Started as His Wife (ON HIATUS)

Every Atom

Dad holds out the nook of his arm and smiles brightly at me. 

"Come on. What are you waiting for?" he encourages. 

I take a deep breath and hook one arm with his. He puts his hand over my arm and gently pats it. 

"You look beautiful, sweetie." 

"Thank you," I smile back. 

We turn our attention to the bustling group in front of us, trying to order themselves in a line. Evelyn and Olivia are in front. Next are Ally and Carson. Then, Logan and Vivian. Behind them are Luke and Wren. Lastly is Veronica with a basket of flower petals. 

Two months earlier in June had been Ally and Carson's wedding. Now, we were wearing the same bridesmaid dresses, except Ally was now wearing what I had worn. The boys just worried about wearing the same colored ties, which we had to buy an extra for Wren, who insisted wearing a suit as well. We didn't care much that that we had the same bridesmaid dresses and colored ties, because it was only for pictures really. I also baked the desserts and wedding cake for their wedding and our's. Besides those two aspects, our weddings were pretty different. 

For Ally and Carson's, they held their ceremony in cute little church in the mountains, which would be near Carson's aunt's hotel, which she let them use for a reception. Meanwhile, Vincent and I decided on just holding everything at the lake and having an outdoors barbecue. 

Vincent's family would no doubt find it distasteful—except for the kids who would get to swim—but Vincent and I didn't exactly have the money. At first, I even considered wearing the blush prom dress Vincent had bought me, but Mrs. Miller gave me her wedding dress, which Dad helped to alter to fit me. I refused to wear at first, telling Mrs. Miller she should give it to Veronica. However, she knew well Veronica would find the dress too plain and said she already felt that I was her daughter. 

"Ready?" Dad asks. 

I watch as my friends may their way down the sand towards the row of chairs as music begins to play. 

"Yeah," I answer, almost out of breath.

"I can't believe I'm not going to be the number-one man in your life after today," Dad sniffles. 

"Dad..." I whimpers, eyes watering. 

"It's okay though. If there's another man I feel at ease giving you away to... it's Vincent," he tells me in a near whisper.  

I look at him, unable to say anything from a tight throat. 

"Stop looking at me like that! You're going to make me cry," he says, voice breaking at the end. 

"You're already crying," I laugh, quickly swiping a tear away. 

"You are too," he chuckles. "You take after me," he muses. 

"Why? Cause I cry easily?"

"Yes, but you also cry ugly." We laugh, which prevent the potential sobs from starting. "It's our turn now," he inhales. "Watch your steps. You don't want to trip and eat sand at your wedding," he warns. 

I grip onto his arm tight and we begin walking down the small carpet that has been laid out for us. The sand underneath moves slightly with each step, which makes me slightly unstable. My friends had told me to wear wedges specifically so I won't sink, but it wasn't helping. Having enough of my awkward stomping, I reach down and slip off the shoes and toss them aside, roughing up my bouquet a bit in the process. 

Finally being able to walk without having my eyes glued to the ground, I look up to see Vincent standing at the end. I'm surprised to not see his usually grinning face. He stares at me with bright eyes, but with no smile.