it’s a picture-perfect August summer’s day—bright, breezy, and twenty degrees Celsius. Anna couldn’t have picked a more ideal forecast. It had drizzled for a few days before, but now the sun is back and the manor gardens look like something out of a fairytale. The flowers are in full bloom, the grass is lush and vibrant, and everything smells fresh and alive.
And in just a few hours, I get to marry Colter Slade.
After breakfast, the glam squad—AKA my ride-or-die bridesmaids—kicks into full gear. Kira has my hair pinned in a stunning, textured updo—elegant but overdone—and my makeup is subtle, dewy perfection. Anna pops a bottle of champagne and pours us each a glass, dropping a freshstrawberry inside like it’s a five-star spa experience. We all clink glasses except for Sia, who sticks with sparkling water.
I really wish the doctors would figure out what’s going on with her. She’s been so off lately, and it weighs on all of us.
With a buzz of excitement in the air, we head upstairs to the guest room where my wedding dress is waiting. As soon as I see it, laid out with delicate precision, the soft shimmer of the fabric catching the morning light, something inside me shifts. The calm that carried me through breakfast disappears. Suddenly, I’m sweating over things like walking across the grass in heels or forgetting every single vow I painstakingly memorized.
“Anna, what if I fall on the way to the willow tree?” I ask, my voice cracking slightly as my chest tightens. My breathing comes in shallow spurts, and the panic starts to bloom.
“Oh, sweetie, you won’t fall,” she says, stepping closer with that mothering tone she’s so good at. “And even if you do, your dad will be right there beside you, holding you up. You’ve got this.”
Her words help.A little.
Just knowing Dad will be walking with me down the aisle gives me something to latch onto.
“What if I forget my vows?” I ask next, anxiety creeping higher.
Anna grins, completely unbothered. “The officiant has a copy, just in case. But don’t worry, hun, everything is going to be perfect. What happened to the calm goddess we all saw this morning?”
I inhale deeply and let my eyes drift to the dress again. It’s more than just a dress, it is the moment everything becomes real.
It doesn’t matter if I fall.
