8| Wedding Preparations

Sophie stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room, gently smoothing the lace bodice of her wedding dress.

The delicate satin and intricate embroidery felt surreal against her skin; she had never worn anything so expensive in her life.

The seamstress leaned in to adjust the hem, her deft fingers working with care. Sophie glanced at her reflection again, her nerves bubbling to the surface.

"Are we sure this is the one?" she asked hesitantly.

Before the seamstress could answer, Martha, Mia, and Lily, who were sitting nearby, burst into reassurances.

"You look stunning, Sophie," Martha said, her voice thick with emotion, her eyes misting with tears. "Just like your father always imagined you'd look on your wedding day."

Mia smiled warmly. "You look perfect."

Lily, busy adjusting the veil on Sophie's hair, grinned. "You're going to take everyone's breath away."

Sophie tried to relax under their compliments, but the nerves still gnawed at her. "I hope so. I just... I feel so nervous."

The seamstress gave Sophie a kind smile. "Don't you worry, dear. I'll make sure this dress is absolutely perfect for your big day."

"Thank you," Sophie said softly, managing a small smile. Planning a wedding was overwhelming enough, but planning a wedding orchestrated by the Sinclair's? That was an entirely different kind of pressure.

Evelyn Sinclair, Ethan's mother, had taken the reins on nearly every detail. Sophie rarely saw her directly; instructions were always relayed through the wedding planner, who then presented Sophie with pre-selected choices for her to approve.

The cake, the theme, the decorations—it was all whittled down to a few options that Sophie simply chose from. It wasn't exactly how she'd dreamed of planning her wedding, but she reminded herself that at least she had some say, even if it felt minimal.

The one thing Sophie had insisted on was creating her own bridal bouquet and the corsages for her bridesmaids. It was the only way to weave the thing she loved most into this wedding—the flowers, the part of her life that felt real and hers.

But even with that, she couldn't shake the sadness that lingered beneath it all. Making these decisions alone felt heavier than she'd expected. Ethan had done exactly what he said he would—he chose his work. She wanted to be mad about it, but how could she be? He'd told her from the start.

Her own compromise had been to be herself, and she tried. But sometimes, standing in the middle of all this planning, she felt like she was marrying herself.

Would Ethan even show up to his own wedding? She couldn't voice these thoughts to her family; they were already worried enough. Only one of them could afford to feel sad, and she'd decided it would be her.

Mia's gentle pat on her shoulder brought her back to the present. "It'll be fine, Soph. I promise."

"Thanks, Mia," Sophie replied, her voice soft but grateful.

She turned toward her mother, who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "Mom, are you okay?"

Martha nodded, though her tears continued to fall. "I'm fine, sweetheart. I'm just so proud of you. I wish your father could see you. He'd be so happy."

Sophie's chest tightened, the ache of loss familiar but still sharp. "I miss him too, Mom. But I know he's here with us, in spirit."

Martha smiled through her tears, placing a hand over her heart. "He is. And he'd be so proud of the woman you've become. Strong, kind, and beautiful."

Lily, ever the mood-lightener, jumped in. "And now you're about to be the most beautiful bride anyone's ever seen. We're making sure of it."

Sophie laughed, shaking her head. "You guys need to stop. You're going to make me cry."

Her phone buzzed on the nearby dresser, breaking the emotional moment. Sophie glanced at it, her expression softening. "It's the wedding planner. She's asking to meet tomorrow—with me and Ethan."

She handed her dress carefully to the seamstress, who hung it up with precision. Once she was back in her everyday clothes, Sophie turned to the group. "Since we've got everything sorted here, how about we go grab some coffee?"

"Yes!" Lily chimed in. "I need my double espresso macchiato. Stat."

Sophie chuckled, glancing at her mom. "We can stop by the store too. I'll pick up groceries for dinner tonight. Mia, you're coming over, right?"

Mia smirked. "Like I'd miss out on Martha's pasta. Of course I'm coming."

Martha chuckled as they all filed out of the room, the heavy emotions of the day giving way to easy laughter. Even with the weight of the upcoming wedding pressing on her, Sophie felt a little lighter surrounded by the people who loved her most.

*******

The following day, Sophie arrived at the wedding planner's office. The space was beautifully decorated—tasteful floral arrangements, elegant sample invitations, and swatches of fabrics displayed neatly along the walls.

Amanda, the wedding planner, had proven to be professional and understanding. Sophie appreciated that, even though so much of the wedding was already predetermined, Amanda made an effort to give her small decisions to call her own.

Sophie waited outside for Ethan, who had texted earlier to let her know he was on his way. Moments later, she spotted him walking toward the office, his strides confident, dressed impeccably in yet another tailored suit.

She wondered how he'd look in casual clothes, something less polished. Probably just as handsome—he seemed like the kind of person who'd look good in anything.

Ethan smiled faintly as he approached. "You didn't have to wait outside," he said, his tone considerate.

"It's okay. I didn't wait long," Sophie replied simply, brushing off his concern.

Amanda greeted them warmly as they entered. "Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. Sinclair, welcome. Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing to the plush chairs in front of her desk.

Ethan sat down, checking his watch. "Let's make this quick. I have other appointments today."

Amanda nodded, her professional smile never faltering. "Of course, Mr. Sinclair. But Sophie and I have already handled most of the arrangements, so this won't take long."

She opened her portfolio, flipping through the plans. "The ceremony and reception are mostly finalized. We just need to confirm a few details."

She glanced between Sophie and Ethan. "One of the venues we've narrowed down is the botanical gardens. It's private, exclusive, and perfect for both the ceremony and reception."

Sophie's face lit up. "I've always loved gardens. Anything with plants is perfect."

Ethan, noticing her excitement, softened slightly. "Then that's what we'll do."

Amanda gave a pleased nod. "Wonderful. Now, we'll move on to the schedule and some smaller details. But there's one more thing..." She turned to Ethan.

"We'll need a photo of both of you for the invitations. Since your schedules are so busy, I think it's best to do it now. We've already prepared outfits, approved by your mother, Mr. Sinclair."

Ethan exhaled, clearly impatient. "How long will this take?"

"Not long," Amanda promised. "I'll keep it quick."

Ethan's expression didn't change, but he nodded. "If it's necessary, let's get it done."

Sophie felt a bit awkward but agreed. "Sure, let's do it."

Amanda clapped her hands together. "Perfect! Let's get started."

Sophie was led to a changing room where a row of elegant dresses waited. She picked a black dress that hugged her figure beautifully, its fabric soft and flowing. A glam team quickly helped with her hair and makeup, and when she stepped out, she barely recognized herself.

As she walked back, she saw Ethan had changed into a sharp black suit that matched hers. He looked as polished as ever, but his gaze lingered on her longer than usual.

"We match," Sophie blurted, her cheeks warming the moment the words left her mouth.

Ethan's eyes swept over her from head to toe, his gaze lingering just a little too long, before Amanda stepped in.

"You both look stunning! This theme is working beautifully," Amanda beamed. "Let's get some photos—don't worry, we'll try a couple of looks."

The photographer directed them toward a simple backdrop. "Can you step a bit closer and look into each other's eyes?"

Ethan's gaze held hers, steady and unreadable. For a moment, the room seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in that quiet space. The photographer's shutter clicked, capturing the soft tension between them.

"Perfect," Amanda said, reviewing the photos. "These will look amazing on the invitations."

Ethan stepped back, the cool detachment slipping back into place. "Are we done here?"

"Just one more outfit change," Amanda replied with a bright smile.

Sophie had to give Amanda credit—she was definitely good at her job. But one outfit change quickly turned into several. By the end of it, Sophie was exhausted, surprised by just how draining the entire session had been.

Amanda smiled at them both, her tone cheerful. "That's all for today. Thank you for your time. I'll follow up soon with the final details."

Sophie and Ethan walked out of the office together, the silence between them heavy but not entirely uncomfortable.

Ethan paused, turning slightly to look at her. "If you don't like something, don't be afraid to say so. This is your wedding too," he said, his tone calm but firm.

Sophie stopped, the tension she'd been holding in finally bubbling to the surface. "Thank you, Ethan. Then you wouldn't mind me telling you that I don't like how you leave all the decisions to me," she replied, her voice steady but edged with frustration.

She took a quick breath and continued, not giving him a chance to respond. "I don't appreciate your kind words when you're the one making this hard for me. It feels disingenuous." The words spilled out in one breath, leaving her slightly breathless.

Maybe it was from being too close to him for almost an hour, or maybe it was the lingering scent of his cologne making her head feel fuzzy. But deep down, she knew—it was more than that. She was upset. Upset at him, at this situation, at the way everything felt so one-sided.

Ethan studied her for a moment, his blue eyes unreadable. Then, without missing a beat, he asked, "Do you want to get a coffee or something?"

Sophie blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Um... sure," she replied, her voice softer now, the tension between them hanging in the air.

As she sipped her iced coffee, Sophie definitely felt better. She hadn't expected him to offer coffee—especially after she'd just laid all her frustrations out on the table.

What exactly was he thinking?

The last thing she wanted to hear was an I told you so or some version of I said I'd be busy. But instead, Ethan surprised her.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way." His voice was low, steady. "I understand why you're angry. I'm okay with you being mad at me."

That threw her off more than his coffee offer.

She knew he was being sincere, but somehow that wasn't what she wanted to hear. Being okay with it sounded like he was already planning on being passive to all her future complaints—as if he'd accepted this was just how things would be, and he wouldn't change a thing.

She sighed, swirling her straw in the cup. "It's fine, Ethan. Thanks for the coffee, though. It's a good enough bribe... for now." She added a small smile, trying to soften the edge of her words.

He chuckled faintly, and for a second, things felt... lighter.

The wedding was creeping up faster than she'd expected. She had never seen anyone throw a wedding this quickly. But there was still one lingering question on her mind.

"About the wedding kiss," she blurted out suddenly, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, but his face stayed unreadable. Amanda had gone over the ceremony details during planning, but Sophie figured it would be best to talk about it—just in case.

"If you don't want it," he said after a moment, "we can work around it."

"God, no," she shot back quickly, waving a hand dismissively. "We're both mature adults. I just wanted to tell you I'm okay with it. It's just a kiss anyway."

It wasn't just a kiss. And they both knew it.

"Okay, then," he replied, his voice calm. "We'll do it for the ceremony."

Damn it, Sophie thought, taking another sip of her coffee. Why did she bring it up?

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Photo credit: Pinterest

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