Chapter 1
One of the most common and tragic wedding stories you hear
about is when the bride has been given her dream wedding- they've spent
thousands of pounds on it- and then on the big day, the groom gets cold feet
because it finally dawns on him that he’s going to spend the rest of his life
tied down to one woman, and he leaves the bride standing at the altar, awaiting
his arrival- A moment that won’t come. The bride is then left heartbroken and
decides she hates men and gives up on love.
We don't very often hear about that happening to men.
Weddings are the most important day of a girl’s
life. We think about the fact that she'll never abandon her wedding because it
means so much to her. She’s dreamed of the day her whole life and she wants it
to be perfect and spend the rest of her life with the man she loves.
This story is a bit a different because this story begins
with a groom being left at the altar instead, wondering where his bride to be
has got to.
“Dude, calm down! Knowing Natalie she’s probably just
freaking out about minor details and it’s made her a bit late. I bet she'll be
gliding through those doors any minute.” Jay was starting to get a bit nervous
himself but as the best man he had to stay strong and reassure his best friend:
keep him calm, relaxed and hopeful that his beautiful bride was on her way.
Surely Natalie would be there soon. Right?
“Yeah, you're right. Why am I having doubts? She’s been
waiting for this day since we first started dating. Going on and on about the
day I'd be her’s forever.” He smiled thinking about every time she said it, she'd go onto her tiptoes to reach his lips and give him one long lingering
kiss to lock the promise.
Jack snapped out of his day dream when he spotted the
bridesmaids through the glass doors separating the foyer from the main church.
He still couldn't see Natalie though but she was supposed to arrive after the
bridesmaids anyway, in a separate car.
In the foyer Beth glanced at Jack through the glass doors.
“He looks pretty calm. If I’d been 10 minutes late for my wedding, Nick would
have been sweating buckets and probably pacing the floor with panic.” All four
bridesmaids, Beth, Maggie, Kelly and little Chloe- Natalie’s 7 year old niece
and three best friends since college- were all dressed in knee length, baby
blue dresses with a white, silk ribbon around the waist with baby blue kitten
heels. Each of them also wore a sterling silver daisy necklace with matching
earrings. Natalie didn't believe in making the bridesmaids wear awful dresses
just so she'd look better. This day was special for the girls as well so she
wanted them to look beautiful too in a simple but elegant dress.
“We all deal with nerves and stress differently. Jack has
always been one for staying cool, calm and collected in stressful situations.
That’s why he’s so good at his job! I wouldn't be able to be a fireman… woman,
that’s for sure. You remember how I was when my oven set fire? I was running
around panicking and wondering what the heck I was meant to do!” Maggie said,
remembering the day she'd had to quickly call Jack to come over and put the
fire out. Luckily he and Natalie only live round the corner so the fire was put
out in no time at all by a very relaxed Jack.
“Yeah, and that was before the fire had even started.” Kelly
giggled.
“Okay, okay, we all know I'm bad at cooking!” Maggie blushed
with embarrassment.
“The girls are laughing… that’s a good sign…” Jay commented
feeling slightly relieved. He looked at Jack whose face gave away no sign of nervousness.
Natalie was now nearly 15 minutes late. Jay wondered what would happen if she
actually didn't turn up. Would he have to go and find her? Or would he ask one
of the bridesmaids to do it? What if she’s decided she can't go through with
it? How would Jack take it? The questions raced through Jay’s head, all
unanswered until it would be too late. He was hoping that none of the questions
would have to be answered though. It won't come to that.
The guests were starting to fidget in their seats, turning
around and wondering where the bride was. Jack was pleading in his head for
Natalie to arrive soon. Where was she? She was the main thought in everyone’s head
at that moment.
Back in the foyer, the girls were starting to wonder where
their friend had got to.
“I know! I'll ring the hotel to see if she’s left yet.
Everyone form a semicircle facing me so that Jack can't see me on the phone. He'll only start worrying.” The girls turned their backs and faced away from
Jack while Beth got her phone from her baby blue and white clutch bag and
dialled the number of the hotel where they were all staying and having the
reception later on.
“Hello Sir?” The hotel receptionist had picked up on the
first ring. “This is Bethany Briggs, one of the bridesmaids from the Taylor
wedding?” She paused, listening for the man’s reply.
“Yes, that’s the one. We're having the reception at your
hotel later. I was just wondering if the bride has left the hotel, she hasn’t arrived
at the church yet.” Confusion spread across Beth’s face. “Oh, okay then, thank
you. Bye.” The girls all stared at Beth, waiting for the answer. They assumed
it was bad news though, judging by Beth’s reaction.
“She’s already left. She left about 20 minutes ago.” Beth
sighed. The hotel was only a 5 minute drive away. She couldn’t be stuck in
traffic because knowing Natalie, if the traffic was that bad, she'd have
walked. She'd decided on wearing white pump trainers covered in silver diamantes
so walking wouldn’t be a problem.
“Where’s Auntie Natalie?” Chloe asked. In the panic of
Natalie being late, the three girls had forgotten Chloe was there, she'd been
so quiet.
“Auntie Natalie will be here soon sweetie,” Kelly told her. “We
hope…” She said to the girls under her breath.
“Jay, go and talk to the girls. See what’s going on? The
suspense is killing me.” Jack’s doubts were starting to come crawling back.
“Sure mate, I’ll be back in a few.” Jay made his way back
down the aisle, staring straight ahead trying to avoid the gazes from the
impatient and worried guests. Jack took a seat next to his mother who put a
hand over his.
“ She'll come. She loves you.” She smiled at him, giving him
a bit more hope. He smiled back at her but then sighed with mixed feelings. He
knew he shouldn't doubt Natalie but she was now 25 minutes late. 5 more minutes
and he was thinking he'd have to call it off. No bride is half an hour late for
her wedding unless something has happened.
Just then, Beth’s phone started to ring. It was Natalie.
Beth was terrified to answer It. What if there had been an accident and this
was the police calling to let Beth know what had happened. Beth was one of
Natalie’s ICE (In case of emergency) numbers. Jack and Natalie’s mum- Natalie’s
ICE1 and 2- had probably turned their phones off ready for when the ceremony
began.
Maggie, Kelly, Jay and even Chloe, stared at Beth waiting
for her to answer it.
“Beth? Who is it?” Jay asked, even though he had his
suspicions who it was from the look on Beth’s face.
“It’s… it’s Natalie.” Beth pressed the ‘accept’ button on
the touch screen of her phone and lifted it to her ear with hands trembling.
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