Against All Odds

Chapter 25

STELLA

The ceremony was held in a tiny, stone-walled chapel set high on the verdant slopes that overlooked the small town of Port Alfred. From the bustling parking lot out front, one could just make out the glistening turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean below through the boughs of the trees, slithers of afternoon sunshine glittering against the tumultuous surface.

From the shade of one of the evergreen trees outside the chapel, I couldn't really see the ocean, but even if I desperately wanted a glimpse of the endless body of water that could so easily bring me a sense of peace, I wouldn't be afforded the opportunity right then.

Sadie's self-appointed coordinator (Mia) was bustling us, with the force of a determined mule, into position before a hydrangea bush.

"We are late," I mumbled under my breath, pushed into position between Mia and Braylee and curled my lips back for the hundredth time that hour so the photographer could oblige the wedding party with a few dozen snaps. At this rate, I may as well use tape to keep the corners of my lips pinned into my cheeks.

"Forty minutes is nothing for a bride," Mia muttered out the side of her mouth.

"How would you know?"

"It's common knowledge. A bride is always late."

I raised my eyebrows and turned to look at her, earning myself a nudge in the ribs from Mia for changing position without permission.

"I think we have it," Rani, the photographer, said, a note of exasperation in her voice as she lowered the camera. "My colleague is in the chapel already. We are ready when you are."

The suggestive note in her voice prompted the rest of us to move towards the stone steps that led into the foyer of the dark little building, skirts and bouquets held high as we manoeuvred ourselves through the manicured gardens outside on heels that were not faring too well in the damp earth and grass.

The (real) coordinator hurried us into position, standing before the closed wooden doors that would open onto the congregation. There were seven of us in total, filed into a mildly chaotic procession while everybody attempted to settle the last-minute fussing- Sipho's young nieces who were the flower girls- Lucy and Simphiwe- would lead, followed by Braylee and then myself, who had the honour of escorting the excitable golden retriever- dubbed Hudson- with a cute little neck tie that indicated his honorary groomsman status, and then Mia would precede Sadie and her father, Mr Gilmore. The goldie was the Gilmore's treasured pet and had also been bequeathed the role of ringbearer in lieu of the absence of a young male to carry the wedding bands, but since Hudson had a penchant for devouring objects of worth and hiking up an obscene vet bill on more than one occasion, Killian had the role of keeping the rings safe until needed.

A far more responsible choice, in my opinion.

I was hurriedly rectifying a stray curl of dark hair in Bray's coiffure when she let out a roar of a sneeze.

"Alright, everybody ready?" the young coordinator asked with no small amount of trepidation in her voice, even if she resolutely fixed an optimistic grin to her face. In the chaos of the last hour, I had completely forgotten her name.

"Ugh," Bray groaned, rubbing her nose on the back of her hand and sniffling. I noticed that her eyes had reddened substantially since I had last checked. "These flowers konk."

I took a tentative whiff of my own bouquet. The tiny purple blooms were unidentifiable to me, but I had never proclaimed myself an avid botanist. For all I knew, they could be some sort of weed foraged from a field just that morning. They did, however, have a rather pungent odour to them that wasn't exactly pleasant. In fact, it was so decidedly unpleasant that I lurched my hand clutching the bouquet away from my face, my eyes watering,