Michelle grabbed Traci by the chin and moved her daughter’s head to the left and the right. “I swear, Traci, I honestly feel like you did this on purpose.”

She turned and looked in the mirror, approving Ava’s job on covering up her swollen black eye. There wasn’t a whole lot they could do about the split swollen lip.

Traci shifted to break her mother’s hold. “You think I got jumped in an alley by a group of drug dealers so I could ruin the big day?”

“I do. Just so you could make sure that some part of you was in this ridiculous charade.” She defensively crossed her arms over her chest as Traci turned and stared at her wide-eyed.

“Ridiculous charade?”

“That’s what you called it!”

“When?”

Michelle reached down and snagged a tissue out of the packet on the table next to her. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes, preventing any accumulating tears from falling and ruining the perfectly applied makeup. “When you were in eighth grade. You came home and saw me putting something in the butterfly book, and you started a fight with me about it.”

Eighth grade? Seriously? All words fled her brain. She blinked, trying to come up with something that would dispel her mother’s hysteria. “You’ve waited a full decade to cry about that on my wedding day?”

She watched as the hand holding the tissue fisted and hoped she’d managed to stop whatever emotional plummet they had started to take. “Of course not,” Michelle clipped out.

“Good.” Holding the silk robe closed at the neck, she crossed over to her mom and pulled her into her arms. “I love you. Having this wedding was my decision, a gift to you for all the sacrifices you’ve made in your life for me. I hope today is the happiest day for you.”

The door to the pastor’s study opened, and Dorothy Branch came in carrying a bulging garment bag the size of a medium kiddie pool with the Branch’s Bridal logo on the front of it. “Here we are!” She shut the door and hung the dress on one of the coat hooks on the back of it. “I so wish we’d had time to try it on one more time, but I brought a sewing machine in case there’s some last-second disaster.”

Traci felt a little bit of nervous excitement at the sight of the zipper coming down on the bag. She couldn’t identify the feeling. “I don’t think there’s going to be a disaster.”

Several minutes later, she stood on a small step stool while Dorothy dashed all around her, fluffing here, tugging there. She faced the mirror across the room. Despite her personal objection to the idea of wearing such an exorbitant amount of material, Traci knew the dress fit her exactly as it should. She ran her hand down the center of the bodice, fingered the lace, and brushed it against the collar. She thought she’d feel ridiculous. Every time she’d put it on, she had felt ridiculous. But, today, with her makeup on, with her hair up, with the heeled shoes, somehow, she felt beautiful, like a fairy tale protagonist in a storybook.

“We’re good,” Dorothy said, then held out her hand. Traci carefully stepped down, wobbling a bit in the heels. “You are amazing. Let me show you where the back hook is, Michelle.”

Behind her, Dorothy and her mom practiced hooking the train to a place under the bow in the back so it brushed the ground instead of trailing three feet behind her. She knew they’d do that on the way to the reception.

“Fair warning. I’m shedding these shoes the second I leave the church,” Traci warned. “I just don’t want either of you surprised when you see me at the reception, and the dress is dragging on the ground.”

“I will have no objection.” Michelle smiled. She stood back and clapped her hands. “Oh, so beautiful. More than I imagined.”

A tap-tap on the door brought in her mom’s cousin, Courtney. She held the hand of her daughter, Victory, who wore a dress with a purple bodice and a tulle skirt that shimmered in purple and silver and blue and made her think of mother-of-pearl. Courtney had braided her brown hair and twisted it around her head, with little blue and purple paper butterflies affixed all around.

“You are going to steal the show.” Michelle grinned, bending so she was at eye level with Victory. “Dorothy made you the most beautiful dress ever,” she said.

Victory grinned and spun in a circle, letting the skirt swing out. Then she reached over and touched Traci’s silk sleeve. “Pretty,” she said.

Traci straightened and grabbed the white basket from the table, fluffing out the purple bow. “Are you ready for your most important job?”

“Yes!” Victory clapped her hands and reached for the basket. “My brother has the rings, but I have the best job ever.”

“Yes, you do.” The basket contained purple and white silk rose petals. “Make sure you remember to spread out the petals. That way, everyone knows where I’ll be walking.”

A tap on the door brought Travis’ sister, Jessica, into the room. She wore a loose-fitting cream lace dress and a pair of brown ankle boots. Her curly red hair was pinned up on top of her head, and she let curly strands fall all around her face. When she saw Traci, she stopped short. “Oh, Traci, you look amazing.”

Self-conscious, Traci ran her hand along her waist. “I do?”

“Seriously. Travis is going to fall over when he sees you.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture before Traci could object. “No worries. I won’t show him. Anyway, I need the boutonnieres for the guys. I should have put them into a separate box.”

Traci opened the box that contained their bouquets and saw the clear plastic packages for the boutonnieres. They had made one from a white rose with a lilac spray, and two from purple roses with white Dusty Miller sprays. She knew the name of the white flowers because Travis’ sisters had carefully schooled her during the decision-making process. “These?”

“Yep.”

She grabbed them and walked back to the door, turning to look at Traci again. “I’m so excited for you two. I can’t believe this day is finally here.”

Traci picked up her bouquet, surprised at the weight of the purple roses accented with lilac and white Dusty Miller sprays. Glittery silver butterflies danced through the blooms. Next, she picked up a bouquet made with white and purple roses and handed it to Michelle. “Ready, mama?”

“Just about.” Her mom walked up to her and accepted the bouquet, then put a hand on her arm, looking into her eyes. “I love you so much, baby. I’m sorry we’ve spent such a portion of your life at odds over trivial things. What you’ve done for me here, I cannot even express how much it means to me.”

“It means a lot to me, too.” She meant the words with all her heart and hoped she conveyed that.

“I know.” She squeezed Traci’s arm and said, “Let’s pray before we go out there.”

Traci bowed her head, and her mother’s words surrounded her. “Father, thank you for my daughter. Thank you for taking something I did wrong and turning it into a beautiful gift to this world. Touch this marriage, God. Fill it with love and laughter, and keep Traci and Travis constantly putting you ahead of them, so that as they grow closer to you, they grow closer together.”

When they raised their heads, Traci looked down at Victory and said, “Let’s do this.”

“Oh, yeah!” Victory declared and rushed to the door.

Unconventionally, Traci and Travis both wanted their mothers to stand up for them when they got married. In the absence of a father to give her away or a father to serve as his best man, they felt it honored the women who had raised them and who supported and loved them unconditionally.

Michelle, wearing a classy purple gown and silver shoes, stepped onto the aisle first, followed by Victory and her little brother. Once the three of them reached the front of the church, Traci walked through the doors, along a floor carpeted with silk flower petals. She walked alone, unaccompanied, head high, concentrating only on not stumbling in the stupid high heeled shoes.

About halfway down the aisle, she realized she wouldn’t fall and relaxed slightly, let her gaze focus on Travis. The look of love, affection, and desire on his face took her breath away, and Traci faltered slightly for one step before regaining her balance. He wore a gray tuxedo with an ivory vest and ivory necktie. Pinned to his lapel was the white rose with the spray of lilacs.

When she reached the bottom of the stage, he rushed down the steps and took her hand. As soon as he was next to her, she relaxed entirely. “Thought you could use a hand climbing these stairs,” he murmured.

“In these shoes, you probably ought to carry me.”

He chuckled, and soon they stood in front of Gary Dixon. He opened the wedding with a prayer, gave a brief sermon on love, God, and the biblical plan for marriage, then turned to them for their vows. Travis spoke first.

“Traci, I never imagined God could create a perfect companion for me. I love your zest for life, your desire to push yourself in physical fitness, and your service to our community. I vow to love you, cherish you, protect you, provide for you, and lead you in the way God has instructed me is pleasing to Him.”

She hadn’t heard his vows before now. As he spoke, the words went through her heart and resonated with truth and love. She felt an unexpected sting of tears in her eyes as she looked up at him and smiled.

“Travis, I fell in love with you the day you kicked me in the chest and didn’t apologize. Knowing that a man could respect who I was as a human being first meant a lot to me. Knowing we shared a love for God and could serve God together sealed the deal for me. I vow to love you, respect you, and submit myself to you in a way that brings honor to God and our name.”

His eyes widened, and his mouth opened and closed as he took a deep breath. Thankfully, Gary spoke again, asking for the rings. This time, in place of silicone, he placed on her finger a simple platinum band, which matched the larger band she slid onto his ring finger.

When his lips met hers, her world started spinning and spinning until she felt she would need to clutch him to keep from falling. Their first married kiss. Sealing the deal. The roar of her pulse in her ears nearly drowned out the sound of applause. As soon as he lifted his head, she felt laughter bubble up her chest as streamed down her cheeks.

Still clapping, the audience in the church came to their feet, cheering and celebrating the new union. She’d come up that aisle unaccompanied, but as they left, she held her husband’s hand, no longer alone, no longer apart, now one with the love of her life in the eyes of God.

Traci had changed out of her dress and those terrible shoes and into a summer dress and a pair of flat sandals. She’d tried to make the dress a pair of shorts, but her mother, Travis’ mother, his sisters—no one approved. She’d consented to wearing the dress just to prevent it from becoming a hot topic.

Travis had changed out of the tuxedo and into a pair of khaki slacks and a lavender golf shirt that matched the flowers on her dress. They stood together on the lawn of the church, surrounded by the family and friends who had come to celebrate their wedding with them.

Travis held a white netted cage filled with butterflies. Traci reached over and untied the purple bow. “My mom has been planning this wedding since she was a little girl,” Traci said, addressing the crowd. “She’s always loved weddings, and never did get one of her own. So, she set about making everyone else’s wedding day into a perfect day. Including mine. Every page of my wedding plan had some form of a butterfly on it, from the design of a dress, the arrangement of flowers, or even just scribbled in the corner of the page. I know they mean something to her.”

She and Travis lifted the lid of the basket, and dozens of butterflies escaped into the air. Travis said, “Michelle, these butterflies were the perfect way to show you how much we love you and how much we appreciate every single detail you put into this day.”

The guests clapped, and Michelle hugged Travis then Traci. She framed Traci’s face with her hands and looked into her eyes. “You didn’t have a thing to do with this part, did you?”

“Actually, I did.” Traci grinned slyly at her mother. “I approved it.”

Laughing, Michelle hugged her again, and Traci took the chance to breathe in her perfume, to feel her hair against her cheek. “Are you sure you’re good with us leaving?”

“Of course, silly.” She gestured at Donetta. “Donetta and I will be sitting on my porch, waiting to hear about your adventures.”

Traci glanced at Travis then back at her mom. “Where are we going?” she whispered.

“To the airport,” her mom whispered back, then stepped away.

Travis took Traci by the hand and slipped her wedding ring off. “You don’t want this on where we’re going,” he explained, then slid the black silicone band onto her finger in its place. She noticed he wore one very similar. He kissed her, then handed the platinum rings over to Michelle. “For safekeeping. We’ll get them back in a week.” He looked back down at Traci. “Well, Mrs. Seaver, are you ready to go?”

With a grin, she said, “For an adventure? Always.”

They waved goodbye as they got into Travis’ truck. As she buckled her seatbelt, she smiled at him. “Happy?”

“Enormously.” As he started the truck and drove away, he asked, “You?”

“Surprisingly, yes. I’m out of those shoes. We’re married and headed to an adventure. My mom lived to see the wedding. Today has been one win after another.”

He laughed and reached for her hand, placing a kiss over her ring. “It’s like one win after another.”

She laced her fingers with his and settled against the car seat, feeling her body relax for the first time in days as the truck ate up the miles to Louisville.

The End