Shiri groaned as she slowly rose in her makeshift bed of the floor of
Daniel’s small apartment. She hadn’t expected it to be so small, but soon
realized that he was probably looking for something else that they could move
into. She stood up, still hung over from the night before. The bachelorette
party had been a crazy one. She could barely remember what had happened that
night. As she walked down the hall towards the bathroom, she could hear someone
already inside taking a shower.
“Who’s in here?” Shiri asked as she yawned.
“It’s me,” Chance replied. “I’ll be out in a sec.” The water
turned off and less than a minute later, she walked out of the bathroom with
only a towel around her body.
“You’re up early,” Shiri said as she went inside to take her own
shower.
“It’s my wedding day, of course I’m up early. I have a million
things to do. By the way, the stylist called. She got lost. It’s gonna take he
a little while to get here,” Chance answered. She quickly changed into a
button down shirt and baggy track pants that she could easily slip out of when
it was time to get into the dress.
“Okay, just make sure you call the limo company and tell them to wait
about an hour.”
“Already did that.”
“Damn, you’re good.”
“I know. This is the first time I’ve ever really had to be extremely
organized. Everything is going almost to plan. That stupid stylist screwed
things up. That’s okay. I gave myself some breathing room just in case
something like this happened,” Chance explained, plopping down on the couch to
watch TV. The news channels were already buzzing about the wedding. Every few
moments they’d say something about either her or Darren. She was glad that
they had decided to keep their locations that morning a secret, otherwise all
hell would have broken lose.
“So, what are they saying about you?” Shiri asked as she stepped out
of the shower and changed.
“Nothing much really. Just some stats. Boring stuff really. Things the
fans already know,” Chance replied.
“Oh,” Shiri simply said as she dried her hair.
“Aren’t you going to wake everyone else?”
“No, let ‘em sleep. They deserve it. They were up most of the night
having fun unlike us.”
“Yeah, but it was nice of you guys to throw me the party. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Shiri wrapped her arms around Chance to hug her.
Majandra walked into the room as they sat on the couch with their arms around
each other still in their embrace.
“Aw, are you guys having a moment?” she asked, then yawned.
“Come over here, you,” Chance said. “You’re part of the family,
too.”
The three girls hugged, then it was off to the shower for Majandra. Kate
was the last one to wake up. She walked down the hall, went to the kitchen,
pulled out a bottle of aspirin, and took two tablets out of it. Getting a glass
of water from the fountain, she drank them down and headed for the living room.
“Does anyone else have this banging headache?” she asked.
“No, not really. You had too much to drink, hon,” Chance replied.
“Sit down. I put in a pot of coffee. It should be done by now.” She stood up
and got it from the kitchen.
“You’re a life saver,” Kate praised as she sipped the hot, caffeine
rich liquid. It felt good going down her sore throat.
The hour quickly passed as the four girls talked and drank coffee and
waited for the stylist to arrive. The limo was already waiting outside when she
finally walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. The girls walked outside, got
into the limo, and drove off to the church where their dresses were waiting.
Shiri pulled out her cell phone and dialed Daniel’s. “Hey, baby. Good
morning,” she said when he picked up.
“Hey, Shiri. What are you up to?” he asked.
“Nothing much really. Could you do me a big favor and tell everyone
that the wedding is gonna start a little later than expected. The stylist was
late, so we just got to the church. I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” Shiri
replied.
“No, you didn’t. I’ll pass on the message,” Daniel answered.
“I’ll see you in a little while. Bye.”
“Bye,” she hung up. They soon arrived at the church and headed for
the back room where the stylist would do their hair. The first to be done and
ready was Shiri. Her hair had been pulled up into a tight bun, the decided style
for the wedding. Chance would be the last to finish because she had to look
absolutely perfect. It was better to get the other three finished before her so
that they wouldn’t have to wait.
She walked out of the little room to stretch her legs and found Darren
sitting on one of the pews near the alter.
“You’re here!” Shiri exclaimed from behind him. Darren stood up and
kissed her cheek.
“I thought I was going to be late. I woke up at eleven. I think that
was the fastest change I’ve ever pulled in my life. Even faster than one of my
stage changes,” he answered.
“Didn’t Dan tell you?” she asked.
“Tell me what?”
“Chance isn’t ready yet. She’s changing right now in the back
room,” she replied.
“Really?” Darren questioned, hinting that he was a bit surprised.
“That little rat. I can’t believe him.”
“At least you’re here. That’s all that counts. Don’t worry about
anything,” Shiri told him as she walked to the back room of the church where
Chance was getting ready. She walked into the little room and said, “They’re
here!”
“Are they really?” Chance eagerly asked.
“Yeah, and Darren looks gorgeous!” Shiri commented.
“How about the others?” Majandra spoke up from the behind the full
length mirror.
“I didn’t get to see anyone else, but I have a feeling they’ll be
here soon,” Shiri answered as she nervously paced the floor in her high heels.
Chance had slipped into her huge dress and was being fitted with her veil and
crown when two knocks came at the door. Shiri ran over and opened it to find
Daniel, Nick, Jason, and Brendan standing there.
“Oh, my God! You’re so beautiful!” Daniel commented as he kissed
her.
“You’re adorable yourself,” Shiri replied.
“So, are you guys ready? The guests are already here,” Nick added.
“And the news crews have set up their cameras all over the church. This is
definitely going to be the social event of the year. I feel so lucky to even be
a part of it.”
“Okay, calm down,” Majandra said as she stepped out from behind the
mirror.
Brendan gasped. “Wow,” he nearly whispered.
“What, is there something between my teeth?” she asked.
“No, you just look so… so… I can’t find the words,” Brendan
said as he too her arm and let her out the door. They could hear the music
already playing in the background as the waited outside the large double doors
for the rest of the crew to arrive. Jason and Kate stepped in front of them as
Shiri and Nick walked behind. The last two were Chance and Daniel.
Jason and Kate were the first two to step down the aisle. They were soon
followed by Brendan and Majandra then Nick and Shiri. Finally the moment came
when all eyes and camera lenses focused on Daniel and Chance walking down the
aisle together. The music had changed to the traditional weeding march. Darren
stared at her, mesmerized by how radiant she looked slowly making her way
towards him.
Chance wore the wedding dress she had picked out. The train extended all
the way down the aisle past the double doors and out into the foyer. A little
gold crown wrapped its way around the tight bun of her hair. Tiny crystals
glistened from her veil as she walked through patches of sunlight that came down
from the skylights. Her gloved hands held a bouquet of pink and white roses and
just above them he could see her glittering diamond necklace.
Just before reaching the alter, Daniel and Chance stopped. He lifter her
veil and whispered, “Make me proud.” He kissed her cheek, pulled the veil
back over her face, and took his place beside Darren. Chance walked up the steps
and stood beside Shiri. She turned in Darren’s direction and waited for the
priest to begin the ceremony.
“If there is anyone who thinks these two people should not be wed,
speak now or forever hold your peace,” the priest said. The church went
silent. Chance could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest. No one said a
word, and the priest began to speak again. He turned to Darren and asked, “Do
you have the ring?” Daniel handed it to Darren.
“Do you, Darren Stanley Hayes take Chance as you lawfully wedded wife,
to have and to hold, to love, honor, and obey, in sickness and in health,
‘till death do you part?” the priest said.
“I do,” Darren replied in almost a dream-like state of mind. He took
Chance’s hand and placed the ring on her finger.
“Do you, Chance Malone take Darren as you lawfully wedded husband, to
have and to hold, to love, honor, and obey, in sickness and in health, ‘till
death do you part?” the priest said.
“I do,” Chance answered as another tear dripped down her face.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,”
the priest proudly boomed. “You may kiss the bride.”
Darren slowly pulled the vial away from Chance’s face to reveal her
glowing smile. He waited a couple of moments to take in her beauty, then bent
down for a long, passionate kiss.
Shiri was crying along with Majandra, Kate, Nick, Brendan, Jason, and
even Daniel. It had finally happened after the long months of strange happenings
and fate and destiny colliding.
~~~~~~~~~~
The wedding party gathered in the large banquet hall a few miles away
hours later. By now, Chance had changed into a simpler white dress that she
could easily dance in, but kept the crown, the veil, the hair, the necklace, the
shoes, and the bouquet. She and Darren were seated beside each other at the main
table waiting for dinner to be served. They heard Dan chime his fork on his
glass to get everyone’s attention.
“Speech! Speech! Speech!” people began to chant as he stood up.
Dan smiled as he began, “Darren and I have been best friends for the
longest time. We’ve been through so much together that I think he qualifies as
my brother, but I already have a few of those so I don’t need another one.
Anyway, I remember the day he and Colby divorced, and how he thought his life
was over. Boy, was he wrong! He turned into a regular ladies man! He’d be
going out with three chicks a night, time permitting. I remember thinking to
myself, ‘Why can’t he just settle on one?’ Well, that was the night before
he met Chance. Everything changed afterwards. Mr. Ladies Man turned into Mr.
Couch Potato. Instead of going out with the first woman he saw, he’d be
staying home waiting for Chance to arrive. For a second there I began thinking,
‘What has this girl done to my best friend?’ Again, that was the day before
we hooked up and found out that we had so much in common. Does everyone see a
pattern here? It seems as if I’m always answering my own questions a day after
I ask them. Just last night I was thinking, ‘Are Chance and Darren really
meant to be together?’ You’re all probably thinking ‘We know, you answered
your question again.’ You know what, I’ll get back to you on that in ten
years.” He paused to let everyone stop laughing. “Moving on, I think it’s
about time that I ended this, so, a toast to Chance and Darren. May your lives
be filled with happiness and laughter, and don’t forget to call me when the
honeymoon’s over. Oh, and get on the dance floor already, we’re waiting!”
After the clapping subsided, Chance and Darren stood up to have the first
dance of the night, to their song. The music began as the lights dimmed. “I
have a surprise for you,” Darren whispered into her ear. He pointed to the
stage and she saw the person who would be singing the song.
Shiri could see Chance react with pure excitement when she realized that
Fisher would be performing their song in front of everyone. She and Darren
slowly danced until the song was over, which was when Daniel decided to walk
down to the dance floor and steal Chance away from the traditional
“father/daughter dance.”
“Here we are again, dancing together. And I remember the rule,” he
said.
Chance laughed. “I thought you would,” she replied. “So, what song
did you choose for us?”
“Bob Carlisle’s ‘Butterfly Kisses.’ I know its kinda weird, but
it seems so right for the relationship we’ve had. I watched you grow up in the
last year, and the song is so perfect for today. I gave you away at your
wedding. What song could be more perfect than this one to commemorate that?”
Dan asked as Chance placed her head on his shoulder.
“That’s so sweet of you,” she whispered as the music continued to
play. “I love you, Dan.”
“I love you too,” he replied, kissing the top of her head just below
her crown. They silently danced to the rest of the song, then left the floor to
eat dinner.
After dinner came the throwing of the bouquet. Chance positioned herself
far from the many girls eagerly waiting to catch it. Among them were Majandra
and Kate. She turned around and closed her eyes and blindly threw it hoping that
one of her friends would catch it. Chance turned around to find Majandra had
caught it.
“You’re getting married next!” Chance yelled to her. Majandra gave
her two thumbs up and headed over to Brendan.
It was now Darren’s turn to pull Chance’s garter off her leg and
throw it to the eager men that stood behind him. With a devilish smile on his
face, Darren bit down on the silky fabric and pulled if slowly down past her
ankle, down her calf, and finally over her shoe. He threw it behind him then
quickly spun around to find that Jason was the lucky recipient.
The party went on through the early morning hours of the next day. By
then, Darren and Chance had been almost worn out and danced their last song,
“Truly Madly Deeply,” together. After they had finished, Daniel pulled Shiri
off her seat and dragged her to the floor.
“I’ve got something for you,” he whispered.
“What?” she replied.
The music began to play to a tune she had never heard before. “It’s a
little something I wrote while we were out in the Keys. That’s what I was
hiding from you in my notebook. I hope you like it,” he continued. “Would
you dance if I asked you to dance? Would you run and never look back? Would you
cry if you saw me cry? Would you save my soul, tonight?” Daniel sang softly
into her ear.
“Would you tremble if I touched your lips?” His hand slowly came up
to her lower lip and caressed it. “Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this.
Now would you die for the one you loved? Hold me in your arms, tonight.” Shiri
wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
“I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by
you forever. You can take my breath away.”
“Would you swear that you'll always be mine? Or would you lie?
Would you run and hide? Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind? I don't
care... You're here tonight.”
“I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by
you forever. You can take my breath away.”
“Oh, I just want to hold you. I just want to hold you. Am I in too
deep? Have I lost my mind? I don't
care... You're here tonight.”
“I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by
you forever. You can take my breath away.”
“I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by
you forever. You can take my breath away. You can take my breath away. I can be
your hero.”
Shiri was in tears at the end of the song. “Oh, God, Daniel,” she
cried. “You are my hero.”
He smiled down at her with bright emerald green eyes. “I love you,”
he softly whispered to her.
“I love you too,” she replied.
THE
END