“Hi,” I say shyly as I take my last step and draw nearer to him.
“Hey.”
I am startled when he gently takes hold of my hand and brings it up to his lips, lightly brushing them across the inside of my wrist.
“I have never seen anyone more strikingly gorgeous in my entire life as you. That dress makes you look like a goddess, Erin. You simply take my breath away.”
I am shocked at his kind words after what happened between the two of us this morning. I don’t even know how to respond to his compliment, so I withdraw my hand from his with a simple, “Thank you.” I step around him and begin to move away but after I take a few steps I turn back around.
“Adam.”
He turns and glances my way with a curious look.
“Handsome is an understatement for the way you look today.”
He simply nods and as I watch him disappear out of my sight, I feel a hole start to burn in my chest because I have no clue as to what I am going to do to fix the pain I see written all over his face.
I paste on a smile and push open the door to Shayne’s room.
“Well, this is it,” I call out as I enter the room. She is sitting on the edge of the bed with Lucy beside her, and as she looks up at me I can tell she is trying to hold back tears.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as I shut the door behind me.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is just as it should be. It’s just that my soon to be husband gave me this.”
She hands me the small box, and as I open it and look inside I can see why she is crying.
“Daddy and I picked it out at the store the other day,” Lucy chirps without having a clue as to the sentimental meaning of the ankle bracelet I hold in my hand which has a single dolphin hanging from it.
“Will you put it around my ankle for me please, Erin?”
“Of course.” I take the bracelet out of the box and kneel down and clasp it around her ankle. Shayne stands up and treads delicately in front of the mirror where she lifts up her dress and looks at her ankle. The bracelet glimmers in the sun shining through the window.
“Oh, how I love that man,” she sighs. She turns to face the two of us with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes. “Thank you for my gift, sweet girl. Are you ready?”
Lucy jumps up and starts clapping her hands. “I’m ready, Mommy.”
“Well all right then, my little dolphin. Let’s do this.”
As Lucy, Sierra, and I descend the stairs with Adam and Shayne close behind, I feel a rush of excitement over take me as I know this will be the first time Shayne has seen how we have decorated her home and the backyard for her special day. It doesn’t take long for me to feel her warm hand touch my shoulder.
“Erin, this is...God, girlfriend, you outdid yourself here. The pink and white lights mixed together and the flowers are simply out of this world. I know this sounds so cliché, but I have to tell you again that I wouldn’t want anyone else to be standing by my side today. You really are my best friend.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anyone else’s best friend but yours, Shayne,” I answer, glancing at her beaming face. “Now before we start crying for the hundredth time today, let’s get you married, because I know that man of yours can’t wait to make you his wife.”
The look on Luke’s face as he sees Shayne for the first time will be forever embedded into my brain. I know that as I walk down the aisle he isn’t looking at me, he is staring at his whole world, the woman who is walking behind me. When I turn to take my place, he lets out the most primal, spontaneous gasp of adoration that I have ever heard. Tears of joy roll down his face as he brings his hand up to cover his mouth. As he finally has Shayne’s hand placed in his by Adam, the look on both of their faces as they stand with Lucy in front of them is, in one word, priceless.
Adam turns to take his seat. His eyes catch mine for a brief moment and I wonder to myself what it would be like to truly be happy and to have Adam look at me the way Luke looks at Shayne. I would give anything to have this man claim me as his own. God, help me get past all these insecurities I have about myself!
“Luciano, you may kiss your bride.”
The minister says the words everyone has been waiting for and Luke doesn’t hesitate to bring his wife into his arms and kiss her with everything that he has. Little Miss Lucy has taken a step back as instructed from rehearsal and watches her parents inquisitively. I blush and have to turn away as their kiss seems like it goes on forever.
When I look at Adam, I notice he isn’t observing the bride and groom...he is looking directly at me, and I’ll be damned if I don’t see a slight indication of passion within his deep green gaze. I don’t want to pull my eyes away from his. I feel like he is surveying my reaction to all of this and I hold his hungry look for as long as I can until I hear the minister start to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Luciano Schavone to the small crowd.