Red Mango

twenty

A wedding is merely a moment. A snippet of what is to come. But the vowed commitments foresee the impending future of the untouched bride and groom. Cody smiles to herself as she muses on her sister's promisingly wonderful time to come. She lowers her eyes to glance at her hand, intertwined with her sister's in a gentle gesture of reassurance.

Still, the blood circulation is squeezed out of her right hand by Blair's skittish grip. Her sister's eyes are almost penetrating gaping holes in the surface of the closed door before her. Cody returns a light squeeze to Blair's hand, followed by a humble smile. Whilst chaos erupts among the bridesmaids over her trailing vail, the two sister's shut out the commotion and share a moment of serenity.

"He loves you. You love him. What comes after is only a matter of time," Cody whispers, "stop over-thinking this." Blair purses her lips together, trying desperately to cease the glassiness misting over her eyes. She mouthes three small words before Jason Westminster hobbles into the hallway. The first and last father figure that treated the girls like they were his own. An act of selflessness that Cody could never neglect. So as Blair circles her hand around Jason's upper arm and Cody adjusts the bow tie on her foster father's collar, the tall, timber doors glide open.

As the maid of honour, Cody initiates the ceremony. Her heels click rhythmically against the cement flooring of the warehouse and everyone's eyes are trained on her cautious movements. With bouquet in hand, she strides through the aisle, catching the glances of familiar faces stood on the outskirts of the benches.

It's difficult to miss the admiration in Kit's eyes when he watches Cody advance further into the aisle. He bears a small, teasing smile on his lips whilst stood, looking effortlessly handsome, beside Leo and Sam. She takes her position on the stage graced with white flowers and glimmering lights. She sweeps her eyes across the sea of faces that she is no stranger to. The ceremony passes by and Cody can't help but allow a tear to escape her eyes.

"You may now kiss the bride." Aaron's tremendously dorky smile is prominent as he inclines forward to press a kiss to Blair's lips. Buckets of white and gold flower petals descend from the sky and rain down on the guests. It's a breath-taking moment that Cody can only describe as magical. Somehow, in that second of enchantment, Kit catches Cody's eye. She doesn't look away. He can't look away.

Then Cody is snatched away and squeezed in between the bride and the groom, a colourless flash indicating the settling of a permanent memory. She emits an airy laugh as the background music submerges the chatter in the warehouse. When she looks for Kit, again, he's no longer there.

When guests have settled after the ceremony, Cody is prompted to address the marriage of her sister. A speech, perhaps. But with little in preparation, she doubts her ability to improvise. Yet the anticipatory expressions among the guests and largely on Blair's face drive her to stand in her seat. A microphone somehow lands in her grasp and she raises it to her lips.

"Hello, uh- as the Maid of Honour, I felt it to be necessary to make a speech. I promise, however, to keep this short." Cody looks around the change of setting. Seconds ago, everyone was momentarily transferred outside for free beverages whilst tables and chairs were installed to bring the festivities into being. With Blair and Aaron at the head of the U-shaped table and Cody on their left, she has just about everyone's attention. "Dear Blair, in fifth grade, you unsurprisingly won Most Likely to Marry Rich." This earns a stream of laughter to echo through the warehouse. "And you did. You married a man rich of love and kindness. Someone who looks at you with such unreserved admiration that his devotion is unquestionable." Blair turns to Aaron, pure fondness in her eyes.