A Little More Than Convenient

|Carmen Sanchez|
“I can’t find my shoes. Isn’t this just fan-fucking-tastic?” Jessica asked me that warm day in August.
I chuckled, while adding the last touches of my makeup to my face. “You just had them a minute ago, though.”
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath.
Her sisters, Jennifer and Jacie, laughed, too.
She glared at us. “Look here, bitches!”
We stopped laughing.
Jess continued her bitch fit, “I am getting married in less than fifteen minutes and I refuse to marry barefoot!”
I rolled my eyes.
Well, today was the fourth of August. Maria was eight weeks (or two months, whatever) old, Christian had been tried and convicted of ten counts of rape, and Ross and Jessica were getting married today. I was also happier than I had ever been in my entire life. Trent and I were engaged, Maria was a beautiful, happy baby, and we were putting our lives together.
“Have you not seen them?!” Jessica asked no one in particular.
Jacie, Jennifer, and I shook our heads. Honestly, I hadn’t, but I wouldn’t have put it past her mischievous little sisters. Actually, I wouldn’t have doubted it if they had hid them.
I slipped on my shoes. “Well, Jess, I’m dressed. I’ll help you look for your shoes.”
She smiled gratefully, and I smiled back. “What are you waiting for?” she asked suddenly.
I shook my head and kneeled down to look under the bed. I saw nothing.
Jennifer, Jacie, and I all wore white, knee length dresses with white and tan wedges and white lilies in our hair. I tried to talk Jess out of the all white thing, being as though she was supposed to be the one wearing white. But, no.
Jessica, despite her frantic attitude, looked stunning. Her dress was a strapless, long train, and had very teeny tiny jeweled embroidering on the chest. Her hair was in an updo with soft tendrils hanging down her face. Her makeup had also been toned down for the occasion. Like I said, she looked gorgeous.
The wedding was being held in the backyard of a country house estate in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Mountain Home was extremely pretty, the picture perfect example of sweet southern charm, paired with an intoxicating dose of the Natural State’s gorgeous environmental side. It was quite a ways from Jonesboro, but I didn’t mind the drive, not when I could go there for an entire weekend. Trent, Jessica, Ross, and I had drove up the night before to take care of the finishing touches, although Jess and Ross couldn’t see each other, which meant that Trent and I couldn’t see each other. Since Trent and I’s moms were going to the wedding, too, they had drove up to Mountain Home with Maria the next day.
Jacie and Jennifer sat on the bed and watched as Jessica and I frantically searched for her heels. She checked the drawers and the closet, as I looked in some of the bags. We could not find them anywhere, which was when my phone rang.
“Don’t you dare answer that!” Jessica exclaimed, “We still have to find my freaking shoes!”
I ignored her and picked up the phone. “Trent” flashed on my screen. I pressed talk, and said, “Hello?”
“Hi, Carm. How’s Jessica holding up?”
“Horribly,” I replied, rolling my eyes.
She stuck her tongue out at me.
“She can’t find her shoes and she’s taking it out on me. Me! Her maid of honor!”
He laughed. “Could this because she’s missing her shoes?” he asked wryly.
I gasped. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Because,” he replied, “Ross just found them in his bag.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the good lord above.”
He laughed again. “Should I bring them to you, or do you want me to come to you?”
“No!” I rejected, “You can’t see me until the ceremony.
“What?” he asked.
“You heard me.”
“I thought that the bride couldn’t see the groom...,” he trailed off.
“Well,...” I replied, “it still seems unlucky. Why don’t you just leave them outside the door, and then knock whenever you leave them.”
He chuckled. “All right, then, superstitious.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Trent. I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll see you in a little while. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I shut the phone. “Jessica, Ross found your shoes.”
She furrowed her brows at me. “What the hell?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, “but Trent just called me and he said that they were in Ross’s bag. He’s leaving them outside the door.”
She sniffed. “All right then.”
Another thing that I could not understand about the wedding was the guys’ outfits. Instead of wearing tuxedos, they were wearing white button down shirt, tan slacks, and tan loafers. Oh, and those silver-ish, gold-ish, round necklaces that guys wear all the time. I can’t explain them, but whatever.
I heard a knock on the door and opened it. There, was the box of heels that Jessica had so frantically searched for. “Je-ess,” I said, stretching out the ess.
“My shoes?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Nope, it’s John Cena, here to whisk you away to Miami.”
She jumped up. “I’m here Jo-” then she glared at me. “I’ve told you to never joke about him, have I not?”
I laughed. “Here, take your damn shoes.”
She slipped them on. “Fuck! Only seven minutes left.”
Then, something crossed my mind. “So...Jess, I don’t mean to stress you out, but-”
Jacie and Jennifer burst out laughing.
“But do you have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?” I smirked.
She smirked back. “Sure do!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I got my necklace two years ago for Christmas from my Grandma, I-”
“Two years isn’t very old, Jess,” Jennifer retorted.
“It’s old to me!” she snapped, “and anyway, my shoes and dress are new, I borrowed your diamond studs, Carm-”
“You did?” I asked, “You never asked me for them.”
She looked at the ground. “Uh...,” she trailed off.
I put my hand up. “It’s okay, Jess. Do you have something blue?”
She nodded. “My strapless bra is blue.”
Jennifer, Jacie, and I cracked up.
She shot us an annoyed, yet slightly amused look and said, “It’s better than nothing.”
We just nodded.
“Oh, shit!” Jessica looked at the clock. It was five until six, which meant that we only had five minutes left until the wedding. She slipped on her shoes and said, “Come along, slaves!”
“Slaves...?” I asked.
“Shut it!” she said, running out the door, not bothering to pick up the train of her dress.
We rushed to the door and I looked out the peep hole. Everyone was sitting in white wooden chairs, waiting patiently for the wedding to start.
“Aunt Jessica, I’m weady to stawt fwowing pedals!” Ross’s sweet, but slightly annoying niece, Becky, said. Since Jessica had no nieces or nephews, the ring bearer and the flower girl had been Ross’s brother, Daniel’s kids.
“In just a few minutes, honey,” Jessica mumbled her reply. She was nervous. Jessica was nervous. That was hilarious.
I could see Ross standing nervously at the end of the aisle in the gazebo with the minister. I almost laughed at how anxious he was. I’d never seen him so nervous.
But I’d never seen Jessica before either. If there was such a thing as a perfect match, it was Jessica and Ross. They were into the same things, shockingly, and they were seriously compatible. They were also so in love that it was almost sickening.
“We’re starting the music in one minute, Jessica’s dad said, coming forward to link his arm through hers. Which reminded, where were the groomsmen?
I turned toward the left and in walked Ross’s brothers, Daniel and Zach, and Trent. I involuntarily smiled as he joined me on my right side. He linked his arm through mine and whispered, “I feel like an idiot.”
“You wear this every day,” I retorted.
He shrugged. “But not for an audience.”
He had a point there. However, this was the fifth wedding that I’d been in. I’d been a flower girl at my aunt’s wedding when I was three, a bridesmaid at her second wedding when I was fourteen, and then I had been in Lizzie and Tara’s weddings. This would be Trent’s second time.
Then, the music (Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love”) started and Jessica sighed. “I’m so flipping nervous!”
I tried not to laugh.
Becky and her little brother, Eric headed down the aisle forever. Becky took a long time, spreading the yellow rose petals everywhere. Finally, her mom had to whisper for her to join Uncle Ross. She pouted but did as she was told.
Next, went Jacie and Daniel, then Jennifer and Zach. Finally, Trent and I made our way down the aisle. I was glad that in only a few months, in November, we’d be getting married ourselves.
I smiled at my mother, who was holding Maria as went by. Maria was dressed in a very small white dress that had taken me forever to find. She was almost asleep. Then, I looked over at Trent, who was smiling at her, too. We locked eyes and he mouthed, “I love you.” I beamed and mouthed, “I love you, too.”
I reluctantly joined the bridesmaids, and he joined the groomsmen. Then, the bridal march began, and I watched Jessica and her father walk down the aisle. There was a smile on her face, but her shoulders were shaking. I almost laughed again, but concentrated on looking at Maria so that I wouldn’t.
The minister began speaking nonsense about how marriage is an amazing gift from God, and it is, but his voice was monotone and boring. Finally, he said, “Who gives this woman away?”
Her dad replied, “Her mother and I do.” He gave Ross a wary look, but softened and nodded.
“Who has the rings?” The minister asked, and the wedding continued.
There weren’t very interesting parts of the wedding (except for Ross saying sex instead of successful, ha, ha), so I’ll spare you the details. Jessica and Ross had written their own vows, though, so it was really sweet. And my best friend cried in public, probably the first time ever.
Jessica had the reception planned to a T. There was a five course meal, waiters, and an actual band. After everyone was finished eating, the band set up. The first song, per their request, was Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss,” which was their song. In my opinion, that’s a weird song to be for a couple. But whatever. All of the couples (and a lot of single people) danced with them, but you could tell that they were in their own little world.
They were going to their honeymoon in North Carolina to a resort. I’d hate to see their room after they were done with it. Jessica’s apartment isn’t disgusting, but it’s very cluttered, and it’s the same with Ross. The maids there had better pray for mercy from God.
I watched with a smiled on my face as Ross and Jessica stared into each other’s eyes and swayed slowly. Then, I looked back at Trent, who I was dancing with. “You know, if it wasn’t for us, they probably would have never even meet.”
He grinned. “I don’t know. She’s a paralegal and he’s a defense attorney. I’m sure they would have butted heads sooner or later. You could be right, though.”
I grinned back at him and kissed him again. “Just a Kiss” ended and the band switched the song to Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.”
Trent and I had many songs, but if we had to pick just one, it would probably be this one. We smiled at each other as the song began. Then, I looked over at Jess, who was grinning in our direction. That girl. This was her wedding and yet, she still had to shove stuff on me.
By this time, Maria had taken a nap and woken up again. When she started to cry, Trent and I too her inside. She just needed to be changed, so we were able to get back to the ceremony soon.
Jessica and Ross were both sitting down. She motioned for me to sit down beside her. They were sitting at different tables, which was weird. But with Jess, you never knew. Trent handed Maria to me and I sat down beside her.
“Why aren’t you-” I tried to ask.
“I wanted to talk to you alone,” she interrupted.
“Oh,” I replied.
She nodded.
“So...,” I trailed off.
“Is it hard, you know, being a mom?”
I shrugged. “At times, but when it’s your child, it’s not so hard. Especially if you have help.” I looked over at Trent and smiled. “How come?”
She sighed. “I’m debating becoming one.”
“Really?” I asked, “What brought it on?”
She looked at the ground. “I’m three weeks late.”
I gaped at her. “Um...okay,” I replied, “you’re not going to have an abortion, are you?”
“Of course not!” she snapped at me, “It’s just that...I don’t know if Ross is ready.”
“He loves Maria, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, but she’s also not his kid,” she pointed out.
“Well, Jess, it’s up to you two. I really think that once the initial shock wears off, he’ll be fine. Are you sure that you’re ready.”
She shrugged. “We talked about this. We wanted to wait a couple years, you know, to have time to ourselves. And I was on birth control for God’s sake!”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “Didn’t you take some sedatives for a week or so, though?”
She thought for a moment. “Oh...I-I guess that I did. But Dr. Ragland didn’t say anything about it having counteracting affects.”
I laughed. “That may not have been it. My cousin had twins while she was taking the pill, and the day she found out, she was on her period.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Just try to enjoy the honeymoon, Jess. I promise, it’s gonna be okay.”
She nodded and we didn’t discuss the rest of the evening.
As Ross and Jessica got into the car that was driving, we blew bubbles at them. Evidently, rice was too dangerous to throw anymore, so Jessica had compromised and gotten bubbles. As they sped off, Ross’s cousin was yelling Harp over and over again. I guess he was trying to tell people in China that someone else had taken their last name. I rolled my eyes. Trent noticed, kissed the side of my forehead, and murmured, “I love you.”
I looked up at him and smiled brightly. “I love you, too.”