Chapter 27 Nisha
twenty-seven
nisha
We’re A Forever Kind of Thing
“Is my hair frizzed out? Can you tell I’m sweating?” Sarina fans herself with her hand, her enormous engagement ring glinting. “God, it’s hot. I should have expected that for a beach wedding, but this lehenga is making it worse.”
Outside the entrance to the beach, where guests are gathered—where her groom stands awaiting his bride at the beautiful make-shift altar in front of the ocean—my twin swishes said lehenga, her Indian bridal skirt, from side to side, seemingly trying to get air underneath it.
Unlike her first wedding, where her ex-husband demanded she wear a white dress at the church where his mother insisted they marry, Sarina is wearing a soft pink two-piece ensemble with a flowy chiffon skirt, a bejeweled strapless top, and a sheer red veil, passed down from our mother’s wedding.
Like a true Indian bride, she looks radiant and colorful from head to toe.
“You look breathtaking, and no, I can’t tell you’re sweating.” I squeeze my twin’s hands, smiling at the intricate henna flowers adorned on her palms. My eyes glisten just from looking at her.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a more beautiful bride in my life,” Piper says, taking a quick selfie of the three of us with her phone. “You look like a princess, babe.”
“You really do, love,” Dad says, taking out a floral-print handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing his eyes. “I am so happy your mother and I had such gorgeous genes to pass on to our daughters.”
At that, we all laugh, and my tears stay at bay. Of course, our dad would manage to be emotional and vain at the same time. He’s always known how to make us laugh, even when we were at the edge of tears, but he’s never been good at holding back his own.
Dad is wearing a pink and red, traditional sherwani ensemble, his long embroidered silk coat the same colors as Sarina’s lehenga. He looks more dapper and handsome than I’ve ever seen him.
When he sniffles, wiping the corner of his eye, Emanuel pulls him into a hug, rubbing his back gently. And just like that, my eyes prick again.
Perhaps it’s all the emotions in the air, or my wild hormones. Or perhaps it’s because I barely got any sleep last night, even with Patton’s comforting arms surrounding me all night. I just wanted this day to be perfect for my perfect sister, and my nerves just wouldn’t let me settle.
The more I tried to sleep, the more my mind raced with stray thoughts, like which room I was going to choose to make into the nursery. Would the baby have a room in both our homes or would we move in with each other?
We hadn’t talked about moving in together. And when that thought surfaced, so did that familiar fear—were we moving too fast? Were we repeating past mistakes? Did Patton even want to live with me again?
We had a good rhythm right now. Though the baby was a surprise, I didn’t want to make hasty relationship decisions based on the pregnancy. But if I was pressed for the truth, the idea of living with him again didn’t seem all that scary, either.
My racing thoughts weren’t helped by the packed schedule, and though my body needed the rest, I knew my brain would take a break only when it wanted to.
We hit the ground running since we got to Cabo yesterday.
Troy booked out the entire resort for the next few days to keep the paparazzi at bay, not just for him and his Blazers ex-teammates, but for Dev and Patton, too.
He also beefed up the security with all the A-listers and celebrities in attendance, not wanting any interruptions from the media.
Between yesterday’s rehearsal, the meet-and-greet, the mehendi party—where all the women got henna painted on our palms—the cocktail hour, and dinner, I don’t think any of us had a moment to breathe.
Well, Sarina and Troy definitely didn’t.
I, on the other hand, was whisked away for “down time” every chance my ex-husband found me on my feet for more than fifteen minutes.
Whether it was keeping me hydrated with pineapple margarita mocktails, rubbing my feet during the cocktail hour while telling me about the Mexican Revolution, or bringing me fruit and crackers when I couldn’t keep anything else down, the man hovered over me like a mother hen.
And though I feigned annoyance, I found myself looking for him anytime he was missing from my side.
My sister pulls both me and Piper in for a hug. “I love you both so much. You’re not just my best friends and sisters, you’re part of my entire world. It spins because you’re in it.”
And there go my tears.
“God, you lunatic. Why do you have to make us cry right now?” Piper sniffles, pressing a kiss to my sister’s temple. “You’re going to ruin our makeup!”
I squeeze Sarina’s shoulders. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.
I was blessed to have been born with my best friend, my other half in so many ways.
And to see you get married today to the man of your dreams, a man who has brought you and Rome so much happiness and love, after everything you’ve been through? There’s no other joy like it.”
“I love you, Neesh,” she says again, a tear threatening to escape. “I can’t wait to see you here, in a spot very much like this again one day, waiting to walk up that aisle to reunite with the man of your dreams.”
I lift a brow, not missing the sparkle in her eyes with the word “reunite,” but before I can say anything, Dad cuts in.
“Oh, she will. I have no doubt about that. With the way that gorgeous Hollywood hunk looks at her, I have a feeling we’ll be planning another wedding very soon.
And honey, I am so ready for another excuse to wear my good jewelry.
” Dad waggles his fingers, each adorned with rubies and diamonds, just to make his point.
Piper giggles. “I just want it to be known that I predicted this last year after you and Troy got engaged. After we all saw through Patton’s scheme to film his next movie in San Jose, only a few miles from your house and our salon.
I predicted that we’d be attending two weddings for the Arora sisters. ”
I roll my eyes, but there’s no denying the smile that’s crept up my face, making me feel warm and tingly inside.
While I don’t want to dampen their hopes of attending another huge wedding—especially since I have no inclination toward something as fancy—the idea of marrying Patton again . . .
God, it would be like getting back a piece of my heart that I thought was gone forever. And just seeing how different we are now, I know it wouldn’t be like the first time. We’re older, wiser, and definitely more careful with each other’s hearts . . .
So marrying him again, though I’m terrified to dream it too early, would be like returning home after a very long and arduous journey.
“And I know you don’t want to jinx anything, but I can’t hold myself back any more.” Sarina places her hand on her lips before touching my stomach. “I can’t wait to meet my niece or nephew one day soon. But you’ve got time, little bean. Come out when you’re ready and healthy.”
“We’re ready, Mom!” Rome’s voice has us all turning to look toward him and Pearl, walking in with one of the coordinators. Pearl is wearing a soft pink dress, while Rome looks handsome in his dark suit and pink tie.
Sarina leans down to give them hugs, signing and speaking. “You both look so cute. Are you ready to get on with this wedding? Remember, you’ll both go out first. Aunt Nisha and Aunt Piper will be right behind you.”
Right on cue, the music starts, and Sarina’s wedding coordinator comes inside to tell us it’s time and that Troy is waiting at the altar.
Dad tucks Sarina’s hand inside his elbow. “Ready for me to walk you down the aisle, darling?”
Sarina smiles, eyes shimmering. “I’m so ready, Daddy.”
I blink away my tears as Piper and I follow Pearl and Rome out to the beach. I worked too hard on getting my winged liner just right to mess it up this early in the day. The kids wave at the guests, big smiles spread across their faces, before they wave at Troy.
Holding our bouquets of red roses and pink peonies, which match Sarina’s outfit, Piper and I step out carefully onto the red carpet that’s been rolled over the sand.
The late afternoon sun casts a golden light over everything, making the ocean sparkle behind the altar, and I can see Troy in his embroidered gold sherwani with pink accents, beaming as he watches Pearl and Rome make their way toward him.
Dev meets Piper at the end of the aisle, placing a kiss on her lips before murmuring something in her ear that makes her blush almost as bright as the bouquet she’s holding. She elbows him in the side before threading her arm through his.
My gaze locks with Patton next.
With his hands tucked inside the pockets of his dark suit pants, his hair slightly gelled, and his stubble a perfect shadow on his sharp jaw, my ex-husband looks every bit the movie star he is.
But it’s the way he’s looking at me that makes my knees wobble.
His dark eyes rake down my body, taking in the gold saree with pink flowers wrapped around me before they settle on my face, looking at me like I’m the only person on this entire beach.
Originally, Troy had decided against having groomsmen at all.
With as many close friends from both his playing days and the Seven Schlongs, he said it was impossible for him to choose.
Dean had been the most devastated by this decision, saying he’d been dreaming about standing next to his “best friend and idol”.
Apparently, he’d gotten “special underwear” for the occasion.
But Troy and Patton have gotten close over the past few months, so when Sarina decided it would be nice to have Patton and Dev escort her two bridesmaids, I’m almost positive Dean shed actual tears.