Choosing You (Will Turner)

34

Gentle heel clicks sounded almost like kisses against the brick floor as Evelyn and her father walked arm-in-arm across the back deck. Her grip on her father's dark grey jacket tightened at the nervous butterflies swarming around inside her. Evelyn glanced up and met her father's dark eyes. She saw the bittersweet tears forming in his eyes as he smiled down at his little girl becoming a woman. A sympathetic smile wove its way on to her face as she leaned her head against his shoulder, in efforts to comfort him and hide herself. Evelyn was feeling all sorts of emotions: nervousness and happiness, love and excitement, and even a little bit of sadness.

Evelyn and her father came to the top of the brick steps that led down to the grassy backyard. Slowly, she looked up and saw Will standing at the the little gazebo. Her eyes were glued on him, taking him in and noticed he had been doing the same thing with her. She let out a shaky breath, feeling herself begin to smile just as he was. He had looked so handsome in the new outfit she assumed Amelia had taken part in getting for him for the wedding.

It was her wedding day.

She was getting married to her best friend, the man she had been in love with almost her whole life.

"Are you ready, my love?" Charles' voice quietly entered her left ear. His voice grasped her attention causing her to look up in his direction. Her smile slowly slipped from her face as she stared at her father. Was she ready? Was she ready for the next milestone in her life? Was she ready to get married and have a family? Was she ready to grow up?

Looking to Will once more, she stared at him for a moment. A smile slowly began to bloom across her face. She looked back up to her father. "Yes, I'm ready, papa." A nod followed after her response. She adjusted her grip on her bouquet of variety of flowers she had put together for today.

Charles lead Evelyn down the steps, carefully cradling her arm. Their feet landed on the pebble walkway. Evelyn winced expecting pain but remembered she was wearing shoes. She let a small giggle escape her lips at herself as she walked with her father down the aisle.

Her eyes wandered around both sides of the pebble walkway, studying each person that was there. It wasn't many but it was the people who meant the most her and her family. She caught the glimpse of Elizabeth and James, both smiling brightly at her. It still was new to her, the newly found friendship between both people but she loved it regardless. She waved her bouquet to them, giving a smile back.

Turning her head, she looked and saw Leo, his parents, and his grandparents. Evelyn hadn't seem Leo in a couple of days and was beyond happy to see him. He gave her the sweetest smile possible, staring at her like she was the only person around. "Breathe." He mouthed to her, nodding his head. "You look beautiful." He added.

"Thank you." Evelyn mouthed back, smiling so big she felt her cheek begin to hurt. She looked to his family, anxious to see their looks and reactions. A wave a relief came over her as she saw the encouraging looks and smiles the gave her. Her eyes hopped to Leo's grandmother, throwing a quick head motion to her husband beside her. This was the man she fought for love for. The grinning older woman gave Evelyn a wink and a thumbs up.

Evelyn giggled at Leo's grandmother, waving her bouquet to her in acknowledgment.

The two moved further down the aisle. Evelyn saw people like the librarian Mr. Bennett, a sober Mr. Brown, her own grandparents on her father's side. Other family-friends were sitting among the others as well.

"You know, it's not too late if you want to create an escape." Charles whispered down for his daughter to her.

Evelyn laughed at her father's fatherly joke. "No, papa." She shook her head, looking up at him.