DECEMBER 28th, 1994, SEATTLE, WA

        "EVERYONE IS OUT back, if you were wondering," Beth announced, sliding into Lindy's dimly lit bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"And Charlie?" Lindy asked, wringing her hands together in her lap and looking towards her best friend with round, questioning eyes.

"In Wendy's lap, safe and sound. She hasn't put him down since she got here."

Lindy nodded in understanding, looking down at her twisted hands and trying not to notice that they were shaking. Beneath the robe she wore was her wedding dress, peeking out at her at her knees and drifting down to the floor in silken waves. Her feet were bare. Staring at them, Lindy was immediately grateful that she would not be wearing heels. Outdoor weddings had their perks, especially when they meant that any shoe with a raised point would sink in the grass.

"Chin up," Shelli instructed, several hair pins tucked between her teeth. She climbed onto Lindy and Kurt's bed, balancing herself on her knees behind Lindy who was leaning rather than sitting. She'd been told that she wasn't allowed to sit — it would wrinkle the dress, and that would certainly lead to a Shelli meltdown.

"How many people?" Lindy asked quietly, leveling her voice as she looked up and allowed Shelli to sweep half of her hair back. Of course it would be styled half-up. That's the way everyone had told Lindy it looked best. The pinch of pins being stuck against her scalp kept her aware of the reality of what was happening. It wasn't a dream or play pretend. It was her wedding day.

"For God's sake Lindy, you invited these people, you ought to know," Beth said, sighing. Despite her tone, she sat down next to her friend and took her hand. Beth was, as always, ethereally beautiful. Lindy hadn't been crabby about what her bridesmaids would wear, but upon her friends' forcefulness, she had decided that they'd dress in deep blue. The color looked wondrous against Beth's pale skin and blonde hair.

"There are thirty-two guests exactly," Shelli said, wiggling the last pin into Lindy's deep brown locks. She got up, fixing the blue dress that she wore. "I asked Krist for a head count once everyone arrived."

"I didn't know we were in relations with thirty-two people," Lindy breathed. It was a small number considering the size of most weddings, but to her, the amount was huge. She and Kurt had been so sheltered away from their social life that she couldn't even presently recall thirty-two names to mind. The thought of them all being downstairs, milling around towards their seats and waiting for her impending arrival made her stomach clench.

"Don't be nervous, Lindy. You're beautiful," Allie called from the corner of the room, busy swiping on last touches of mascara on to her eyelashes. Between her, Shelli and Beth, Lindy's bridal party was almost complete. The only missing person was Frances, who was to be brought to the wedding by Courtney. That news alone was enough to set anyone on edge.

Lindy offered her sister-in-law a grateful smile, but was too consumed by her nerves. She felt that she had a right to be nervous contrary to what her bridesmaids said. There was something monumental about walking down an aisle, especially knowing that her mother and father would not be physically there to witness it. None of her biological family would be, besides Trae. Her only reassurance was that Kurt would be waiting for her at the end of all of it, his lips closed into one of his massive smirks of a smile.

It was the kind of smile that made her bones feel suddenly weak, except it was for all the right reasons.

She was going to be Kurt's wife by the end of the night.

"How cold is it?" Lindy asked, glancing out the window. There was no snow falling from the sky, but the atmosphere was grey and the window pane looked frosty. She didn't mind. She liked it better that way. There was no need for a sunny wedding, not when her and Kurt's entire relationship had occurred underneath the gloomy skies of Washington. It felt proper somehow, having the sky amassed by clouds.

"Cold enough to need this," Beth answered, holding up the long-sleeved silk cardigan that she and Shelli had picked up from another thrift store. It nearly matched Lindy's dress perfectly, and would effectively do its job of shielding her from the winter nip in the air.

"You should take that off," Shelli said, her eyes flickering to the faintly ticking wall clock. "It's almost time."

"Already?" Lindy asked, touching the soft collar of her robe. How had that much time passed? It was as if she'd only just woken up minutes ago. Charlie had been crying. She'd fed him, as usual. She'd also been in pajamas. Her current getup was enough proof that time really had flown by.

"Linds, it didn't take much to get you ready. You're too naturally pretty. That's why it went so quick," Shelli smiled.

Lindy shuddered, too anxious to acknowledge Shelli's sweet words. She stood straight, but could barely pick apart the knot that held her robe together at her waist. Her hands were beginning to shake harder, the tremors causing her fingers to slip helplessly around the tied belt.

"Honey, it's going to be absolutely fine," Beth said, pushing Lindy's quivering hands down and pulling apart her robe herself. Once away from her body, Lindy glanced towards the floor, locking her jaw when she saw the familiar sheath of silk. There was still going to be hell to pay if she went downstairs only to find Kurt in the same clothes that he always wore. She would have been more than happy to match him in jeans.

"You look so beautiful. Really, Lindy," Allie said softly, approaching the trio to help add any final touches to Lindy's visage.

"Thanks," Lindy whispered back, standing stock still and allowing her friends to gently adjust her dress. She felt someone's hands comb through her hair and she closed her eyes, feeling like she could fall asleep. She would have, if only it could have been Kurt beside her in that moment.

"Want a final look in the mirror?" Shelli offered, pushing the spaghetti strap of Lindy's dress farther up on her shoulder.

"I guess, yeah," Lindy agreed, though she wasn't entirely sure that she needed to see herself. She'd seen the dress on before and had asked them all not to do her up too much for the big day. She wanted to look like herself and not someone else, though it might have been hard considering what she had on. The dress was far from her usual choice in clothing.

Lindy walked into her bathroom before facing the mirror, sighing deeply and staring into her reflection the same way she had not only an hour earlier. They'd done a good job, keeping her makeup minimal. Even if she was going to be overdressed, she'd still have to find the time to reward them all with her gratitude. She couldn't have had a better group of people to help her prepare for something like this. It wasn't exactly something that Lindy had thought she could manage on her own.

A knock at the bedroom door caught Lindy's attention, and she looked over her shoulder before walking out of the bathroom. Allie had answered it, her head poking out between the crack of the door and wall. No doubt making sure no one got a sneak peek at Lindy before it was time — Kurt was not to be trusted on this day.

Allie stepped aside, smiling as she opened the door wider to reveal their guests.

"Look who's here!" she cried happily just as Frances darted into the room, making a beeline for Lindy.

"Bean!" Lindy exclaimed, the tense set to her face melting away when she felt Frances's arms tighten around her legs, her usual greeting for her soon to be stepmother.

Ugh.

Lindy tried not to wince as she reached down to pat Frances's head. For as long as she was alive, she wouldn't allow Frances to call her her stepmother. The word conjured up memories of fairytales, all in which the princess of the story suffered at the hands of an evil stepmother. The title didn't exactly warm Lindy's heart.

"Well, aren't you just stunning?"

Courtney sauntered into the room, clutching a beaded handbag at her side. Lindy felt a smile tug at her lips when she observed Courtney's choice of outfit — a little black dress, a stark contrast against her own white bridal gown.

"So are you. I like our color coordination," Lindy commented.

"Well, you know what they say," Courtney said wryly. "Black is the most appropriate color for mourning."

"Oh, get a job," Shelli huffed, dramatically rolling her eyes and staring anywhere in the room but at Courtney. Her dislike for Kurt's first wife had yet to subside, not even in light of Kurt's re-marrying.

"She's kidding," Lindy promised, but Courtney smiled stickily and shook her head. It didn't bother Lindy, not in the least bit. As warped as her relationship with Courtney was, Lindy preferred maintaining an odd, yet healthy bond with Kurt's ex rather than being at each other's throats, especially when Frances was involved. By sheer miracle, they had truly accepted one another.

"Pretty," Frances piped in, patting her small hand against the soft silk clad against Lindy's thigh. Lindy was too fearful to crouch down in the delicate gown, so she instead tilted Frances's chin up to her face and smiled.

"You look prettier," she replied, momentarily forgetting that Frances was only two and had no real chance of understanding Lindy's earnest opinion on the matter of prettiest face in the room. But not even that changed the fact that Kurt's daughter, with her lovely ear-to-ear smile, carried her beauty in every single one of her features.

"Here, these are for Bean," Shelli said, stepping forward with a wicker basket dangling from her wrist. Inside was a dainty pile of wildflowers, meant to be tossed down the aisle by Frances. Frances grinned with approval as Shelli placed the basket over her arm.

"They're gorgeous," Lindy said, pleased as she plucked one of the daisies from the bunch and held it up in the dull light of the room.

"I knew you'd appreciate those over the traditional roses," Shelli said proudly.

Frances held a waiting hand up, eager to see the flower that Lindy had picked from her assortment. Lindy showed her, chuckling as Frances stared happily at the tiny white petals. In a spur of the moment, she tucked back Frances's blonde hair and placed the flower behind her ear.

"The mark of a true flower girl," Lindy declared.

Frances only giggled, the sound bursting from her pale pink lips as they spread into another idolizing smile. Lindy could feel the physical ache of her love for Frances, unbelieving that once the day was over, she would have some form of a permanent fixture in her life. Charlie had been a blessing, but Frances's existence was the cherry on top. For Lindy, it was like bargaining a deal for one but getting two in the end, a total and unexpected happy surprise.

"Linds, we really should go downstairs," called Beth, tapping an invisible watch at her wrist.

Lindy pressed her mouth into a line, willing her palms not to go slick with sweat. The last thing she wanted was for Kurt to take her hands at the altar and feel her sweaty fingers clutched in his.

"Right. Almost forgot. Let's go."

"Guess I should go find a seat," Courtney said with a raise of her eyebrows, wriggling her fingers in goodbye before disappearing out the door and leaving Frances to Lindy.

Allie ducked down by Lindy's feet and placed a pair of flats on the ground, helping Lindy slide easily into them while keeping her balance. From behind, Beth was guiding her arms into her jacket, coaxing her hands easily through the sleeves so as not to tear anything. Shelli had peeked her head out of the door, but reappeared with a look of affirmation.

"Trae's waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs. And remember, you're on his left. He's to your right. Don't fuck it up."

"Don't swear in front of Frances," Lindy mumbled, feeling Shelli push a bouquet of wildflowers that matched Frances's stash into her hands.

"Deep breaths," Beth commanded. Along with Shelli and Allie, she was beginning a jaunt out the door and down the stairs, where together they would lead the train of the bridal party. Allie was ushering Frances out of the door, but the two-year-old seemed to be more concerned about where Lindy would be going.

"She's right behind you Bean, don't you worry."

Gripping her flowers tightly, Lindy followed them out of the room but hesitated at the top of the stairs, giving them each ample time to cross through the house and out the glass doors that would lead to the backyard. Once all was quiet and she no longer heard footsteps, she began to take the stairs gingerly, one by one with precise caution.

"Are you stalling?" Trae laughed lightly from the bottom of the staircase, looking dashing in an open suit vest and tie.

"No, just making sure that today isn't the day I slip down the stairs and die," Lindy quipped back, immediately reaching for her brother's arm.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," Trae smiled. His eyes, the precise shade of brown as Lindy's, twinkled. Lindy felt a warm sense of comfort roll through her body as she took her place at her brother's side. Of course it would be him who walked her down the aisle. Selfishly, she thought that even if Lee were alive, it would still be Trae taking on the role as her right hand man. Everything good in her life was attached to a finely stretched string that could be traced back to her brother, leading down one joint path no matter how intricate. All of Lindy's happiness was owed to Trae, even in the smallest of ways.

Together they walked through the house, which had been tidied up for the arrival of wedding guests. It wasn't until they reached the wide glass doors that opened up to the back that Lindy felt her first real surge of confidence, electric in her veins. She felt herself stand straighter, loosening her tight hold on Trae's arm. There was only one surefire reason for her sudden poise as she prepared to take her first step outside.

It had everything to do with the person waiting for her at the end of the aisle.