this is late again sorry again folks. important note at bottom you'll wanna read. 

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"I can't believe all this time has led up to tomorrow," Biana said, looking at the ceiling as she laid on the floor. 

Sophie decided that the night before her wedding she wanted to have a sleepover with her bridesmaids in her old bedroom at her parent's house. She was also granted permission by the council to bring her sister to the lost cities for her wedding, and decided that she would have Amy at the sleepover. It took a little bit more persuasion to get that situated, but finally she got the dominant vote to allow Amy to also participate in pre-wedding situations. 

If only she could remember to call her Natalie. 

"I can't believe you're settling so early," Amy commented. "I mean, you're practically immortal yet you're getting married in your twenties."

"When you know you know," Sophie simply responded, sitting on her bed sketching in a notebook. She liked to think she was getting better at drawing since Keefe decided to tutor her, but compared to Keefe she might as well be sketching stick figures. 

"Well, I for one am excited to wear my bridesmaid dress," Linh stated. "It's so pretty."

"Ooh! I still haven't seen your wedding dress or the bridesmaid dresses," Amy stated. "That's such a low blow."

"You're human," Sophie snorted. 

"I know I've been aware of you guys for a while now, but I will never not find it weird you aren't human," Amy replied. "Like, do you ever think about that?"

"It's more strange you're not an elf," Biana told her. "I can imagine how you feel weird about us, though." 

"I'm excited for the wedding to be over and done with," Syden chirped, walking out of the bathroom. "I spent three hours this morning yelling at people over my imparter." 

"Thanks for all the help," Sophie replied sincerely. "I know you've been working really hard these past few months."

"I'm excited to see what everything looks like. I tried to look as least as possible when I was coming here. I want to be surprised by the scenery tomorrow," Marella chimed in from her spot on the floor. "I bet it looks beautiful."

"It does," Biana confirmed. "All of this is just making me so excited for my wedding."

"Do all of you guys think you're going to end up marrying the guy you're with now?" Marella questioned out into the air. "Well, besides you Sophie."

"I definitely won't," Amy replied. "Me and the guy I've been seeing aren't really exclusive or serious."

"I can see myself marrying Dex," Biana responded. "I mean, I don't know about anytime soon. But I can see it happening one day."

"I hope I'll marry Tam," Syden stated. "We've been together for such a long time now, but who knows."

"Fitz and I have spent so long trying to get together that now that we're together it just seems like everything in the world is finally correct. I really can't imagine even looking at another guy never mind marrying one."

"Why do you ask?" Sophie questioned Marella, who shrugged. 

"I was just wondering. I'm not dating right now and I don't think I'll be dating for a long while. I just don't think right now is the time for me."

"Well, everyone has a different time in their life for different occasions. Maybe you'll never get married, that doesn't mean you're a failure or anything like that," Sophie stated. 

Marella nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm really looking forward to being on my own for a while. When I was younger I spent so much time fantasizing about guys but now I'm at a point where there's just so much I want to do that dating seems more like a chore than something I'm really interested in." 

"You're an independent woman who doesn't need a man," Biana replied. "I respect that."

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting the conversation. "Hey, girls," Edaline greeted, opening. "Not to be the guy bringing the bad news, but we have an important day tomorrow which requires and early start so you might want to start getting your sleep now." 

"Would you like to sit and talk with us for a few minutes before we all give in?" Biana asked. "We're just talking about relationships and stuff, you're kind of like an expert considering you've been married forever." 

Edaline let out a small laugh. "I haven't bee married forever you know. I was once single and young like you guys." 

"What was it like the night before you got married?" Sophie asked, sitting up. "Were you as nervous as I am because I feel like I'm going to pee myself every few seconds and the only thing keeping me from ripping my eyelashes out is Biana glaring at me whenever I reach for one." 

"You're welcome for that," Biana said. "You want some nice eyelashes for your wedding tomorrow."

Edaline grinned at them. "Well, I was definitely nervous as well. While rare, divorces do happen and I couldn't help but think what if that's what my life was going to be. Of course I loved Grady endless, and still do, but there's always that feeling of unsurety and insecurity." 

Sophie let out a breath. "I feel like I'm going to hurl any second now. I can't imagine what i'm going to be like tomorrow." 

"When you actually do get married, it's like all those worries disappear. It's just you walking down an aisle ready to be with that other person for the rest of your life, no matter what challenges you face." 

"Honestly, Sophie, I've never seen a couple so hopelessly devoted to each other like you and Keefe," Biana stated. 

"Honestly it's kind of obnoxious," Marella added as a joke, making Sophie crack a smile. 

"I can attest to that, sorry Soph," Linh joined in. 

Edaline grinned at all of Sophie's friends. "Don't think I don't see you guys with your boyfriends. You are all just as bad as her. Well, at least Biana and Linh."

"She's right," Syden stated. "You all are lovesick fools." 

"Don't act like you and Tam don't talk every single night before you go to bed," Marella interrupted immediately. "That's lovesick." 

"I don't have a comeback because at most you're lovesick with yourself," Syden told Marella, grinning. 

Marella threw her pillow at Syden. "I am not lovesick with myself."

"I can't even remember what we were talking about before this," Biana chimed in, laughing at the look on Syden's face after she tossed Marella's pillow off of it. 

"Something about weddings probably," Linh snorted in response. "I'm so excited for tomorrow."

"I'm excited to make you look even more beautiful than you already are for the big day," Biana stated, grinning. "Thanks for letting me be in charge of that."

"You're the best in the business," Sophie replied with a smile. "I couldn't think of anyone else."

"You really are great at it, Biana, it gives me no surprise the profession you've gone into really does show your talent in beauty," Edaline supplied. 

"Thank you." Biana grinned at the praise. While she seemed confident the majority of the time, Sophie knew on the inside she really relied on the praise of others.

"I'm not the only one who's going to be looking pretty tomorrow. All of you guys are going to look great," Sophie stated, grinning. "I'll personally have Biana make sure of it if i have to. I would make sure of it, but we all know I would walk around in jeans if i could."

"Do elves not wear jeans?" Amy asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. 

"No," Sophie replied bitterly. "They're so comfortable, though, I miss them."

"But what we wear looks better," Biana replied. "Sorry Amy."

"It's okay," Amy said, ignoring the fact she wasn't called Natalie. She had gotten use to not only Sophie calling her by the old name, but Sophie's friends as well. "I agree your clothes are prettier. I love these especially." She gestured to the pajamas she was wearing. 

"Those are pajamas though," Sophie stated. 

"Exactly. I'm going to be sleeping like royalty tonight." Amy gave her a cheeky grin before snuggling into her blankets more." 

"You're on the floor," Syden brought up, grinning at the unfamiliar human. They had gotten along throughout the night after being introduced that afternoon, and Sophie almost felt bad that Amy would have to return home after her wedding and wouldn't have the chance to spend more time with her friends. 

"Yes, but you guys don't understand how big this place is. I'm sleeping in a mansion!" She grinned excitedly. 

"I can't imagine how you would react to sleeping at Biana's old house," Sophie stated. "It's way bigger than this." 

"You know, I never got the chance to visit the place you're living," Amy commented. 

"It's just an apartment, nothing special. I mean, in human standards I guess it is more like a penthouse, but it's really nothing fancy," Sophie replied, immediately waving the idea off. She felt bad for all the things her sister might not ever get to see in her life. She wished the two could have a closer relationship, but in reality they talked at most once a year. Only when the council ordered a overview of her sister. Some of the council members were a bit wary of Amy knowing about elves, but Amy proved herself worthy of knowing. She had been keeping the secret for a long time now.

"I'm really happy I was able to be here for this, at least," Amy stated, smiling. 

"We're all happy you've been able to be here," Edaline stated. "It's always nice to be reminded of Sophie's human heritage. You're like a walking history book. She rarely talks about growing up."

"Do you remember what kind of sister Sophie was growing up?" Marella asked, sitting up in interest. "I've always wondered what she was like with a sibling." 

"I mean, she was about to graduate at high school at just twelve years old. The most I thought about her was she was a nerd."

Sophie smiled at her sister despite the insult. "We used to fight all the time," Sophie stated. "I remember when Fitz found me and I skipped school. Man, you were so excited to see me in trouble." 

"Yeah, but instead you left and erased our memories," Amy replied, a frown replacing her face. "You never got in trouble like you deserved." 

"Oh trust me, her life here the first few years made up for the trouble she would have gotten in with your parents," Edaline stated, chuckling slightly. "Sophie had quite a rough time transitioning." 

Sophie nodded. "Yeah, but it's all led to right now. And I'm happy with what my life is." 

A muffled shout from downstairs was heard and Edaline sighed. "Well, that's my queue to exit. As I said, try not to stay up for too much longer. I doubt Biana wants to spend time covering everyone's eye bags." She waved before exiting the room, closing the door behind her. 

The lights were turned off and everyone snuggled into their spots for sleeping. Suddenly a soft voice spoke up, "Hey, Soph?" 

"Yeah?" 

"If you and Keefe do end up getting divorced, how long should I wait before asking for his number?" Sophie threw the pillow at Marella's face as she laughed at her own joke, everyone chorusing along. 

"You're all uninvited to my wedding," Sophie stated, grinning through the dark of the room. 

"Too late, we already bought the dresses," Biana stated. 

"And it's too late for you to call in the back up bridesmaids," Marella added on. 

"I bet I could find a few fill ins," Sophie joked. "But they probably couldn't mean as much to me as you guys. I love you all, thanks for being my best friends."

---

so i haven't really brought attention to this but next chapter is the last one :( there will be an epilogue tho don't worry y'all. plus some bonus content. i'll talk more about it in an author's note after this is all complete. alsO there is definitely a big chance i'll make a sequel, but i was just worried about stringing this book on for too long bc i did that with my old one to the point that i literally created a cult in the book dedicated to sophie and keefe ??? like does anyone remember that bc i do and yikes freshman me was wild. i like to think now that i'm a senior i've grown past that. 

1. are you excited for the wedding? how did you feel about the sleepover the night before? 

2. would you rather me write a sequel or vv detailed epilogue? i got a really good idea for a sequel but i also have a good idea for an epilogue i can't pick

3. what's your favorite moment from this book so far? are you sad it's coming to an end?