The Happiest Day of Our Lives

“Why I neva, in all my fit-ey-sev’n yeas, eva seen a mo’ bootiful, ting den you, Jewel-Lee,” Bop mumbled under his breath. He wasn’t the most well-spoken individual, but he sure had the kindest, most gentlest soul that I have ever known.

We stood, rooted in front of the ornate, full-length mirror. It was a beautiful mirror; filigree was carved all around the thick, cream-colored frame, the glass free of streaks and blemishes. I was so fascinated by the design that I hadn’t even thought to examine our reflections.

As his words registered, I finally decided to have a peek.

Bop had a point. I am not so sure about the MOST beautiful, but the reflection looking back at me was stunning. I barely recognized myself.

It’s not that I am not blessed, in the looks department at least, but being the daughter of the town screw up, I had always been more comfortable when I could hide in plain sight, away from the judgemental eyes. So, I did what I could to camouflage my looks. My lips, normally cracked and raw from worrying them between my teeth, were concealed beneath a pink-tinted gloss that appeared almost natural. The dark circles, a result of many sleepless nights, were hidden beneath a nude-colored liquid that blended perfectly into my creamy flesh. There was a thin line of black around my lids, as well a light coating on my lashes that caused my gray eyes to pop in a way that I didn’t know was possible. My red-orange hair shone like a sunset as luscious curls cascaded halfway down my back, it was pinned back highlighting my freshly trimmed brows, a stark contrast to my preferred unremarkable style of dull, stringy, unkempt hair that covered my face and naturally thick brows.

A small pearl sat nestled in the center of each of my lobes, a matching strand around my neck. The dress I wore was the same one my Gammy wore when she married Bop, it was slightly yellowed with age, but still beautiful. The material of the bodice was silken against my skin and owing to my much larger chest than what Gammy possessed, it was clinging just barely on the side of appropriate. The skirt hung beautifully from my rounded hips and fell into a silken bell at my feet. From each of the thin straps on my shoulder hung an equally yellowed sheer sleeve that puffed out slightly leading to a narrow cuff at each of my wrists, they were held together with three delicate pearls. Outside of my nearly exposed nipples, it fit my hourglass-shaped frame perfectly, and though I couldn’t see it from this angle, I knew the back was just as perfect. I could feel where the scoop ended, and the silk met my skin just an inch or so above the spot where my pear-shaped rear began.

“Thanks, Bop,” I met his eyes in the mirror, “you aren’t so bad yourself. Look at how those stripes in your tie bring out the blue in your eyes.”

Bop shifted his eyes away from me as his cheeks glowed with such a deep shade of crimson that had he been eating anything I would have started performing the Heimlich maneuver fearing he was choking. "Jewel-Lee, don't ya go makin' up no sto'ies about me."

I turned towards him, placed each of my hands on his cheeks and looked him straight in his eyes, in what can only be described as a chastising glare, “Bop, you are the most handsome, most wonderful, most amazing man that has ever existed, don’t you ever doubt it!” I hoped that my words softened the lecturing enough.

Bop smirked at me, just a little in one corner, this was the closest thing to a smile Bop ever showed and it was something reserved just for Gammy, and me when I came along. I never knew Gammy, she died shortly after I was born.

“I sweah, Jewel-Lee, if dat man don’t do e’ry ting he promise, take care’a ya liken he says, pro’tectin ya, show’n ya da world, Imma git him, Jewel-Lee, ya don’ hafta eva be scar’d, ya jus’ come on back hea’ an Bop’ll make it righ’.”

I leaned into Bop, burying my head into his chest and hugging him tight around the middle just like when I was a kid. I longed for the truth in his words. “I love you, Bop. Gammy really was the luckiest woman on earth the day she met you.” I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek, “What’s that old saying? They broke the mold? Well Bop, they broke the mold.”

“Ah, Jewel-Lee, what I’m a’posed ta do when you gone wit dat boy? Yous ain’t gon’ be my lil’ girl no mo’, you gon’ be his.”

“Bop,” I stepped back and looked him square in the eyes, “I/m not going anywhere. I will still be around, and I will always be YOUR lil’ girl.” Had I not been looking into his eyes, I would have missed the moisture pooling in the corners.

“Miss Julie,” Cheyenne called from the hall, in her nasally drawl “times a-wastin' hun, half an hour ‘til you reach your happily ever after,” she squealed in delight.

“Thank you,” I call back a little annoyed, “having a moment with Bop, we are just about finished up here.”

“O’ dat lady’s voice,” Bop cringed a little as he spoke, “I be right glad when we no longa’ hafta hea’ dat. I leave ya be now, Jewel-Lee, but I be waitin’ fo’ ya, ta walk b’sides ya down that aisle.”

He had a point, Cheyenne had the most obnoxious voice I had ever heard, and she spoke at such an unnecessarily high volume, it constantly felt as if she was trying to puncture your eardrums with her words. “I know, Bop! I will be glad to never hear it again after today,” I brought my hand to my mouth as I covered a giggle.

Bop reached for my hand and pulled it up to his lips, brushing his graying whiskers quickly across the back before he let it drop to my side. He nodded his head once and then he turned to walk out the door.

I stood there, watching the door long after Bop pulled it shut behind him, it felt like an eternity, but it was only really five minutes or so.

I walked across the room, picked up the exquisite bouquet of white and orange Calla Lilies, before taking up my place in front of the mirror again.

“This is it Julie, the happiest day of your life.” I spoke to myself in the mirror. I truly was a breathtaking sight. “It’s now or never, Julie, you can do this. You only have to be in front of everyone for a few minutes and then it’s over.” One last look and I turned to leave the room through the same door that Bop had.

I've never been a superstitious person so I didn’t buy into that whole bad luck to see the bride before the wedding crap, so I set off in search of Henry, my fiancé, soon to be husband, my happily ever after.

As I reached the door to his groom’s room, I hesitated a little nervously. Was I supposed to knock? Or just walk on in? What was the proper etiquette when you were breaking all the traditional rules?

Since I have also never really been one for rules, I turned the handle to sneak inside.

What. The. Fuck.

I couldn’t believe what I had just walked in on. I swallowed down the bile in my throat. Henry’s tie was askew, stretched out at the neck, his shirt unbuttoned to his navel. His belt unbuckled, but still looped into his black slacks that dug in on his thighs preventing them from falling to the floor completely. He had an arm wrapped around some skank, pulling her into his body cupping her ass in one palm, while the other fondled an oversized fake tit while he crammed his tongue down her throat.

Her sequin dress, the neckline plunging all the way down to the top of her vagina was held up by a single thin strap, the one on the opposite side of where Henry was manhandling as that one hung sloppily around her elbow. The short skirt was up around her waist as he ground his hips into her. A few seconds later and they would have been full-on screwing.

I closed the door.

At the sound of the door, Henry jumped away quickly.

Henry reached toward me, his eyes pleading for forgiveness, “Julie, I- "

I held up a hand pushing it roughly into his chest to stop him from coming closer. “Save it, Henry, I am not in the mood.” I turned towards the skank, “What the hell, Mom? Are you seriously that much of a whore that you couldn’t keep your hands off my fiancé?”

Mom glared, as she straightened her skirt, mini didn't begin to describe it, micro barely covered it. She placed her hands on her hips, not even bothering to fix the strap and put her tit away.

“Mom?” Henry spit out in shock.

“Yes, Henry, you complete ass, Mom!” I hoped as much acid as I felt was seeping through my words.

Mom softened her glare, no hint of an apology, “I don’t know what the big deal is Julie, we both know this handsome young man isn’t your type, but…” she tiptoed her fingers up his chest as he shied away from her in disgust, “he is exactly my type.”

I ignored her. “At our wedding, Henry!” I had to be careful not to draw any attention as my voice began to rise. “You agreed, you promised! One day, that was all I was asking for is one damn day where you treat this as an actual wedding, you couldn’t refrain for one day? What if someone had walked in?”

“I’m sorry, I know how important today is for you.”

“Put yourself back together and clean yourself up, you have somewhere to be in just a few minutes. Or would you like to go and explain to your mother why this wedding is running behind her schedule?” Henry hung his head a little but complied as he made his way to the small washroom.

I turned towards my mom, “Leave.” It was not a request.

“You are overreacting, Ju--“

“I said leave, or so help me I will break that fake little nose of yours. Your being here will just upset Bop and I won’t have that.” Turning back towards Henry, “brush your teeth and wash your face, drink bleach if you have to, you are not kissing your bride until you have been properly sanitized, who knows where her disgusting mouth has been.”

“You are so rude, Julie, I didn’t raise you to be such a little bitch.” She curled her lip in disdain, “Does Daddy know what your type is? Would that upset him if I let him in on your little sec- “

I lunged for her; the white tips of my freshly French manicured fingernails popped beautifully against the orange spray tan on her neck as I pinned her to the wall. Bop knows what my type is, he knew before I knew, but I didn't like the way mom tried to use him against me. “You are right about one thing,” I squeezed, just a little, enough to scare her, “you didn’t raise me, Bop did, and get it right, I am the daughter of a bitch, not a bitch.” I released my hold on her throat, “Leave now, on your own, or I will drag you out by the bleached blonde hairs on your head.”

Mom scurried away to the door throwing it open in a huff as she turned on her thigh-high stiletto boots, “Congratulations Julie, I wish you nothing but misery for the rest of your life, Lord knows that is all you ever brought to mine!” She slammed the door as she left, hopefully walking out of my life for the last time.

“Remind me never to piss you off for real.” I hadn’t noticed that Henry came back into the room. I glared at him with as much rage as I could muster. “Julie, please, forgive me. I messed up I know. She was just so…”

“Slutty?”

He grinned a little embarrassed, “Attentive. I can’t believe that was the infamous trash bucket. She’s kind of hot.”

Gross. I rolled my eyes, “Poor unsatisfied, Henry.” I smiled at him gently, “This was your idea, Henry, not mine.” I appealed to him now, pleading, “the deal was, we get married, fulfill Bop’s dying wish of walking me down the aisle, and complete the terms for you to get your inheritance. We only have to live together as husband and wife for a little while and then we can move away ‘together’ free to be with whomever we want. If you’ve changed your mind, we need to stop this now.”

“I haven’t! Speaking of whomever, did Alana decide if she was coming?”

“She is.” I smiled at the memory of when she filled me in, “She is planning on sitting behind your mother to better imagine her reaction to finding out two sinful lesbians are going to be enjoying her money.”

“The shock would kill her!” He gasped in exaggerated shock.

“More money for you I guess,” I said dryly.

I still wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing, but Bop’s diagnosis was not good, he wouldn’t make it through the year. Henry had been my best friend since grade school, the girl from the trailer park and the boy from old money. The day I found out Bop’s cancer had returned, this time in the pancreas, was the day Henry’s mother had cut him off financially. His only option to continue living the extravagant life he was used to was to marry and gain access to the trust fund his Grandparents left him. Alana was out of town when I got the news but promised to come back as soon as she could get a flight so she could be there for me. In the meantime, Henry came over and we comforted each other as we drank away our sorrows. We were still going, well past when we should have stopped when Alana made it. What began as a drunken joke to get Henry his money back, turned into an actual plan as we sobered up.

He reached for me, taking my hand just as he did when we were younger. “I will honor my promise and always take care of you, Julie, and make sure that Bop lives out the rest of his days in absolute comfort.”

I put my hand in his. “I know you will, Henry, in another lifetime you would have been my perfect match.” I kissed him on the cheek. “Come on, fiancé, let’s get this show on the road, this is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives.

“Oh, yeah, about that.” He paused.

“Yes?” I said a little uneasily.

“I forgot to tell you, really I didn’t even know until mother told me this morning...” He seemed a little nervous.

“Henry quit playing coy with me and spit it out.”

“Well, see, we only get part of the inheritance, unless we have an heir that is.”

“Are you—"

“Surprise! We’re going to have to have a baby.”

And with that, he pulled me from the room, off to live out our happily ever after.