A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Today was the day. I was going to marry Rylie Hansen.
"I might throw up." I confess to my mothers reflection as she works on my hair and makeup. My t-shirt is clenched tightly in my fists, and I let it go and take a deep breath, but the t-shirt only ends up balled back in my hands as I feel anxiety course through my veins.
"You'll be fine, Aspen." She laughs as she runs a brush through my long, wavy hair. She just finished my makeup, and even though it isn't anything heavy, I feel beautiful.
"But what if Rylie got cold feet?" Rylie and I had parted ways this morning, and I wasn't really handling it well. I think back to our lingering goodbye before she went to her own room to get ready, and the way every touch had seemed different, filled with desire and anticipation. I could still feel the burning of her lips against mine, and it took all of my self control not to reach up and touch my lips with the tips of my fingers.
"I know for a fact that she won't get cold feet. I just saw her a little bit ago. She's just as nervous as you are, if not more, and worried you're going to get cold feet."
"There's no way in hell I'm getting cold feet." I say with a small laugh. "How come you get to see her?" I grumble, folding my arms, giving my wrinkled t-shirt a break.
"You know why." My mother laughs.
"Still." I mumble before letting my eyes wander around the room. It's a large room, the colors mainly dark and moody, and three couches sit against the walls. A big grey rug covers the majority of the wood floor, just in front of the couches. A large, rounded arched window sits to my right, letting in a little bit of light. The pouring rain outside didn't allow much light in any way.
I didn't mind the rain at all, even though some people believed it meant bad luck. The drops against the window were comforting, the sound filling the silence between our words. We'd found a venue that had the option for both the wedding and the reception, and it was perfect. Even if it was still raining during the reception, we'd be fine since the main area was both indoor and outdoor.
I smile, picturing how the wedding area looked when I peeked just two hours ago. It's right on the beach, already making it perfect. The wall facing the water is gone, leading out to a deck and providing a perfect view of the ocean. Plants and trees are spaced out around the room, giving it a clean, fresh smell and feel, while small, warm orange candles line the ground along the aisles. Chairs are lined on either side of the long, white aisle, and I couldn't wait to meet Rylie at the end of it.
Another good thing about staying at the same venue was that it gave us time to have the wedding, then a small luncheon, and then the reception before Rylie and I had to catch our flight to New Orleans. It was a late flight, but we opted for that instead of flying in the next morning and heading straight to the cruise terminal. Luckily, I didn't think we'd leave the reception before sunset, since the sun set pretty early now. Dancing with Rylie at sunset was one thing I didn't want to miss.
"Your father is very proud of you, you know." My mother says softly as she begins pinning up my hair. I meet her eyes in the mirror, and she gives me a sad smile. "I know it's been so hard without him, but I am incredibly proud of the woman you have become, and I know he is, too." She pauses, taking a breath. "I was so scared when he died. I didn't know how to be a single mother. I was terrified I would fail you. And I almost did." She stops, and I know we're both thinking of last year when she'd met Rylie.
I reach up and put my hand on hers where it rests on my shoulder. "You didn't fail me, mom. Yeah, we had our disagreement last year, but look where we are now!" I say, and we both laugh softly. "You were willing to try and understand my feelings, and I can't thank you enough for that. The love and support you've given me has been exactly what I needed. You're here, helping me get ready for my wedding to a  girl, and that means the world to me. I know it wasn't easy in the beginning, at all, when you found out that I liked girls..."
"I shouldn't have let that change anything, least of all my love for you. I am sorry, Aspen. But I'm so grateful for the second chance you gave me, because watching your love with Rylie grow has been simply amazing to witness. Even though I'm your mother and I'm supposed to teach you everything you need to know about life, you have taught me more than I could ever teach you."
"I love you, mom."
"I love you, too. Now, let's finish getting you ready so you can see that Rylie doesn't have cold feet! Plus, she looks stunning in her dress."
"You saw her in her dress?" I gasp. "Tell me why you went in there again?" I ask with a laugh.
"I had to grab more pins from Kristen, and they were finishing up on Rylie."
"What does her dress look like? Did she wear her hair down and with loose curls? I love when she does her hair like that."
"Aspen?"
"Yeah?"
"You will see soon enough. She looks lovely. Just like you will, once we finish up."
"You're right." I laugh nervously. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little bit anxious."
"It's okay. This is a big day for both of you, I would be worried if you weren't anxious." My mother smiles encouragingly before grabbing the curling iron for my loose strands of hair.
"Stop fiddling with that. You'll break it at the rate you're going." Jeremy places a warm hand over mine as I tug at my bracelet. The bracelet Rylie had given me on the Ferris wheel before we were together. Jeremy hands me my bouquet of flowers and I take them gratefully, thankful for the distraction.
Jeremy and I were standing in a small area just outside of the room where the wedding would take place. Muffled chatter and quiet music flows softly into our room, and my stomach flutters with nervous butterflies.
I glance at my reflection once more in a nearby fancy mirror, fixing one of the stray curls. I run a hand down my waist, smoothing down the non-existent wrinkles. The dress is a clean white, and somehow looked better now than it did the last time I tried it on. Maybe because my hair and makeup were actually done this time.
I felt really beautiful, and couldn't wait for Rylie's reaction. But, I was more excited to see her.
"You're sure she's in there, right?" I ask Jeremy again. Looking as handsome as ever, he was dressed in a grey suit, with a white shirt below, and a matching grey tie tucked neatly beneath the suit coat. A white flower is pinned to the suit coat pocket, and I straighten it slightly before brushing imaginary dust from his arm.
"Yes, Aspen." He laughs. "She wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Okay." I blow out a breath and slip my arm through Jeremy's. "Thank you for being here, Jer."
"Well, you didn't really give me a choice." He teases, and I turn my head slightly to glare at him. "I'm kidding! You know that I wouldn't miss this for the world, either." I smile gratefully at him, and we suddenly hear the music change, signaling my turn to walk down the aisle.
The aisle that Rylie would be waiting at the end of. That Rylie should be waiting at the end of.
Why am I so worried that she won't be there? She loves me. Of course she'll be there... right?
I just needed to see her. Once I see her, I know I'll be okay.
Jeremy places a hand on mine and we start walking, the music getting closer as we near the archway leading towards the white aisle. As Jeremy and I enter, the audience rises, blocking my view of the front where Rylie is.
The butterflies multiply in my stomach, but  I manage a smile as I walk past the rows of chairs and teary eyed people. When I get to the row of Salty Christians, my smile grows, and I meet the eyes of each of my friends, silently grateful they came. Next, I see the row of my cousins, and I feel my heart swell at the love on their faces. A few of my aunts and uncles stand beside them, and I'm relieved to see my favorite ones made it.
On the other side of the aisle sits Rylie's family, and I recognize a few faces before seeing Kristen, Dillon, Brad, Riley's triplet brothers, and Spencer with Harper in his arms. The baby wears an adorable greyish, teal fluffy dress, white tights, and shoes matching the dress. A flower crown rests on her golden blonde curls, and her wide blue eyes land on mine as I pass by. She looks absolutely adorable, and I feel my smile grow even more.
The triplets are wearing matching grey suits similar to Jeremy's, and they each look adorably handsome as well. Their ties match the color of Harper's dress, as do Spencer and Brad's.
My eyes drift back to my family, and I see my mother with Cassie and Makade beside her. Tears fill my mom's eyes, and she holds her hands to her heart, mouthing an 'I love you' as I pass by.
I continue walking, trying to see Rylie behind the people, but I can only see the Pastor, and the beautiful view of the ocean behind him.
And then finally, I see her. A breath of fresh air seems to flow into my lungs, and every single one of my senses seeming to heighten as I take Rylie in.
Oh my God.
I think that if I hadn't been clinging tightly to Jeremy, I would've stopped walking. Rylie looked absolutely stunning. She was incredibly beautiful.
She's wearing a white, sleeveless dress, the torso lace, and the skirt billowing out in uneven layers and waves. Her hair rests just at her collarbone in loose curls and she clutches a bouquet of white flowers in her hands. When my eyes meet hers, I see tears in her eyes, matching my own.
Oh my God. I can't seem to form any other thoughts.
The rest of the walk down the aisle only takes a few seconds, but it feels like years before I finally reach Rylie. I pass my bouquet to Hadley, my maid of honor, and smile warmly at her before turning back to Jeremy. Harvey catches my eye first, looking adorable as he stands next to Hadley with a small, white pillow on his back holding our rings.
A soft laugh escapes my mouth as I face Jeremy. "Thank you, Jer." I whisper before he pulls me in for a hug and I kiss his cheek.
"Love you, Aspen." He responds with a grin before going to sit beside Ava and the other Salty Christians. Austin winks at me from his seat, and I fight my grin. But it takes over my face the moment I turn and see Sam with Rylie's bouquet clutched in his grasp. His smile was contagious, too.
He winks at me once before my eyes meet Rylie's once more, and I see an endless amount of love and happiness pooled there, mirroring exactly what I was feeling. I take the final few steps towards her before slipping my hands into hers, instantly feeling the anxiety and butterflies vanish.
"You look breathtaking." Rylie whispers.
"So do you!" I laugh softly. "How are you so beautiful?" I ask in an awed voice, briefly brushing my fingertips against her cheek. She leans into my touch, smiling softly.
"I love you." She whispers as the pastor begins speaking.
I was so ready to marry this girl.
As the pastor pronounces us wife and wife, I can't stop the smile or tears as Rylie grips my waist with one hand, my cheek with the other, pulling me towards her. I slip my fingers along her cheek as our lips connect, and hear the audience clapping and cheering.
When we break apart, Rylie's eyes find mine, still filled with the warm love and happiness. "We're married." I say, softly grinning.
"We are. You're mine for good now, no getting away." She laughs before slipping her hand into mine.
"You think I want to get away from you?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "Never gonna happen. I'm forever yours." I grin and kiss her softly before before pulling her towards our friends and family. I don't want to let her hand go, but have to each time I hug someone. As soon as we're both free again, my hand is back in hers.
"You are both so beautiful." My mother says as she approaches, with Kristen by her side.
"Thank you." Rylie and I say in unison, giggling afterwards.
"What do you say we get some pictures, and then head over to the luncheon?" Kristen asks. "The rain stopped for now, too."
"Yes, please." Rylie replies, clutching her stomach with her free hand. "I was too nervous to eat this morning."
"Me too!" I reply with a laugh as we follow the group towards the beach access.