Author's Note: I've been working on this series off and on for quite a while. I don't think many of my original readers still bother to read it. In fact, I started it so long ago that those people may have different email accounts, etc, so probably aren't being alerted when I update. But if anyone actually still reads it, I appreciate it. The characters and my story never leave my head. I think about them fondly just about every day. Graduate school and life and intermittent bouts of depression keep me from writing. But I will finish this series. Most likely before 2014 is out. If this is your first time, start at Part One. You won't regret it! Thanks so very much for reading. And please review! Even if you hate it. Or just have questions. Let me know. Means a lot to know someone actually cares. Thanks! xo
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"Rise and shine, Princess."
Angelica opened one eye and groaned. "Mom? What are you doing here?" She turned over and burrowed under the comforter.
"Sweetie, it's your wedding day."
Angelica shrieked. "Oh my God! It is my wedding day! Shit!"
"Angelica! That kind of-"
"I'm getting-"
"language-"
"married—"
"isn't becoming—"
"today! Ahhh shit!"
"of a bride." Charlotte sighed. She ran her fingers through her daughter's long blond hair.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Good. Charles is at his parents' house. He left you a note."
Angelica took the piece of paper from her mother.
Goldilocks,
Left early this morning. It's supposedly bad luck for us to see each other on the day of the wedding. I don't know if I believe in superstitions but I figured why take the chance? I don't want anything to keep you from having the wedding of your dreams.
Love,
Chuck
Angelica sighed and fell back on the mountain of pillows in contentment.
"Angelica…wedding day, remember?"
"Right!" she bounded from the bed just as Susie and Kimi were entering the room laden with coffee cups.
"Morning, bride to be!" sang Susie as she handed Angelica a Starbucks cup. On the side 'Bride' was scribbled in black marker. Susie held hers ("Maid of Honor") up. Kimi handed Charlotte hers and they raised their cups (Bridesmaid and Mother of the Bride) up for a toast.
"To the bride!"
Angelica smiled and took a long sip of her latte. She sure loved it when everything was about her.
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Angelica inhaled deeply as she walked into the kitchen. "Mmm. Sure smells good in here."
"Morning, dear." said Lil with a grin. "I've made you breakfast." She handed Angelica a plate of waffles and fruit.
"Thanks."
"Now, finish up that coffee so we can start on mimosas."
"No!" said Susie. "We can't have her drunk!"
"Oh my gosh, I'm not getting drunk on my wedding day."
"Alright, girls" said Charlotte in her crispest, most professional voice. "We're on a tight schedule here. You have precisely 18 minutes to eat and then we need to move on."
"Sounds like she needs a drink." said Lil under her breath.
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"What if the minister gets our names wrong?"
"He's not going to get your names wrong," reassured Susie as she slung an overstuffed bag over her shoulder.
"What if I forget what I'm supposed to say?!"
"Just say whatever comes to mind. Whatever you're feeling."
Angelica wrung her hands. She looked down worriedly. "What if—ack, ohmygod, my nail!"
She extended her pinky finger in alarm.
Susie stopped, dropping the bags on the walkway. "What is it now?" she gasped.
"My gel is messed up! On my pinky! That's not supposed to happen. These are supposed to be indestructible."
"Angelica, it is a teeny tiny little smear. No one will notice."
Angelica pressed her fingers to her temple. "I can not—"
"Angelica! A little help here! Let's get this stuff in the beach house and we'll figure everything out."
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"Katherine will be here at three for hair and make-up." Angelica said, peering into the mirror with a worried look on her face.
"You don't seem nearly as enthusiastic as you did this morning." said Lil. "Are you ok?'
"Now it's time for a drink." said Charlotte. "I'll pour you a mimosa, Princess."
"No cold feet?" asked Susie, unraveling the cord on her straightener.
"No cold feet. I'm just worried. There are so many things that could go wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong."
"That was Katherine," sighed Kimi as she set her phone on the table. "She's not going to make it."
Charlotte returned from the kitchen. "Did we not bring the champagne?"
"It's in the paper bag. Right next to the box with the bouquets," said Kimi.
"Where?"
"On the…uh…on the kitchen counter…at Angelica's."
"So we don't have the bouquets either?" asked Lil.
"Angelica?" asked Kimi in a quiet voice. "Are you ok?"
Angelica was leaned over in her chair, her head between her knees. "I think I'm going to be sick. Everything is going to go wrong today. This is bad. I can feel it."
The three women looked at her with concern and then at each other with worry.
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"Everything will be fine, sweetie," said Charlotte gently. "You just relax. Mommy will fix everything."
"If I have to bribe people, or off someone! Whatever it takes to my daughter's wedding day the best day of her life!" she said to Lil in a much less gentle manner.
Susie re-entered the room holding up a plastic bag triumphantly. "I have alcohol!"
Angelica removed her head from between her legs, looking considerably perkier.
Susie set the bag down on the table. "Ok, it's not champagne, but beggars can't be choosers. There's a liquor store around the corner." She revealed bottles of vodka and orange juice.
Angelica grinned. "Even better."
Kimi tsked tsked and shook her head in mock disapproval. "You're going to be a drunk bride."
Susie handed Angelica a plastic cup and lifted her own. "Happy wedding day!"
Angelica took a sip and sighed. "Katherine is so inconsiderate!"
Lil raised her eyebrows. "She went into labor."
"I can do the hair and make-up." said Kimi.
Angelica gave her a skeptical look.
"Oh, come on! Give me credit. You know I'm good with that kind of thing. I'll do everyone's and mine too. Not a problem."
"I've seen your make-up." Angelica said disdainfully.
"I'm not going to give you electric blue eyes or funky braids or anything like that, I promise. If you'll notice, I don't even have any unnatural colors in my hair today, thank you very much."
Angelica sighed. "Fine." She downed the rest of her drink. "What choice do I have anyway?"
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"You know," said Kimi as Angelica peered into the mirror uncertainly. "This would probably go better if you didn't try quite so hard to be displeased with everything."
Angelica sighed. "Fine, I will try to play nice. Can I have another drink please?"
Susie took her cup and refilled it with orange juice and vodka. "Last one, though. We can't have you sloshed."
"I'm not a child!"
"Well, stop acting like one."
"That's it," said Kimi. "We're turning you around. Can't have you seeing it until I'm done."
"Do you have the picture?" Angelica asked worriedly.
"Yes, I have the picture. I know what you want. And I know what I'm doing. You will look beautiful. The clock is ticking. Let's do this."
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"Come on, Ang. Be serious. Open your eyes."
Angelica hesitantly opened one eye. Then the other. "Wow," she breathed softly. "I look…"
"Breathtaking." finished Drew.
Angelica looked up. Her father was standing in the doorway, holding a cardboard box. He had tears in his eyes. "Hi there, Princess."
Charlotte walked to her husband's side. "She is beautiful, isn't she?"
"Lucky she took after her mother." He set down the box, kissed his wife's cheek and then walked to Angelica. She stood. He grinned and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Angelica. And proud of you. We both are."
"Daddy, don't make me cry! I just got my make-up done!"
He laughed. "Ok, I'll leave you girls to it. I just wanted to get these to you," he said, indicating the box. "The bouquets. Phil just dropped them off but then he had something he had to do for Chuck."
"Thank God." said Angelica. "Crisis averted."
"The event crew is setting up for the reception. The caterer just showed up. Everything is on schedule. I'm going to head back that way to check on things. I'll see you soon."
"Ok Suze," said Kimi. "Sit down, you're next. Lil, you—Lil, you ok?"
Lil's worried expression quickly melted into a cheerful one. "Yes, all good. You need something?"
Kimi wasn't convinced. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Lil insisted but she surreptitiously motioned for Kimi to meet her in the kitchen.
"Tommy's not back yet."
"He's not back yet?!"
"Lower your voice!" hissed Lil. "No, his flight was delayed." But we don't need to say anything to Angelica. She's worried enough already."
"She should be! The wedding's in an hour!"
"He's probably almost here. He probably just hasn't answered my texts because he was on the plane."
"And the last time you heard from him was?"
Lil gave her a pained expression. "Last night."
"Kimi?" called Susie from the other room. "I'm ready whenever you are."
Kimi grimaced. "Let's get this show on the road."
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"T minus twenty minutes and counting!" exclaimed Charlotte. "You girls all good on hair and make-up?"
"Yes, Mrs. Pickles." said Susie. "We're all done."
Charlotte sat down at the vanity. "Ok, I'll touch up and then—"
She abruptly stopped talking as her daughter's reflection appeared in the mirror.
She turned to look at Angelica standing in the doorway in her wedding gown and the girls did the same.
"Can someone help me with my veil?"
"Angelica," said Susie. "You look beautiful."
"I always look beautiful."
Charlotte rose and walked to her daughter. "Princess, that is true. But I have never seen you look more beautiful. And that's saying something." She hugged her. "I'm so happy for you."
"Ang," said Susie. "That's not the dress you picked out."
Lil and Kimi looked as if they had just come to the same conclusion.
"That one was really expensive. I exchanged it. That way we had the money to honeymoon in Paris." she shrugged. "It was really important to Chuck and I found this dress which I like just as much, maybe more, for a lot less money."
"Too bad," said Susie saracstically. "I was really looking forward to carrying that four foot train."
"I think you made the right choice, Sweetheart," said Charlotte, examining the lace with her fingers. "You don't need all that opulence. You're lovely without it. However…" she held up a finger to indicate that she should wait. She disappeared and reappeared a moment later with a tan shoe box. "It is your wedding day and you should treat yourself to a little something fabulous." Charlotte pulled the lid from the box.
Angelica shrieked with delight. "Christian Louboutin silk pumps! And they're pink!" She kicked aside the shoes she was wearing and reached out. "Gimme gimme!"
Angelica put on the Louboutins and promptly modeled them around the room. "Oh, Mom! They're beautiful. Thank you!"
"Well, that can be your something new." said Lil.
Angelica looked horrified. "Oh no! I don't have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue!"
Susie looked at Lil. "We just calmed her down!"
"The shoes are new," said Kimi. "And you can borrow…um…She reached to grab something from her updo. She held out her palm. A shiny blue bobby pin lay there. "Here, put this in your hair. It's borrowed and it's blue."
Angelica grabbed it. "Thanks." she said, sticking it into place.
"Something old?"
The girls shrugged. Susie scanned the room.
"Ten minutes." warned Charlotte.
Suddenly, Chuck was in the doorway. "Babydoll?"
The girls shrieked and bounded in front of Angelica. "Chuck," exclaimed Lil. "What are you doing? You can't see the bride before the wedding."
"Chuck?" said Angelica. "Everything ok?"
"Yeah Goldilocks…more or less. I just have something I need to give you before the wedding."
Lil whipped Angelica around so she was facing the other way.
She turned back to Chuck. "Give me your glasses." She demanded.
"What?"
"Give. me. your. glasses. You aren't supposed to see her and you're not going to."
Chuck sighed but handed them over.
The girls lead him to Angelica. Her back was still to him. She tried to turn around.
"Nope." said Lil.
"I think I'm allowed to see him."
"We're not risking it. Too much has already gone wrong."
"That's fine." said Chuck. "This is actually perfect." He reached into his pocket and then blindly reached for Angelica.
"Woah buddy! Getting a little gropey. We're not married yet."
"Sorry. I was trying—got it."
Angelica felt a cool, light sensation against her collarbones and looked down. Around her neck was a delicate gold chain. A small pink rose pendant fell against her chest.
"My mother's necklace. I completely forgot last night."
Tears started to well up in her eyes. "Chuckie."
"That's your something old," said Kimi with a smile."
"I told you, when we first started seeing each other, I was going to give it to my wife someday."
Angelica laughed and dabbed at her eyes. "And who would have thought that'd be me?"
Chuck wrapped his arms around her, buried his face in the crook of her neck. Breathed in her scent, kissed her cheek. "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. It's been a stressful day. Everything seems to be going wrong."
Chuck frowned. "I know. Tommy still hasn't shown up and—."
"WHAT?"
Chuck looked at Lil. Well, looked in the general direction of a blur that he thought was probably Lil. "You haven't told her?"
"TOLD ME WHAT?"
Susie chuckled. "Don't let this sweet little wifey act fool you. Ang has been a bit of a Bridezilla today."
"WHERE IS TOMMY?"
"He was in L.A. with me, working on my new video, remember?" said Susie. "I came back Thursday. He was supposed to be arriving last night…but his flight got delayed."
"No one's heard from him all day." said Lil quietly. "Not even me. Starting to get worried…"
"Oh, I heard from him about an hour ago," said Chuck. "Said he'd just landed and his phone was dying but he'd be here as soon as possible."
"He's the best man!" said Charlotte.
"HE HAS THE RINGS." said Angelica.
Chuck squeezed her hand. "Hey, everything's going to be fine, ok? No matter what, we're getting married today. Got it?"
Angelica exhaled slowly. "Got it." She entwined her fingers with his. "In half an hour, I'll be married to the man of my dreams."
"Keep your eyes on the prize!" offered Lil. Everyone stared. She shrugged. "I don't know. That's what my mom always says to me."
"Ok," said Chuck. "Almost show time. I gotta head out there. Glasses?"
Lil handed them to him and unceremoniously spun him in the other direction. "See you soon." She said with a grin.
They were quiet for a moment. Then Susie said "We only have a few minutes. Angelica, let's get the veil on."
As Susie adjusted her veil, Angelica tried not to freak out. There's no way Tommy would make it here from the airport in time. Angelica stared down into her bouquet. The pink roses (Chuck's choice) and purple Gerber daisies (hers) were beautiful. She smiled, suddenly feeling calm. Chuck was right. No matter what, they would finally be married.
"A toast before the wedding?" suggested Kimi. The ladies raised their cups. "To Chuck and Angelica."