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melissabik

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Why, God, why did I do this? I asked myself as I sat in the little sports car.  It was Carrie and Graham’s wedding day, and for some stupid reason, I invited Vince to come along as my date.  I turned to look at him as he sped down the main street towards the highway.  He looked clean-cut and handsome in his tux, and he smelled really good.  But he didn’t look as good as Aiden did in a tux, and he definitely didn’t smell as good as Aiden did.  (I didn’t get tingles when I smelled him or get the sudden urge to kiss him…)  Why did I do this?  I asked myself for the second time.  Vince turned and smiled at me.  I forced a smile back as I laid my head on the headrest.  “So, what are the names of the bride and groom?” Vince asked.  “Carrie and Graham,” I replied.  We reached the church and stepped out of the car; I spotted Aiden walking up the steps of the church—with Maria…  GAG… I wish I had a bag to throw up in…  “Which side should I sit on?” Vince whispered as we entered the church, arm in arm.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “It doesn’t matter really…  Sit wherever you want to sit,” I replied, letting go of his arm and heading towards the Bride’s room.  As I entered, I could hear Carrie crying.  The room was empty. 

“Where is everyone?” I asked, making my way inside slowly and carefully as if I were stepping on glass.  Carrie turned to me with a fistful of tissues.  “Everything is wrong,” she replied.  I looked at her with concern.  “What?  Tell me so I can fix it,” I suggested.  Carrie shook her head.  That’s when I realized she wasn’t even in her wedding dress yet; the ceremony was supposed to begin in 20 minutes.  Why wasn’t she dressed?  “You can’t fix it, Anne…  It just isn’t… fixable.  This isn’t the way I imagined my wedding day,” she stated as she plopped her head down onto the little dresser.  I kneeled down to her eye level.  She was crying her eyes out, and I knew why.  I knew why it wasn’t perfect; it was because Seth wasn’t the groom.  Of course you need money when you get married; most marriages end in divorce because of finances.  But your marriage also won’t last if you’re not in love.  “I know why it’s not perfect,” I muttered.

Carrie pulled her head up and looked at me as strands of her hair fell across her face.  “Why?” she asked with a sniffle.  I stroked her hair out of her face and tried to put it as gently as I could.  “It’s not perfect because you’re marrying the wrong man.  Love is important in a relationship; in marriage.  You feel like everything is going wrong because the pieces of your puzzle don’t all fit together.  From the moment I saw you and Seth together, I saw that love.  He loves you so much; and I know you love him just the same.  Graham is just filling in for Seth, but he can never replace that feeling Seth gives you.  You won’t ever feel those tingles or butterflies with Graham because you’ve all ready found it with Seth.  We’ve all been searching for love like that; and you found it…  Don’t throw it away.”  I didn’t realize I had it in me.  I really was profound…  Carrie stopped crying and I could see her thinking about what I had just said.  “Love…  Like you and Aiden,” she remarked.

That’s when I froze in place.  What was she talking about?  “Um… I…” I couldn’t even form coherent sentences.  Carrie smiled.  “I could see the same thing when I met you and Aiden.  You get tingles and butterflies from him, don’t you?” she asked as she set the crumpled tissues on the dresser.  NO!  I don’t!!  I had to deny this…  “Yes,” I heard myself say.  “Then I don’t understand,” Carrie mused.  “He’s right there in front of you, and you’re pushing him away.  I can see that you want each other…  But you force yourself into this little bubble where you shove those feelings aside.  You’re doing exactly what I’m doing.  Why?” she asked.  Little miss love triangle is observant…  I was beginning to get a painful headache.  “Carrie… That’s different,” I responded.  Even I knew that reason was stupid.  Carrie stood up and took her wedding dress off of the hanger.  “That wasn’t the right answer, Anne.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have 10 minutes to get ready for my wedding,” she replied, shooing me out the door.  As the door closed behind me, I let out a sigh.  I knew Carrie was right.  I was doing the same thing.  Vince was my Graham.  Seth was my Aiden… 

“You brought Vince to the wedding I see,” Aiden stated as he walked up to me.  By now I could almost certainly stay cold when speaking to Aiden.  “And you brought Maria,” I countered.  All I had to do was think about how I poured my soul out to him while his ex-wife listened and I was all set to stay cool and collected.  Aiden shook his head.  “She insisted to come…  Apparently, she loves weddings,” he replied.  I struggled not to make a remark about his comment.  “Well, we have a few minutes, and it’s show time,” I reminded Aiden, trying to step away from the subject.  Aiden nodded his head in agreement.  Carrie left her room and entered, looking extremely beautiful in her dress, but her face showed no signs of happiness.  I guess she wasn’t THAT good at pretending to be happy…  The wedding commenced, Carrie walked down the aisle, the couple said their vows, and then came the dreaded part I never liked about weddings.  “If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together—let them speak now or forever hold their peace…”

I looked around from the front of the church.  There was a deathly silence as I felt the sudden urge to speak out myself.  This wedding was all wrong!  Marriage wasn’t supposed to be founded on money…  (Though most people feel it is that way…)  It was supposed to be founded on the love that these two people share.  As I looked at Graham and Carrie, I didn’t see that love in their eyes.  Graham didn’t adore Carrie, and Carrie wasn’t fawning over her groom…  I couldn’t send these people into a loveless marriage.  It just didn’t settle well with me.  I was about to stand up when I heard, “I do,” from the back of the church.  Every single head turned around in unison to see who had spoken.  A smile crept into my lips as I saw Seth standing there.  It was a classic movie moment.  I couldn’t believe it would happen in real life.  Carrie stood there in shock as she dropped her bouquet of flowers to the ground.  A dutiful maid of honor quickly picked it up.

“Seth?” Carrie breathed as Graham looked at her in anger.  “You said he wouldn’t be a problem,” I heard him whisper through his teeth.  Carrie shrugged her shoulders.  “He promised,” she replied.  Seth began walking up the aisle as the crowd began to murmur.  Carrie turned towards him, still in shock.  “Seth, what are you doing?” she asked.  If I were her, I would be ecstatic that the man I love would stand up for me like that.  But Carrie looked upset.  “I can’t let you marry him, Carrie…  And I know that we’ve talked about this, but I had to try and stop this wedding.  It’s a sham!  You don’t love him!  You love me!” Seth yelled.  Carrie went down the steps toward him.  “You’re making a scene, Seth,” she warned through a harsh whisper.  Seth couldn’t take it anymore.  He didn’t care if he was making a scene.  He was going to proclaim his love to Carrie in front of everyone in that church.

“You can’t just marry a man you don’t love because your parents will disown you if you marry me,” Seth stated.  I guess that’s why I wouldn’t understand.  She would lose everything if she married Seth; that would leave her with no money whatsoever.  Carrie shook her head as she looked towards her parents.  “Carrie, I love you so much; sometimes it’s hard to breathe…  I can’t live without you.  You shouldn’t have to be forced into this…”  Seth grabbed Carrie’s hand and looked deep into her eyes.  “I can’t live without you, and I don’t want to,” he added.  I could see the tears welling up in Carrie’s eyes.  She just couldn’t marry Graham!  It’s not like Graham would have cared anyways; he wasn’t even in love with Carrie.  I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder.  “I think it’s time you stop relying on money to solve everything.  I know you can do this.  Forget about the money for a second; don’t let it control you forever…” I whispered.

Carrie stood there for a second.  I knew what was going to happen.  Carrie was going to come to her senses, kick Graham to the curb and marry Seth instead.  They were going to be happy and live happily ever after, just like a fairy tale.  Then I would rub it in Lindsay’s face, proving to her that fairly tale happiness does exist.  I wish I could tell you she did just that…  But I can’t.  “Seth, go home…  And don’t look back…  Stop calling me,” Carrie replied.  “I never want to see you again,” she added in a whisper that only the three of us could hear.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  She was choosing money over Seth.  How dare she?  Seth stood there in shock; I think he thought the same way I did.  His romantic gesture was just stomped all over by a bridezilla in stiletto Gucci heels.  “Carrie!  You can’t do this,” I began, but Carrie stopped me.  “Anne, you’re just the wedding planner.  This isn’t part of your job, so BUTT OUT,” she stated harshly.  With that, she turned back to the pulpit and walked back to Graham.  I was furious.  I couldn’t understand why Carrie would be so shallow…  But you can’t change a leopard’s spots…  Seth hung his head and walked out slowly, embarrassed by the scene he had just caused.

Aiden came over to me and put his hand on my arm.  “Come on, Anne.  Get out of the aisle and sit down,” he whispered.  I shook my head.  I wasn’t in the mood for this mock wedding.  I pulled my arm away from Aiden.  “No!  I cannot be a part of this marriage.  I firmly believe that this wedding shouldn’t happen; that’s two people now, reverend,” I addressed the man who was thoroughly confused.  “I may be the wedding planner, but I won’t sit here and watch these two people make the biggest mistakes of their lives,” I added, this time to the whole church.  After I had finished, I stormed out.  I sat down on the steps of the church in anger.  How could Carrie be so stupid?  How could she push the love of her life away?  She was afraid; she was afraid to lose all of the money she had lived with since she was born.  If she married Seth, she would be out of her comfort zone.  I thought she would choose him; I thought they would live happily ever after.  But this was just another example telling me that fairly tale happily ever after doesn’t exist…

“Anne…” I heard Vince behind me.  I turned towards him; I had forgotten he was there.  “Hi,” I muttered.  He sat down next to me on the step.  “That was some display in there,” he stated slowly.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “I was too angry to realize I was making a scene,” I explained, looking out at the park across the street.  “I agree with you,” Vince replied.  I turned to him in surprise.  I wasn’t used to having someone agree with me.  “You do?  But…” I began but Vince interrupted me.  “Carrie should have ended up with Seth.  The love they had was painfully obvious to all of us… but she just wanted money.  I think that’s a terrible thing to choose,” he replied.  I nodded; finally feeling like someone understood me.  “Exactly…  I just couldn’t watch her marry the wrong man,” I added as I let out a deep, depressing sigh.  Vince put his arm around me and kissed me on the cheek.  “I care about you, Anne…  I really do.  I love everything about you.  I love how outspoken you are, and I love how you care about everyone else’s well being…” Vince stated.