“Don’t mess this up,” I warned myself. “You love him.”
“Will you…”
Before he had a chance to ask again, I threw myself into his arms. “Yes! Of
course, I’ll marry you.”
Jeremy slipped the ring on my finger and scooped me into his arms. “I’ve caught you now, Caitlyn. You’re mine forever.”
“Forever,” I whispered as I melted into the arms of the man I never thought I
would find. He was real. The impossible had happened. I would really get my happy ending.
Fourteen
“Simple, Mother,” I warned.
My mother sighed and stepped away from the full-skirted
monstrosities. “Fine. We will find you something elegant and—”
“Simple,” I reminded.
Walking past the rows and rows of fancy wedding dresses, I stopped at one
of the mannequins. “Like this.”
My mother wrinkled her nose at my choice. “It is so plain.”
“Can I help you, ladies?” A matronly woman appeared from behind the
racks.
“I want to try this one on.” I pointed at the high neck ivory dress.
“Are you sure? It is so plain.” My mother’s frown deepened.
“It is perfect,” I insisted.
Two months later, I was standing in front of my bedroom mirror, praying Jeremy would never change like my father had. To my relief, my fear of moving
to Los Angeles was squashed. Jeremy was a vital player in the San Diego scene.
With his new demands near home, his boss decided to cut his time in L.A. down
to one week a month.
“Things are going to work out, Caitlyn,” I told myself.
As I hoped, the simple dress was perfect. The high front was countered with
a deep V in the back that trailed long ruffles. It was elegance meets seduction. I twirled around as I admired my image.
“You’re beautiful,” my mother gushed as she held out teardrop diamond
earrings.
“From Daddy?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“Yes, he gave them to me on our fifth wedding anniversary. I always planned
you would wear them one day. Are they ok?” She fluttered around me. “I know I
should have asked you before, but I wanted to surprise you.”
“It is like the best part of him is here,” I said, quickly putting them on and
hugging her tightly.
“The best part of him is here, Caitlyn. You,” my mother said, releasing me.
To appease my mother, I agreed to have my beach wedding on land, not sand. I relented to an oceanfront lawn instead of being by the waves. My mother
went above and beyond to make the elegant and tasteful nuptials she always aspired for me.
With my mother on one arm and Thomas on the other, we walked through white petals leading to Jeremy. The golden man before me looked like a movie
star in his black tuxedo and wavy styled hair. My heart flipped as he took my hand.
