"Oh, Liv!" Laura squealed now, gushing before she was all the way through the door. "Oh, honey, you're so gorgeous! Oh, I'm going to cry! Kia, you're amazing!" Mrs. Baker complimented her daughter close friend who was responsible for Olivia's makeup and hair style.
"You and Davita should go into business together.Vita can plan the weddings, and you can make a whole bridal styling team. Where did you find this dress? It's so mermishing! It's so graceful, so elegant. Liv, you look like you just stepped out of an Olympus film." Olivia's mother chimed, holding back tears. "Such a creative idea, When-In-Rome. So romantic! Especially because Spencer and Olivia are honeymooning in Greece!" She continued to gush over how Olivia's friends were able to match the Romian theme so well in such a short time frame after Olivia and Spencer announced their engagement two months ago.
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Olivia and Kia exchanged a brief, amused look. Her mom was always so emotional on big days when it came to her family. It was only two weeks ago when Liv shared the amazing news that her son, Javion, spoke his first word. "Cici." The news brought tears to Laura's eyes when Olivia devolved the revelation over FaceTime.
There was a loud, raspy throat-clearing in the doorway.
"Laura, Davita said it's time you got settled in your seat with the rest of the guests," Billy, Olivia's Dad announced, his eyes on his daughter, despite speaking to his wife.
"You look good, Mr.B!" Kia complicated the retired football coach who still appeared overwhelmed with the idea that he was about to walk his little girl down the aisle.
"Thanks. My wife picked it out," Billy responded matterfactly.
"Is it that time already?" Laura mumbled to herself, stealing the words from Olivia's mind as the nerves started to set within the bride as Olivia sat at the vanity silently. "This has all gone so fast. Our little girl is getting married," Laura gushed on the verge of waterworks.
"Give me a hug before I go down," Laura insisted. "Careful, don't mess up any of Kia's creation."
Olivia's mother squeezed her gently around the waist, then left the dressing room to make her way out of the reception building and to the outside wedding venue.
She stopped in her tracks, rummaging through her small saddle purse.
"Oh my gosh, I almost forgot! Billy, where is it?" She questioned in a hurried, gaining her husband confusion.
"Where is what?" He responded, unsure what his wife was searching for.
"Ah here it is. Something blue," Laura said, pulling out the sapphire blue, jewel-studded hair piece from her purse.
"Something old, too. It was my mom's," Billy added, realizing his wife still hadn't handed off the hair clip to their daughter before he arrived in the room. "She only had regular white diamonds on it, though. Your mother had a jeweler reset it with the blue stones for your wedding day."
It was a bedazzled hair piece with a flower shaped design in the center that was decked with large sapphire blue stones for the flower petals.
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Olivia's eyes began to water at the thought of having a piece of her lovely grandmother that she heard so many things about, but never had the honor to meet. "Mom, Dad... it's perfect. I love it. Truely." She praised, overlooking the hair clip her mother handed over to her.
Kia stepped up and quickly pinned the clip into Olivia's hair under the edge of the intricate, woven braids. "That's something old and something blue," Kia mused, taking a few steps back to admire Olivia's final appearance in the mirror. "And your dress is brand new... so here—"
She flicked something at Olivia with giggle. Liv held her hands out automatically, and the flimsy white garter landed into the palm of her hands.
"That's from my halloween costume last year, and I need it back. It comes in handy for other things as well," Kia whispered into Olivia's ear with a naughty grin to keep Olivia's parents from hearing her.
"TMI!" Olivia groaned, playfully nudging her friend before kicking one of her heels off and slipping the garter onto her leg, hidden beneath the fabric of her wedding gown.
"Now you're ready," Kia declared with satisfaction with a little self-congratulatory smile, admiring the finishing touches on Olivia from behind the vanity seat where Olivia sat. Facing Olivia's parents, she began to insistent on leaving. "Miss B, you should really get outisde to the wedding venue before Vita comes up here and tears our heads off for delaying the schedule she worked so hard to perfect."
"Yes, ma'am," Laura laughed, before blowing her daughter kiss over the shoulder and scurrying out the door.
Music played from outside where the main ssetup was for Olivia to descend on her Dad's arm.
"That's our cue," Kia mused, squeezing Olivia's shoulders, before leaving her in the tender care of Billy Baker to make her bridesmaid debut.
Olivia stood up, locking arms with her Dad, allowing him to guide her out of the dressing room.
The music was louder from the outside as they left the reception building and arrived at the double doors that would lead to outside venue. The fragrance of the large bundle of florals hit Olivia's nose, causing it to wiggle. She fought the urge to sneeze as a fear of ruining her entrance slipped into her mind. Concentrating on the idea of Spencer waiting at the head of aisle, outside, encouraged her feet to shuffle forward.
The music was familiar to Olivia's ears as she hummed along with the contemporary piano keys of Eric Benet's, Spent My Life With You.
A switch in the key note triggered an exciting shudder within Olivia as she held on tighter to her Dad. It was the bride's cue.
