How it Happened

Seventeen

Seventeen

1 day until the wedding

"Everything happens for a reason." I rip the paper in half. "The best is yet to come." I rip the sheet again. "It's all good." Another rip. "We'll figure it out." Another rip, then another, and another, until the list of interviews, and potential jobs is nothing but a tiny pile in my hands.

"Avery!"

My hands fling up, and the tiny pile of paper shreds goes flying into the air like confetti. I watch as they all fittingly flutter to the floor, and I can't help but laugh.

This means, it was meant to be. This means, this is exactly what I need.

A fresh start.

"I'm sorry," my mom says as she steps through my bedroom doorway to help me pick up the pieces.

"It's okay." I continue to laugh, but I soon find that I can't stop.

The laughter bubbles out of me, strains my cheeks, and makes my shoulders shake. My mom begins laughing at the fact that I'm laughing before she finally shoves the paper pieces into my hand.

"Come' on, you weirdo." She lightly shoves me before her black dress pant covered legs are walking back out of the room. "We're going to be late." She calls over her shoulder.

Once the last of my chuckles finally fade away, I slowly push myself back onto my feet. I toss the scraps of paper in the little garbage can in the corner of my room before heading to the bathroom. I spray one last round of perfume around myself before assessing myself in the mirror one last time. My attire mimics my mom's. Both of us are wearing black dress pants, and black flats. I only happen to be wearing a grey puffy sleeved blouse, while my mom adorns a sparkly black quarter-sleeve sweater.

"Avery!" my dad's shout rings throughout the house this time, and I quickly shut the light off before heading down stairs.

I'm no longer pouting. I can't possibly pout since the wedding is tomorrow. I'm, once again, fairly content with the world. My thoughts are still and clear. I've accepted, forgiven, and am ready for tomorrow.

I'm just still on the verge of letting go, and, for now, that's close enough.

****

"I still think I should officiate."

Ben barks out a laugh. "You don't have a license."

"I'll get it online. It'll take two seconds." Ben's dad, Baxter, whips his cellphone out of his pocket.

"He's right," my dad chimes in. "I can do it, too." Now my dad is also taping away on his own cell phone.

"I say we all just do it." Ben's other dad, Connor, adds with a laugh as he peers over his husband's shoulder.

"You guys, he said he's just running a few minutes late," my sister defends the priest her and Ben asked to officiate their traditional church wedding.

"But, honey, this guy is always running late. How do you know he's not going to do this tomorrow?" the worry is written all over my mom's face, but I think most of it stems from wanting Aubrey's entire wedding day to go smoothly, not just tonight.

"I'm not worried." My sister waves her hand. "Plus, Mikayla and Aunt Aspen are still stuck in traffic."

"If anyone's going to officiate this wedding, it's going to be me," my grandma finally declares as she now stands at the center of the altar.