Devious Maid (Of Honor)
"You guys, come on. This isn't right." Mia practically whined.
"Mia, come on. Just pick." Gisele demanded. She shoved her mini-calendar and pen into Mia's hands and turned back to the vanity mirror.
"We shouldn't be betting on how long this marriage is going to last."
"All we're saying, Mia," Ramsey interjected, "is that they're two different people. They come from two different worlds."
"They're both criminals, except one has a conscience!" Mia exclaimed. She tossed the calendar onto the counter beside Gisele's hair products.
"I think if you were just being honest with yourself, you'd see that Owen and Letty are a bad match. She's meant to be with Dom. We all know that." As Gisele spoke, she rolled her hair with large flexible curlers.
"But she doesn't remember him! So, we have to support her choice to be with Shaw."
"For the record," Ramsey added, "we do support Letty's choice. I don't think we're betting on them as a couple, it's more so about when she'll get her memory back."
"It's been almost a year and nothing has come back yet. It may never happen." Mia sat down. She was working herself up and the last thing she needed was to sweat out her perfect curls. "Someone needs to talk some sense into her before this wedding tomorrow."
"Good luck with that. She seems to be on cloud nine these days." Ramsey
"Which is strange because I never pegged her for the marrying kind."
"Honestly, neither have I. But Letty has always been like a sister to me, so if she's happy then I'm happy."
Gisele and Ramsey looked at each other and then back at Mia. "Fine, we won't make any more bets."
"Thank you." Mia sighed.
Suddenly, Ramsey had a thought, "Speaking of Dom, have you talked to him? Is he coming to the wedding?"
"I don't know. He's been ignoring everyone's calls except Brian's for the past couple of days." Mia admitted. "I think he's just as upset as everyone else is that he and Letty didn't end up together."
"I just don't understand why he's not constantly reminding Letty about their," Gisele rolled her eyes at her own words, "epic love story. Dom's a fighter, but he's given up."
"You can't tell someone that they love you. It's something that has to be felt. And Letty doesn't remember everything that they've been through or all the intimacy that they've shared."
"So, what? He just lives the rest of his life as a hermit?"
Mia considered this for a few moments, finally shrugging. "I honestly don't know."
But, she decided, she needed to find out.
"Nice hair." Dom snorted when he opened the front door.
"You need to stop this wedding."
"Mia, I love you, but please, go away." Dom told his little sister. He did, however, leave the doorway, giving his sister the choice to either close it and leave or follow him into the family room.
"Dom, come on. Letty is getting married to Shaw. Tomorrow."
"Don't remind me." He plopped back down onto the couch and drank from the Corona in his hand.
"I have to because it seems like I'm the only one that seems to remember how great you and Letty are together."
"Mia, she's the love of my life. She always will be, but she chose to be with Shaw."
"Because she doesn't know any better. Right now, Letty is vulnerable and Shaw is exploiting that. He took her and molded her into what he wanted her to be. You would never do something like that. And you need to prove to her that Shaw isn't her only option."
"Will you just leave it alone?"
"No, and why are you?"
"Because I have to have faith, Mia!" Dom sat the now-empty bottle onto the coffee table. "Our entire lives, we've been the poster children for 'if you love something, let it go'. I just need to have faith that if Letty and I do belong together, she will see it in her own time. I can't force her to love me."
Mia's approach softened. She'd been going about this all wrong. Instead of recognizing that her brother might be in pain too, the brunette had only been worrying about how she felt and how Letty could possibly be feeling right now. But she couldn't help it. Family was the most important thing to her and she about to lose the only sister she'd ever known to a man who'd tried to ruin their lives.
"Look," Mia took her brother's large hand in both of her own, "will you at least come to the wedding? Letty wants you there."
"She said she wants me there?"
"Yes." Mia lied.
Dom shook his head. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask."
The morning had been filled with nothing but held back tears of happiness (and some sadness). The mimosas at brunch hadn't helped the high emotions that were running rampant. By the time the bridesmaids were dressed and headed to the villa for the service, Mia had attempted to call her brother half a dozen times. Each time she was sent to voicemail. Now, she stood with Gisele and Ramsey, holding bouquets of wildflowers in the back courtyard of the villa under a beautifully crafted archway. The sun was high and the birds were chirping. Letty and Owen were front and center, holding hands in front of a priest. Everything was perfect. Except the groom.
"If there is anyone here who feels these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."
The entire wedding party turned to look at the audience. Mia's heart pounded as she scanned the crowd for any sign of her brother.
The priest took a breath to finish his speech but was suddenly silenced by a few gasps from the attendees.
It was Dom!
Third row from the front, aisle seat. He stood, buttoned his suit jacket and stared at Letty for a few moments. Everyone awaited with baited breath to see what he would do or say. But he never did. He just kept eye contact with Letty who was beginning to look more and more unsure with her decision. Her labored breathing was apparent in the heavy way her chest rose and fell. Still, Dominic never spoke. Instead, he simply turned from her and took his leave, walking deliberately down the aisle and towards the exit.
No sooner had he disappeared, Letty looked at Mia, clearly hoping she would help.
"Shall I continue?" The priest asked.
"Leticia?" Owen urged.
"I-. I, uh-." She looked between Mia and the exit. To Owen and then back to the exit where she'd watched Dom walk out of her life. "I'm sorry, Owen. I can't marry you."
The crowd scandalgasmed. The whispers began and Letty ran from the aisle towards the villa's entrance.
"Dom!" She shouted. "Dom!"
She heard his engine rev and she turned to see him handing the valet a folded bill.
"Dom!" The brunette made it to his car just in time. And the look on his face was all worth it. Letty opened the passenger door and got in, careful not to show too much skin in her fitted bandage dress.
"Letty, what are you doing?"
"Choosing." She shut the door and looked straight ahead. "Drive."
And so he did. They drove in silence for a while, no particular destination in mind.
"I remember everything." She mentioned abruptly.
He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"It came to me like a flood. That night in the Dominican Republic. I couldn't marry Owen. Because I remember that night now. The night we got married. I remember everything. I remember it all." Tears fell freely from her eyes, her own shock mixed with another unnamed emotion. Joy, perhaps?
He was quiet, still.
"Say something."
Dom reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in his own. He glanced to his right and grinned. "It's about time."
Through her tears, Letty laughed. And it was a freeing, joyous, beautiful sound.
"Why didn't you tell me we were married?"
He pulled their joined hands to his lips, kissing the back of hers. "Because you can't tell someone they love you."
Just those few words made her love him even more. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for her own, was unreal to her. He truly loved her with everything he had.
"Ride or die." Dom added as they sped towards the desert.
Fin.