“Bri! So how was the first day!?” My sister yelled through the phone. She startled me so bad I almost dropped it on the carpet as I put my makeup supplies away.
“Amazing!” I smiled as I began to get into my day while I put away my work stuff. Life as a makeup artist was great! I loved getting people all glamorous for their photo shoots, or, now more recently, movie scenes! I had just landed a job at a movie studio as a key makeup artist!
“I even got a complement from one of the actors. She said my eyes were beautiful and she wished she had hazel eyes.” I bragged.
“And what did you say back?”
My smile melted. “...I froze.”
I could hear Olivia’s sigh through the phone. “Briannah, being shy will get you nowhere in life, okay?”
“I know, I know.” I sighed.
“People compliment my boyfriend’s eyes all the time, and he just says thanks and keeps it moving. Jeez though, this town is full of hazel-eyed people.”
I laughed. Even though the conversation was getting lighter, the worst was yet to come. “A-also, I got an invitation.”
“To what?” said Olivia.
“To an old friend's wedding. Remember Jade? ” I walked over to the couch and took a seat.
“Of course! I remember when you and Jade would run around our house back in the days.”
“Yep, that’s her. She asked me to be a bridesmaid.”
“Goodness, that's really kind of her! So, you’re going to her wedding right?”
“Yeah,” I said, slowly. “But I haven’t RSVPed yet. I want to say the right things when I call. I hope the gift I got her was good enough. I’m also planning what I’ll do and say ahead of time just so the day goes perfect.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I'm serious!” I quickly pulled up the notes app on my phone and read off the steps I had written for myself. “First, I’m going to say hey and give at least three people hugs. Then I’ll give my gift to Jade. Then I’m going to-”
“Woah, woah, woah, Briannah, listen to yourself. You’re planning how you’re going to have fun at someone's wedding! That’s insane! And not in a goodway!”
I stopped thumb-scrolling through my list. I thought my action-list was a little crazy, but it seemed necessary so I didn’t freeze up or come off as a weird friend. “I just don’t wanna mess up. That day has to go perfectly, so why not be-”
“Briannah, no day will EVER be perfect. Life is like a dog sometimes. It doesn’t care what day it is, it could be a birthday or a vacation or a wedding. It’s still going to poop and it doesn’t mind if it poops on someone’s shoes, because that’s what life usually does. It isn’t more special for anybody, and doesn’t care who has a wedding on what day. You can’t expect that day to be perfect. What you can do is make plans on how you’ll deal with life's screw-ups. Not lists! Plans! You hear me Bri!?” Olivia waited for a response.
“Yes, I hear you,” I told her. We chatted a little while longer. I told her how Jade invited her to come as a guest as well, but Olivia declined, saying she didn’t like weddings, and her BF would be out of town anyway with his German Shepherd, Po-po.
After that, I took a deep breath, and deleted my wedding-day action-list. I decided I would expect for the day not to be perfect. If it went smoother than usual, great, but whatever happened I would treat the day like a normal day.
That’s why, on the day of the wedding when I found Jade in tears, I wasn’t nearly as speechless as I would’ve been with my action-list.
“Jade!” I yelled, and ran to her. “What’s wrong!?”
She sniffled. “The cake’s ruined! ThecakesruineditfelloverandeverythingsmessedupandI-” Jade’s words slurred together as she began to wail.
I pulled out my phone and checked the time. There were six hours until the wedding began.
“Okay, slow down. Tell me what’s wrong in one sentence-if you can.”
Jade smeared the black tears on her face. “The cake got smushed.” Then she took a look at her hands. “And now my face is ruined.”
“Well, putting first things first, let’s deal with the wedding cake. There won’t be time to make another on such short notice, I’m just tellin’ ya the truth. But, we can quickly go out and buy a dozen cakes of the same flavor if you want!”
Jade sniffled. “I…I guess that could work. But what about my face?”
I had to lower my eyelids at that one. “I’m a make-up artist. I’ll have you looking all fixed up and glamorous in an hour.”
Jade sniffled more and smiled. “You’re a jewel, Briannah.”
So, when the other bridesmaids arrived Jade sent them to go get a bunch of vanilla bean cakes that looked relatively the same. I stayed back to do my thing.
“Good thing this was my wedding gift to you!” I said, as I pulled open a full make-up kit from her gift bag.
Life stories were traded, eye liner was perfected, and finally, around the wedding time, everything fell into place.
Jade and us bridesmaids were waiting inside the rear foyer of a huge rented mansion, ready to walk outside towards the altar.
Jade’s eyes sparkled as she turned to me. “Briannah, I want you to walk out first. You took on my ruined day like you expected all this to happen, and this wedding wouldn’t be perfect without you.”
I beamed. “T-thank you. I’m flattered. A wise woman once told me life is like a dog, it poops on people’s shoes and-well, what I mean is, life happens, and all you can control is how you deal with it.”
Jade laughed. “Wise words. I just can’t wait to see my husband. He’s got hazel eyes just like yours, and his face is irresistible. He’s just like his dog; one look at those eyes and I could forgive him for anything.”
That comment sparked a horrible thought in my head. “Does he happen to have a German Shepared?”
“Yeah, why?” Jade asked.
My eyes widened. “Is his dog’s name Po-po?”
“...no.”
“Oh, fe-yew!” I signed, my stomach resting easy again.
Jade laughed some more. “For a minute it looked like you saw a ghost, Bri! You must’ve been scared to walk down the aisle and have all eyes on you. You never were able to get rid of that shyness were you?”
I laughed as well. “I guess.”
The wedding music began, and I felt happy. Really happy.
“That’s your cue! See you at the altar!” Jade and the rest of the bridesmaids smiled and waved at me.
“Right!” My time to walk down the aisle had arrived. Whatever happened, I’d either let things be, or find a way to walk around it. Literally. I stood up tall and held my flowers towards my center. Here goes nothing.
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