On the big day, everything seemed perfect. I stood at the back of the church, my heart racing as Dad took my arm. “Ready, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice thick with love. I nodded, too choked up to speak. The doors swung open, and we began our walk down the aisle. I locked eyes with Fabian, his smile brighter than the sun. But as we neared the altar, my stomach dropped. Something was terribly wrong.“Dad,” I whispered urgently, “where’s Mom?” His brow furrowed as he looked around. “I… I don’t know. I thought she was here.” I stopped dead in my tracks, the music screeching to a halt. All eyes turned to me. “We can’t start,” I said, my voice shaking. “Mom’s missing.”Fabian rushed to my side, concern etched on his face. “Bella, what’s wrong?” “My Mom,” I choked out. “She’s not here. We need to find her.” I turned to my brothers in the front row. “Can you guys look for her? Please?” They nodded, jumping up and rushing out of the church. Fabian squeezed my hand. “I’m sure she’s fine. Probably just got held up somewhere.”But as the minutes ticked by, dread settled in my stomach. This wasn’t like Mom at all. She wouldn’t miss my wedding for the world. Guests shifted uncomfortably, whispering amongst themselves. I paced back and forth, my wedding dress swishing with each step. “Maybe we should call the police,” I said, wringing my hands.Fabian put his arm around me. “Let’s give your Dad and brothers a little more time. I’m sure they’ll find her.” But as an hour crawled by, I felt anything but sure. The church was filled with hushed conversations and worried glances. “I can’t believe this is happening,” I muttered to Fabian. “What if something terrible happened to her?” He pulled me close. “Try not to think like that. We’ll find her, I promise.”Just when I was about to insist on calling the authorities, the church doors burst open. Mom stumbled in, followed by Dad and my brothers. Her perfectly styled hair was a mess, her makeup smeared, and her golden dress wrinkled. “Mom!” I cried, rushing towards her. “What happened? Where were you?” But before she could answer, her eyes locked on someone in the front row. Her face contorted with rage. “YOU!” she screamed, pointing a shaking finger.I followed her gaze, shocked to see my soon-to-be mother-in-law, Grace, shrinking in her seat. “Mom, what’s going on?” I asked, my heart pounding. She whirled to face me, her eyes blazing. “Your mother-in-law LOCKED ME in the closet! Can you believe that? Just because I wore an expensive golden dress.” The church erupted into shocked gasps and furious whispers. I felt like I was in some bizarre dream.“What? That’s crazy,” I sputtered, looking between Mom and Grace. Grace jumped to her feet, her face pale. “This is ridiculous! I would never—” “Oh, save it!” Mom snapped, rolling her eyes. “I overheard you telling your sister that you had to be the only one in gold! This isn’t the first time you’ve been jealous, but it’s the first time you’ve done something so horrible because of it.” Fabian stepped forward, his jaw clenched. “Mom, is this true? Did you lock Mrs. Jacobs in the closet?”Grace’s composure crumbled. She wrung her hands, her voice shaky. “I just… I thought… she was trying to outshine me!” Fabian’s face darkened with anger. “Mom, this is Bella’s wedding day, not yours! How could you do something so petty and cruel? You need to leave. Now.” “But…” Grace stammered, “I just made a small mistake! I couldn’t stand seeing her get all the attention in that dress.” “No buts,” Fabian growled. “You’ve ruined enough of this day. Leave.”Grace’s face twisted into a scowl. “Fine! You’ll regret this!” She snatched up her purse and stormed out, leaving a stunned silence in her wake. For a moment, no one moved. Then Dad cleared his throat. “Alright, everyone. Let’s get back to celebrating this wonderful couple!” Slowly, the tension eased. Fabian turned to me, his eyes filled with remorse. “Bella, I’m so sorry. I had no idea my mother would do something so awful like this.”I squeezed his hand. “It’s not your fault. Let’s just focus on us now, okay?” He nodded, a small smile returning to his face. “I love you.” “I love you too,” I whispered. As we retook our places at the altar, I caught Mom’s eye. She gave me a reassuring nod and relief flooded through me. We were going to get through this.The ceremony resumed, and despite the earlier drama, I felt a surge of joy as Fabian and I exchanged our vows. When the priest pronounced us husband and wife, the church erupted in cheers. As we walked back down the aisle, now as husband and wife, I leaned close to Fabian. “Well, that wasn’t quite how I imagined our wedding going.” He chuckled softly. “Me neither. But hey, at least it’ll be a wedding no one forgets, right?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s one way to look at it.”The reception was in full swing, the earlier chaos all but forgotten as guests danced and laughed. I found myself by the punch bowl, finally able to breathe. “Some wedding, huh?” a voice said beside me. I turned to see Aunt Wima, shaking her head. “I can’t believe Grace did that. What a nightmare of a mother-in-law.” “I know,” I sighed. “It’s still hard to process.” Another guest chimed in. “I’m glad Fabian stood up to her. Shows what kind of man he is.”I smiled, spotting Fabian across the room. He caught my eye and winked, making my heart flutter. “Speaking of nightmares,” Aunt Wilma continued, “where is your Mom? Poor thing must be traumatized.” I scanned the room, realizing I hadn’t seen her in a while. “I should go check on her.”I found Mom sitting alone on a bench in the garden, staring at the stars. She looked up as I approached, a sad smile on her face. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said softly. I sat down beside her, taking her hand. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Mom.” She squeezed my fingers. “It’s alright, sweetheart. The important thing is that you’re happy and married to a wonderful man.”I felt tears prick my eyes. “But it’s not alright. This was supposed to be perfect, and instead…” “Hey,” Mom said, turning to face me. “Life isn’t perfect, Bella. But it’s how we handle the imperfections that matter. And you? You handled today beautifully.” I leaned my head on her shoulder, feeling like a little girl again. “I love you, Mom.” “I love you too, sweetie,” she whispered, kissing the top of my head.We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before she spoke again. “Now, enough moping. It’s your wedding day! Let’s go dance.” Back inside, the party was in full swing. Fabian swept me onto the dance floor, pulling me close. “Everything okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes. I nodded, smiling up at him. “Better than okay. I was just thinking about how lucky I am.”His brow furrowed. “Lucky? After everything that happened today?” “Absolutely,” I said firmly. “Because at the end of it all, I’m married to you. And that’s all that matters.” Fabian’s face softened, his eyes shining with love. “I promise, Bella, I’ll always protect you and stand by your side. No matter what.” I reached up, touching his cheek. “I know. And that’s why I love you.”As we swayed to the music, I caught sight of Mom and Dad dancing nearby. Mom winked at me, and I felt a rush of gratitude. Despite everything, we were all here, together. The evening ended with laughter, dancing, and a sense of relief that the worst was behind us. As Fabian and I said our goodbyes, heading off to start our new life together, a thrill ran through me. Whatever challenges lay ahead, we’d face them together, surrounded by the love of our family and friends.
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