Chapter 26 Christopher #2
“Is he single?” Kate whispers to me as the elevator door opens. She pushes a stray bit of strawberry blond hair back behind her ear.
“I don’t know, why don’t you ask him?”
“I just might you know,” she says, nudging me forward into the elevator. “It’s not every day you bump into a celebrity.”
Alexander moves around the elevator to stand beside me as I move next to Kelly to hold her train in place.
The quick journey down to the ground floor is filled with silence. Kate and Nicole almost stumble out and giggle behind their bouquets as they get in front of Kelly, who is followed by Alexander, me, and the local security guard.
“I think you’ve got a fan,” I say, nodding toward Kate.
“Is that so?” He smirks as a little girl approaches.
“Can I get a picture please, Alexander?”
The little girl, no older than seven, is wearing the same Alexander Morgan T-shirt he gave me the first night we spent together. She stares up at him. Her parents wait patiently by one of the giant flower pots opposite the table in the middle.
“Sure,” he says, bending down as the girl hands me the camera. Kate comes over to grab the train from me.
The little girl’s smile is so wide I’m worried she might combust from sheer excitement.
“Are you getting married?” she asks, when I hand her back the phone.
She looks toward Kelly, who’s waiting patiently.
“Oh no. That’s my friend’s sister getting married,” Alexander says, standing back up. “Are you married?”
“I’m seven, silly. Of course I’m not married,” she says with an adorable childish attitude.
“Good girl,” he says, patting her on the head. “We’ll make sure your parents approve of him before you do, okay?” Alexander winks at her parents, while she stares up at him in awe.
The local security guard finally steps over and ushers the girl away before escorting us all down to the Empire Room, where the wedding ceremony is to take place.
Rob stands next to the wedding planner, Stacey, who stands with a clipboard in one hand and speaks into a walkie talkie in her other hand.
“The bridal party is here,” she says into it before turning her attention to Kelly.
“You look absolutely stunning,” she says, quickly hugging her. “Everyone’s in place and ready to go when you are.”
“I just need a couple of minutes before we go,” Kelly says, turning to Kate and Nicole.
“Of course, take your time,” Stacey says, and then notices Alexander and the local security guy as Rob heads over to join them.
“Do you want to head in and take a seat?” she asks.
“We’re not staying, ma’am,” Rob says, nodding to the local security. The security guard walks away as Rob turns back at me. “Good job up there, by the way. It’s not often I’m impressed.” He nudges my arm.
“Thanks,” I say, unable to look at him. My eyes are beginning to water.
“Actually, Rob,” Alexander says, “I’d like to stay and watch just for a few minutes from the back, out of sight. If that’s okay? Before I head back up and finish the song.” He turns his attention to me.
“I can’t see why not, let me double check,” I say, and step forward to Kelly.
“Kel, can Alex watch from the back for a bit?”
“Sure,” she says, turning to him. “As long as you don’t try upstaging me.”
Kelly laughs as a smile appears across Alexander’s face. She turns to let Nicole pull the veil over her face, while Kate adjusts her train.
“Everyone ready?” Stacey asks, looking around.
Collective nods occur as the photographer for the wedding steps out from inside the room. Kelly asks him to take one picture before she grabs the camera to take one last look. She passes it back and adjusts her dress slightly.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Kelly nods at Stacey as the photographer slides back into the room.
“Right, bridesmaids, assume your positions please,” Stacey says.
Nicole passes Kelly her bouquet before she and Kate raise their white and lilac rose bouquets in front of them.
The doors to the Empire Room open, and Kate and Nicole take it in turns to walk up the aisle, leaving Kelly and me alone with Alexander, Rob, and Stacey.
“This is it,” I say, grabbing Kelly’s hands.
“Thank you,” she says, shaking them.
“For what?” I try to meet her eyes through her veil.
“For being my brother. For sticking up for me today with mum. For stepping in and walking me down the aisle. For always being there for me when I need you, even if you do live on the other side of the world. For being the best big brother a sister could ever wish for.” She squeezes my hand tightly as a lump forms in my throat.
“Jesus, Kel.” I let go to wipe away a tear. “You save this till now, to tell me that.”
“Here you go.” Stacey steps forward with a tissue.
We’ve never been sentimental. Humor is our preferred form of communication. But I’d be lying to myself if Kelly’s words didn’t mean something much deeper. Something that I’ve been looking for in all the wrong places over the years.
“You’re lucky we’re heading in right now,” I say, dabbing my eyes with the tissue before sliding it in my pocket. “But don’t you worry, I’ll get you back in the speech. Mark my words.”
“We ready?” Stacy asks.
“Ready,” Kelly and I say, nodding in unison.
“Good luck you two,” Alexander says, approaching Kelly and leaning in to give her a hug.
“Hopefully I’ll be in your position next time, watching you two walk down the aisle.” Kelly snorts.
“Thank you,” I say to Alexander, as he turns to face me.
“No, thank you,” he says. He grabs my hands and quickly kisses me on the lips as Stacey turns away to the door.
I’m not exactly sure what he’s thanking me for, but Stacey steps back from the doors, which are now wide open, and the sound of Des’ree’s Kissing You streams out. Kelly pulls on my arm.
“Let’s go, pigeon belly,” she says, gently whacking my stomach with her bouquet. A stray petal falls away.
We step forward and into the room, and my breath is immediately taken away.
The aisle is littered with white rose petals, and a bouquet of white and lilac roses, raised on see-through stands and vases, sits by each row.
At the end of the aisle, three candles, all individually enclosed in lanterns, sit at the base of the dais.
The chandeliers hanging down from the high-rise ceilings are the same gold as the floor-to-ceiling curtains draped behind the altar and along the right side.
We slowly make our way up the aisle, family members on both sides waving or taking pictures on their phones. Kelly’s vice-like grip on my arm slowly cuts off my circulation as we walk up to where Daniel stands patiently with his two best men.
Our mum stands at the front on the left side, unmissable in her oversized hat, and I say a little prayer that she stays on her best behavior. From the look on her face, she seems to have moved on from the altercation upstairs.
We make it to the end of the aisle, and I help Kelly lift her veil before reaching out my hand to Daniel.
“Take good care of her, brother,” I say, shaking his hand before turning and making my way to the seat beside my mum. I catch a glimpse of Alexander at the back of the room by the door, waving goodbye.
Thank God that he and Rob were here to help out today. I don’t know what I would have done without them. The minister cues everyone to take their seats.
“Dearly beloved, we are here today to join Kelly Marie Foster and Daniel Ashley Reed in holy matrimony,” he begins.
The faint smell of burning tickles my nostrils and I try to shake it off as the minister continues, but the scent gets stronger.
I look backward to try and work out where it’s coming from, then look down to see Kelly’s train catching fire from a candle that’s been knocked out of the lantern and onto her train.
“Fire!” Aunt Brenda screams from beside me as Kelly looks back. There is horror in her eyes as she sees her train igniting, working its way up rapidly toward her.
I rush up, throwing my blazer jacket on top of the flames. I kneel down to pat the blaze down, Uncle Michael doing the same behind me, while my mother sits there watching it all unfold.
“That’s a sign from your father, if ever I saw one,” she utters under her breath.
She lifts her right leg over her left and crosses her arms, seemly unbothered, while she looks at my sister. Part of me wonders if she somehow knocked the candle over to get revenge.
She wouldn’t though, surely.
Would she?