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You look magical in white.
Eddie spent an ungodly number of nights picturing you in a white dress, and still he wasn’t prepared to see you like this. He suspects the dress isn’t what’s making his voice falter. Any wedding dress would look just as pretty on you. Especially if your eyes shine like that when you look at him.
Someone hands Eddie the microphone and he has to force his knees to stop shaking so he can stand. Your reassuring smile makes it a little easier. He makes an effort not to look around, to all the faces staring at him, and focuses on you. Eddie clears his throat, wincing when the micro amplifies the sound, and starts talking.
“Hello, everyone.”
He makes a pause. There’s no need to introduce himself, everyone here knows who he is. He feels silly, and wonders for a second how long it would take him to get to the door. But, again, you’re looking at him. So he straightens his back and stars talking again.
“As most of you know, I met my best friend when we were nine years old.”
He flashes you a smile, and then whispers loudly into the microphone.
“There’s one thing no-one knows, though- I kept this secret for twenty years. I was saving it for today. I didn’t even tell you!”
Eddie winks at you, trying to appease your curious expression. He’s glad he convinced you to let his speech be a surprise.
“Ready?”
The dramatic pause gives him confidence. This is just like one of his D&D campaigns. More or less.
“I remember the first time I saw you.”
He’s staring right at your bouquet now. It matches the flower in his lapel.
“It was the first day of school. Fourth grade. Early in the morning, t’was a little chilly. I was standing in the hallway. The bell rang, and I turned around. I don’t know why. I was headed the other way. But I turned around, and I saw her… You know how in the movies time slows down, and everyone but the protagonist becomes a blur?”
Eddie chuckles and nods.
“It was just like that. She looked like life revolved around her.”
His tone shifts to a lighter one.
“I have an active imagination, as you may know...”
The laughs all around the room make his shoulders relax a little.
“And she was gone in a second- seriously, like in the movies, the sea of people swallowed her and I was left wondering if I had imagined her.”
He smirks at you.
“Like I said, I have an active imagination.
Sometimes, I convince myself magic is real. That was one of those days. I made a wish- I wished the girl with bright eyes and wild hair I saw for a second was real.”
You’re blushing a little under that makeup, aren’t you? He thinks you are.
“I didn’t see her again that day… But I did spot her in class the next day.”
Eddie can’t help but beam at you. Your nine-year-old self was adorable, all round cheeks and nervous smiles.
“After that, it’s become easier to believe in magic. That’s why, when I saw her cry over a boy for the first time, I asked for a second wish.”
He dares a quick look around, and finds that every person in the room- including a waiter- is looking at him.
“She’s always been so brave. That’s one of the things I admire the most of you, you know? How you keep your heart open for everyone to see. How you tried over and over again to find love, even if you got hurt, even if it didn’t work.”
Your eyes look a little wet now. He pushes forward, trying to remember where he was going with this.
“I wished you’d find the person that would finally be able to love you the way you deserve.”
It’s getting hard to talk with the knot in his throat.
“Once again, I proved magic is real.”
Eddie has to wipe a very embarrassing tear out of his cheek.
“Everybody knows wishes come in groups of three. So, tonight, here, I’m making my last wish. I wish you the happiest of lives. I wish you a long, beautiful marriage. I wish you the life you’ve always wanted, full of the love you deserve.”
He can’t see much through the tears in his eyes- that will hopefully stay there for another two minutes- but he thinks you’re crying too. He raises his glass, hand full of silver rigs shaking, desperate to end this hell.
“To my best friend, the beautiful bride, and her newly acquired husband! To the first day of a very long, very happy marriage!”
You raise your glass with your left hand- the gold band mocking him- because the right is holding your now-husband’s hand. He smiles at Eddie, raising his glass and mouthing “Thank you, man”.
Eddie feels sick. He hands the microphone to one of your bridesmaids, who pats him on the back, and steps away from the table.
It’s hard to breathe. He’s staring at you, at your wide smile as you hug your mom. The DJ started playing a romantic pop song, and people are standing up. He knows he should stay for the first dance. But he’s looking at you, and you’re not looking at him. You’re drying happy tears with your husband’s handkerchief- who carries a fucking handkerchief anymore? – and beaming up at him.
Eddie keeps staring at you until the sea of wedding guests swallow your white dress, your ruined makeup and your bright, happy future.
He steps outside of the venue, full on sobbing now. His van awaits in the parking lot, ready for him to escape again. Out of the two of you, he always knew he was the coward one. Since the moment you declared your love for him- at barely nine years old you were brave enough to bring him chocolates and honesty. Eddie remembers your little hand, your heart open. He remembers his dirty nails, his feelings guarded behind years of abandonment and cruel jokes. Your sad eyes when he didn’t reply. His heavy chest when he kept being your friend, every day up until today.
Too busy wiping tears, Eddie misses a shooting star disappearing in the horizon. When he looks up, the sky is empty- just like his chest, his house, and his future- and he realizes he lied.
Eddie Munson does not believe in magic anymore.