Painting Flowers // Ashton Irwin [au]

Thirty-six

Songs for the chapter:

All My Heart – Sleeping With Sirens
It Ends Tonight – All-American Rejects
New American Classic – Taking Back Sunday (This is the music for the wedding march (starts at 2:38). If you want to experience all the feels, I recommend listening to this song while reading)

Ashton's POV

Nathan and the ordained minister are standing at the altar with their hands folded in front of them, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bride, when I enter the garden. A few guests turn in their seats and shoot an annoyed glance at me for my tardiness. I would be fashionably late for my ex's wedding. My reasons are justified; however, I apologize to them anyway.

I search the rows of guests for Emmie and the others, expecting them to be seated in the back, but for some reason they're sitting with my dad in the second row behind Natalie's extended family. I speed towards them and sit on the aisle seat next to Emmie, startling her with my abrupt appearance.

"When I said to save a seat for me, I meant somewhere in the back," I joke.

"We were going to but..." Emmie trails off.

Sitting next to my dad, Michael leans over to talk to me. "Your dad said that Elijah wanted us to sit near the front with them," he says with forced enthusiasm, but it's followed by an apologetic smile. I can't tell if he's sucking up to my dad so not as to seem rude about Elijah's request, or if he's nervous sitting next to him.

I should have expected as much from Elijah, considering Dad and I are like family to him. I would have preferred not to be so close and just watch the ceremony from afar, but I wouldn't accomplish anything if I did that. It's about time I face everything head-on and break this defensive habit of mine.

"It's fine, really," I say and take Emmie's hand in mine. Her fingers are cold as usual even though it's still warm outside. "Where's Reina?" I ask, already missing the little girl who has left her possession.

Emmie inspects my face, searching for any distinguishable emotional distress that may have developed from my meeting with Natalie. "Jack took her not too long ago to line up for the ceremony," she says. "Did everything go well with Natalie?"

I nod. "She never told me why she wanted to see me, but I think it was so that we could both share a sense of closure. Nothing has been unsaid between me and her and there's nothing left to be said. We're both ready for this."

The sun begins to cast a soft glow and music resonates from the hidden speakers in the garden. A string quartet and acoustic guitar fills our ears with a harmonic melody. Every head turns to the back of the aisle where the bridesmaids and groomsmen begin walking out of the venue and towards the garden. They walk in time with the music, their steps working like a metronome up until they part at the altar.

Luke and Colleen are the fifth pair to make their way down the aisle. He's one step ahead of her and he's wearing the most tolerant smile that he can muster up. Colleen tugs their linked arms to try and slow him down, but he's oblivious and continues to walk out of sync with the music. To my side, I hear Michael and Calum snickering at him, and I can't help but to join them. Our playfulness ends when Emmie and Julia hit our arms with the wedding program and tell us to stop.

Jack and Myra are last, and Jack wears more enthusiasm than the congregation combined. It's a stark contrast to his wife next to him, who looks like she just wants to toss the white rose bouquet in her hand, drop to the ground, and curl into a ball. Jack wasn't kidding when he said she was stressed.

A little boy not much older than Reina follows behind Jack and Myra and carries a small pillow where two fake rings lie. Nathan and I share the same smile when we see Reina shortly follow the ring bearer, dropping large handfuls of flower petals onto the plush carpet. When she reaches the middle of the aisle she stops and looks down into her basket. She flips it upside-down and shakes it, but nothing falls out. Panic flashes across her little face and she tries to run back and pick up the petals she previously dropped and return them to her basket. The guests' laughter confuses her and one of Natalie's relatives encourages her to continue on without the flowers. Even if it's disrespectful, I whip out my phone and snap a shot of Reina trotting back down the aisle.