Jennie
The farmhouse is bustling.
Roxanne orchestrates the kitchen, hollering at the caterers. It smells great. I wave to her briefly, and she tosses me a big smile. "Today's the day!"
Yes. Yes, it sure is.
I scramble into my bedroom and shimmy out of my clothes. We'll have to make this quick. I rinse off, pat myself dry, and yank a dress over my hips. I slip into a pair of flats, apply mascara to my eyes, and then I get to work on my hair. I tie the golden strands together into twin braids that fishtail down the back. Lastly, I pull my Bluetooth headpiece out of my bag and clip it on my ear so I can reach Ren and Nayeon at a moment's notice.
Something is missing. I scrunch my nose up at my reflection in the mirror. Then I see it. The powder blue jacket that Lisa got me is hanging on a hook behind me, so I slip that over my shoulders.
There. Perfect. Now it's showtime.
I can hear a commotion down the hall. I exit my room and follow the noise. I find all the bridesmaids shoved into Mina's room. They've made a chain, doing each other's hair and chatting.
"Do you think they'll have moonshine after the party?" Tzuyu says as she knots Momo's hair.
"Oh, I do hope so." Momo replies. "In little mason jars? That would be positively darling."
The woman of the hour sits at the centre of attention. She's sitting on the edge of the bed, looking in the mirror and directing. Two girls flock around her hair at once, but as soon as she sees me, she stands.
"Jennie! I'm so glad that you're here." Already, her eyes look misty.
She's a vision. She's wearing a classy white, rustic dress. It hugs her figure, with tiny little beads threaded in floral designs along the front and embroidered lace running down her sleeves. But it's more than the dress. She's beaming. The colour has returned to her face, and she can't stop smiling.
Now I think I might cry. My fingers cover my mouth. "You changed your dress." I remark.
Mina shrugs, but she's smiling. "The inspiration hit me. Finally."
"You look beautiful."
Mina's lower lip starts trembling again. She launches herself at me then and wraps her arms around me. I hug her back, while squeezing her tightly. "I couldn't have done it without you." she whispers.
"Yes." I tell her. "You could."
We break and she puts her hand to her nose. "I've been trying so hard not to cry all day. I keep reapplying my makeup."
"You're gorgeous." I tell her. "No matter what." I give her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm going to go make sure that everything's all set up, okay? But call me if you need anything. Anything. And I'll come running."
"Yes, yes, of course." Mina says and motions me away. "I'll be here. Trying to hold my mascara together."
I can't help but grin. "Mina, you've got this."