I laugh. I don’t think Roman’s going to break down into tears over me, but I do think he’s going to want to rip this thing off me at the first opportunity.
Natasha takes me in the adjoining room with a pretty pink vanity set up for me to get my hair and makeup done. The woman I hired is supposed to be the best in town. I hope she’s the fastest. We don’t have a lot of time before the ceremony starts.
I sit and watch in the mirror as my long white-gold hair changes from bland and straight to big, beautiful curls, pinned up in acascade of golden waves. As the last of my curls are in place and the task of starting my makeup begins, there’s a knock on the door. Natasha gets up and says, “Nobody move. I got it.”
She rushes off to the door and leans against it. “Password!”
In a little voice, I hear Sasha whisper, “Popcorn.”
Natasha opens the door and rushes her in. “Come on, come on,” she says as she shuts the door behind her. “What’s it look like downstairs?”
“Busy,” she says. “Everybody’s here…” She looks past her to me and her mouth drops. “Wow. You look so beautiful!”
I feel my face flushing. “Thank you,” I say.
“Are you nervous? Dad sure is.”
I laugh. “I find that very hard to believe.”
“Believe it. He’s pacing back and forth wearing a hole in the floor. Uncle Ares just went to get him a shot of vodka to calm his nerves.”
That’s a funny thought. Roman nervous about marryingme.
She sits down next to me and watches as the makeup artist puts on another coat of eyeshadow. “I can’t wait to get married,” she says.
I chuckle. “No offense, dear, butImost certainly can. You’ve still got to get through high school and college?—”
“I know, I know. I just… when I see you and Dad together, it makes me want what you guys have when I get older. Oh!” She reaches in her pocket suddenly, pulling out a jewelry box. “Idon’t know if you’ve got the whole something borrowed thing together, but I wanted to give this to you.”
She hands me the box. I open it and find a beautiful gold necklace with a tiny sapphire setting.
“It was my birthday gift when I was a kid,” she says with a little shrug. “The last thing I got before… you know. Dad gave it to me, so I’m gonna want it back.”
Tears form in my eyes. “Oh… Oh, Sasha, this is so thoughtful.”
The makeup artist leans back and grabs the tissue from her little caddy, handing it to me. I dot my eyes and thank her.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with the rest of it, Mom, but I couldn’t let the day go by without giving you something. Maybe this can be the something old and something blue.”
“Right, I…” I stop, her words catching up to my brain. My eyes start burning with fresh tears. “Oh… Oh, my goodness.” I turn to the makeup artist as sobs start to well up. I try to apologize but the words get caught in my throat.
“Oh, no!” Sasha says, taking my hands. Natasha comes rushing over and the makeup artist dabs my eyes. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you!”
“You didn’t,” I manage to say, squeezing her hands. “These… these are happy tears.” She regards me with a little unsure smile tickling the sides of her mouth. I guess I’d better let her in on this before I come apart completely. “You called me Mom.”
“I did?” She blinks, then her face splits with a smile. “I guess I did!”
I pull her into a hug and we laugh and cry together.
“Okay,” Natasha says, wiping her own eyes. “Let’s wrap this up before we all wreck our makeup. We still have to get you married, Ember.”
“Right, right.” I use tissue to carefully wipe the tears away. The makeup artist is even wiping her eyes at this point. “Let’s get me married.”
Through the makeup and getting the rest of the way toward getting ready, before long, I’m looking at myself in the mirror once more. Hair done up in a million beautiful curls, a white veil pinned to my head, a lacy white dress clinging to my body.
In less than an hour, I’ll be Mrs. Roman Orlov. How weird has this year been?
Natasha comes up behind me and puts her hands on my shoulders. I can hear the music starting just beyond the door.
