Sutton and I had worked tirelessly putting together the menu for our Christmas Eve brunch. Charlie shoveled some French-toast bake onto his plate and passed the dish to me. “Do you still want me to come by tonight? We have a sitter right now, but Tally could stay home with Libby if you needed me.”
I put my arm around my brother’s shoulders, my eyes filling with tears. “No, Charlie, I’ll be fine. It’s probably time we started making new traditions anyway. I love you for asking, though. I love you for everything.”?
“I love you, too, baby sister. Though, you have been crying a lot. Is everything okay?”?
I nodded, using my napkin to dab at my eyes. “Everything’s fine. Perfect even. It’s just Christmas, you know? Lots of emotions this time of year. I wish Momma, Daddy, Uncle Cole… I just wish they were here.”?
“Me too,” he said, passing the next platter my way, full of Sutton’s famousbiscuits and gravy. Southern Living had just done a huge write up about our business, and the dish was at the top of their list of things to try when guests checked in.?
The bookings had been pouring in ever since.
“Baby, you forgot the mimosas,” Lee said brightly, leaning in, and I glanced around the table to make sure everyone had finished their meals.?
“Doyle, could you help Lee and me with the drinks, please? Can’t believe I forgot the mimosas, silly me,” I cackled, shooting crazy eyes at him from my end of the long table.?
He hopped up, kissed Jordan on the cheek, and the three of us scurried into the kitchen. I busted into the mudroom off the veranda and slammed the door behind me.?
“Stop making so much damned noise, Maggie. They’re going to think we’ve gotten into it again!” Lee whispered, knocking into the coat rack and toppling it over.?
“Shut up, Lee! Doyle, please help me,” I cried, jumping up and down, trying to get my zipper up.?
“Holy shit on a shingle, girl! This dress is fire,” Doyle said, zipping me up.
When I found the dress at the bridal shop, I just knew it was the one. Slipping into it, I couldn’t help but fall in love with how it seemed to glow with this soft, almost magical light. The ivory fabric shimmered with a kind of quiet elegance, and the short sleeves draped over my shoulders like they were made just for me. Beneath the delicate lace overlay, the silk lining felt so smooth and luxurious against my skin that I never wanted to take it off.
The dress hugged my body in all the right places—especially all of Lee’s favorite places—showing off my chest in a way that felt natural but so flattering. As I moved, the slight train at the back trailed behind me with just the right amount of drama. The tiny, glistening beads woven into the lace caught the light perfectly, and I felt like I was wrapped in a soft whisper of romance. Honestly, I’d never felt more beautiful in my entire life.
And I couldn’t wait until Lee saw me walking toward him in this dress.?
?After assessing the dress situation, I quickly pinned my curls up, letting some tendrils fall around my face, and reached under the sink for the rest of the things I needed.?
I handed two small boxes to Doyle, dabbed on some makeup, and turned to my friend, trying not to cry. “How do I look?”?
Doyle put his hands on my shoulders and eyed me up and down. “Like a woman who is confident, kind, and gorgeous. Like someone who deserves this day more than anything.”?
“Nice words, but I still feel like I’m going to puke. Okay, get him out of here. Don’t forget the drinks. Or the music. Love you, bye!”?
I shooed him out of the room and took another long look at myself. This was the moment that I’d longed for, waited for, for almost twenty years. It wasn’t the day that I’d envisioned, and it wasn’t perfectly planned, and it wasn’t how it, in theory, was supposed to go. But there I was, standing in that dress, and it felt right in a way that nothing else ever had.
And, like I’d told my brother, it was time for new traditions.?
I made my way through the kitchen, hearing the soft music pumping through the dining room. I lifted my dress and took a long inhale, jumping back as the kitchen door flew open.?
“Iknewit,” my brother hissed, scanning me up and down. “You’ve been acting like a loon, more than usual, for days. Why didn’t you tell me?”?
“It’s a surprise,” I said, holding my hand to my chest, trying to keep my heart from leaping out and splatting against the wall. “Do you think everyone knows?”?
“No, they don’t have a clue. Sutton’s complaining because she’s thirsty and was promised mimosas, though, and Lee and Doyle are just standing by the tree whispering. You probably have a good three minutes before there’s a mutiny. Think that’s enough time for a grand entrance?”?
“I was just gonna kinda kick in the door there and pray for the best. What are you thinking?”?
“We rush up the back staircase, and you let me walk you down the stairs, and down the aisle, to your groom. It would be my honor, Magnolia.”?
My brother rushed toward me and wrapped his arms around me. We both shook as we tried to stifle down the sobs inside of us. While planning the wedding, which took all of ten minutes in between early-morning romps in the sheets, I never thought about asking my brother to escort me down the aisle.?
We stood at the top of the stairs, lined with portraits of our family, somewe didn’t even know. Next to us was a framed picture of Charlie and me with our momma and daddy, and we stood for a minute to look at it before starting down the winding staircase.?
“You look beautiful,” my brother said quietly. “They’d be really proud of you, you know? Uncle Cole, too. He’d be through the roof at what you’ve done here.”?
