Weddings, Spies, and Happy Ever After, Oh My! (Short Story)

Chapter 1

The hotel room was a chaotic buzz of excitement and make up and dresses. The bridesmaids, dressed in strapless silk dresses, helped each other with their hair or adjusting sashes and straps. I sat in front of a vanity, the center of it all. The heavy wedding dress, which was supposed to be Addy's (she wanted me to wear it and I couldn't say no), I wore was like a beautiful silk waterfall. My veil trailed onto the floor as I finished up my makeup. I can't believe I'm getting married. And, especially, to Joshua McGallen. Soon, I will be Mrs. Ember McGallen. Wife of former First Son, Joshua. Excitement mixed with the butterflies in my stomach. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Ariana smiling at me in the mirror. Behind her, her daughter was playing with her phone. Little Lydia was an exact copy of her mother. Same blue eyes. Same honey blonde hair. Hopefully, she won't have to same attitude as her mother did. Ariana smiled at me.

"Excited?" she asked.

I nodded, standing up to face her. Even in my high heels (which are only about three inches. Any higher in this dress and I might just sprain my ankle), I was taller than her by a few inches. Her five inch heels did her some good. She wore a white rose corsage on her wrist, marking her as my Maid of Honor. She sighed, opening her arms for a hug. I hugged her back, being wary of my heavy veil. My dark auburn ringlets were piled in a bun at the top of my head. Ariana pulled something out of her handbag. I raised an eyebrow at her as she opened the small black velvet box. Inside was a beautiful silver tiara with pure diamonds and a single blood red ruby right in the center. It was the crown she wore on her wedding day.

"Every bride needs a tiara on her wedding day. You know the saying."

I smiled at her as I took my seat in front of the vanity again. Ariana stood behind me, flawlessly placing the tiara in with my elegant updo.

"Of course. Something old, something new."

"Something borrowed, something blue." she finished with me in unison.

When the tiara was situated on my head, sparkling in the sunlight pouring in through the balcony French doors, I admired it. Something borrowed. I ran through my checklist in my head. Something old. Addy's mother's (my grandmother's) pearl necklace. Something new. The earrings dangling delicately from my ears, reflecting and refracting the light. Something borrowed. The tiara. Something blue. The blue garter strapped around my right thigh for Joshua to retrieve later at the reception.

"All right, people, let's move! We gotta be down on the beach in five minutes! Is my bride ready?"

I glanced over at my wedding planner, which I had bestowed upon Margaret. She was so happy to see me alive that she wanted to take care of my wedding. Nothing too public. Just a simple beach wedding with a reception in an old mansion on the coast of Virginia Beach afterwards. I stood up, smoothing out my dress skirt as Ariana and Tiyana pulled my veil down over my face and smoothed it out. I sparkled like a princess. I felt like a queen. The bridesmaids grabbed their bouquets, fixing their navy blue dresses. Not a minute later, we were filing out the door to meet Joshua's grooms party.



I sighed as Addy linked her arm through mine, smiling at me. I smiled back through my veil, clutching my bouquet to my chest. In front of me, Ariana had her arm linked with her husband and her daughter got ready to be my little flower girl. Skylar's son (yes, he has a son who isn't Goth, shocking) held the ring bearer's pillow and beamed like a ray of sun. I chuckled.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart. Your father would have loved to have been here."

Despite her makeup being perfect, I could tell she'd been crying. I blinked back tears of my own as she gave me a quick hug before the procession began to filter down the aisle. One by one, the couples walked down the aisle. The crowd stood when it was my turn. All eyes were on me, but I was only looking at the man I fell in love with in the White House backyard. Joshua beamed, blinking back tears of his own and smiling at me. Addy grasped my arm proudly. The preacher stood besides Joshua, along with his best man. Skylar. Skylar had long since ditched his Gothic approach on attire, and bleached the dye out of his hair so it was it's natural shade of red. Just like Preston's. It took me a while to realize that I'd never seen his real hair color. Addy turned to face me when we reached the altar, hugging me and placing a kiss on my cheek.

"I love you, sweetheart. Congratulations." she whispered as she shook Joshua's hand and took her seat next to Barnaby in the front row.

I sighed, taking my place before Joshua. Around us, the sounds and sights and smells of the ocean created a scene straight out of a movie. Joshua and I linked hands and smiled at each other.

"You look amazing." Joshua mouthed to me.

Right then, I was thankful for the five pounds of makeup Ariana caked onto my face (but in a sensible manner) because I blushed.

"Thank you." I mouthed back before the preacher cleared his throat.

The wedding party went silent and listened intently, some recording on phones while other couples held hands and glanced at each other lovingly at the memory of their weddings.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of two very special people. Ember Rosemarie Rhinehart, daughter of Addison Montgomery-Thompson and Garret Thompson, has come back to us after years of grief. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her father. Garret is with us here today in spirit, along with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He has always been here, in our hearts and in our minds..."

The preacher continued, but all I could pay attention to was the butterflies multiplying exponentially in my stomach by the minute and my gorgeous husband-to-be. The people I held most dear to my heart beamed at me from the front and second rows. Ariana, President McGallen (who I have finally started to call Andrew now), Margaret, Preston, Lydia, Barnaby (he had to sit in the front row. Work stuff), my siblings (I don't have time to name them all right now), Amber (she is forgiven. Everyone makes mistakes, right?), and Addy smiled at me. In that moment, I couldn't have been happier. Then, when it finally came to the kiss, my heart swelled with affection. My life has gone from Presidents, Spies, and Boys (Oh My!) to perfect. I wouldn't have it any other way.

THE END

(You guys know I couldn't resist writing this! I've dreamed up this wedding multiple times, but could never decide which was perfect until now. I have a notebook full of possible wedding scenes I could have used, but I chose not to. I really hope you all enjoyed my trilogy. I will continue writing. I've probably said this a lot, but thank you for sticking with me and Ember and the rest of the gang until the very end. I've always wanted to be an author. To bring people to tears, happy or sad. To bring happiness and laughs. To bring stories that will stick with people. I do plan on formally publishing very soon. Keep your eye on your local bookstore and my page here. I do have social network accounts, but I prefer not to share them too publicly. Sorry. My accounts stay private. I love you all! Please come back for my future stories!

Forever thankful for the wonderful readers I have,

Bella)

P.S. Every couple has a slow dance song, right? Well, I'll post it on the side. Ember and Joshua's slow dance song as a couple for the first time. I always pictured them dancing to it and I knew it was the one when I heard it. So, enjoy!

P.P.S. My religion is Roman Catholic, so the ceremony is a traditional Roman Catholic ceremony- hence my references to God and the Holy Spirit. It may be a different process in different religions, so please don't hate me if you have a different religion. The only weddings I have ever been too have been classic Roman Catholic ceremonies (I've only been to two weddings in my entire life.) Don't hate on it if you have a different religion! I mean no offense to anyone in other religions or who don't believe in God. Thanks! :)