“I think today is the day.”
My breath catches in my throat. The designs I was hoping to finish this morning become inconsequential in the blink of an eye as the weight of Charlie’s words settles in my chest.
I pick the phone up off my desk, taking it off speaker and pressing it to my ear. “Today?”
“As long as you’re okay with marrying me on a random Tuesday.”
My mouth goes dry. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Okay. Meet me in the park at noon?”
“I’ll be the one in white.”
“Jesus,” he says. I can hear the smile in his words. “We’re really doing this.”
I bite my lip in an effort to calm the butterflies in my stomach. “We’re really doing this.”
He exhales heavily. “Okay. I’m going to call Julian and then take my mom to breakfast. You’ll let your parents know?”
“Yeah. And I’ll ignite the group text.” I stand from my desk chair in the spare room we’ve converted to my home office, and slide the closet door open. On a hanger by itself is the sleek, delicate white dress I’ve been saving for this day. Not a full wedding dress like the one I’ll be wearing in six months when we have our official wedding, but a simple one that I can throw on and dash out the door at a moment’s notice.
We’ve been waiting for months for a day when Charlie’s mom is present enough to truly enjoy her son’s wedding.
“You’re going to get stampeded.”
I nod. “I’m prepared for it. I think I’ll need the help, honestly. I look like a trainwreck today.” I tuck my hair behind my ear, grimacing at the scar of a recent pimple on my chin.
He scoffs. “You do not.”
“I wasn’t even awake when you left this morning.”
“And I’m sure you look just as beautiful now as you did two hours ago when you were drooling on my shoulder.”
“I don’t drool.”
He pauses. “Since it’s your wedding day, I guess we can pretend.”
“Our wedding day.” I glance at the date in the corner of my computer. “October tenth.”
“It’s a good date,” he says.
“I’d give it a ten out of ten.”
He snorts. “Would recommend.”
I run my fingers over the silky fabric, my heart thumping in my chest as I realize that in a few short hours, I’ll be Mrs. Annabel Sinclair.
“Are you still okay with this?” he asks. “I know it’s not the wedding you always dreamed of.”
I shake my head. “It’s better.”
He sighs into the phone. “I love you, Annabel Hall.”
“I love you more, Charles Sinclair.”
When we hang up, I quickly call my mom and let her know that today is the day! In her haste to get home from work, she accidentally hangs up on me and texts to say we can finish our conversation when we see each other. She’s more concerned with wrangling my dad into some nice clothes and getting into the city.
I take a deep breath before dropping the news into the girls’ group chat.
I set my phone down for a moment to pull our marriage licenses–yes, multiple–from my desk drawer. I separate the most recent one–the only one that’s still valid–and trash the ones that expired while we waited for Charlie’s mom to have a good day. I slip it into the white clutch hanging next to my dress so I won’t forget it.
When I pick my phone up again, I’m bombarded with incoming text messages.
Mari, asking where and when. Steph letting me know she told our boss we’d be out for the day. Gabi asking what I need and how she can help. Carrie saying she’s spending her last dollar buying us champagne.
I let them know the ceremony will be at noon in the square.
I wait for confirmations or further exclamations, but none come.
I hop in the shower, nervous jitters starting to take over my whole body. I steel myself for the incoming brigade, for the noise and laughter and primping. It’s like I can feel the girls getting closer with every step they take.
When I step out of the shower, I hear banging on the apartment door. I wrap my robe around myself to answer, and I’m immediately bowled over by Mari and Carrie. Carrie, like she said, has a bottle of champagne in one hand and a curling iron in the other. Mari has a backpack thrown over her shoulder that she opens to show me the contents inside.
“I didn’t know what you needed but I brought all of my makeup and a lot of snacks.”
“Oh, yummy.” I reach in and grab a small packet of gummies.
“I brought a curling iron,” Carrie says. “And champagne!” She hands them both to me.
“Thanks guys,” I say. “I’m so happy you guys could come.”
Mari pulls me into a tight hug. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I eye the bottle in Carrie’s hand. “Maybe we can have a glass of champagne while I get ready?”
Carrie nods, already popping the cork out. I pull out three flutes from one of the cabinets, and she pours us each a small amount. “To Annabel, on her wedding day,” she says, holding hers up to clink against the others.
“To me!” I say, the nervous jitters giving way to bubbly excitement.
We make our way into the bathroom. Carrie perches on the edge of the bathtub while Mari takes it upon herself to blowdry my hair, using a barrel brush to give it a gentle wave. I swipe on a thin layer of makeup, just enough to cover up my stupid pimple but not enough that I don’t look like myself.
Steph and my parents arrive as I slip into my dress. They must have run into each other in the lobby–they’re having a full-blown conversation as Steph pushes through the door, telling a story about one of our recent clients who tried to extract months of free work out of us based on a very obvious misspelling in the contract.
“Hi, Mom. Dad,” I say, accepting extra tight hugs from both of them. Steph envelopes me last, leaning her full weight into me and nearly knocking me over when my foot catches on the edge of my dress.
“Honey, you look so beautiful,” my mom says, pushing my hair over my shoulder to see my dress. My dad sniffs, and when I catch his eye, I see that he’s a second or two from crying.
“Aw, Dad,” I say, sliding underneath his arm for another hug. He grips me tight, sniffing loudly in my ear.
I glance at the time on my phone. It’s almost noon.
“I guess we should head down,” I say. Steph squeals as Mari squeezes my arm.
I lock up once everyone is out, slipping my keys into my clutch with our marriage license.
When we get down to the lobby, I spy Gabi running along the sidewalk through the large windows. She blusters into the building, her eyes landing on our group as she exhales, leaning over and resting her hands on her knees. “Oh thank God. I thought I missed it.”
She hugs me, careful not to squish my hair, and we continue outside.
It’s a little chilly for the spaghetti-strap dress I picked when I thought we’d be doing this over the summer, but it’s nothing a little sunshine can’t fix.
We cross the street to the park, walkers giving us a wide berth as I scan the paths for Charlie. My cheeks are already turning pink with the extra attention.
And then I see him, toward the middle of the park near the fountain. His back is toward me, but he’s surrounded by familiar faces. His family. His game night friends. Zeke says something to him and motions to me.
When he turns, his face immediately breaks out into a grin. He runs a hand over his face as he closes the distance between us.
“Annabel,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist and hoisting me into the air. “God, you look good.”
He spins in a quick circle and I lean down to kiss him.
“Hey, hey, not yet!” Julian shouts.
He places me back on the ground, taking a moment to brush my hair behind my ear. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a polka-dot hair bow. I can’t help the laugh that escapes my chest.
“May I?” he asks.
I turn, pulling my hair into a half-pony so he can secure it.
“And one more thing,” he says, disappearing behind our friends to grab something from the edge of the fountain. When he comes back, he has a small bouquet of red roses in his hand. “For you.”
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“I tried. I know it’s not the wedding you wanted–”
“Stop, Charlie. It’s perfect.”
He nods, swallowing his words. “Come say hi,” he says, nodding toward the edge of the fountain where his family sits. Ashley and Tucker both nearly squeeze the breath out of me. Julian’s hug is milder, but just as warm.
“Mom, you remember Annabel,” Charlie prompts.
She nods. “Yes, dear. Best wishes.” She reaches out to me and I squeeze her hand, bending down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you.” I glance at Charlie. She’s only remembered who I am a handful of times until now, despite seeing her at least once or twice a week for the past year. It really is a good day. I catch Charlie’s eye and squeeze his hand. He doesn’t waste a second before wrapping his arms around me and leaving a kiss on my temple.
As I say a quick hello to the game night crew, Zeke reaches behind him for another bouquet of red roses that he hands to Gabi. He wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her. With a lovesick grin on her face, she helps him hand out bouquets to the rest of the girls.
With the last bouquet in her hand, she scans the group of us.
“Oliver!” she barks. “Where’s my sister?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. Probably hanging upside down from a tree to get the perfect angle for a picture.”
“I’m not a monkey,” she says, and we collectively snap our attention to a ten-foot-tall statue at the edge of the fountain that Steph has scaled.
“Stephanie!” Oliver shouts, running to the base of the statue. “You’re going to break your neck!” She takes his hand as she steps down, rolling her eyes.
“But look at this picture I got!” She shows him first, then turns the phone toward me.
“That is a great picture,” I say. She managed to get every single person in it. We’re not all facing the camera head-on, but we’re all in it. Except her. “But you’re not in it!”
She holds up one finger, and then swipes to the next picture. It’s the same one, except turned around so her grinning face takes up most of it, the rest of us in the background. Oliver’s laughter is contagious.
“That’s the winner,” I say.
“Alright guys, let’s get this thing started,” Julian shouts over everyone. “Annabel, Charlie.” He beckons us toward him, and Ashley and Tucker take a step to the side to give us space.
He positions us in front of him, our friends and family spreading out in a half-circle around us.
Our ceremony is short and sweet. The point of this was never to have some grand wedding, but to have the people we love most with us. Julian recites his lines from his phone, and Charlie and I repeat after him and exchange rings.
“By the authority vested in me by the State of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may now kiss the bride!”
Charlie takes a step toward me, his arm snaking around my waist and pulling me close. I wrap my arms around his neck as he leans down, our lips pressing together.
Around us, our friends and family cheer, and judging by the roar of noise, half of the park has joined in as well. One of the bouquets has been ripped apart, and red rose petals fly through the air, landing on and around us.
He grins as he pulls away from me. “Mrs. Sinclair,” he says, taking my hand.
“Mr. Hall,” I joke, and he snorts.
“How does it feel to have been married on a random Tuesday?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Thanks so much for reading Things We’ve Lost and Found. I hope you enjoyed it! If you have a spare minute to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or the retailer of your choice, I would be forever grateful! A minute of your time can truly make a difference in an indie author’s career.
The next installment of the Love and City Lights series, Things We Used to Believe, releases 3/31/24.
Follow Gabi and Zeke as their comfortable friendship explodes into a deep, all-encompassing love that forces them both to question their long-held beliefs—and take a chance on each other.