Helga stood in front of her bedroom mirror. The small room of the boarding house was just enough to accommodate her. Her eyes moved across the room. The wardrobe she had as a child now had a midnight exterior. It was in the corner of the room with her bed that folded into the wall on one side and a full-length mirror on the other. Across from that was the small bathroom. Arnold had insisted one be put in. It had a small shower to the left, a sink in the middle, and the toilet in front of the door. To the left of the bathroom was the kitchen. It was older and everything in it was white. It had a stove, oven, and fridge. The door sat between the kitchen and living room area. The living room had a brown couch and fold up table where she ate dinner when Arnold was at work. A TV that was so old it still had a VHS player attached to the bottom sat blocking the view to the bedroom area. That was it. All she owned sat in the tiny room. Arnold had given her more than enough, but insisted that they sleep in separate rooms until they were married. Helga let out a small sigh at the thought.
Helga checked again to make sure no one was coming down the hall. She ducked her head back into the room and reached for her veil with her left hand. Seeing both at the same time made it even more real for her. A ring that was both tiny and gigantic sat on her left ring finger. A small diamond sat in the center with one emerald on the left and a sapphire on the right. The color of their eyes.
She turned away from the mirror and put the veil on her head. She moved her hair out of her face. Taking a breath, she turned. Pure white mixed with her blonde hair. It seemed to flow like water over her shoulders. She started to laugh as she compared her outfit to the veil.
Helga wore a pink tank top and blue jeans. She was barefoot, no reason to wear shoes in her own house. As her emotions over whelmed her, Helga reached from a little pink book that she kept in the bottom of her wardrobe. She had destroyed her shrine at the age of 13 when she was a crime show about a woman a woman with a shrine in her closet of the man she ended up murdering. It made her rethink how creepy hers were. Even after all that, she kept her little pink books. Most where boxed up under the bathroom sink. The one she was still working on, stayed in her closet just in case inspiration hit her. She parked herself on her bed. The springs squeaked beneath her.
She clicked her pen. In the biggest loops she could manage, she wrote and said "Arnold, my love- "
"Yes?" asked the man leaning on the door frame. Sun colored hair drowned a small blue hat. He wore a blue jacket with a red shirt underneath. Blue jeans covered his legs and a little pink bow was tied around his wrist. He received it the same day she got her ring.
Helga jumped. "What do you think you're doing sneaking up on me Bucko?" she said though it was obvious she was threatening bodily harm as she raised her fist.
Arnold chuckled, "I know you won't actually do anything, but about the wedding."
Oh no, here it comes. The one thing Helga had been fearing for the last three months. He changed his mind. He didn't love her. Well if that was how he wanted it! Helga took her veil off trying to resist the urge to throw it at both him and out the window. She sat down on the edge of her bed facing him.
"What about it? You aren't backing out on me now, Arnoldo?" Helga said pointing the veil at him as though it was the knife she knew he was about the plunge through her back into her heart.
"I was just wondering…" He started and trailed off. His hand rubbed the back of his neck as if it could some way slow down his racing heart. He moved over to the bed. He sat down as Helga moved further back.
"Wondering what?" Helga said both biting her lip from anticipation and reached out her hand to comfort him only to draw it back as she had done so many times before. She turned her head away from him.
"The journal my father left in the attic." He began, but stop yet again. Helga was starting to get annoyed at his apprehension.
"What about it?" She said as the b in about popped as she spoke.
"It has a map of San Lorenzo. It shows where they got married. I was wondering… hoping really …. that we could get married there too since we haven't decided on a location yet."
Helga fell over laughing. Her sides started to ache as she turned her face in to her pillow.
"I'm serious." Arnold said. It means a lot to me. I want to stand where they stood and feel what they felt the day they became husband and wife."
"Let's do it." Helga said between the giggles.
"Really?" Arnold said, surprised that she agreed so quickly.
"Really. Pack the bags and buy the tickets. We are heading to San Lorenzo!"