Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
It has been two years now since we vanquished Cal. I do have to admit that it seems weird not having to worry about such creatures as him anymore. But believe me, we are getting use to not having such concerns!
Randomly I have been writing in the journals that have been shared with us and when I say randomly, I mean just that. Just as I put the exclamation mark on the paper ending the journals that Hyacinth had begun all those centuries ago, I hear Ella shouting for me from somewhere just outside of the dressing room of the Grand Hall where all of this had essentially first started. I am once again getting ready for a celebration! However this time around I am more than confident that I know how the night will end.
El flings the door open and she along with Jessica, Raegan, and Rifqa barge in. “Yo, girl! I can only stand to be in this gown for maybe another hour, tops.” Jess states, her hands on her hips as she is trying her best to give me the evil eye. I in turn am doing everything I can to suppress my laughter that wants to burst from within me, I stand and look at my best friends. Yes even Jess has joined the B.F. club.
Taking one last look into the mirror that adorns the makeup table/vanity area of the dressing room, I stand. As I do so, they all rush me at once and we end up in one big group hug. Ella squeals jubilantly; “I can’t believe you are finally going through with it.”
“I mean she has waited two freaking years to get married to the guy. Maybe we should make absolutely sure she wants to marry Dominic,” Rifqa adds with a grin and a raised eyebrow.
“You guys are awful!” I exclaim as I laugh a long with them. As we try to get our giggling under control, the photographer wraps his knuckles against the open door to see if he could come in and snap a few photos of us before we head down the stairwell. Once he leaves us, I turn back to the girls and ask with a nervous grin; “how do I look?”
My gown is satin white and flows into a light pink rose color towards the bottom. It hugs and fits perfectly against my body, the cut like that of any picture you would see of a Greek Goddess, which is what I wanted. The girls of course gush over how beautiful I look, making me laugh once again. I give each one an individual hug and watch them leave the room. I had left Ella’s hug for last and when she came up to me, we stood looking at each other with the biggest dumb grins possible upon our faces. El leans into me before whispering “you got this,” and then she heads out of the room too.
For the briefest of moments I am sad that my mother is not here to witness such a special moment in my, but she went and snuck off during the battle like the snake I always knew she was. Like I said though, it lasted for mere seconds fliting just as quickly from my mind as I stand at the top of the stairs leading down into the ballroom,
I spot Natalie gazing up at me, all my friends staring from their strategically placed positions around the makeshift altar where Dominic is looking at me adoringly, patiently awaiting my decent. As I smile down towards all of them, my father steps up next to me. “Are those tears I see, father dear?” He laughs with a slight sob towards the end of his chuckle.
I mentally give myself a pep talk trying to convince myself that I will NOT trip as I make my way down the steps, (I’m pretty sure I gave myself this same pep talk just before I took the stairs at my 16th birthday party). But as dad hooks my arm through his, placing his other hand atop mine, I become more confident in myself as I know for fact that he won’t let anything happen to me and then the music is queued and we begin our decent.
Finally I am standing in front of Dominic. Giving one glance back to my father, I see him subtly wipe away another tear from his cheek before he turns and makes his way to sit next to Natalie. I will not cry!The battle is hard but I muster the strength to hold back the tears that want to spill forth as I gaze into Dominic’s beautiful crystal clear blue eyes, so full of love as he looks into my eyes, mirroring my loving gaze of him, I’m sure.