Brave

Chapter 27: First Date

Saturday finally arrives. Ethan is planning to pick me up at 12:00 noon for the 1:00 wedding. I'm rushing around, trying to get ready while my mom chuckles at me. She styles my hair into a tidy updo with carefully curled ringlets popping out the back. While she's fussing with my hair, I keep primping.

"Mija, you look beautiful," she assures me as I apply yet another coat of lipstick.

"Thanks, Mamá. I just want to look perfect for our first date." "You are perfect," she tells me, looking into my eyes.

When Ethan arrives at the door, I'm stunned at the sight of him. He's wearing a pair of khaki slacks, a mint green checkered shirt with a dark brown vest over it, topped off with a bowtie. On his head sits a flat Irish derby cap. He is so adorable, I can't even look away.

While I'm trying not to drool at the sight of him, he breathes, "Wow. Sarah, you're stunning."

"I would have said the same to you, but I couldn't find my voice until just now," I tell him. "By the way, how did you manage this? We're completely color-coordinated," I say referring to my mint-green dress with the brown accents and his mint-green and brown ensemble.

"Maybe we can read each other's minds," he says, pulling me into a warm hug. Then we say good-bye to my parents and head out.

The church is lavishly decorated with lovely tulle ribbons and floral pedestals stocked with gorgeous summer flowers. The bright orange and peach hues stand out against the greenery.

"Oh, Ethan, isn't this lovely?" I whisper. He simply nods with a smile on his face. We are soon seated on the groom's side of the church. Shortly, we catch sight of Patrick and his groomsmen taking their places at the altar. Patrick looks incredibly handsome and very happy. I feel a twinge of embarrassment, remembering my slight crush on him when I first began therapy. But then I remember my own incredibly handsome man who's standing next to me. As good-looking as Patrick is, he can't even begin to compare with the man who's stolen my heart.

As the service begins, we are entranced by the music, and we all turn to face the middle of the church. The bridesmaids dressed in coral-colored dresses that bring out the colors of the flowers. The flower girl, dressed in a white gown with a coral-colored sash earns hushed whispers from the congregation. She toddles down the aisle, carefully dropping peach and yellow petals on the runner. Ethan wraps his arms around my waist from behind and leans his chin on my shoulder as we prepare to watch the bride who will soon be making her entrance.

And for the first time ever, I can see myself being the one who walking down the aisle. Sure, when I was little I thought about getting married, just like every other girl in the world. But as I got older, I never felt like I had to have that special someone in my life to complete me.

Until now.

Every moment of Patrick and Elena's wedding is perfect. They're clearly overjoyed, and I'm happy for them as well. After the newlyweds have left the church, we all begin to file out into the sunshine where they have formed a receiving line. Ethan greets a number of the groomsmen and a few bridesmaids, so I assume they must be mutual friends. But when we reach Patrick, Ethan embraces him with a hearty hug. Patrick then introduces us to his wife, Elena. She is quite lovely, with a delicate square jaw, a petite nose, deep blue eyes, and a very sweet disposition.

Patrick tells her, "This is my good friend, Ethan, and-" he looks to Ethan.

"-this is my girlfriend, Sarah," Ethan finishes, specifically so that he can introduce me as such.

"Oh, so it is girlfriend, now? Glad to hear that, man," Patrick congratulates us, and then turns to Elena. "Ethan saved Sarah's life."

Her eyes grow wide and her jaw drops as she gasps, "Wow! You'll have to tell me the story some time!"