Page 84 of The Road Less Traveled By

Vince: You deserve some good days amidst all the chaos, Bree. Don't ever forget that.

Bree: Thanks for giving me good days to remember.

Vince: I didn't plan this, Bree. It’s Liv’s day.

Bree: I’m not talking about just today, Vince.

Parker’s voice interrupts my conversation with Vince as Cassie tells another story. “Remember when Liv tried to grab that letter he slipped under our door? I swear her eyes were about to bulge out of her head when you invited him into our place for the first time.”

“I like to think of that night as a turning point for them, and I wanted to confirm my suspicions. They were, of course, correct.”

“What suspicions?” Teags asks Cass.

“That they liked each other. It was glaringly obvious to everyone except for them. I look back and laugh at how in denial the two of them were.”

I smile at every story the four of us tell while Liv gets changed into her seventh or eighth dress. I lost count after five, if I’m being honest.

“I remember when she first told me she had a boyfriend. I was out of town, and she called me screaming. I think it was the day after it became official, and the only thing she would tell me about Tristan was his name. I kept asking for specifics, but she was too giddy to say anything. After the call, I’d ask her one question a day, and that was all she was willing to answer.” I stop to laugh, my body starting to warm at the memory of seeing my sister's face light up about something, especially back then when all the two of us did was complain about our parents to one another.

“Anyway, I finally got some real answers, and just from that first call, I knew. I knew Tristan was going to be her forever person.”

“Trying to get the romance author to admit her feelings was the hardest feat I’ve had to endure,” Cassie tells us.

“The irony of that is insane,” Teags chuckles under her breath.

“I’m glad we’re here, though. It may have taken a bit, but I’m glad we all finally made it,” Parker says, and I feel Teags tense up beside me.

“Not all of us made it,” I hear her whisper under her breath, and I grab her hand to offer some comfort. To my surprise, she doesn't pull away. She lets me rest my hand in hers, and a few seconds later, Liv walks out, her eyes wet with tears.

This is the one.

My sister is wearing one of the dresses I picked out, and the attendant gives her a few tissues to blot her eyes. The dress is white, corseted at the top, before the ball gown falls into a huge skirt. The silk of the skirt contrasts nicely with the layering on top. The sleeves are a loose silk that falls on her shoulders, and a separate part wraps around her neck.

“Guys…” Liv says as she looks at all of us. “This is the dress.”

All four of us agree, and I’m pretty sure we’re all crying at this point.

“The train attaches if you prefer a longer one, and the skirt is detachable, which would be great for the reception.”

“It’s perfect, Liv,” I say as I get up and stand beside her. I grab the veil from the attendant, and I throw her hair in a quick makeshift bun before I slide the veil into her hair. I fluff it down, and when I step back and admire my breathtaking sister, tears start to flow.

She deserves the sun, moon, and stars, and Tristan is the only person on the planet who would build his own spaceship just to get each one for her.

“This is the one,” she says as she blots some tears from her face. “I’ll take it.”

“Wonderful. I’ll get an order sheet ready for you, and we’ll schedule a tailor appointment for you in a few weeks.”

Liv goes to take the dress off, and I’m stuck here reminiscing about when we were kids playing pretend in the basement. Now, Liv is actually getting married for real, and we’re all grown up. The thought hits me in the chest, terrifying me. When did we get here? How did it show up so fast?

I used to think time dragged on, but that was when I was stuck around people who only wanted me for my follow count, or my parents who wouldn't let me breathe.

Now, I feel lighter. I have true people around me who want me because of who I am, not what I represent on the internet.

Just years ago, Liv and I were playing pretend, and now it’s real. All the scenarios we enacted as kids—Liv having a book signing, getting married, and giving our dolls the life we wanted—are coming to life right in front of my eyes.

And as Liv and our friends walk out of the boutique, I can’t help but send a message to the universe to slow the fuck down.

Because I don't want life to speed up so fast that I can’t remember all these moments.

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