What A Beautiful Wedding: A Short Story

The Mother Of The Groom

It's June 12th. A Wednesday. Of course she decided to pick a day in the middle of the week. As if we all didn't have better things to do.
This isn't even the worst part. The worst part is the horrid yellow and pink theme she has picked. Not that the fact that she's marrying my son isn't the absolute worst part right now, I'm still beyond livid, but honestly. She could have picked more dignified colors. It looks like the Easter Bunny vomited on the centerpieces.
I have been warning him since day one about her. This should have been the last straw, but no. He's too stupid and "in love" to notice that his wedding is probably the ugliest one I have ever been to. I've only been to about two-hundred weddings in my lifetime, but what do I know?
It's not only her color scheme choices that are repulsive. It's the way she talks, the way she walks, even the way she dresses. God, she dresses like it's the seventies. It's been fifty years. Let it die.
She's no good for him. I know every mother says that about the women their sons are with, especially on his wedding day, but I don't care. I'm right.
Even so, I'm sitting here in my cobalt blue dress, on a hard, wooden church pew on probably the hottest day of June.
I'm supportive of my son, that's the only reason I'm here. Well, that, and his sister would never forgive me. Neither would he, of course, but I can't have both of my children angry with me for missing an event that I could have skipped to go to the spa.
"I was sick, my darling," I could have said. "You know I wouldn't have missed such an important moment in your life on purpose."
I am aware it's not convincing, hence why I didn't do it.
Why her though? Why a girl who laughs and chews too loud and is completely wrong for him? She probably doesn't even have all her vaccinations. I can't possibly imagine what their children will be like. My one chance at having grandchildren and she's going to mess it all up. Don't get me wrong, my daughter could very well have children, if she would stop running around the world "finding herself" and just find a nice boy to marry.
Oh dear Lord. The music has started and the bridesmaids dresses are the most blinding yellow I have ever seen. Those girls are probably just like her. I hope I'm never in a room alone with all of them.
The flower girl and ring bearer are coming down the aisle now. The ring bearer is my great grand nephew and the flower girl is the bride's niece. She's a hopeless little 6 year old, stumbling all over him. He'll drop the rings if she doesn't get herself together. Completely ungraceful. Her whole family is a wreck, I bet.
The groom is standing at the altar. He looks so happy. That won't last long. He'll get bored of her, annoyed maybe.
Suddenly, there's a loud gunshot and several people scream, including myself. The bride's dress is stained with blood.