LJ Idol Week 6: Solvitur ambulando

[flipflop_diva]

Everything was perfect. Just how it was always supposed to be.

The strapless dress, with its layers upon layers of satin, spread all around her on the floor. The little diamond necklace around her neck, with the hint of blue sparkling in the sun. Her long hair, piled on her head, interwoven with more specks of jewels. The flawless makeup, that had taken hours to put on. The manicure and the pedicure that were just right.

The bridesmaids, four of the women she cherished most. Her sister, who had been her lifelong companion. Her childhood best friend, who was never more than a phone call away. Her two college best friends, the soulmates she had been waiting for her whole life. All of them dressed in navy blue. Hair done, makeup on, holding glasses of champagne and smiling and laughing and snapping photos.

Her parent’s house, shined and polished and decorated. The backyard hung with strands upon strands of white lights. The white carpet between the rows and rows of white chairs. The deck with the dance floor and the seating for the band. And the flowers — large and white and sweet — in every corner and every nook and covering the entire archway where soon she would be standing.

Her father, dressed in a tux and practicing his lines. He’d waited her whole life to walk her down the aisle, and when she’d asked him to officiate, his eyes had welled with tears before he had gone online to get ordained right then and there.

Even the long black limo, waiting in the driveway. Two brand new suitcases tucked inside, filled with dresses and bathing suits and tickets for a ten-day cruise.

All of it perfect. All of it everything she had ever dreamed about since she was a child.

And then the groom.

Her stomach lurched when she thought about him. The boy who had never given her the time of day in high school, but one summer during college when she lost the braces and the extra forty pounds, he had looked at her like he’d never seen her before.

Athletic, charming, handsome, funny.

It had been an accident, the first time. He was angry over being fired from a job he was too good for in the first place. He hadn’t meant to take it out on her. He hadn’t meant to push her.

She had gotten in the way the second time. She should have known better than to try to talk to him when he was in a mood.

He was wonderful, amazing, perfect, patient. She was lucky to have him.

It was okay that he was in charge of all the money. He let her have enough. Her father had been in charge of the money for her parents’ marriage, and her mother never complained.

It was okay that he didn’t want her talking to her guy friends anymore. Or some of her girl friends either. He was the only friend she needed.

And it was okay that she stopped working. There wouldn’t be time to be a doctor anyway not with the five kids they were planning to have. Who would take care of them and the house and make sure everything was up to standards if not for her?

No, everything was perfect. He was perfect. Their life would be perfect.

In the distance, the band started up. Playing the music she had always dreamed would be played as she stepped out the door of the bride’s room.

Her heart was beating wildly, her palms sweating.

Her bridesmaids smiled. Her sister hugged her. Her mother touched her arm.

“This is it, darling,” her mother said.

“This is it!” her bridesmaid squealed.

“This is it,” she said, and her voice was calm.

Her mother went first, then her bridesmaids, one by one. Walking down the aisle. Walking toward him.

She started to walk, too. One step, then another, then another one after that.

The guests waited. And waited. And waited some more.

She kept walking.

And she never looked back.



fiction


This was written for Week 6 of therealljidol. I hope you enjoyed it! If you would like to read more entries, you can head over here. If you would like to vote for any of the entries, voting should be up Thursday night at therealljidol.

Comments

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

Whew! You scared me! Great job.

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

Good for the bride! Nice way to conclude.

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[banana-galaxy.livejournal.com]

I was beginning to feel really tense here, but that ending was great.

[static_abyss]

Good for the bride. I am glad this ended the way it did.

[orockthro.livejournal.com]

Yeah girl. Walk away.
PHEW.
:)

[karmasoup.livejournal.com]

Well, and it's a good thing, too. That choice is much easier to make at that point then 5 kids later!

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

Good. For. Her. Nice use of the prompt!

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

Nicely done.

[d0gs.livejournal.com]

This felt so real. Loved how it ended :D

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

That was awfully late to make that decision, but better before marrying him than miserable years later.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Phew! ❤️

[rayaso.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness this ended the way it did. You built up to a different ending for this poor woman. I liked the way her background made her vulnerable to a controlling, abusive SOB. This was so well done!

[brienneofsnark.livejournal.com]

Wonderful ending to the piece. This was great.