Page 256 of The Perfect Spiral
“You both look so beautiful too! I can’t wait to be doing this for your wedding, Alex!” I freeze and clear my throat. I wish everyone would stop saying that to me. It’s not going to happen.
“Yeah... That’s never going to happen, Sam,” I laugh, patting her hand.
“Never say never,” she winks at me. I roll my eyes and look at Lena, who is sitting there with a smile on her face.
“You all look so beautiful, girls. Ready to take on the world! My girls are all grown up!” Eric kisses each of our cheeks and we return the gesture. That man is one of the best things to have ever happened to me.
He has been there for us through everything and still took us in, treating us as his own. We will forever be grateful for his presence in our lives.
“Thank you, Eric. You have no idea how grateful we all are to have you in our lives. You mean the world to us. You took all five of us in when you didn’t have to. The love you show my momevery day is so inspiring, and it’s because of you that I can’t wait for marriage,” Sam chokes out, fanning her eyes to prevent her makeup from running.
We see Eric start to tear up as well, and we smile at him, each taking one of his hands in ours.
Once we reach the church, we see the bridesmaids gathered outside with Noah, Adam, and Eden. We step out first, and Eric once again helps my sister out.
We all walk into the church, and I hold onto Adam’s little hand, getting him and Noah ready as the ring bearers. Lena is prepping Eden as the flower girl.
The church doors open, and we all line up as instructed by Miranda. “Places, everyone!” She whispers, and the music begins to play. She sends Eden down the aisle, who gets halfway before she starts waving at everyone.
Seeing Jane telling her to keep walking, making everyone laugh, eases the tension. Sam is now fussing with her dress.
Miranda sends the two ring bearers out, not before they both blow me a kiss goodbye, which I return. They look so adorable in their little suits. Next, it’s the bridesmaids’ turn.
“Alright, here we go, ladies!” Miranda announces. Sandra leads us off. Sandra is married to one of the Giants football players, Dan Orna. She and Sam have become close since she started dating Tyson.
“Alex!” I feel my arm being yanked back towards Eric and Sam. Panic is etched across her face, her breaths coming in short, rapid gasps. She’s spiraling into a panic attack.
“Sam, it’s okay. We’ll go out when you’re ready. Just breathe, okay? Follow my lead.” I take a deep breath, hold it, then releaseit slowly.
She mimics my actions, and we continue this pattern until I notice Lena beginning her walk down the aisle. Sam’s panic flares up again.
“What if he sees me and changes his mind?” She blurts out to Eric and me. I take her hands in mine, forcing her to look at me.
“Sam, once he sees you, he’ll want to sprint down the aisle, scoop you up in his arms, and whisk you away. You’re the love of his life. You could walk down the aisle in a trash bag and he’d still only have eyes for you. Tyson has been head over heels for you since day one when we met him at the stadium. I could see it in his eyes. He still looks at you like it’s the first time he’s laid eyes on you. He wouldn’t dream of changing his mind. If he does... I’ll beat the shit out of him!”
My words coax a laugh out of her, and she seems to calm down. She nods and thanks me, taking another deep breath.
I move towards the doors and catch a glimpse of Tyson standing at the altar in his black tuxedo, nervously shuffling his feet. He can’t see me yet.
I glance back at Sam and ask, “You good?” She smiles and whispers a ‘yes’.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her once more. “So do you, sissy.” With that, it’s my turn to walk up the aisle. I step into view, take a deep breath, and begin my walk, bouquet in hand. Tyson is standing at the top of the aisle, his hands resting in front of him. The sound of cameras clicking fills the air, capturing every moment. I send him a smile, and he returns it. I glance to his right, seeing his brothers standing there alongside him.
Then Knox, and then my brothers. My eyes drift back to Knox. He’s studying me in this dress, and I’m studying him in histuxedo. His brows are raised, his lips slightly parted.
There’s that look again. The one I can’t decipher. As soon as I reach the top, Tyson helps me up, but I can tell he’s itching to ask about Sam.
“Is she okay? Is she freaking out a little?” He asks, nervous about the answer.
“She freaked out because she thinks once you see her, you’ll change your mind.” His eyes widen, and he shakes his head.
“She could get married in a trash bag, and I’d still marry her in a heartbeat. No questions asked.” He assures me, as if he wants me to run back down the aisle and relay his words to her. Little does he know, I already did.
“I told her those exact words. She’s good. You know what she’s like.” He nods, and I take my place, allowing him to return to his spot.
“Oh, and Tyson, she’s not in a trash bag. She looks like an angel.”
Returning my smile, he says, “She always looks like an angel. She’s my angel.” He turns his head towards the sound of the music signaling the bride’s entrance.
