Chapter 12 – Party Planning
That afternoon, the girls were all sitting around the living room with various bridal magazines and newspapers sprayed out amongst them. Covering the entire surface of the coffee table were also three laptops, mobile phones, phone books and empty coffee mugs.
"Okay I've just called 'Love and Bridal' and inquired about dresses we could get on such short notice." Riley said as she placed her phone back on the coffee table and crossed off the shop off of a list.
"What did they say?" Violet asked from her position on the couch in front of Riley.
"…They laughed and hung up." She replied as she looked down at her list.
"What does that make it now?" Lilly asked rhetorically, "Twelve laughs and two hang ups?"
"Thirteen, actually." Kim said as she walked into the living room with a binder in her right arm and her phone in her left. "'Wedding Bells' just laughed at me, too. Cross them off the list." She added as she sat down at the end of the coffee table across from Lilly at the far end.
"What's that?" Lilly asked, pointing to the binder in Kim's arms.
Kim looked down and smiled. She moved some magazines off the table and placed the binder down so her sisters could see.
"This is my wedding goal binder." Kim replied proudly.
"Again, what's that?" Lilly repeated
Kim mock glared at her sister and opened the binder to the first page, which was filled with photos of handsome male celebrities.
"When I was little mum used to read 'The Princess and the Frog' to me almost every night. Well one night I asked her if I would ever find my frog prince and whether or not I'd have an extravagant wedding as his."
"Instead you found your turtle prince." Riley interrupted, causing her sisters to laugh.
"Moving right along," Kim continued, ignoring her sisters. "Mum obviously said I could have both and she suggested I start a book with everything I want my wedding and my future to look like. That way I could visualise it and make it come true."
Violet and Lilly awed while Riley rolled her eyes.
"So what is in here?" Violet asked, moving to sit beside her older sister and Riley and Lilly following her lead.
"Well the first page is of the man I want to marry." Kim answered sheepishly.
"So you want to be married eight times?" Lilly giggled as she counted the photos.
"No!" Kim cried, "These guys have attributes that I would want my guy to have."
"Such as?" Riley asked
Kim smiled and pointed to the first photo. "He'd have big brown eyes that expressed everything he felt." She pointed to the next one. "He'd have a gorgeous smile that could make me smile every time I saw it." She continued listing the qualities as she pointed to every photo. "He'd be taller than me but not freakishly tall, he'd be very strong but have a gentle embrace with me that always made me feel safe, he'd preferably have light brown coloured hair, he'd have an infectious laugh, a kind and caring heart, and he'd be wholesome too."
"Meaning?" Lilly inquired
"He'd know right from wrong, help others, and would be loyal." Kim answered, turning to face her baby sister.
"…So he's Leo…except without hair." Riley said after a few minutes of silence.
The girls all froze and looked down at the photos in Kim's binder in curiosity.
"Dude, he's totally Leo!" Lilly laughed, falling to the floor. "You described your younger self's dream guy as Leo!"
Riley couldn't contain her laughter and joined her sister on the floor. "Even when you were younger you were made for each other!"
"I think it's sweet." Violet cooed with a smile adorning her face. "They are clearly soul mates who were made for each other. Even in diapers they knew they would be together." She added with a few soft giggles herself.
Kim's cheeks started turning pink from her embarrassment and she ducked her head.
"Okay, I get it!" She screamed, making her sisters stop laughing. "This is clearly Leo, I have the same tastes in men as I did as a kid. Now can we please drop it and move on?"
The girls nodded as they composed themselves and watched as Kim flipped to the next page of the binder. It was filled with photos of the wedding dress that Kim's younger self wanted to get married in. The girls stayed quiet as they continued flipping through the binder, watching as bouquet photos, bridesmaid dresses, engagement ring photos and location photos were seen throughout its pages.
Half an hour later the girls flipped to a page with a single big and old photo placed in the centre of the page. Surrounding the photo were handwritten words such as 'my dream house', 'my first house' and 'the perfect place for me' written in Kim's handwriting. The house was a two-story house painted a cream colour that had a brown roof and a large garage attached to the left side. There were numerous large white windows, large French glass doors at the front and a stone path leading from it. Surrounding the property were tall white metal gates, an electric gate in front the garage and there was a tall tree in the front yard on the right.
"Is that…?" Riley whispered as she lightly touched the old photo.
"Yeah." Kim confirmed, her eyes never leaving the photo. "It's our old house."
"When did you get this?" Lilly asked
"Mother gave it to me to fill in the last page. I always loved this house, so she said that the last page should be my dream house, the house I want for my future family. I don't know why, but I always felt safe and happy in that house, like no matter what happened, everything would make sense there. I figured if it made me feel happy, it would make my future kids happy. I thought it could be my future family's house. But I guess it won't be." Kim's eyes watered and she quickly slammed the book closed. "Well enough wallowing in the past. I have a wedding to plan." She added as she stood up and walked back into her room, closing her door softly behind her.
The three remaining sisters looked at each other sadly and continued looking through the bridal magazines.
Kim softly closed her bedroom door behind her and leaned her back against it, clutching the binder close to her chest. She took a deep breath and allowed some tears to fall down her cheeks silently.
'Get a grip on yourself, Kimberley!' She mentally scolded herself. 'You shouldn't be crying over an old photo.'
Kim wiped her tears away and placed the binder on her desk. She was about to turn away from the desk when she stopped and sat down at the desk and reopened the binder. She flipped through the pages once more and ignored the tears that flowed down her face, especially when she saw on the back of the page that held the old photo a message written from her mother.
'When was this written? I don't remember this ever being here.' Kim thought in surprise as she read over the words in her mother's handwriting.
Don't be disappointed if these wishes don't work out. Rather we wish that you enjoy the ride and not be in a rush to get there. Always follow your heart and be happy with the choices you make. More than anything we want you to live a happy and wonderful life without compromising your beliefs and integrity.
When you compromise your beliefs for the sake of gain, that's a lack of integrity. When you compromise your beliefs for the sake of greater understanding with your spouse, that's called wisdom.
Love you always and forever,
Mother and Father
Kim finished reading the message and more tears started falling down her face.
"Compromising my beliefs for the sake of gaining my mother's kingdom is a lack of integrity?" Kim said softly, her mind now conflicting with her heart.
While Kim was left to her thoughts she did not notice the apparition that appeared and watched her from the far left corner of her room. The apparition stepped forward into the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window and was revealed to be Lord Renaldo. He had used a spell to teleport his consciousness in a ghost form to Kim's room to spy on her activities without her being able to see him. Lord Renaldo scoffed at the sight of his 'princess'.
'She's as weak as her mother.' He thought before a wicked smirk appeared. 'However I do think I will be able to use those thoughts to my advantage.' He continued to watch Kim while his smirk grew. 'I will delay your impending wedding at whatever the cost.'
Kim shook her head of her thoughts, stood up and placed the binder in the top draw of her desk. "Forget it." She said confidently, "I love Leo and I'm going to marry him. I have a wedding to plan."
'Go on little princess plan your wedding. But there's no guarantee that you will make it down the isle, not if I have any say in the matter.' Renaldo thought wickedly as Kim exited her room. 'Your kingdom will soon be mine.' He thought before he disappeared.