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“You look so beautiful!” exclaimed Marie with a bright smile as she bustled around Grey with her bouquet of flowers. Blushing, Grey twisted her hands as she looked at herself in the mirror. She could agree that the wedding gown itself was stunning—an unrepayable gift from Vanessa when Grey hadn’t found one she liked while shopping—as was the sparkling bracelet that Noelle had lent her for her “something borrowed.” She wasn’t so sure about herself, however, even though her friends had been up since six that morning helping her get ready.
Even so, she replied in sheepish gratitude to her soon to be sister-in-law, “Thank you.”
“Gauche won’t know what hit him when he sees you in this dress,” Vanessa laughed with a wink as she finished pinning Grey’s veil to her intricate updo.
Grey’s blush deepened. “You…you really think he’ll like it?”
“Oh, honey, he’s going to love it,” said Vanessa before Noelle chimed in.
“You could walk down the aisle wearing a potato sack, and he’d still love it.”
Vanessa playfully rolled her eyes. “Are you really comparing my tailoring to a potato sack?”
Frowning, Noelle bristled. “I just meant that Gauche loves her so much, he would be dying to marry her today no matter what she was wearing.” She sighed before turning to Grey with a smile. “But really you’re stunning—no one will be able to take their eyes of off you.”
Grey swallowed hard. “No one…?” Her cheeks grew warm, and her hands began to shake. Her head was spinning just thinking of a room full of people with their eyes transfixed on only her. “Everyone…everyone is going to be staring…at me…” Something twisted in her stomach. She could almost picture it now—a hundred eyes just waiting for her to do something humiliating or stupid like stumble over her dress on her way up the aisle or mess up her vows or…. “I think…I’m going to be sick…” she mumbled with a gulp.
Noelle and Vanessa immediately helped her ease back into a nearby chair before she lost her balance, and Charmy rushed over with some water and light snacks.
“Oh Grey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you nervous,” Noelle apologized as Vanessa patted Grey’s hand and Marie took the other.
“Everyone gets jitters before their wedding,” said Vanessa with a sympathetic smile. “But you have nothing to worry about—Gauche loves you, and today is about you two starting the rest of your lives together.”
“Vanessa is right, la,” chimed Charmy. “We didn’t even think Gauche could be this happy, and honestly, never really thought this day would come.”
“Charmy!” huffed Vanessa. “Not helpful.”
Charmy shrugged but chuckled, “But the point is that you two love each other, and this is your day. Don’t worry about anybody else.”
Grey swallowed hard. That was easier said than done—especially when an entire hoard of wedding guests would be staring at her and watching her every move. She shook her head. She was so stupid for not having thought about this before. She had worried about so many other things that seemed insignificant now when what she should have been worried about was how she was going to make it up the aisle without getting so nervous she froze in place or transformed into someone else—which she supposed wouldn’t be fair to Gauche, even if he might be better off marrying someone else anyway, someone who wouldn’t be so painfully shy.
“You’re looking green, la. Drink this,” said Charmy handing her a glass of water. Grey took it with a nod, but the idea of drinking anything right now made her stomach churn.
Vanessa stood up from her place beside her. “Don’t worry—this is fixable.” She patted Grey’s shoulder before heading towards the door. “I have an idea of something that might help.”
“Me too!” added Marie taking off after Vanessa.
Despite Charmy, Noelle, and Secre’s best attempts to reassure her in Vanessa and Marie’s absences, Grey merely sunk further and further into her nervousness and pre-wedding jitters. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized to her friends but stopped herself from burying her face in her hands before she ruined her makeup.
“Don’t apologize,” said Secre. “We’re here to support you.”
“That’s what bridesmaids are for, la,” Charmy insisted.
Grey nodded, but before she could respond, she heard voices echoing from the hallway.
“She needs to talk to you right now,” said Marie’s voice very emphatically.
Another voice sighed. “Okay, but aren’t I not supposed to see her before the wedding…?”
Grey’s face flushed an even deeper pink. Gauche. Gauche was here? Marie went to get him? Why?
“Come on, girls, let’s leave them alone for a minute,” said Noelle ushering the other bridesmaids out into the hall. Grey stared at the partially open door—frozen and unsure of what she should do when Gauche knocked on it.
“Grey? Is everything okay in there?”
Grey swallowed hard, wondering if he was going to walk through into the room, but he waited on the other side of the door where she couldn’t see him.
“It’s fine,” she squeaked, but he knew her far too well to believe that—even without the hitch in her voice.
“Are you sure? Do you want me to come in? I’ll close my eyes,” he added dryly.
Grey nodded, before realizing that Gauche couldn’t see her, but it seemed he didn’t have to as he walked through the doorway very slowly with his eyes closed and his arms outstretched in front of him. He looked very debonair in his suit and the little pink flowers in his boutonniere.
“I’m sorry Marie came to get you,” she said when he reached the center of the room. Gauche stopped walking.
“She was worried. I think the other girls are worried too.” He paused. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”
Grey swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, I—”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing. You feel how you feel and that’s fine,” he answered matter-of-factly, but there was something kind in his voice that made Grey’s mouth twitch in the corners. “Are you…having second thoughts about getting married?”
“No. Not at all. Never,” she reassured him. “I was just…nervous…because I…”—she paused and gulped—“Don’t you think everyone will be staring at me?”
“Of course, they’ll be staring at you—you’re the bride and also the most beautiful woman in the room.” There was something about how matter-of-fact his tone was when he said it, that made Grey blush. “But you don’t have to pay them any attention.”
“I’m not sure I can do that…” stumbled Grey, and he reached out his hand to her.
“Do you want me to take the attention off you? I could cause some kind of scene or ask Luck or Magna or Asta to do it—they might even cause a commotion without being asked.” He shook his head slightly, but she could see the twitch of a smile in the corners of his mouth as she stifled a laugh.
“You’d do that?”
“I’d wear a clown nose up on the altar if that’s what it would take to get you to marry me,” he said with that dry, deadpan humor of his. “When you walk down the aisle, I just want to see you happy—because I know that it will be one of the happiest moments of my life, and I hope it’ll be one of the happiest moments of yours too.”
“Gauche…” She stopped herself from hugging him—though she desperately wanted to. “You really mean that?”
Nodding, his face softened as did his tone as he continued, “I do. I can’t wait to start my life with you, and that’s what this about. Not some big ceremony or big reception or all the attention—it’s about promising to spend our lives together.” He leaned forward, and Grey moved so he could gently kiss her forehead. “And if you still get nervous, that’s okay—just look right at me, at how happy I am to be marrying you. Pretend we’re the only ones there—like it’s our little corner of the world.”
“Our little corner of the world,” she repeated, and Gauche nodded—gently clasping her hand in both of his and giving it a tender, reassuring squeeze. Grey took a deep breath allowing a feeling of calm to wash over her. Perhaps Marie had been right to get him, had known that there was something about Gauche that helped her feel safe and secure, even confident but, most of all, loved. He couldn’t have been more right—this was about the rest of their lives, and she was so blessed that she would get to spend the rest of hers with him.
“Why do you put up with me?” she asked with a bit of a playful smile.
“Because I love you, you goofball,” he teased dryly squeezing her hand again. “Now do you want to get married or what?”
Even though he couldn’t see her, Grey hoped Gauche could feel her joy as she beamed at him with a confident, “Yes.”
*-*-*
Grey and her bridal party, save Gauche, gathered excitedly—waiting for their procession down the aisle. Grey trembled more with excitement than nervousness now and hugged Marie tightly multiple times, thanking her profusely for getting her brother to help her through her pre-wedding anxiousness.
“It really was the perfect plan, thank you,” she whispered, and Marie smiled brightly at her.
“I’m glad I could help, and I’m glad you’re going to be my sister.” She hugged her again before she pulled away with an inquisitive shake of her head, “But what was Vanessa’s idea?”
Grey’s brow furrowed. In all the excitement, she had completely forgotten that Vanessa had said she had a plan of her own. “I don’t—” she began but stopped. She quickly scrambled to cover her gasping mouth with her hand as Captain Yami walked over wearing a brightly colored, obnoxiously floral-print shirt.
“Ca…Captain…” stumbled Grey as most of the bridesmaid and groomsmen stifled laughter.
“At least not everyone is going to be staring at you now,” quipped Vanessa giving her a pat on the back.
“She made this ridiculous thing,” Captain Yami grunted with a huff and a shake of his head.
“You really don’t have to—” Grey began to insist with blushing cheeks, but the Captain cut her off.
“Only for you, Grey.” He paused and his lopsided grin faded as he glanced over at their companions. “So don’t the rest of you knuckleheads start getting ideas.”
As the music began to play, the Captain linked his arm with hers preparing for their procession. Grey’s heart pounded as they finally moved in front of the doors, and when they finally opened, she realized she had been so foolish to worry. Her eyes found Gauche immediately—he had never looked happier, and as she walked down the aisle, she didn’t even have to pretend that there was nothing and no one else there with them. There really was only him and the look of indescribable joy and love on his face, as if they really were in their own little corner of the world.