The excitement surrounding my wedding to Fabian, my long-time boyfriend, was palpable throughout my family. But the happiest person of all was my mom, Adele. As an only child, I had always been close to both of my parents, but with my mom, we shared a special bond. She had dreamed of this day for years…
We spent countless hours planning every detail together. Choosing our outfits felt like a fashion show, tasting the cake turned into a sweet adventure, and when we picked the song for the father-daughter dance, we both ended up in tears.
“Oh, Bella,” my mom said, wiping her tears as I tried on my wedding dress. “I can’t believe my little girl is all grown up and getting married.”
I hugged her tightly. “I’ll always be your little girl, Mom.”
The big day arrived, and everything seemed perfect. I was at the back of the church, my heart pounding as Dad took my arm.
“Ready, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice full of love.
I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. The doors opened, and we began walking down the aisle. I caught Fabian’s gaze, his smile radiating like the sun. But as we got closer to the altar, an uneasy feeling crept over me. Something was wrong.
I scanned the faces in the crowd, panic rising in my chest. MY MOM WASN’T THERE.
“Dad,” I whispered urgently, “where’s Mom?”
He frowned, looking around. “I… I thought she was here.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, the music halting abruptly. All eyes turned to me.
“We can’t start,” I said, my voice trembling. “Mom is missing.”
Fabian rushed to my side, worry etched on his face. “Bella, what’s happening?”
“My mom,” I managed, “she’s not here. We need to find her.”
I turned to my brothers sitting in the front row. “Can you go look for her? Please?”
They nodded and hurried out of the church. Fabian squeezed my hand. “I’m sure she’s fine. She probably got caught up somewhere.”
But as the minutes passed, a deep sense of dread settled in my stomach. This wasn’t like my mom. She wouldn’t miss my wedding for anything.
Guests began to murmur among themselves, feeling uneasy. I paced back and forth, the fabric of my wedding dress swishing with every 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 with each passing hour, my doubts grew. The church was filled with murmurs and worried glances.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered to Fabian. “What if something terrible has happened to her?”
He pulled me close. “Try not to think that way. We’re going to find her, I promise.”
Just as I was about to insist on calling the authorities, the church doors swung open. Mom stumbled in, followed by Dad and my brothers. Her perfectly styled hair was messy, her makeup smeared, and her golden dress was wrinkled.
“Mom!” I cried, rushing toward her. “What happened? Where were you?”
Before she could answer, her eyes locked onto someone in the front row. Her face twisted in fury.
“YOU!” she shouted, pointing a trembling finger.
I followed her gaze, shocked to see my future mother-in-law, Grace, shrinking into her seat.
“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked, my heart racing.
She turned to face me, her eyes blazing. “Your stepmother locked me in a closet! Can you believe that? Just because I was wearing a golden, expensive dress.”
The church erupted in gasps and whispers. I felt like I was in some bizarre nightmare.
“What? This is crazy!” I stammered, looking back and forth between my mom and Grace.
Grace quickly stood up, her face pale. “This is ridiculous! I would never—”
“Oh, save it!” Mom snapped, rolling her eyes. “I heard you tell your sister that you were the only one allowed to wear gold! This isn’t the first time you’ve been jealous, but it’s the first time you’ve done something so awful because of it.”
Fabian stepped forward, his jaw clenched. “Mom, is it true? Did you lock Mrs. Jacobs in a closet?”
Grace’s calm facade crumbled. She twisted her hands, her voice shaking. “I… I thought… she was trying to steal the spotlight!”
Fabian’s face darkened with anger. “Mom, today is Bella’s wedding, not yours! How could you do something so petty and cruel? You need to leave. Now.”
“But…” Grace stammered, “I just made a little mistake! I couldn’t stand seeing her getting all the attention with that dress.”
“No buts,” Fabian growled. “You’ve already ruined this day enough. Leave.”
Grace’s face contorted with a grimace. “Fine! You’ll regret this!” She grabbed her purse and stormed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
For a moment, no one moved. Then, Dad cleared his throat discreetly. “Alright, everyone. Let’s get back to celebrating this wonderful couple!”
Slowly, the tension started to dissipate. Fabian turned to me, his eyes filled with regret. “Bella, I’m so sorry. I had no idea my mom would do something so awful.”
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 resumed our positions at the altar, I caught my mom’s gaze. She gave me an assuring nod, and a wave of relief washed over me. We were going to make it.
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 applause.
As we walked back down the aisle, now husband and wife, I leaned in close to Fabian. “Well, this isn’t exactly how I imagined our wedding.”
He laughed softly. “Me neither. But hey, at least it’ll be a wedding no one will ever forget, right?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s one way to look at it.”
The reception was in full swing, the chaos of earlier almost forgotten as guests danced and laughed. I found myself by the punch bowl, finally able to breathe.
“Quite the wedding, huh?” a voice said next to 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. It shows what kind of man he really is.”
I smiled, spotting Fabian across the room. He caught my gaze and winked, making my heart skip a beat.
“Speaking of nightmares,” Aunt Wima continued, “where’s your mom? Poor thing must be traumatized.”
I scanned the room, realizing I hadn’t seen her for a while. “I should go check on her.”
I found Mom sitting alone on a bench in the garden, staring up at the stars. She looked up when she saw me approach, a sad smile on her face.
“Hi, 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 nothing, sweetheart. What matters is that you’re happy and married to a wonderful man.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “But it’s not right. It was supposed to be perfect, and instead…”
“Hey,” Mom said, turning toward me. “Life isn’t perfect, Bella. What matters is how we handle the imperfections. And you, sweetheart, handled this day beautifully.”
I rested my head on her shoulder, feeling like a little girl again. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetheart,” she whispered, kissing the top of my head.
We sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before she spoke again. “Alright, enough with the moping. It’s your wedding day! Let’s go dance.”
Inside, the party was in full swing. Fabian grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor, holding me close.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes.
I nodded, smiling at him. “Better than okay. I was just thinking about how lucky I am.”
He frowned. “Lucky? After everything that happened today?”
“Absolutely,” I said firmly. “Because in the end, 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 be by your side. No matter what happens.”
I raised my hand and gently caressed his cheek. “I know. And that’s why I love you.”
As we swayed to the music, I spotted my parents dancing nearby. Mom winked at me, and a wave of gratitude washed over me. Despite everything, we were all here, together.
The night ended in laughter, dancing, and that sense of relief that the worst was behind us.
As Fabian and I said our goodbyes and headed off to start our new life together, a shiver ran through my body. No matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together, surrounded by the love of our family and friends.