Top Gun: Maverick | Miles Teller & Tom Cruise

65

"More champagne?" Monica asked and I nodded and she chuckled.

"Come on, let's get you into that gorgeous dress." She whispered and I nodded. Dana zipped up the plastic wrap that was around it and I took off the robe. I stepped into the dress and Dana pulled it up and I put my arms through the thick straps. Monica buttoned the buttons and I stroked my waist as I looked myself in the mirror and I could see the smiles on the girls's faces.

"Omg." Erin mumbled.

"You look beautiful." Monica said and I looked over at her with a wide smile. I twirled around a little, getting comfortable with the dress. I did feel very beautiful in it. And I couldn't wrap my head around it, that this was actually happening. I couldn't stop thinking about the little girl whose world flipped upside down and had to grow up when she was ten years old. Had to raise herself because her mom was too sick to. Had to stick up for herself when people bullied her. Had to become thick skinned and not let anything get to her. Had to survive the Naval Academy when everyone said she would never make it as a female fighter pilot. Had to fight for what was right and fair. Had to become numb to survive and get through the pain of her absent father and dying mother with no one in her corner. The odds were against her. She wasn't supposed to make it. She wasn't supposed to find love. She wasn't supposed to get married. She wasn't supposed to hope for a bright future. She wasn't supposed to hope for a future with someone by her side. But here she was, in a white dress, with more people in her corner than she's ever had before, marrying the love of her life, with her father walking her down the aisle.

"Come on, Lina. Let's get you married." Monica said with a wide smile and pushed away my thoughts of that little girl, the little girl with no future. I smiled at her and I lifted up my dress a little as we walked out of the room. We didn't want the traditional first look. We thought it would ruin the whole thing. But I did want to do one first look.
I saw the back of the person who helped me into this world. The person I never thought I would ever have a relationship with. I walked up to him with my heart pounding and my pulse racing. I grabbed his arm and he turned around and his smile turned wider and wider, and his became glossier and glossier for each second that passed.

"Omg, look at you." Dad mumbled and placed his hands by his mouth.

"You look so beautiful, honey." He said and dried off a tear and I smiled widely.

"So beautiful." He mumbled and brought me in for a hug.

"I'm so happy for you." He said and I felt myself tear up.

"You deserve this so so much." He mumbled and I had to push back the tears to not ruin the beautiful makeup the makeup artist had done. We pulled away from the hug and he put his hands on my forearms as he took a look at the dress again.

"Wow." He mumbled.

"You like it?" I asked and he chuckled and dried off another tear.

"Yeah, I do. I really do." He said and I chuckled.

"Okay, I hate to disturb this, but it's time." Monica said and we nodded. We walked up the entrance of the church and I put my arm around my dad's and took a deep breath.

"You ready?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, I am." I said with a wide smile. Halo by Beyoncé started playing as the doors to the church opened and everyone stood up and let out a small gasp as we started walking down the aisle. My heart was beating so fast and I could see the smiles on everyone's faces. I looked over at the end of the aisle where the most amazing human being stood, drying off a tear with a wide smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile widely and I looked over at my dad who fought the tears. The powerful feeling of walking down the aisle was something I've never felt before. And I could barely breathe. I looked back at the man I was going to marry, the most beautiful soul on this planet. The person who always seemed to understand no matter what life threw at us. The person who's had my back since day one. The person who showed me what live really felt like. The person who showed me that I was capable of loving, that I was worthy of loving. We got up to the alter and dad handed me over to Miles and I looked him in the eyes and smiled widely. He dried away another tear which made me let out a small chuckle.