That Slow Sweet Walk

Chapter 7

🎃~👰🏼‍♀️~🤵🏾~🍁~👻~🧵~🏂~🌕~🥂

"No, it hurts too much," Sandy insisted. She gingerly went about wiping her face. The makeup application hurt but after it was done, her face still stung and her eyes watered. "I'll just walk down the aisle bruised."

"Are you sure? Maybe the stinging will stop?" Francis said.

Sandy nodded. "It's not a big deal."

"You're the most chill bride in history, Sandy. My sister was a monster," Marry laughed and so did the rest of the girls as they remembered Marty's horror stories of Bailey's wedding.

"Girls," Mrs. Greer hurried into the room, "we've got a problem."

"Is it the food?" Janet asked wringing her hands.

"No, sweetie the food is fine. A lot of the flights the guests booked have been canceled due to weather. When the original venue fell through, it seems many of the guests canceled their plane tickets." Mrs. Greer bit her lip. "I've been getting calls all morning. Over half of them won't be able to make it."

Sandy felt her heart sink. She knew when Thunder Alley fell through that some of the guests would cancel their plane tickets. She couldn't blame them for it, even she'd been unsure the wedding would happen. She always knew on the small chance they found another place, many of the guests wouldn't come as last minute plane tickets were insanely expensive. But over half? That was a blow.

She felt tears prick in her eyes and she fought to push them back. "I need to tell Danny."

"Let me," Marty said. "The bride and groom shouldn't see each other before the wedding."

Sandy nodded and Marty rushed off. At least her best friends and family were going to be there. And Danny's parents, their flight had been delayed but at least they'd made it. Danny would have been heartbroken if they weren't there. "Which of the guests aren't going to be here? We can take their names off the tables and rearrange everything."

Her mom handed her a list. Aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family made up the majority of the loss. Some friends and old colleagues had managed to come through as her mom had check marks by their names. Sandy was happy to see her old drama teacher had made it and her former sewing teacher from college. Sandy just finished taking it in when Marty returned.

"Danny wants to talk to you. He'll meet you in the attic in twenty minutes."

Sandy nodded and gave the list to Betty.

"Alright ladies," Betty said, "let's get to rearranging."

They left Sandy alone and she put her head down on the vanity and sighed, once again fighting tears. When time was up she headed for the attic. Sandy felt as if she was being watched the whole way up. She decided to just ignore it. When she got to the attic she didn't see Danny at first. He was crouched in front of an old trunk.

"Hey baby," Danny said.

The sound of his voice helped her locate him. "What're you doing, honey?"

Danny looked at her and wriggled his eyebrows. Sandy smiled and went to see what he was doing. He'd set several items out. A man's old top hat and gloves, a woman's old dress and heels, inside the trunk was a lot of papers and old photographs.

"What are these things?" Sandy asked him.

"I'm not sure, but I think this could be the bed and breakfast lost and found, from the old days."

Sandy took up a few photos and saw they were all of different people, families, couples, a lone smiling person in front of the bed and breakfast. The odds and ends in the trunk intrigued her. A hairbrush with tarnished silver backing, a child's doll, personal correspondence, a golden cigar case and so much more.

Danny took her hand. "I know this wedding has been hard on us the last few weeks. I want you to know. I don't regret it for a second."

"Neither do I,"  Sandy told him. "As long as you're there no one else needs to be."

Danny smiled and put his head to hers. "Betty texted me an old story last night."

"Oh?" Sandy asked as she watched Danny put on the old hat and gloves.

"About a man and woman who waltzed up here at the start of their lives together." He held out his hand, "Would you do me this honor?"

Sandy smiled and lifted up the dress. It was in good shape and not very dusty. She spotted a box with tissue and moth balls on the floor. It must have been package carefully. The dress was bigger than Sandy's size, she was able to slip it over her clothes and took the excess in her opposite hand before giving Danny her other.

They twirled around the attic for a few minutes before Danny stopped their dance. "I want to show you something." He lead her over to a window facing the west. "Look here."

Sandy had to stand on her toes. Above his finger was the craving mentioned in her great—grandma's journal. C.G.+C.J. She traced the letters. As she got to the end of last the letter, she felt Danny tap her shoulder.

He slipped his right hand around her waist and with his dominate left hand showed her a pocket knife. "I thought we could add ours, it seems to be a family tradition."

Sandy giggled and started to carve a heart below the one her great—grandparents had done over half a century ago. It took her some time, she had to rest from standing on her tip toes occasionally. Danny added their initials and while they stood admiring their work, the ground began to shake.

🎃~👰🏼‍♀️~🤵🏾~🍁~👻~🧵~🏂~🌕~🥂