Alice wrapped her arm around Morwenna's as the two women walked down to the wedding hall. They came to a stop once the dove's father came into view. The man was elderly, with wrinkles on his forehead and eyes that were constantly half open. He broke out into a smile as he saw the pair and her hobbling over to them. Her heart plunged into the depths of her soul, watching her father struggle. While they were wealthy, money couldn't fight against the consequences of an aging mind. Even with his body failing, the man had been overjoyed about her wedding finally happening and rushed to walk her down the aisle. Alice let her go with a soft look.
This look went unnoticed by Morwenna as practically ran over to her father. The man grinned at her eagerness with two dimples forming on his cheeks. They met in the middle of the hall and he grabbed her hands. His touch felt warm, with her having to look down as the man's knees were bad. This left him permanently bent down when he was standing for too long. The dove felt sick seeing her father like this but the man was too prideful to use a cane or a walker. He insisted that he walk her down the aisle the way her grandfather had walked her mother. Their arm in arm with a bright smile on his face and his chest puffed out with blind love.
“Anna,” He called her by her nickname. The man had never been a fan of her name, calling it old for such a new soul. So, Anna was what her father liked to address her as and it made the woman feel so special. “You look like my mother.”
This brought tears to her eyes. “Thank you, Father.” Her grandmother had passed away when she was still an infant. But they looked just alike in photographs and family portraits they had of the old woman in her twenties. It was uncanny really.
Things like that made this moment as important as it was. Her father was going to relive a memory from his childhood as she would with her own daughter. “I'm so happy for you.” Her father chuckled as he squeezed her. “You got so old so fast.”
After those words left his mouth he became choked up and moved his hands to her face. He touched her cheeks gently, caressing the woman. She teared up and cleared her throat to keep herself from sobbing. “Father, you're going to ruin my makeup.”
Her father laughed and moved his hands back down with a smile. “You're right. Anna, let's walk together like you've always wanted.” Her heart felt so vibrant.
It was like she was in a movie. The wedding hall doors opened to reveal a bright light that blinded her. She put her free hand up to cover her eyes and squinted. When her vision returned to normal she gasped and felt her chest tighten. She hadn't been allowed to see how everything turned out after planning so long. This was because Alice and her parents wanted it to be a surprise. And a surprise it was with the old church turning into a magical forest. Anna broke down into tears and her father shushed her. It felt so amazing to be loved by so many people in her life.
A large set of canopies sat above their head, being weighed down by pressed flowers that smelled so good it burned her nose. Her father shuffled along with cameras constantly going on and off, capturing every minuscule step they took. Her flush tear-stained face was frozen in time as she looked around and grinned. She didn't know what to do besides walk. Her mind was becoming overloaded by everything she was experiencing. It was all so dreamlike. No amount of planning and hoping for a perfect wedding could compare to the real thing. It was so much better, bigger. Everyone had done their best and invested thousands into making her dream real.
“Presenting to you all,” Her uncle was announcing her presence to the world. She hadn't seen the man since her eighteenth birthday. He looked so jolly with a round belly and permanently pink-stained cheeks. “My lovely niece and the bride-to-be.”
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The words were like magic as her loved ones and closest friends erupted. They all clapped their hands and clapped as she made her way to the podium. Her spirits soured and she confidently marched forward. Morwenna felt like the Belle of the ball as she was let go by her father. The man looked up at her and she saw that he had been sobbing the entire time. Her lovely father had been keeping his mouth firmly shut to keep from making any noise. He was crying so hard she became scared that he was about to pass out. Quickly he noticed her fear and held up a finger to his lips. He shut her up and nodded for her to leave him be and go stand.
“I love you.” She whispered to him before bending down to kiss his forehead. The man felt clammy with sweat but she didn't care. All that mattered was that her father was here to see her walk down the aisle. Her life was perfect the way it was.
Morwenna felt dizzy walking up the huge, marble stairs of the podium. It was massive to make room for the dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen. They all nodded at her with smiles on their faces. She only knew three of them that well who weren't her handful of bridesmaids but they looked kind. Their presence reminded her of the future massive family she would have. A big community that was promising to welcome her with open arms. She wanted so badly to be accepted that she was sobbing at the realization that she had been. Everyone looked at her with pride and she couldn't contain her emotions.
The room filled with music as the orchestra her fiance's family paid for played throughout the room. It was a beautiful aurora of string instruments, jazzy harmonies, and the thumping of drums. She stood there, at the side of a priestess who whispered congratulations to her. A man got up from the front of the pews and handed her a humongous banquet of flowers. Her eyes grew as she took in how the amount of types included, all tied together by a satin ribbon. She leaned down and gave the gift a whiff and nearly passed out from all the fragrances. It was at first sweet but soon took on a smoked almost fiery, olden aroma.
It washed over her tongue and made her feel protected in a way. “You will be blessed by the Gods.” The man says to the dove and she nods at him confidently.
Looking around at everyone around her, Morwenna fully believed the gods were on her side. As a child, she had been taught to believe in the tale of the sun goddess who created the world by washing it in flames. All the technological advancements and good fortune that had befallen the world were all thanks to her. After the waves of fire and shower of meteors the entire planet benefitted. Followers of the sun goddess were given blessings just like the one Morwenna was currently experiencing. Her fiance and his family event followers but they didn't mean they weren't fortunate either. She could tell by the way they lived for centuries someone had been helping.
Her fiance, Colin, was a cold man at times. He was the type to not speak about his feelings and to keep his heart closed off. But he let Morwenna in slowly over the years and now he treated her very sweetly. Yes, he wasn't the affectionate type. But he did little things that showed her that he did care. One day back in school he had rented out an entire restaurant to take her out to eat. So, he wouldn't hug her in public or give her a kiss most of the time but he spoiled her. It was those spare moments of gift-giving that made her cry. Those times he'd look at her fondly and make sure to comment positively on her drive to be his wife.
Colin was the man of her dreams and she constantly craved his approval. “Please. Please hurry.” The woman pleaded under her breath for her prince to come fast.
The Gods must have heard her pleas as the wedding hall doors swung open. A large gust of wind went through the room and hit everyone. The bride's hair flew around as she gasped and saw her husband-to-be. Her crying continued as she saw just how handsome the man was. He honestly looked older and it shocked her. The man was staring straight ahead deep into her very soul. She felt her throat dry up from just how intense Colin was coming off. He had that same cold, emotionless expression but his eyes said it all. At his side was his mother who was grinning and waving at all the guests cordially. The blonde woman was free of any blemishes with her makeup looking flawless. As did her thin body.
The mother and son wore matching colors, dark maroon and white. Alice had commented on her mother-in-law wearing the bride's color but Anna had waved her friend off. The white wasn't as noticeable as the younger woman's beautiful gown. Morwenna's dress was jaw-dropping in how trendy it was while the older woman was traditional. The dove wanted to showcase her love of fashion and her past as a magazine writer. She used to spend hours researching the latest styles and patterns that were growing in popularity. While she knew wearing a dress like this might be selfish, she couldn't help herself. Her knowledge and experience couldn't go to waste on her special day.
Her uncle looked at the pair and held out his arms. “And in comes our fine groom and his gorgeous mother!” His voice was boastful as he projected his energy in the room. It was highly infectious. “Colin and Charlotte Heroux!”