Late to My Own Wedding Day

My head falls into my hands and I groan as the car in front of me slams on their brakes once again for the millionth time. Of course on the most important day of my life not only did my driver cancel on me, but now the traffic is insane and I'm probably going to show up to my own wedding an hour late with my hair and makeup looking like it was done by a caveman. I could almost cry, but I don't. I can't let my mascara run. I can't give the universe the power to say I boohooed on my wedding day - and not a good boohoo.

My phone rings and I jolt my head up to look at the caller ID. When I press 'answer', my mom's voice booms over my car's speakers. "ANNABELLE RAMIREZ! WHERE ARE YOU!? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED IN HALF AN HOUR! I SWEAR IF I HAVE TO CANCEL THIS WEDDING I WILL-"

"Mom!" I interrupt. "First off, let me say thank you so much for your support," I say sarcastically. I could almost hear her eye roll through the phone. "Second off, it's not my fault, okay? My driver cancelled on me due to food poisoning and it's right before the holidays so the traffic is crazy, and-"

"Felix is worried sick about you." She interrupts me this time. "I eventually had to tell him that you showed up so he wouldn't get the wrong idea. Do you know how hard it was for me to lie to my future son-in-law?"

"Oh, I bet it was excruciating," I say in a monotone voice. The car in front of me inches up a little bit. "Look, I'll be there soon, okay? I just..I can't talk to you about this right now without wanting to cry, so can I call you when I'm almost there?"

I don't give her time to respond before my finger jabs the 'end' button and the car is silent again.

"It had to be today." I whisper to myself. "Of course it had to be today."

The car next to me has their window rolled down as their head hangs out and their fist waves at the car in front of them. I try and sink down in my seat as the person in the other car opens their door and starts to walk towards the maniac hanging out the window. As they're yelling back and forth at each other, my cheeks burn crimson and the tears start falling from my eyes.

I wasn't going to make it to my own wedding. What will my family think? That I bailed on Felix? I would never.

My body is jolting up and down as the sobs escape my lips and I wipe my nose on my hoodie sleeve. Was this going to end up being the worst day of my life instead of the best?

Before my thoughts could become even more dark, my phone's ringtone blares over the speakers of my car and nearly makes me jump out the windshield.

It was my fiancé - my loving, too good for this world fiancé.

I sniffle before I answer the phone. "Hello?" My voice cracks.

"Annabelle?" Felix's silky voice whispers in my ear.

My body instantly relaxes. "Felix," I reply. Then I start to cry again. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for this to happen and I don't even know if I'm going to make it and I know my mom said I was already at the venue but I'm not and these people next to me are about to start punching each other and if you don't want to marry me anymore I completely understand and-"

"Annabelle, Annabelle!" Felix yells. My eyes widen from the sudden boom of his voice. "Just be honest with me...are you leaving me?"

"WHAT!?" My heart starts racing. "Nonononononono I would never. Just listen to me."

Felix stays silent as I tell him what happened, and at the end he lets out a sigh of relief. "Well, thank God because I really thought this was it, but Annabelle, if we don't get married today that's okay."

"How is it going to be okay?" I respond, using my other sleeve to wipe the tears from my cheeks. "My family paid for this big, extravagant wedding and I won't even be able to enjoy it! My parents are going to hate me."

Felix is quiet for a moment as I sniffle in his ear and try to compose myself.

"Annabelle, it doesn't matter when or where we get married, as long as I get to spend the rest of my life having crazy conversations like this with you, then I'm okay. As long as I get to wake up next to you every single day, I'm okay."

My breath shakes as I sigh and cover my eyes with my hand. I didn't deserve this man, no matter how much he told me I did.

"Felix..." I trail off. I didn't even have the words to say, but suddenly everything felt a bit lighter.

"Now, where are you? Are you close? If you want, I can tell everyone to wait, or I can tell them you're not going to make it and that they should go home. It's your call."

"No," I say. I smile as the next words come out of my mouth. "Just tell my mom to tell the kitchen to serve the appetizers early, and I'll be there as soon as I can. I need to marry you today. I can't spend another second not being your wife."

Felix chuckles. "Alright, great. Then I'll see you at the alter."

Just like magic, like a freaking angel came down from Heaven and said "here Annabelle, you deserve this," the cars in front of me start to move and speed up, and suddenly we're moving at normal speed again. My heart flutters as I imagine Felix in his navy blue tuxedo waiting for me.

"See you at the alter."