A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) (76 page)

BOOK: A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair)

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“Yes Aria this dress is killer, you are breath taking you and Oliver did a wonderful job on it, do you have the something old, new, borrowed and blue?” Sabrina looks worried but she is happy for this day.

Yes old are the beads from my mom’s veil, new is the rosary, borrowed the earring from Tiffany’s and blue I have my blue garter
. I just left out that I have a small case of the blues.

Oliver hands me my bouquet
, ivory roses and tied at the stems my rosary that my mom gave me, this one I will keep and throw a smaller one to the crowd. Erika and Sabrina grab their bags and their bouquets.

Oliver has confirmation from the ushers that my mother has light the candle with Ian’s m
om, they each light a unity candle for their child then the bride and groom light one candle from the ones the moms light. I also have a bouquet of roses that I give to Holy Mary as they play Ava Maria during the ceremony, Oliver had that already at the church.

“Aria we have confirmation that your family has
all been seated, the organist is playing, the violinist are in place and the bells are ringing that is our signal to leave for the church” jeez talk about organization that is Oliver though.

The limo
returns and is parked out front, the bells you can hear as we are just down the street from the church.

I look at my three friends who all have smiles on their faces but their eyes worry
me, they are bothered as well by my actions, by what has happened, and by my decisions.

“
So long Mona Lisa, next time you see me I’ll be a married women”

I look at her
and I see her indecision as well, no wonder she is framed as Tristan put it.

I lock up the house and we walk into the sunshine
, I am bathed in it. My earrings from Tiffany’s that are borrowed are princess cut two carat that match Tristan’s ring, I didn’t mention that to anyone I just wanted you all to know, and of course the Cartier bracelet that Ian gave me last night. I am dripping in diamonds, jewelry that I have never had before and I should feel happier that I do.

We stop and listen as we hear the church bells in the distance.

As we arrive at the church the bells are more evident that this is really happening today!

Oliver jumps out and opens
the car door for me, as I very carefully get out of the car, Erika grabs the train of my dress as does Sabrina and Oliver takes my bouquet. We walk up the stone steps to the huge green gothic doors that are the entry to St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. Father Bogart will be dressed in his traditional Vestments and his Chastibule white outer garment for the ceremony.

We are in the vestibule
of the church, the huge bell tower is above us, and the ceiling has to be 200 feet or more. The oak doors are closed in front of me in preparation for the arrival of the bridal party. I stand in the vestibule as the sun shines on me from the open green gothic doors.

The music is glorious
, the violins and organist are playing Pachelbel Canon in D, and the ever present bells echo in the background.

Erika and
Sabrina are fussing with my train as Oliver fuss over my lipstick to make sure it is perfect. My heart is pounding as I am now nervous, I am getting emotional and I can’t hold the tears back.

“Aria, hey are you ok?”
Erika’s tone is cautious like I am about to throw-up or come unglued.

I see Oliver in front of me I see his mouth moving he is trying to say something but I can’t comprehend what is going on, my heartbeat is ringing in my ears. I look fr
om Erika to Oliver and then Sabrina and suddenly…

The ushers close the green gothic door
s to the street behind me. I am no longer bathed in sunlight. I am draped in dull muted light that emulated this centuries old church. The ushers move in front of us in preparation to open the doors to the gathered congregation and of course Ian who is waiting for his bride down front. I am looking at Erika and tears run down my cheeks.

“Aria sweetheart are you ok?
” her words are filled with angst she is feeling my pain, she knows my heartaches and my desires and no one had the magical answer to any of this, so here I am, as Ian has so graciously put it, WE ARE GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY AS SCHEDULED.

I am now turned sideways the green doors to the street are to my right
they are closed, are they locked? Are they barricaded? Is there someone on the other side to make sure I walk down the aisle? The oak doors with the ushers in front of them are to me left. My family, my poor mother, my friends, Ian’s family not to mention Father Bogart are all counting on me to make it through those oak doors.

My heart is racing, my mouth is dry, I feel scared, and fragile
, I know what is expected of me and what I have to do, my emotions pick the worst time to rendered me helpless, I don’t know what to do with them. I would scold myself but I’m so tired of all of it, for two weeks I have denied my feelings, my wants, my desires and here I am in this holy sacred place, contemplating my future and my past as they are colliding and I am pulled in both directions one last time, is it God testing me? Am I following God’s will? Am I prepared to go through either one of these doors?

The music is still playing and I am grateful,
I am standing still, motionless like a moment in time unwavering as I stand and wait for the next chapter of my life to unfold.

I am thankful for
the sweet melody that fills the air, I look to my right and I see the huge green gothic doors that lead to the street a way out of all of this, and there is indeed a lock a dead bolt actually as I examine the door I see that it indeed has a dead bolt lock on it. The oak doors have no locks and swing openly to the church, my waiting fiancé Ian, my family, and my friends who have all gathered here today to witness and share in Ian and my wedding. Ian’s words haunt me as I stand here

‘if you didn’t get rid of him I would have left you at the altar’

and Tristan’s words that spoke volumes

‘
I’ll let you go as you wish, but if you need me send me this ring’

“Aria what is going on?
Talk to us!” Erika is holding my hands as Oliver whips my tears. In a small voice barely above a whisper holding back tears I say what I have felt for two weeks.

“Why can’t I
ever get my wish?”

“
Aria what are you saying?” I look at Oliver who is apprehensive and worried. He whips my tears with a handkerchief from his breast pocket.

All of a sudden the bells stop,
it is quieter, the music stops and we are in silence. I look at Oliver and I look at Erika I look left to the green doors that lead down the stone steps and out of here and I look to the oak doors where the ushers are waiting to open them so I can walk down the aisle.

Then all of a sudden t
he organist begins The Bridal March, the huge pipe organ rings out loud and it resonates through me with every cord and every note pounding in my ears to get my attention, then the sweet sound of a single violin, I smile as I know that is my brother, then the rest of the violins join in one at a time until all three are a loud crescendo carrying me even more into contemplation of discontent. The Bridal March becomes more preponderant as it signifies that I should begin my descend down the aisle of this centuries old church.

This finality of
music sends shivers up and down my spine, I am scared, nervous, apprehensive and anxious, the violins are to usher me through the door…

But which door?

Which way should Aria Macy go?

Out the green gothic door, free from all of this

and of course free to be with
Tristan Bach,

or ushered through the oak doors to marry

Ian Bollinger as scheduled.

Have you ev
er wanted to have your cake and eat it too?

Well now is your chance.

The next chapter in Aria’s life is up to you the reader,

if you think Aria belongs
with

Ian Bollinger then read on to The
Bollinger’s, Rubies in the Gemstones Novels

if you
wonder how life would have been if she picked Tristan Bach