Beautiful Memory

Chapter 2 Beautiful Memory

Dresses and Disasters

The morning light was streaming through Andrews bedroom window in slants. It was Saturday. All the events of yesterday filled my mind as I felt the warmth of Andrews's body nearby. I felt a hand squeeze mine and turned to look at his face. He was staring at me, smiling lazily, looking as gorgeous as ever even in the groggy early hours.

"Mornin’", I whispered.

"Good morning my beautiful fiancé"

I smiled and pecked him on the lips. A thought dawned on me.

"How am I going to tell my parents, your parents, our friends, what are we-"

I was cut short by his lips crashing on mine, and my mind went fuzzy.

"Babe, you’re so adorable when you get all nervous. Don't worry we'll go out to lunch with our parents soon and tell them the good news, and then we'll tell our friends later. We can have a normal, happy life, and be a nice family soon. You have your job and I’m starting my business pretty soon, we’re doing good don't stress it, everything's okay."

He lightly kissed my forehead and suddenly my stomach lurched and I ran to the bathroom to empty my stomach of last night’s Lo mein. Oh, the perks of being pregnant. Andrew held my hair back and rubbed circles on my back until I was ready to move up to brush my teeth and get ready.

After Andrew and I got dressed, we headed to our favorite seafood restaurant for lunch. Andrew had called our parents and they were already there chatting and waiting in front of the restaurant. We gave the usual greeting and strolled into the place where we were immediately seated; the place seemed fairly empty considering it was already noon.

The walls where a pale blue with white wooden borders, the floor was a light mahogany, and white shelves were filled with old photographs and sea memorabilia that gave the place a rustic feeling.

While waiting for our meal, we decided to give them the big news.

"Well, you should all know why we invited you guys here", Andrew smiled.

Everyone looked at us expectedly.

"Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, Andrew and I are getting married" I blurted.

The looks on their faces were surprised, to say the least. My mom and Mrs. Lincoln were bawling and hugging us and already discussing wedding plans, my dad and Mr. Lincoln were trying to keep their cool, but I could tell they were about to cry. I felt a tiny bit of weight being lifted of my chest; I thought they were going to get start turning red and yelling at us in front of the whole restaurant.

"But, why so soon?", my dad asked the unspoken question.

"Well, yeah there's actually more…”

“We’re having a baby.” Andrew came to my rescue.

All of a sudden the restaurant fell awkwardly quiet. I looked down at my shoes, a blush attacking my cheeks, but the knot in my stomach grew less and less when Andrew put his arm around me.

"I was planning to ask her the big question yesterday, and she surprised me with something of her own."

He smiled lightly and I looked up. My father looked ready to kill, my mother looked like she had just gotten a bucket of water splashed on her face, and Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln looked skeptical.

"I-I found out yesterday, but I know we’re going to work through this. I love Andrew and he loves me. It was really unexpected, and we plan to get married as soon as possible.”

Both mothers snapped out of their state of shock and congratulated us then, cried more, and started gushing over their new “grandma” title. The fathers came around, and told Andrew that he better take care of me. My dad took Andrew aside and talked to him for a while. When they came back Andrew didn't divulge what he said, but he just chuckled and said that everything’s going to be okay. Over our hot plate of food we talked more about wedding details and baby names.

At night we gathered all of our friends and told them the news. They were utterly shell-shocked, but nonetheless they were completely happy for us and said things like that they knew this would happen one day since we’ve been practically inseparable all through high school and now. I finally felt like things were going back on track.

My mother and Leslie, Mrs. Lincoln, planned a wedding that would put Bridezilla’s to shame. It was chaotic, but they promised me that I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Lilacs were streaming throughout the church, men in black suits and women in a myriad of brightly colored dresses were bustling about checking on everything and putting in last touches, and I was in the dressing room looking into the floor length mirror and hyperventilating.

Although my dress was loose with an empire waist, I felt like a fat cow even after all of the compliments in the world. My lilac high heels that were actually comfortable once, now made my feet throb. I took more deep breathes and admired how my honey blond hair was curled and pinned back around my head like a halo. My eyes seemed to glow thanks to the silver eye shadow that graduated to light purple on the corners, which made my unique violet eyes pop. My creamy white skin radiated, and my sooty eyelashes didn't need much mascara. I never thought that I would look this beautiful, and I had to congratulate my older sister; give her tweezers and eyeliner and she could make even a caveman look like a model.

I could hear everyone murmuring in their seats and I was waiting for my cue.

What’s taking this so long it’s been hours!

Grabbing my bouquet of white carnations and lilacs, I bustled out of the stuffy room and out onto the aisle. My stomach felt like a million butterflies, and it didn't help that everyone was staring at me. They looked at me with pity and sorrow. I saw my mom clinging onto my dad, her shoulders shaking and more people surrounding her as loud sobs echoed from the ceiling.

What the-

Looking towards the empty alter, I couldn’t see Andrew giving me a reassuring smile, a small wink, in fact he wasn’t even there and as I looked around I couldn’t find his family there either.

"Oh Alicia!” my mother sobbed and ran over to me dramatically.

"Mom- MOM what’s going on?” Panic overcame me.

 "Andrew- he didn’t make it I’m so sorry honey he’s not going to make it”

Not going to make it? He wouldn’t leave me what happened.

I turned towards my dad hoping he’d tell me what’s really going on. People filed past me with sympathetic looks and apologies.

"Alicia, Andrew got in a car accident on his way over here. He didn’t make it”

His voice sounded hollow, like I was listening to him underwater. Everything stood still and all I could hear was my heart beating and my heavy breathing. I saw flashes come and go- the church’s roof, faces surrounding me, then a blue sky and windows. Then everything hit me like a train and my senses were back.

"Alicia! Don’t worry baby, we’re almost at the hospital" a voice, my mother.

We were in the back of my mom’s van and my dad was driving like a madman. Salty tears blurred my vision, but I could still make out the clear blue sky.

"No, no what happened? No, no wake up… Where is he? Where’s Andrew?” I yelled hoarsely, and hardly understandable, but my mom understood.

“Andrew was driving to the church; he got in a car accident and immediately died on impact. It was a drunk driver. It wasn't Andrews fault; he couldn’t do anything about it. I’m so sorry baby." Died. On impact. Those words repeated over and over in my head and made me realize that he isn't coming back. The blue sky around me went black as I fainted.