“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure your PR people will be forcing you to put on some huge fairy-tale display of a wedding.”
My eyes pooled with tears. “This is a fairy tale.”
They each wrapped an arm around me and hugged me, sandwiching me in between the two of them.
“Shoes? What shoes should I wear?”
Lily rushed to a bag sitting on the bed
“This is your something new.” She pulled out a Jimmy Choo shoebox and opened it. Terri and I gasped at the nude high heels covered in crystals.
“Lily! These shoes are like two-thousand dollars!”
Terri smacked Lily on the arm. “Thanks a lot for showing me up. All I got her was sexy blue lingerie for tonight.”
With a roll of her eyes, Lily shrugged. “You only have a surprise wedding once. Besides, I bought them for me when I found out I was pregnant! We just happen to be the same shoe size.”
Laughing, I pulled her in for a hug.
“Thank you, but these are my something borrowed, not new.”
“How about both?” Lily said with a wink. “Perfect.”
Terri handed me a box wrapped in beautiful paper. It was so stunning I didn’t even want to unwrap it.
“It’s for tonight. Unwrap it then.”
I kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, Terri.”
“It’s going to be Tucker who thanks me, that’s for sure.”
“We need to get going. Tucker just texted and said everything is ready.”
My hands started to shake.
“Holy shit, I’m getting married.”
“You’re getting married …” Lily and Terri said at once as they gathered up the train and we headed to the front door.
“Wait! Don’t I need flowers?”
Terri ushered me through the door. “Taken care of.”
“Oh.” My hands began to shake more, and I soon found myself being pulled not toward the elevator, but to the door that led up to the private rooftop patio that was mine.
“The roof ?” I gasped.
Neither of my friends said a word as they opened the door and Nash and Jim greeted us. Both Lily and Terri took one of Jim’s arms and slowly climbed the steps, but not before they each gave Nash instructions on how to carry and drop my train when we reached the roof.
Extending his arm for me, Nash asked, “Are you ready to marry him?”
A bubble of sadness settled in my chest. This was my father’s job. To give me away to the man I loved. My mother should have been here, adjusting my hair and telling me how I looked just like her on her wedding day.
Tears filled my eyes, and Nash pulled me to him.
“I miss them, Nash.”
He gently gave me a squeeze. “They’re here with you, Charlie.”