Cat sat on the cushioned, golden chair of the vanity in the room the hotel had provided for her. Everything in the room was well-kept, neat, and beautiful. Her long, white dress was no exception. The only thing in there that was a mess was Cat. Her heart was pounding in her ears, she could feel herself on the verge of shaking, and the room felt too hot despite she knew it was air-conditioned. She was glad for the makeup she knew was hiding how pale she was. It's just nerves, she told herself. This happened to everyone. It was her big day, after all.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, but it failed to calm her down just like her previous attempts. It's just nerves, she repeated, as she felt her hands start to shake. She didn't understand why she was such a wreck; she loved Sam and wanted to marry her. "Honey?" she heard her mother ask through the door, before it opened and the older woman walked in.
"You look beautiful," her mother said.
Cat smiled. Her mother had said that several times throughout the day. "Thanks, mom."
"Are you okay?" the older woman asked.
"Yeah, just a little nervous," Cat said, trying to play off the immensity of her nerves.
"You'll be okay, we all get a little nervous," the woman said with a smile, and patted her daughter's arm.
She turned around and headed towards the door. "Almost everyone is seated and everything is set up," she finished saying, as her fingers wrapped around the doorknob.
"Mom?" Cat asked, with a serious tone.
"Yes?" her mother asked, slightly turning to look at her.
Cat was quiet for a second. "Nothing," she said.
Her mother smiled one last time and left. Cat couldn't talk about these things with her mother. They had a good relationship but they had never spoken about anything meaningful or deep. Her mother was the kind of woman that liked to sweep problems under the rug as if nothing bad ever happened. Cat couldn't confide in her about the uneasy feeling in her gut and the nerves that were making her whole body buzz uncomfortably.
She stood up and started to pace, when there was another know at the door. Her maid-of-honor popped her head in and extended her hand, holding Cat's phone. "It's been going off like crazy so I thought maybe it was important," she said.
Cat nodded and took the phone in her hand. The door clicked closed and she turned around to keep pacing, when the phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down at it and felt her heart drop. I'm going to be sick, she thought, as she ran to the adjacent restroom.
The phone made a small thud as it fell on the carpeted floor, face up. The caller ID had no picture, but a name. Jade.