Of Loss & Betrayal (Madison & Logan 2)

He turned around and walked quickly out of the room. Emily smiled, looking a little teary-eyed herself. “I think your dad’s about to go sob over his little girl who’s all grown up.”

I laughed, fanning myself with my hand so that the tears didn’t fall down my face and mar my makeup. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen my father even close to crying.”

There was another knock. This one was much more timid.

“Who is it?” I called out when no one said anything.

“Madison, it’s Cassie’s mother.” Her voice was uncertain. “Can I come in?”

I walked over and opened the door. Mrs. Brooks looked much older than the last time I had seen her, but her eyes were clear and she smiled at me.

“Of course,” I said, stepping back so she could come in. “I’m so happy to see you.”

“I’m so happy to be here,” she said. Her smiled turned a little tremulous as she looked at me. “You look absolutely beautiful. You’re the epitome of a glowing bride.”

“Thank you,” I replied. I smiled ruefully. “Luckily, you just missed my freakout by mere minutes. Emily was afraid she was going to have to pry me out of this room to walk down the aisle.”

Mrs. Brooks laughed, and hearing that sound made something inside me loosen. I had been worried about her for so many years, and now she was standing before me, lucid and healthy.

“I just wanted to see you beforehand, to give you this.” Mrs. Brooks held out her hand. “I don’t know if you already have something blue, but I wanted you to have this. I don’t expect you to wear it.” She laughed self-consciously. “Now that I see how beautiful you are in your dress, I feel a little silly giving it to you.”

In her hand was a plastic blue bracelet. It was the bracelet that Cassie had worn in the eighth grade talent show, when we had both dressed up as Madonna and belted out her songs. It was one of the many times that Cassie had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Not by force, but by her sheer confidence that we could pull it off. And we had. In some ways, it only felt like yesterday that we were dancing on stage and lip-syncing, bringing the school auditorium to their feet as they clapped and sang along.

I took the bracelet, looking at it as my heart swelled with memories. Mrs. Brooks took my silence as reluctance and rushed to explain herself. “The talent show was one of the best days of Cassie’s life. Even when you girls were in high school and college, she would talk about that talent show all the time. I think she liked to reminisce about it because it had been such a carefree period of her life. She told me once that it had felt like it was you and her against the world when you girls first came out onto that stage and everyone was taken aback by your Madonna costumes. And then you guys conquered the world. It meant a lot to her.” Mrs. Brooks gave me a small smile. “I just wanted you to have it. Don’t worry about wearing it.”

I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist, next to the diamond one that Logan had given me last Thanksgiving. I looked up at Mrs. Brooks and this time, the tears streamed down unchecked.

“You don’t know how much

this means to me,” I said in a choked voice. “Thank you. It makes me feel like Cassie is even closer to my heart today.”

I enveloped Mrs. Brooks in a hug, and she returned it fiercely. When we parted, she gave me a teary look of worry. “Oh no, your makeup.”

Emily had been quiet during our exchange, but she held up a bag when she heard Mrs. Brooks’ comment.

“I came prepared. I expected tears to happen.”

Emily opened the bag to reveal more makeup than I would ever need. They both helped to fix my makeup until it looked flawless again. Emily checked the clock.

“Ready?” she asked. “It’s almost time.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

We left the room and Mrs. Brooks went ahead to take her seat. My father met us near the chapel doors, looking like a nervous father. Logan’s best man, one of his childhood friends, stepped next to Emily since they would be walking down the aisle together. Emily turned around and waggled her eyebrows at me. I laughed, knowing what she was referring to. She had already told me, on more than one occasion, that she thought Logan’s best man was hot. Fortunately, he was also single. I had a feeling they would be getting to know each other very well tonight.

We got in line for the processional. Logan’s little cousins were the flower girl and ring boy, and they were giggling in the front of the line. The music started and they straightened impressively, as if their parents had drilled into them that if they didn’t behave during the wedding, there would be dire consequences.

The doors opened and the two little ones started walking down the aisle. Emily and the best man started to walk down the aisle and then it was my turn. My father squeezed my arm.

“Ready?”

I nodded, all my earlier nervousness vanishing. I was completely ready to start a new chapter in my life.

“I’m ready,” I said with confidence. I raised my hand to put it around my father’s arm. Cassie’s blue bracelet clinked against my diamond one, and I smiled. My father wouldn’t be the only one walking me down the aisle today.

I took a deep breath when the music changed and I heard the first notes of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Everyone stood when we started walking down the aisle, but I only had eyes for Logan standing at the altar. He looked incredibly handsome, but the thing that took my breath away was the look in his eyes as he watched me walk towards him. All the love and passion and caring that I could ever want in my life were reflected in his eyes. This man would love me until the day I died. And I would spend my life returning that love.

Chapter Twenty-Six