'Wedding day'

Finally, the day arrived. The day my sister would be officially called Mrs Shade. As I helped her into her wedding gown, I couldn't control the tears that rushed down my cheeks. But I had to wipe them off as my sister suddenly developed cold feet.

"What if he doesn't want to get married to me anymore? What if he hates me?" She moved away from me and headed to the window.

I groaned as she ruined her hairdo in her desperation. She looked really worried over nothing, so I had to help ease her mind and assured her that everything would be just fine.

I did that by telling her how beautiful she looked in her flowing off-shoulder white wedding gown and the diamond-studded tiara planted in her hair. Her make-up was moderate but it still brought out the beautiful features of her face. And no, I didn't do her make-up, Alice did. She and her cousin stopped by early this morning to help us prepare. Later, they said they had to leave so they could go freshen up in time for the wedding.

Despite concluding that cold feet development was common among most brides, I couldn't ignore the disturbing pain in my chest each time I glanced at my sister. The pang in my chest became fierce that once, while I was helping her with her veil, I yelped in anguish. My sister with a concerned look on her face, asked me what was the matter, but I told her it was nothing.

Finally, as the clock struck the hour of nine, I took a deep breath and saw my sister off to the car waiting for her outside with mom inside.

Mom.

Well, mom recovered as her doctor had assured us. But she still insisted on attending her daughter's wedding. I had to oblige her because I understood the ache in her heart. The ache of loosing her daughter.

I watched how mom got out of the car and embraced Tamara. Her face was filled with so much sorrow as Tamara hugged her firmly. Mom buried her face in Tamara's neck and breathed some words only the two of them could hear.

With my hands crossed over my chest, I looked away from them and at the maple tree close to the side of the house. I could faintly make out the engravings on the brown trunk, they were scribbles of some funny things I and Tamara liked doing when we were teenagers.

"Florence, what are you doing standing there like that? Come on, I have a wedding to catch up with." And my sister's lively self returned.

As I walked towards the car, I lifted my lilac gown slightly so I wouldn't trip on it.

When the car lurched forward, I prayed earnestly that the pair of platform heels encasing my feet wouldn't embarrass me later. However, there were other things I should have prayed for.

💭💭💭

When the car came to a halt, Tamara, mom and I exchanged looks. Tamara looked very anxious while mom appeared like she was going to faint. So, I had to intervene with my soothing skills.

"Calm down girls, the wedding will proceed smoothly. Just take a deep breath, Tamara." I placed a hand on my sister's shoulder and the slight up and down movement of her shoulder moved my hand too.

"I'm not sure about this Florence, what if I actually trip or something?"

I rolled my eyes. My sister could get really dramatic most times.

"You have five minutes left to go in." The driver announced from the front seat.

"I'm quite aware of that." Tamara snapped at him. The poor elderly man simply bowed his head and said no more.

"Baby, you'll be fine, just don't worry too much." Mom who had a smilei laced her fingers with Tam's and hugged her again.

"Alright girls, enough with the emotions!" Alice's voice rang out from outside the car. I hadn't realized the door was pulled open.

Tamara demanded for the small mirror I carried around in my back. She checked and rechecked her reflection over again to make sure that her appearance was flawless.

"Are you ready?" Mom demanded.

Tamara nodded her head and gathered up her gown before she stepped out of the car looking every bit like a princess.

Soon, Tamara was walking down the aisle, with us her bridesmaids trailing behind her. I sighed Michael taking a sharp gust of air as his bride marched up to him. His best man, Marcus who happened to also be his brother left his side and joined us in seating with other members of the church.

I watched the events unfold with great enthusiasm. After the exchange of vows and rings, I rubbed my hands in anticipation of the moment me and my girls waited for.

"That's it girls, someone take a picture!" Tanya yelled as Michael leaned in to kiss Tamara. Alice slapped her fiercely to shut her up.

"I'm not about to fight with you in a church, but I'll get back at you when we get home, remember that." Tanya scowled at her sister and joined the rest of the church in cheering wildly at the newly married couple.

I wiped my teary eyes with Alice's handkerchief, ignoring the malicious look she gave me. My sister was no longer a Steele, she was now a Shade. The thought alone was enough to water my eyes. I would have no one to bicker and argue with me all day, no one to talk with me late at night on phone even though our rooms were next to each other.

I began sobbing uncontrollably and when Alice placed her arm around my back, I leaned into her and sniffled as I watched my Sister smile at us, held tenderly in her husband's arms. My gaze wandered to mom who also had a similar expression, only that she was trying hard to hide her grief.

Regaining my composure, I reminded Alice and Tanya that it was time to escort my sister and her husband out to the car waiting to take them to wherever it was that they planned on going to.

However before I could rise to my feet, a strangled scream reached my ears. My eyes darted to my sister who sank to the floor before Michael could catch her.

She was injured by a gunshot.

Then, commotion set in. Screams rang up around me and everyone apart from Alice and Mom scampered towards the exit.

I darted towards my sister who had blood stains on her wedding gown. The blood stains weren't as disturbing as the fact that my sister wasn't breathing.

She wasn't breathing.

Michael hugged her against his chest as I frantically I felt her neck for a pulse. It was just a faint throb that persisted.

Tears trickled down my eyes as I touched Tamara's face. "Tamara! Wake up please! Wake up!!"

Alice was also suffering the same emotional breakdown as I was.

"I'll always love you, Florence." My sister whispered with her eyes still shut.

Didn't she know that I never want her to leave me ever? She wouldn't die yet, it's just a scare, she'll be fine.

I tried consoling myself with those words as I watched her breathing become strained.

When she finally stopped breathing, her right hand dangled limply at her side.

"Nooooo!!!" Michael yelled, rocking Tamara's lifeless body back and forth in desperation.

"Tam, come back to me, you can't leave yet Tam!" I let out a strangled scream and buried my face in my sister's chest.

There are different shades of pain, that of a heartbreak, that of an injury, the pain of losing your phone, but the most severe of those pains is that of losing your loved ones to death, parting to meet no more. That kind of pain would gnaw at your insides till you'd feel literally empty, completely void and totally vacant.

Everything happened in a whiff; the paramedics pulling Michael and me away from my sister, the enshrouding of my sister with a black plastic bag and the ambulance driving away. It was just as if I was having a terrible dream, I just wished it was all a dream I could wake up from and find my sister seated next to me. But, this was no dream, this was reality, my sister is gone, dead, lifeless.

Even though my mom attempted to pull me up from the floor, I obstinately stayed put. Leaving the church altar would be like leaving behind a vital piece of my sister. Mom gave up trying to persuade me and moved outside the building. It was just me and Michael that remained where we were in silence. At this point, a conversation didn't matter, all that was needed was the silent dialogues with our minds.

A figure towered up and I looked up. Philip was standing before me with a weak smile in his face. A smile that was only for my benefit.

I couldn't be bothered to ask him how he got here. But I wanted to anyways, because he had already informed me that he'd be traveling out of America before my late sister's wedding.

Late? This was really a huge rock I wouldn't swallow in a long time.

"I said I'd stop by to see how the wedding goes before I leave for China. But then, I got the news..."

"Don't mention it." I choked back my tears and hugged my knees. Phillip knelt in front of me and met my gaze.

"Florence, do you trust me?"

I nodded.

"Do you believe that you'll be fine? Everything would be okay." He cursorily moved his eyes to Michael who was about stumbling out of the church. Alice held him back and sat on a pew with him.

"I don't think everything will just go back to normal, I don't think so."

"Let's get you home, Florence." Philip said.

"Where's Mom?"

My boyfriend rose to his feet. "I asked Alice to take her home."

I nodded and accepting his outstretched hand, I stood on my feet.

"Thanks for coming here."

Philip merely nodded, attaching a smile. He held me by my waist and led me out of the church. Alice and Michael also followed us outside too, but to Micheal's car.

We stopped beside his car. "I'm taking you to my house if that's okay by you."

"How about my mother?"

Mom certainly was devastated, so leaving her alone at home would not be a good idea at all.

"I booked a hotel room for her, Alice will be staying there with her. But if that's not okay, she can stay at my house too." Philip tightened his grip around my waist and turned me around so I could see the concern all over his face.

I smiled. "You've done enough anyway. Thank you."

Philip pressed a kiss on my forehead and opened the door for me.

Who else is as devastated as I am? I know quite a number of my readers are about strangling me for killing off Tamara. I'm quite sad too, but then, what's a good novel without some plot twists?

So, yeah, Tamara had to die. And so you know, quite a number of twists are coming up.

Who wants to know the villain responsible for Tamara's death (well, it's not me)?

In case you're thinking it's Florence's father, he's in jail, remember? So the comments section is free for your guesses.