Mia waved it away. “I figured dat. It doesn't matter. You're still Lily Harper.”
Lily smiled at her friend. “Well, okay then. It looks like you've got yourself a maid of honor.”
Mia squealed a little and hugged her. “Thank you. Maybe one day it'll be your turn to get married and I'll get to be in your weddin'.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “I doubt it but one never knows, right?”
“Exactly!”
They spent the rest of the day looking at dresses. Mia had finally settled on her wedding dress but now she needed dresses for her maid of honor and bridesmaids. When her younger sisters, Adele and Constance, joined them it turned into quite the endeavor before they finally settled on a dress they could all agree on.
“You're going to be such a beautiful bride, Mia.” Lily hugged her friend before she headed back to the city and her job at Gathering Grounds. Now that she'd agreed to be Mia's maid of honor she was really looking forward to the upcoming wedding.
Chapter Sixteen
Mia
The morning of March 18th, Mia was awake before the sun had even begun lightening the sky. Even though the wedding wasn't for hours yet, she was too wound up to sleep any longer. She headed out to the front of the house and arched a brow when she discovered she wasn't the only one up.
“You're up early.”
Mia snorted. “Says da wolf who is awake before me.”
Lily shrugged. “I don't sleep so well most nights.” She'd finally stopped looking over her shoulder but she still had trouble sleeping. She was usually up early, and when she did sleep it was light. She hoped that would change in time.
“You know Caine wouldn't let someone force you to go back to Montana.”
“I know. That doesn't stop me from worrying, though. At least I've finally stopped looking over my shoulder.”
“Dere is dat.” Mia fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat across from her. “I can't believe dat I'll be Mrs. Mia Delacroix by da time da sun is settin'.”
“Feels like it's been a long time coming, doesn't it?”
“You don't know da half of it.” Mia sipped her coffee. “Dere was a time when I thought I'd never be in Gage's arms. He was a bit of a...player when we were in high school. He was an idiot cuz he thought I only saw him as a friend when he wanted more but he was too afraid to say anyting. He came dis close to losin' me.” Mia held her hand up with her fingers barely an inch apart.
“With as happy as you two are, I find that hard to believe. What happened?”
“It was da week before my first gallery showin'. He was da one who kept encouragin' me to show my art and I finally decided to follow his advice. I went to see him at Tulane, to tell him about it, and I caught him gettin' head from some girl. It broke my heart all to pieces. See, da year before dat, I was drugged by a date and Gage saved me from bein' raped. He became so attentive dat I thought it was because he wanted to be wit' me, so when I saw him wit' dat girl...It nearly destroyed me. I let myself get drunk and did some stupid tings myself dat I regretted da next day. It took some time but we worked past it and now, here we are. I've loved him my whole life and now I get to spend da rest of it in his arms.”
“Wow. He's lucky you gave him the chance to make it up to you.”
“Honestly, I couldn't do anyting else. I love him dat much.”
“You have no idea how lucky you are, Mia, to have that kind of a connection with someone. It reminds me of the bond my parents had, before my mother was killed. I'm envious, I really am, but I'm also so happy for you. Okay, enough of this depressing talk. Today is your wedding day and we still have so much to do to get you ready for it.”
Mia groaned. Lily was right. There was the trip into the city to the spa, then she had to get her hair done, then her makeup, then they had to get back to the compound and start getting dressed. Since her entire bridal party was getting their hair and makeup done as well, it was going to be a really long day.
Eliza Lafluer looked at her daughter as she adjusted the flower wreath that encircled her head. Mia had decided to not wear a veil and instead had flowers weaved into her curly locks. The sleeveless bodice of her wedding dress clung to her and was decorated in lace. The under layer was silk with a tiered sheer lace outer layer that flowed around her when she walked. Two strips of lace curled around her upper arms, leaving the impression of low-slung sleeves. Paired with the flowers, she was a vision of loveliness. “You're beautiful,” Eliza murmured and finished with the wreath.
“Thank you, mama.” Mia blushed at her mother's soft murmur.
Lily stepped forward. “Your mom's right, you're beautiful, Mia. However, there are a few things missing. In true wedding tradition, your mother has the 'something old' covered.”
With that Eliza lifted an antique lace choker from a small box. “Dis was my mama's. She gave it to me on my weddin' day, and now I am passin' it on to you.” The lace looked delicate but given it's age, it was still rather sturdy. In the center was a silver filigree with an oval shaped opal. On both sides of the filigree and just beneath it lay a single teardrop shaped opal with another, much smaller one dangling from the very bottom of the choker.
“Oh.” Mia touched it with her fingertips once her mother clasped it behind her neck. “It's beautiful,” she hushed and blinked back sudden tears.
“Next, we have something new. This is a gift from your soon-to-be- husband. He asked me to give it to you since he wasn't allowed to see you before the wedding.” Lily opened the small, velvet box to reveal a white gold bracelet that had a filigree look to it. It was encrusted with diamonds.
