TheRosettephotographer adored the history of the gown. They planned to post Claire’s image next to the one of their grandmother.
Grams would’ve loved that.
They moved to the chapel, waiting at the closed doors. The flower girls and ring bearer lined up near the entrance, then Heather, Velma, and finally Claire with their father.
Velma took her place behind Heather, gripping her purple roses that Jase had wrapped tight with white ribbon. He had included a variety of shades of lavender, amethyst, periwinkle—there were practically fifty shades of purple roses.
They were gorgeous.
A string quartet started an instrumental version of the “Purple Rain” inspiration song in the chapel. Velma turned to Claire and gave her a thumbs-up.
Claire took their father’s arm.
Velma took a huge breath.
“Wait.” Claire stopped Amy just before the doors opened.
Oh no. Velma’s heart nearly stopped beating. Claire couldn’t run. Not like Sophie. Not with the blog photographer snapping photos. At that moment, he was on the other side of the doors waiting for them to open.
Claire disentangled her arm from their father’s and handed him her oversized bouquet.
Velma couldn’t move. Claire had to get married.
The quartet continued on in the chapel without the bridal party.
“What are you doing?” Velma whispered.
“Are we running? I can get a car?” Heather peeked from behind Velma.
“No.” Claire threw her arms around Velma, “I’m not running. I just…”
Velma raised her eyebrows at their incredibly confused father. She patted Claire’s back with her bouquet-free hand.
“I’m getting married.” Claire held Velma tighter.
“Yes. That’s what you should be doing right now.” Velma glanced to Heather, who looked as confused as she felt.
“Like, literally, right now,” Heather added.
Claire stepped back and did a deep-breath-arm-wave. “I’m getting married.”
“Uh-huh.” Velma took the bouquet from her father and pressed it into Claire’s hands. “Let’s go do that.”
Claire nodded. Velma got Claire resituated.
Velma waited her turn, then stepped into the chapel. The purple rose petals along the red carpet smashed under her footsteps. She kept her focus on Brek.
He never looked in her direction. A chink formed in the armor around her heart.
The bridal chorus played, and still Brek didn’t look her way.
All through the ceremony, he avoided eye contact. Claire kissed Dean, and they beamed at each other down the aisle. Brek took Heather’s arm at the end, and Jase took Velma’s.
“He’ll come around,” Jase commented as Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” played through the organ pipes.
She smiled tightly and nodded at her aunt Marlene, the whole time praying Jase was right.
The receiving line took forever. About halfway through, Velma realized she’d never eaten lunch. Her blood sugar crashing right along with her world, she finally arrived at the reception and took her place at the head table.
