welcome back, friends. it's been like...a month since i've updated but with this whole crazy thing going on in the world, i wanted to write and post a chapter and tell you all how much i appreciate you! let's spread love and kindness!

i wake up with a pounding headache.

i barely had a full glass of champagne throughout the entire night so the ache in my head is purely caused by a lack of sleep and staring at the road on the way home at nearly two in the morning.

rich people sure know how to overstay their welcome. it was well after midnight when half of the people filtered out of the ballroom and it took another hour just to get the other half to budge. mr. ward seemed equally as frustrated as i was as we basically had to herd them out like cattle. at least i know that we put on a great party.

now it's off to the races to get this wedding prepped and ready to go by tomorrow afternoon. dakota and lillian did all that they could yesterday but there's still much to be done. it will be outdoors and since we realized that neither dakota or lillian's backyards are big enough to host such an event, i have offered my parents backyard and garden as the perfect venue. my parents were more than happy to cooperate, thank goodness.

i get ready slowly as my eyes fight to stay open. pulling on a large white sweater and a pair of leggings, i shove my feet into a pair of white sneakers and tie my hair up into a bun atop my head. i leave my face bare of all makeup, seeing no point in putting a huge amount of effort into my appearance considering all i'll be doing is work at home.

lillian calls me to inform me of her and dakota's arrival and soon they're both running through the door with nervous grins on their young faces. i smile a little at the sight of their fingers gently intertwined.

"are you guys ready to get some work done?" i clap once, rubbing my hands together.

"i was more thinking that i sit and watch lillian work. she looks good doing anything." he kisses her on the cheek before making a dash for my kitchen.

"don't think you're getting out of this just because you complimented me, mister!" she calls after him before sighing and stepping towards me for a hug. i wrap my arms around her, squeezing tightly as she releases a large breath, relaxing.

"thank you for helping me with this." she tells me.

i smile, my chin atop her shoulder. "are you kidding? this is what best friends with rich parents are for." this earns a laugh from her as she pulls away.

"you are so right."

i look at her, pausing. "you're getting married."

the corner of her mouths perks up. "i'm getting married."

we stand in silence for a moment before i break it, "not if we don't get this stuff done, my friend. so let's do this."

☆☆☆

the sun goes down as we sit surrounded by finished chinese takeout, glasses of sparkling grape juice, and the sound of my record player playing my favorite classical music in the corner. i sit against my bed, exhausted.

planning this wedding in such a short amount of time was both easier and harder than planning the gala. i want this to be perfect for my friends so therefore i feel the pressure of making their day just what they picture it to be. it has also been nice to have lillian to bounce ideas off of and it's also wonderful that she has such a clear vision on what she wants. plus everything she wants has been so doable and low maintenance that it makes my job so much easier.

"i never realized how much work it is to have a wedding outside. you've got to mow the lawn, trim bushes, set up chairs, string lights from trees, get an arch. it's so much." dakota sighs, laying on his back with his legs thrown over the back of the couch, his head hanging upside down. his face turns redder and redder the longer he lays there and i fight a laugh.

"yeah it's a lot. usually we have a groundskeeper to do that stuff but he's not due to come in until friday."

"eh, it's cool. we all bonded over all of that weed pulling." lillian chuckles, pouring more grape juice into her glass.

"friends who pull weeds together, stay together." i hold up my glass and she taps her's against mine as we chuckle.

"that was so cheesy, don't ever say anything like that again." dakota comments dryly, finally sitting up and allowing his face to go back to its normal shade.

i roll my eyes before changing the subject, "so...where did you decide to go for your honeymoon?"

the two of them look at each other with a sort of dreamy dazed look before she responds, "i think we're just going to rent a camper and go on a road trip. maybe end up somewhere where there's mountains and just camp out under the stars."

a soft smile places itself on my face as i look between the two of them. "that sounds perfect, you guys. i'm so excited to see and witness all of the adventures you'll go on together."

"thanks, sym." dakota sighs, laying on his back atop my bed as his eyes close slowly, "i just hope you find someone who drives you as crazy as i do lillian."

"actually...let's not hope that." lillian jokingly scrunches her nose, earning a tired glare from her fiancé.

"well..." i sigh, "we've done all we can today. now all that's left to do is set up food and drinks and get you two married."

"believe me, i am ready for that." dakota gives a low whistle and i laugh, knowing very well that they made the decision long ago to wait for marriage. so i know exactly what he's referring to.

lillian's cheeks redden and she reaches up to slap him lightly, "shut up."

"never." he smirks with his eyes closed, clearly loving how embarrassed she is, "you are like the hottest woman on the planet. can you blame me?"

"he has a point." i fight a laugh as she looks at me with a dead stare.

"guys, stop." her hands are placed on her hot cheeks in attempt to cool them down.

"okay okay i'll stop." dakota sighs rolling off the bed and into his feet before approaching her, "until tomorrow, you sexy thing you." he leans down, giving her a quick and sweet kiss.

she glares at him but fights a smile as he walks out of the room with his coat and shoes in hand. we all figured it was best to have lillian stay the night with me so that we can get her ready here in the morning. i think about her dress hanging in my closet and how beautiful she'll look as she walks down the isle and i nearly cry. seeing my best friend get married off is probably the most painful and beautiful thing i'll ever witness.

"what a weirdo." i mumble, shaking my head as i stand up, gathering all of the trash and empty glasses to bring down to the kitchen.

"yeah but he's my weirdo." she sighs, helping me. after a minute or so, she pauses before looking at me, "okay but, on the other hand, what if our kids are as weird as him? how will i survive?"

i look up at her with a smile before bursting into a fit of laughter and shaking my head, "i have no idea. good luck with that."

☆☆☆

i wake up before my alarm, feeling the weight and importance of the day instantly. throwing my blankets to the side, i look over to see my best friend sleeping soundly with a small smile on her face. knowing her, she's probably dreaming of dakota.

with that thought, i shake her awake, "lillian, get up."

she groans unhappily, rolling to the side and throwing my blanket over her head.

i sigh, regarding her with pursed lips, before saying, "you're getting married today."

at this reminder, she sits up immediately, her brown hair falling over he shoulders and her tired eyes now wide with shock. "i am? oh my gosh, i am."

"you okay?" i laugh, pulling on a large sweater when my skin begins to get cold. when lillian told me she wanted to get married outside in the beginning of winter, i thought she was insane. but she said something about how the cold and snow reminds her of dakota. i would have thought that the warmth would remind her of dakota considering they got to know each other in a boiling hot elevator in the middle of summer but hey.

"yeah, i'm good." she sighs before a slow smile spreads across her face, "i'm great."

"good." i rub my hands together, the photographer will be here in about thirty minutes to film and photograph the process of us getting ready. winter and sam should be here before that considering he's dakota's best man so he better be here on time.

"are you sure you're okay with just having one bridesmaid?" i ask her suddenly.

she shrugs, pulling in her own white robe with "bride" embroidered on the back. i saw it at the mall while shopping for her wedding gift and knew she had to have it. "i mean, you and sam are the only two girls that i actually want up there with me. i wasn't about to choose a couple more girls who i barely know just for the sake of tradition, you know?"

"yeah, for sure." i agree, "and dakota is just having a best man? or does he have a guy who he wanted to be a groomsman?" i ask her, realizing i should probably know this already.

she shrugs, "there's this guy named phoenix that went to the same church as dakota. they were decently close friends but over the past couple of years he's really been there for dakota and so he asked if he would be his groomsman. he said yes so he'll be here. i've never met him in person but we've facetimed and he's a super nice guy from what i can tell."

"i look forward to meeting him." i tell her, tugging my hair out of the bun atop my head and running my hands through it, frowning when i begin to tug on knots, "i'm going to go ahead and take a shower to get it out of the way so that you can have the bathroom to yourself if you need it. if the photographer gets here before i'm out, her name is stacy and she seems super nice so just answer the door and i'll be out soon."

"okay." she smiles, "see you soon."

grabbing my phone from the nightstand, i enter the bathroom. as i remove my pajamas and start the water, i hear my phone emit my text tone. picking it up, i read the text with a sigh.

pen guy:
hey! i hoped you got plenty of rest. thanks again for inviting me to the gala, i had a lot of fun. do you have any plans for the day?

me:
hey, no problem! yep, i'm all rested up. thanks for asking. my best friends are getting married today. it's a super small affair.

his response is almost immediate.

pen guy:
wow, that's so exciting! i love weddings.

me:
yeah it's very exciting.

pen guy:
do you have a date for it?

i close my eyes, pressing my fingers to the bridge of my nose. wesley is a really nice guy but i'm just not interested in him that way. i would love to be friends with him but anything more is just too much for me right now.

me:
i'm the maid of honor so i'm a little too busy to have a date but you're welcome to come and bring your own date!

i send the text, hoping that he brings a date and i won't have to entertain him. i feel a little bad but i think we're a lot better off as friends.

pen guy:
yeah i'd love to come. is it okay with your friends?

"hey, lillian!" i holler.

"what?" she yells back from the bedroom.

"is it okay if my friend from college comes today?" i ask her.

she pauses before replying, "yeah, i don't see why not!"

"okay, thank you." i respond.

me:
yeah it's all good. the ceremony starts at one!

pen guy:
alright. see you then :)

i don't reply, setting my phone down on the counter so i can hop in the shower.

i try to take the shortest shower possible since i have so much to do before one but the warm water keeps me under a tired daze and gives me a stubbornness towards stepping back out onto the cold floor.

once i'm done i dry off and wrap myself in my robe, opening the door as i dry my hair with the towel. steam rolls around me as i step out.

"she's not here yet." lillian tells me as she passes with her own towel in hand.

"okay, i'll keep an eye out." i tell her as the door shuts.

sure enough, five minutes after the shower starts, i hear the doorbell ring. shoving my feet into a pair of slippers, i jog downstairs and throw open the door. i grin, finding just about everyone we're waiting on arrive all at once.

dakota stands there with his tux zipped safely inside of a suit cover bag thrown over his arm and wears a large goofy smile on his face. beside him stands a tall tan skinned gentleman with a sly crooked grin and warm green eyes. he looks exactly like the type of guy dakota would hang out with - mischievous and funny.

"you must be phoenix." i smile, holding out my hand and trying not to shiver from the gust of winter wind blowing through the open door.

the young man returns the smile and shakes me hand gently, his skin cold. "i suppose i'll own up to the name. you must be the beautiful symphony." he winks, smirking at my bath robe and earning a snort from dakota.

my cheeks are tinted pink for a moment before i roll my eyes, "you're definitely one of dakota's friends."

"hey! what's that supposed to mean?" dakota laughs, "would you let us inside before we freeze to death?"

"sure." i step aside just as a shorter middle aged woman hobbles up the front steps with camera equipment in tow.

"are you symphony harris? i'm here for the perkins/thornton wedding?" she grins with rosy cheeks.

"yes! you're in the right place. here, allow me to help you with those." i take a couple of bags from her and lead her to my father's office just after i see winter's car pull into the driveway.

"you're welcome to set up here and do whatever you need to do. when you're ready, my bedroom is upstairs to the right and that's where she'll be getting ready." i tell her as she nods.

"alright, wonderful! i'll be up shortly."

"great." i chirp, turning on my heel and rushing back upstairs, eager to actually put on some clothes.

"is she here?" lillian asks me with a white towel atop her head and her bride robe wrapped around her. my bed is already made thanks to lillian and i straightened up last night so, with all of the natural light coming in and my very minimalistic taste, i hope that the room is aesthetic enough for a wedding video and photos.

"yeah she's just setting up in my dad's office." i tell her, "everyone else is here too. i just saw winter and sam pull up so they should be in soon."

"oh good." she breathes before looking up at me, "i didn't think i'd be nervous but i feel like i'm seasick." her hands rest on the edge of the bed as she leans forward.

"are you having second thoughts?" i ask her softly, laying a hand on her shoulder.

she instantly shakes her head, "no. definitely not. i guess it's just...forever is a long time. i'm excited for it but i'm also scared, you know?"

i nod, taking a seat next to her. we sit there for a moment in silence as she lays her head on my shoulder.

"dakota had the goofiest grin on his face when he got here. he's downstairs as we speak practically bouncing off the walls." i chuckle.

lillian laughs, "he is?"

"yeah." i tell her before pausing, "hey, why don't you go see him?"

"isn't that like...against the wedding rules or something?" she asks me, tugging the towel off of her head.

i shrug, "who cares? this isn't exactly a traditional wedding anyway."

her lips tug to the side as she thinks, "i think i will. i think i'll feel better if i go see him. also, can we make some breakfast? i think it'll help my stomach."

"sure." i chuckle, "i'll get the makeup out and ready and lay your dress out while you go see dakota. i'll be down in a minute."

"okay." she sighs with relief, looking better already, "thanks for everything, sym. none of this would be happening without you." her eyes tear up a little and i feel a lump form in my throat.

"it's been an honor to help you with this. in just five hours i'll be calling you mrs. thortnon." i smirk.

she smiles in return, "i think i like the sound of that."

☆★☆

stay tuned for the next chapter to witness THE WEDDING!! AHHH i can't believe it's happening!

what do you think of pheonix? and what do you think of symphony inviting wesley to the wedding?

until next time!