Pleasurable Expectations

t h i r t y - t h r e e

The girls and I finished getting pampered and prepared by the beauty team four hours before the wedding, just two before the wedding began. We slipped into our dresses, them sharing the gorgeous color of emerald, the style of dress differing between the five of us. Cindy's was the most eye-catching—next to the bride, of course—as she held the title of Maid of Honor.

"Is the bridal party ready for pictures?" The hired photographer asked as he popped his head into the room.

"I think so," Cindy responded as she looked between all of us.

Adrienne was getting a few touch-ups done to her makeup as her hairstylist clipped the veil into the bun resting atop her head with a tender touch. The sheer material left the dark brown curls swirling down Adrienne's back still in view.

"Absolutely," Adrienne spoke, a nervousness seeping into her tone. "Let's get these pictures done so I can go marry el amor de mi vida." Her smile didn't reach her eyes, and I could've sworn that I saw her lips corners falter.

"Perfect timing because we don't want those curls to fall before we can snap the photos," Sienna called over her shoulder as she made her way outside.

Hannah, Cindy, and Desiree continued on as Adrienne hung back. I looked between the retreating girls and Adrienne, her back turned to me as she gazed at herself in the mirror. In her reflection, creases of worry knitted her eyebrows as a frown pouted her lips.

"What's going on, Ri?" I asked with a cautious softness to my tone. "I know you're excited, so what is it?" I came up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm ecstatic," she reassured. "I don't know what it is, honestly. It just seems like I'm three seconds from throwing up," she continued on with a chuckle.

"Like, butterflies in your stomach throwing up, or I ate bad sushi throwing up?" A glare met my eyes in the mirror. "Hey, I had to check," I continued as I threw my hands up in surrender.

"Butterflies in my stomach definitely, but also something else." Adrienne turned to face me, a sigh wracking her whole body. "It feels like everything is moving at one hundred miles per hour and the brakes are broken. Everything's moving so fast! I mean marriage and moving and leaving this life behind..."

As Adrienne ranted, a selfish wave of relief passed over me. It was good to know that I'm not the only one petrified of how life is progressing and how fast it's going. It seems I forgot that, yeah, I may be feeling left behind, but that means my friends' lives are on the fast track, and they need to do some adjusting, too.

"I need everything to slow down, just for a second." Adrienne moved to drag her palm against her face.

"Uh, don't ruin that makeup, Ri," I chastised.

She mumbled a meek, "Right."

"But you're not alone in that feeling, Ri. Of course I was happy for you when you said Ricky proposed, but it was also kind of terrified," I revealed with a lackluster chuckle. "It gave me a reality check that we aren't in our college bubble anymore and that life is starting to get real. And fast. But it took some reflecting—and your moment of panic—for me to realize that that's okay."

"Is it, though?" Adrienne questioned.

"Yes. It means we're growing up and we're finally gonna get the chance to live the lives we've wanted for years. Ri, you're getting married! And to Ricardo, no less. This is what you've always wanted. So, how about instead of dwelling on how fast life's going, we live in the moments we've been waiting for? Those moments are the pause we've been looking for," I advised.

Adrienne's eye began to water, and in response, she tilted her head back while I began fanning her eyes. She gathered her composure and met me with a genuine smile. I was pulled into a wordless hug, Adrienne squeezing me with all the strength her arms could muster.