41
The guests at the reception begin to slowly disappear as the night goes on. Some make their way to the exits, saying their goodbyes to the happy couple and wishing them well on their new journey together. Others seem to slip away unnoticed, perhaps called away by unexpected obligations or simply ready to head home after a long evening of celebration.
The dance floor gradually empties out, with fewer and fewer couples remaining to twirl and sway to the music. As the band plays their final song, the last of the guests make their way to the door, leaving the newlyweds alone to bask in the afterglow of their special day. The staff begin to clean up, and the decorations and lights are turned off. The remaining guests are only the couple, the family
As the dance came to an end, Rachel watched as Leo walked over to his mother and asked her for a dance. She saw the love and affection in his eyes as he looked at his mother, and she felt her heart softening towards him.
She had been so focused on her own emotions and the confrontation with William that she had almost forgotten how much Leo loved and cared for his family.
She walked over to the table where the wedding cake was displayed and picked up a plate. She took a piece of the cake and started to eat it, but her mood was still dark and troubled. She couldn’t shake off the feeling of fear and uncertainty about the future.
She thought about the conversation she had just had with William and the way he had hurt Celine. She wondered if this was what the future held for her and Leo, fights and misunderstandings.
She thought about the vows they had taken earlier that day, promising to love and cherish each other for all eternity, and she wondered if they would be able to keep those promises.
As she watched Leo dancing with his mother, she saw the love and joy in their eyes, and she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
She wondered if they were truly meant to be together, if they could weather the storms of life and come out stronger on the other side.
She knew she couldn’t let these doubts ruin her special day, so she took a deep breath, smiled and walked towards Leo and his mom, joining them in the dance.
She laughed and smiled, pretending to be happy and carefree, but inside she was still struggling with her fears and doubts about the future.
As Rachel was lost in her thoughts, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Celine standing there, a small smile on her face. “He’s one of the good ones,” Celine said, nodding towards Leo.
Rachel felt a pang of sadness in her heart as she looked at her friend. She could tell that Celine was hurting, and it was clear that her conversation with William had not gone well.
“What happened?” Rachel asked, taking Celine’s hand in hers.
Celine’s smile faltered, and she looked down at the ground. “He’s just scared,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s afraid of committing so quickly to me.”
Rachel squeezed Celine’s hand, understanding all too well the fear of commitment.
“I know it’s hard, but you deserve someone who is willing to commit to you fully,” she said, looking at her friend with concern.
Celine nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “Yh ,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.
Rachel wrapped her arm around Celine’s shoulders, pulling her close. “I know, but you deserve someone who loves you just as much. Someone who is willing to fight for you, no matter what,” she said, trying to comfort her friend.
Celine pulled away from Rachel and looked at her with a sad expression, “I should have known that my romanticism would scare him away. I should have played it cool, but I couldn’t help myself. We had a slight quarrel a few minutes ago. He just appeared out of nowhere and scared off a guy that wanted to talk to me. I tried to talk things through with him but he wasn’t ready to hear me out. He dragged me to dance with him and… Fuck!”
She immediately decided to do something to lift her spirits. She suggested they grab a plate of cake to eat while they chatted. Celine nodded in agreement, her mood lifting slightly at the thought of some delicious wedding cake.
Rachel made her way over to the dessert table, her eyes scanning the array of cakes on display. She finally decided on a beautiful three-tiered vanilla cake with a buttercream frosting and delicate white flowers adorning the top. She grabbed a plate and carefully cut a slice for herself and another for Celine.
She carefully balanced the two plates of cake in her hands and made her way back to Celine..
“He’s gaslighting. Safe to say he’s an idiot. Ok? Don’t mind him, I don’t know what you did after but it was the right thing.” Rachel shook her head,
“You can’t change who you are, Celine. And there’s nothing wrong with being romantic. William’s loss is someone else’s gain.”
Celine nodded, but the sadness in her eyes didn’t dissipate. “I just wish things had turned out differently,” she said, her voice filled with regret.
Rachel took Celine’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I know it’s hard now, but things will get better. You’ll find someone who will love and appreciate you for who you are, I promise,” she said, looking at her friend with a comforting smile.
Celine smiled, her eyes filled with hope. “I hope so,” she said, her voice filled with determination.
As the music started playing again, the two friends headed to the dance floor. They danced their hearts out, laughing and spinning around, forgetting about their troubles for a moment. They were surrounded by love and happiness, and they both knew that things would get better, eventually.