'Stepping Out, With M'lady'
Stepping Out, With M'lady
Genie ran outside to greet me.
“Clara! I’m so excited! You’re late! Get in here! Chloe told us you and Kries wanted to go on a boat trip before the wedding, but you didn’t have to cut it so close.”
She grabbed my arms, and kissed my cheek.
“Well, I’m here now.”
I smiled, kissing her back. Then I noticed the man standing behind her, Morgan.
“Morgan! Hey! It’s great to see you!”
He hugged me.
I had grown too really like Morgan, and had seen how great he was for my sister.
“You too! I know you haven’t seen it yet, but Kries’s relatives showed up and joined your parents, Chloe, and Genine in decorating. I can’t imagine that you won’t love it.”
He smiled. I knew he was right, it had to be amazing. And, considering the carriage had pulled up to the side entrance… that explained why I wasn’t allowed to see that area yet.
“Hey Kries, how are you?”
Noticing Kries,
Morgan shook his hand, and began a conversation not privy to us women. It was then that I noticed a familiar blonde man standing near the door.
I smiled, as I approached him, “Lawrence. I’m really glad to see you.”
I hugged him.
“I am glad to see you too Clara.”
Lawrence, and I had become friends through it all, and found comfort in each other's presence. Just then, Kries walked up, almost as if he had been watching the entire time and knew the appropriate time to approach.
“Lawrence, good to see you.”
He reached out his hand.
“You too Kries. Congratulations.”
He smiled, and received the handshake with welcome.
“Sorry to interrupt, Clara, but it’s time to get ready.”
Genie and my mother led me away into the newly decorated house. I felt my nerves starting to get the best of me.
Kries looked around, “I guess we should take this party inside, I have a tux to put on.”
He patted Lawrence, and they all went inside to prepare.
My dress was beyond gorgeous.
Genie, and I picked the design, and the tailor had spent weeks at the house, measuring and making it exactly as I wanted it. The top of the dress was shaped in a sweetheart neckline style, making it plunge slightly down my chest in the middle. The back was delicately woven lace that came from my hips all the way up and over my shoulders and into long sleeves. The front of my dress down to my hips, was tight, and clung to my figure. It had glass beads sewn into it, covering it in no particular pattern down to where the skirt began. At my hips, it came out, in a large petal skirt. The train of the skirt was long and beautiful, having a butterfly etched into it with blue and white gems. As I stood staring at myself in my dress, in the mirror, I remembered my vision. I rubbed my tummy, and was so happy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying attention, and Genie saw me.
“Oh my god, you didn’t?”
Genie ran up to me, basking in the scandal of it all.
“What?”
I acted like I had no idea what she was talking about.
“What? You’re pregnant that’s what!” she freaked out for a second and then started giggling.
“You cannot tell anyone Genie! Mom and dad can’t know, at least not until after the wedding, and then I will tell them I got pregnant on the honeymoon.”
I blushed slightly,
clinging to my fingers.
“I won’t. I swear Clara. I’m so excited for you!”
She giggled and danced around with me. To Genie, this was a very important secret, and it was her duty to protect it.
“Now, however, we need to do your hair, and makeup.”
She smiled, as I walked over to the vanity. Just then, we heard a tap on the door.
“Come in,” Genie replied.
In walked Chloe,
and her granddaughter, Naomi; she was accompanied by three Hatfield women near Genie’s age, as well as my mother, and Morgan’s older brother, Cohen’s, wife Elizabeth.
“Wow…” I stammered, slightly overwhelmed.
“Thank goodness this is a big room,” my mother spoke, smiling at me.
I nodded, as I glanced at the Hatfield women I didn’t know.
“Oh forgive me, Clara. These are Kries’s cousins. Girls, go ahead and introduce yourself to her, one by one,” Chloe instructed.
The first one that stepped forward
was exceptionally beautiful. She had long black wavy hair, with one golden highlight on the right side of her head. Her eyes were a sandy brown, and her skin was slightly darker than Kries's. She was built similar to Genie, tall and slender. She was wearing a beautiful wine colored, halter top gown, with silver jewelry accessorizing her ears and arms.
“Hello, Clara, I’m the oldest of us three cousins. I’m Maria. It’s wonderful to finally meet you, we have all heards so much about you.”
She smiled, hugging me.
Before I could respond to her, the next cousin introduced herself. She was uniquely different than the other two. Her hair was much shorter. One side was shaved almost to her head, while the top was brushed back. Her hair was also black, though it had no color differentials. She had a tattoo of a vine that had unique red-orange leaves trailing down it. It started where her head was shaved and climbed down her neck, over her shoulder, and wrapped around her arm. She had very dark brown eyes, and lighter tan skin. She was in a strapless, emerald green gown, and though she was shorter than Maria, she was still just as slender. She wore no jewelry however, though her tattoo was alluring enough.
“I am Tatiana. You can call me Tautti, for short. You are very beautiful.”
She also hugged me,
making me stammer by how sweet these women were; they accepted me though they knew really nothing about me. The final cousin stepped forward, rather shyly. She was as beautiful as the first two, but in a way that was hard to explain. Her hair was a caramel brown, rather than dark. Her skin was lighter than the two, and yet her eyes were darker. She had a tattoo of a small star near her left eye. In the center of the star was a single sapphire gem. I assumed she had placed it there for the wedding. Her dress was a golden, honey color, with two straps that came from her chest over her shoulders and then crisscrossed across her back. Unlike Tautti, she had golden accessories.
“I’m Alexia.”
That was all she said.
She stepped back near her sisters, without another word, smile, or hug. Before I could respond, Chloe explained.
“You’ll have to excuse Alexia, she's a bit shy,” Chloe reached out and squeezed Alexia's hand.
“Oh, well, it’s a pleasure to meet all of you. You are all so beautiful and very kind.”
They nodded in response. With that, they all dove in. Some were doing my hair, some my makeup. When I finally looked in the mirror, I couldn’t breathe. I was so beautiful. My hair was down and in big, loose, ringlets, instead of the smaller tight ones I was used too. They had stuck pretty gems in my hair, which made my dark brown hair glisten. My makeup made my green eyes sparkle, and my red lips stand out. My mother turned to me.
“Honey, as you know, it is tradition to give you something old, something blue, something borrowed, and something new. Chloe is giving you her grandmother’s sapphire bracelet for something old, and something blue.”
I smiled at Chloe,
and she winked in return. 'I wonder how old her grandmother actually was...' I thought to myself.
“This is from your sister, for something borrowed.”
She smiled at Genie, as she placed Genie’s veil on my head.
“And this sweetie, this is from your father and me, something new.”
My mother pinned a rose colored diamond butterfly brooch on the top, right side of my veil. I felt like I was going to cry, looking at all of them and feeling as blessed as I did. Then, we heard another tap-tap at the door.
"Come in!" I called out.
“Honey, it’s time," my father said, peaking around the corner, "oh my Clara, sweetheart, you look so beautiful.”
My father came in, kissed my head,
and then proceeded to walk me around the corner, to the front door. The wedding was being held out in the sun, on the lawn by my old dear tree. An aisle had been set up leading from the front door up to the wedding. Alexis was waiting by the door to walk me; I asked both my father and Alexis to walk me as Alexis had acted like a father on more than one occasion, and I knew how much it meant to him to be included. He smiled at me, and kissed my hand. So with a man on each arm, my mother opened the door, and I started the long walk down the rose petal covered aisle.