Seven Years Later
"Chloe, stop fussing; you're a beautiful bride!" Belle insisted.
"No, what if I trip on my dress? Or if I can't get the stupid veil out of the way? My god, Belle, how did you ever do this?" Chloe's squirming was familiar to Belle; she'd gone through it just a year before. Belle glanced down at her diamond ring for a second and thought of her husband Shawn.
"Chloe, calm down. I was jittery on my wedding day, too, but I soon realized something."
"What? Sedatives work?"
Belle laughed. "No! I realized that I was just nervous about the wedding ceremony, not the actual marriage, and the marriage is what really counts."
Chloe meditated on those words for a minute, breathing deeply and slowly to calm her impatient nerves.
"I still can't believe you're going to be my sister-in-law!" Belle squealed excitedly.
"I cannot believe that you still squeal like a teenager."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe paced in the tent that she prepared in. She still didn't feel prepared. She was surrounded by her bridesmaids: Belle, Mimi, and Fiona. Her maid of honor, Susan, paced beside her, trying to ease her distress. Chloe's three escorts, Nancy, Craig, and Stefano Dimera, were standing in the corners. Nancy and Craig were discussing something in one corner, and Stefano just stood solemnly in another. Chloe told Susan that she was fine and rushed over to Stefano.
"My name's gonna be Chloe Black! How weird is that?" she asked anxiously. "My name could have been lots of things. Chloe Miller, Chloe Lane, Chloe Wesley, Chloe Dimera, now Chloe Black."
"Don't worry, daughter," he said reassuringly. "If you have any trouble once you are Chloe Black then I will handle it."
Chloe looked at her father suspiciously.
"Well, just don't kill anybody," she replied, returning to Susan.
She continued her pacing until the only people left in the tent were her, Nancy, Craig, and Stefano. She wanted to walk beside one of them, and the other two would walk behind them. She requested that Nancy not walk by her side because it would be like being given away again by her. Stefano she respected, but did not know very well. Craig would walk beside her, and Chloe just hoped that Nancy and Stefano would not bicker behind her.
Chloe heard a short wedding march play and emerged from the tent with Craig beside her and her blood parents behind her. She did not move until the march ended. Then song "All I Ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera began. She grinned and began to walk down the red carpet. She wanted to savor the song, but she got an impulse that would not wear off. Well, Chloe thought, I want to surprise Brady one last time before I'm his wife. She picked up her skirt, dropped her flowers, and ran toward him, leaving Nancy, Craig, and Stefano in the middle of the isle. Craig laughed, Stefano chuckled, and Nancy just looked at her daughter, confused. Chloe waved on all three of her parents to come up with her. Nancy picked up her flowers, and all of them approached Chloe.
Soon enough, her parents had all gone to sit and watch the ceremony. (Her wedding was being held outside in a meadow, and her ceremony was not quite an orthodox one. Or a long one. Brady and Chloe had written their own vows. The man who would marry them would chatter a little, just to stay slightly traditional, then they'd recite their vows and kiss.)
Chloe gazed at everything around her as the minister spoke. She tried to stop and admire the scenery a few times, but she did not want to tear herself away from all her friends just to look at grass and flowers. The people made the meadow beautiful. She looked over at all the men. Shawn Douglas Brady, now married to Belle Black, stood there, looking at his beautiful wife. Brady had invited Isaac, his half brother, and Isaac's bud J.T. to the wedding, too, and they stood there with Gameboys in hand. Kevin stood there, almost as stiff as stone, except for a slight sway now and then when he stole glances at Susan. Chloe had insisted that Kevin come to the wedding, and she could see stars in Kevin's eyes when he looked at Susan. Chloe shifted her gaze from her friends to her groom beside her. She heard the word "vows," and Brady turned to face her.
"Thank you," Chloe said, just as she'd rehearsed. She looked into Brady's eyes expectantly.
"You're welcome. I love you."
Chloe didn't expect his vows to be 3 words longer than hers. They'd rehearsed this and laughed about it for months; he hadn't added the last three words any of the times that they'd practiced their vows. Brady rested his head on her forehead and whispered.
"That's my surprise to you," he said, knowing that she was surprised, though just a little, of his classic ad lib.
"Aw ... thank you," Chloe whispered.
"You're welcome. Again."
Chloe chuckled and both smiled. Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they kissed their official kiss.
"Chloe, stop fussing; you're a beautiful bride!" Belle insisted.
"No, what if I trip on my dress? Or if I can't get the stupid veil out of the way? My god, Belle, how did you ever do this?" Chloe's squirming was familiar to Belle; she'd gone through it just a year before. Belle glanced down at her diamond ring for a second and thought of her husband Shawn.
"Chloe, calm down. I was jittery on my wedding day, too, but I soon realized something."
"What? Sedatives work?"
Belle laughed. "No! I realized that I was just nervous about the wedding ceremony, not the actual marriage, and the marriage is what really counts."
Chloe meditated on those words for a minute, breathing deeply and slowly to calm her impatient nerves.
"I still can't believe you're going to be my sister-in-law!" Belle squealed excitedly.
"I cannot believe that you still squeal like a teenager."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe paced in the tent that she prepared in. She still didn't feel prepared. She was surrounded by her bridesmaids: Belle, Mimi, and Fiona. Her maid of honor, Susan, paced beside her, trying to ease her distress. Chloe's three escorts, Nancy, Craig, and Stefano Dimera, were standing in the corners. Nancy and Craig were discussing something in one corner, and Stefano just stood solemnly in another. Chloe told Susan that she was fine and rushed over to Stefano.
"My name's gonna be Chloe Black! How weird is that?" she asked anxiously. "My name could have been lots of things. Chloe Miller, Chloe Lane, Chloe Wesley, Chloe Dimera, now Chloe Black."
"Don't worry, daughter," he said reassuringly. "If you have any trouble once you are Chloe Black then I will handle it."
Chloe looked at her father suspiciously.
"Well, just don't kill anybody," she replied, returning to Susan.
She continued her pacing until the only people left in the tent were her, Nancy, Craig, and Stefano. She wanted to walk beside one of them, and the other two would walk behind them. She requested that Nancy not walk by her side because it would be like being given away again by her. Stefano she respected, but did not know very well. Craig would walk beside her, and Chloe just hoped that Nancy and Stefano would not bicker behind her.
Chloe heard a short wedding march play and emerged from the tent with Craig beside her and her blood parents behind her. She did not move until the march ended. Then song "All I Ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera began. She grinned and began to walk down the red carpet. She wanted to savor the song, but she got an impulse that would not wear off. Well, Chloe thought, I want to surprise Brady one last time before I'm his wife. She picked up her skirt, dropped her flowers, and ran toward him, leaving Nancy, Craig, and Stefano in the middle of the isle. Craig laughed, Stefano chuckled, and Nancy just looked at her daughter, confused. Chloe waved on all three of her parents to come up with her. Nancy picked up her flowers, and all of them approached Chloe.
Soon enough, her parents had all gone to sit and watch the ceremony. (Her wedding was being held outside in a meadow, and her ceremony was not quite an orthodox one. Or a long one. Brady and Chloe had written their own vows. The man who would marry them would chatter a little, just to stay slightly traditional, then they'd recite their vows and kiss.)
Chloe gazed at everything around her as the minister spoke. She tried to stop and admire the scenery a few times, but she did not want to tear herself away from all her friends just to look at grass and flowers. The people made the meadow beautiful. She looked over at all the men. Shawn Douglas Brady, now married to Belle Black, stood there, looking at his beautiful wife. Brady had invited Isaac, his half brother, and Isaac's bud J.T. to the wedding, too, and they stood there with Gameboys in hand. Kevin stood there, almost as stiff as stone, except for a slight sway now and then when he stole glances at Susan. Chloe had insisted that Kevin come to the wedding, and she could see stars in Kevin's eyes when he looked at Susan. Chloe shifted her gaze from her friends to her groom beside her. She heard the word "vows," and Brady turned to face her.
"Thank you," Chloe said, just as she'd rehearsed. She looked into Brady's eyes expectantly.
"You're welcome. I love you."
Chloe didn't expect his vows to be 3 words longer than hers. They'd rehearsed this and laughed about it for months; he hadn't added the last three words any of the times that they'd practiced their vows. Brady rested his head on her forehead and whispered.
"That's my surprise to you," he said, knowing that she was surprised, though just a little, of his classic ad lib.
"Aw ... thank you," Chloe whispered.
"You're welcome. Again."
Chloe chuckled and both smiled. Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they kissed their official kiss.