Page 88 of The Spare

"Thank you, Mr. King!" she sings, twirling away with a dramatic hair toss and walks back over to the vanity.

King gives her a little once over before walking towards where I'm standing by my dress. "Melody you look angelic!" he says, giving me a smile.

"Thank you, Henny." I eye the drinks, seeing there's also a long stemmed white rose as well and a note. "What's all this?"

"Compliments from my brother," he says, putting the tray down on a lone table. "A drink he had specially made called The Melody, a rose, and a note for you." He hands me a drink and then reaches into his pocket pulling out a box. "Oh and… he was worried about your lack of something blue, so he sent me to give you this."

My fingers fly to my lips at the beautiful aquamarine, emerald cut cocktail ring nestled in the velvet box.

"Oh, Hendrix," I breathe. "This is beautiful."

He nods, pulling it out of the box. "May I? He wanted to see you wear it at the altar."

I nod and hold out my right hand, letting him place it on my ring finger. I burst into tears, and it sends Karissa into a fit. She flies over to me with a tissue and pushes at Hendrix's chest.

"No, no, we can't have her crying! I just perfected her makeup!" Karissa scolds, dabbing at the corner of my eyes with the tissue.

Hendrix frowns at her, taking a step back and then cautiously holding the handwritten note out to me. I take it, trying and failing to get control over my sobbing.

"He said he wants an answer, and I'm to bring it back to him. So, if you could just-" he sidesteps Karissa who's shoved her hips at him in adramatic movement, leaning into my face with a brush to go over my face again.

"Karissa," I scold, narrowing my eyes at her. "Hang on a second."

I open the note and read it.

Mel,

I need this in writing so I forever have proof.

Do you agree to marry me? Circle one.

Yes No

And just like that I burst out laughing, chasing the tears away.

Hendrix peers around me trying to see what it is.

"Do you have a pen?" I ask.

He reaches into his inner pocket and pulls one out, handing it to me. I draw a heart aroundyesand then write 'you dork' next to it. I give it back to Hendrix with a smile.

The next couple hours happen in a whirl. We have a traditional catholic wedding, and it's so beautiful it's going down as a day I'll never forget. He wiped a tear away when I walked down the aisle, his face full of emotion. Not just his eyes. I'll never forget it. Just like I'll also never forget the way Mason looked at me as he slid my wedding ring on my finger.

The way his lips felt on mine as he kissed me after we said “I do."

I laugh the short drive to the reception venue, the cans bang after our car as we drive along and he holds my hand the entire way. He carries me bridal style into the reception, and my eyes widen at the explosion of purple and white flowers everywhere. They're hanging from the ceiling and in massive floral arrangements on the perfectly decorated table scapes.

Our name is lit up on the floor.

And there are butterflies flyingaround.

"Oh my God," I breathe, looking at Mason excitedly. "There's butterflies!"

He smiles playfully, giving me a deep kiss. "That was my request, love. I wanted you to see yourself everywhere today."

I melt as he sets me down, and we commence to having so much fun. Which is quickly dampened when we get to the part of the night when it's time for the father and bride dance. I feel that tug of sadness that's been eating at me lately deepen, the only thing that puts a cloud over our day.

I glance at Mason, silently imploring him to get us out of here, but he just smiles and leans forward to stand me up, promptly handing me over to Hendrix. After the tumultuous past few days we've had, I feel guilty at how I've spoken to him when I glance into his eyes. But when I do, I see nothing but love and forgiveness in his.