if there ever is an after,

would you wait there for m e . . .

〰️〰️〰️

For what would hopefully be the last time – maybe not during my entire life but for at least the duration of this arduous wedding – Cyclone Sutton touched down. She hurtled through my room just before eight o'clock on the morning of the big day, barking out everything on our to-do list like I could actually comprehend whatever she was saying as we got into a tug of war with my comforter.

She won, because why wouldn't she? And when she finally tore it off of me, the useless strategy of flailing my legs around as a defense almost ended with my foot swinging by her face.

I missed it by less than an inch. The crazed look in her eyes that she gave me felt like the kiss of death. We both went silent.

"If you give me a fucking black eye on my wedding day, don't even show up," she threatened in an alarmingly calm tone.

I blinked back at her. She dropped my comforter to the floor and spun on her heel, calling over her shoulder before she left my room, "Be in the bridal room in five minutes. It's time to get ready."

I was there in four. Out of breath, in flip flops and the hotel robe from my room, with my bridesmaid dress hanging over my shoulder in its plastic cover.

The boys had it easy; they could sleep in, have a decent breakfast and lunch, then get ready with ease thirty minutes before the chaos unfurled. On the other hand, I hadn't seen so many false eyelashes or inhaled so much hairspray since my senior prom. We had the designated "bridal room" (a stuffy, perfumed space on the second floor of the hotel) for four hours, which any normal person would think is plenty of time to get ready. With all six bridesmaids, Sutton, and my mother involved, it wasn't nearly enough.

I was scarfing down as many miniature sandwiches as I could to hold me over until the reception, while a makeup artist navigated around my constant chewing to fix my face. Wedding party photos were supposed to start around noon, but we had less than an hour and Valerie was the only one seemingly ready.

She paced the room in the knitted barefoot sandals we were all wearing so we wouldn't be entirely shoeless on the beach. Her skin had that lit-from-within glow to it, which only made me hope my makeup turned out half as good. A single orchid was tucked into the side of her chocolate waves, freshly picked by a local florist for all the bridesmaids. The satiny blush tone of our dresses complimented her bronzed skin the best out of everyone, and I'd be damned if she didn't look more like the real Maid of Honor in the room.

As I took a swig of champagne to wash down my sixth sandwich, she stopped in her tracks by my stool.

"You ready for your speech?" She asked me, wearing the smuggest smirk I'd ever seen when I glanced up at her.

I almost snorted out champagne through my nose.

It was the one thing – if not the most important thing – I had forgotten about. Sutton never mentioned it because she probably assumed I knew I had to write one. Rightfully so, because I was the Maid of Honor; it was my duty. I was rudely reminded of it as we went through the motions of the wedding at the rehearsal dinner last night, and had to fake a smile as if I had it planned for months. Like I said before, I wasn't the best Maid of Honor ever by any means, but it was the best Sutton was going to get at this point.

As soon as the dinner ended, I locked myself in my room and in the notes section of my phone, started typing up a shoddy excuse for a Maid of Honor speech.

I would never understand why my sister was still friends with Valerie or why the girl's life goal was to be a total pain in everyone's ass. If there was one person in the world I could punch in the throat without needing a reason, it'd be her.

I mimicked Valerie's expression for good measure and feigned confidence as I said, "Almost perfect. Might be the most iconic Maid of Honor speech of all time."

She hummed to herself. "We'll see."

"Val, nobody's saying you can't make a speech," Sutton cut into our conversation with a scoff. Across the room, she was getting her flower crown carefully placed onto her softly curled hair. I had to admit I wasn't a flower crown kind of girl, but it fit the aesthetic of her wedding pretty perfectly.

"I know that," Valerie muttered, rolling her eyes. "I was just wondering how Bayla's was coming along because you know, it's one of the most important speeches of the night."

Sutton sighed like she was so done with Valerie's bullshit. "Whatever. If you all wanna take turns making a toast for Koa and I, be my guest. As long as we get through the ceremony, I'll be fine."

The furrowing of my eyebrows at my sister caused the makeup artist to pull his hand away from where he was filling in the sparse areas. If I knew Sutton, and I did, this wasn't like her. She was too calm. Per my wake-up call she gave me this morning, I thought I'd be under her custody until midnight. Now that the day was here, she wasn't as hysterical as I predicted.

Maybe it was all the prep work that drove her insane. Maybe all she wanted was to be married, to be with her husband, to become a wife. Maybe the hell she put me through was worth it, just to see her over the moon and in love. I was hoping one day I'd understand it all.

Valerie was still staring at me, but quickly looked away when I caught her gaze again. She acted like she was observing something going on outside through the window with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. I just shook my head and guzzled the rest of the bubbly in my glass.

〰️〰️〰️

aloha!

welcome to the wedding of

sutton & koa

january 31

#madeformakana

The hand-painted calligraphy on a slab of untreated wood, adorned with vivid tiger lilies and white plumerias around the edges, was the first thing to greet the guests as they strolled onto the sand. Upon arriving, they were guided by a trail of skinny palm leaves and stray flower petals to the seating area where rows and rows of white folding chairs were perched in front of a delicate bamboo arch, which was garnished with more colorful blooms and tropical leaves. A friend of Koa's set the tone immediately with the strumming of his ukulele while people filed in and waited for the ceremony to begin.

The bridal party had been on relaxation duty for the two hours leading up to the ceremony. We'd taken so many photos all afternoon that I never wanted to see another camera, but I knew that wasn't realistic. While the guests flocked to a cocktail hour accompanied by an authentic hula show prior to the reception, we had the pleasure of yet another photoshoot on the beach with the newlyweds and additional family members. If I wasn't so happy for Sutton and for this day to be over, smiling all day would have been a lot harder.

At promptly five o'clock, it was time. With each seat occupied and the golden light hitting the beach just right an hour before sunset, everyone was silenced.

We were escorted onto the beach and out of plain sight from the guests. All of the grandparents and parents claimed the front row, and the officiant stood at the head of the crowd, under the arch with Koa on his left side.

As each groomsmen escorted their chosen bridesmaid down the aisle, I waited behind with Sutton, serving as moral support for the bride while also keeping a watchful eye on Madelyn and Koa's nephew. They were about the same age and respectfully given the responsibilities of the flower girl and ring bearer. The two of them had been giggling nonstop since Duncan made his descent down the aisle with Valerie snaked around his arm. His daughter was precious, but she was a handful out of the eyes of her dad and as Maid of Honor, it was my responsibility to make sure they didn't ruin a single part of this day.

All five bridesmaids had done their walk to the altar, which left the best man and I for last. Knowing I only had seconds to spend with my sister, I turned to her and grabbed her elbow, meeting her eyes that were literally twinkling. Only today day could make Sutton look like that.

"I love you," I let the words spill out of me in a rush, "You're the most beautiful, ethereal bride this island's ever seen, and you're going to make the best wife."

A corner of her glossy lips quirked. "I know," she quipped. "I love you, too. Now get down there so I can get married."

We both laughed, and I gave her one final hug. With a gentle push of her bouquet, I linked arms with the best man as we embarked on our march.

He was one of Koa's childhood friends, Keone, who moved to Los Angeles to become an actor after high school. Koa totally adored him, in a bromance kind of way, but I just thought he was a creep. Despite being a super talented actor who hit the jackpot when he secured a spot on a daytime LA soap opera, he knew he was good and never let anyone forget it. He also had a terrible habit of flirting with every single female he ever laid an eye on. His polished good looks and suave attitude let him get away with it, too.

I artfully avoided him whenever I could, and with Gus next to me a lot of the times, it was no issue. He was like my personal bodyguard. Now, that wasn't so much the case. Walking down the aisle with Keone was like walking into a lion's den strapped in a meat suit.

His buff arm clad in the sleeves of a white dress shirt constricted mine, ensuring that he was making some sort of physical contact with me. I broadened my shoulders to put any bit of space between us, but it was futile.

"So what are you doing after this?" He asked me under his breath, clever in not moving his lips that were fastened into an amicable smile aimed at Koa. Actor perks, I assumed.

"Are you kidding me?" I growled through my teeth, trying to keep up my grin rather than have the photographer catch me grimacing at the camera.

"Just asking," he defended himself with a low chuckle. "I hear you're single now, so I thought–"

"You're such an ass."

"Dirty talk kinda turns me–"

The end of his comment hung in mid-air because I jabbed my elbow into his ribs as inconspicuously as possible, forcing him to wince and lose his smile.

"That's just a preview of what'll happen to you if you talk to me like that again," I hissed.

He didn't respond. I wriggled my arm out of his grip and took my rightful place first in line of the bridesmaids, with a self-satisfied smirk on my face.

After Madelyn and the ring bearer took turns prancing down the aisle, all of the guests were summoned to stand as Koa's friend struck the first chord of Sutton's desired wedding march. She wanted to walk down the aisle to "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis. Since the song was created for his album and film Blue Hawaii, she only thought it was fitting. Plus, it sounded absolutely killer when played on the ukulele.

I really didn't think I'd cry when I saw my sister make her grand entrance at her wedding, because naturally I wasn't that sappy of a person. I was proven wrong by the stinging of my eyes at the sight of her like someone started cutting an onion next to me.

Sutton drifted down the aisle like she wasn't meant to be anywhere else, ever. All eyes were captivated by her, whether they belonged to an actual wedding guest or a distant onlooker from the balcony of a beachfront hotel. There was no one else within miles that deserved more attention.

She looked like a goddess, plain and simple. An angel in the flesh. I'd never been so jealous, so proud, but so damn overjoyed. Her flower crown sat like a halo on top of her loose honey-colored curls, enwreathed with rich oranges, purples, pinks, and pops of white. The slight train of her dress fell behind her as she took each graceful step along the woven runner laid on top of the sand.

The very dress of her dreams that took months of searching through every last page on numerous websites, foraging through racks and racks of gowns in stores up and down the east coast, leaving no stone unturned. She finally found it in a one of a kind boutique so far outside of New York we were practically in Boston. All of the headaches, empty stomachs, and sleepless nights the dress hunt caused didn't matter anymore. The appropriately stylish sweetheart neckline, dainty off-the-shoulder straps that wrapped around her biceps, and the way the soft chiffon skirt gathered at her waist and cascaded down to the ground meant that dress was hers and no one else's.

Curiosity got the best of me and I took a peek over at Koa. He looked utterly hypnotized by his bride, worshipping every bit of her with a hand covering his mouth and the skin around his eyes crinkled in awe. Sutton couldn't keep up with her demure smile anymore and broke out into a full-blown, blinding grin. Once she was standing opposite of him at the altar, I caught him mouth "I love you" to her as the officiant began the ceremony.

Sutton had always been a pretty sophisticated person overall, but there was no denying that she had a wild side. Her wedding wasn't standard by any means. It followed no rules and it was perfectly her, and Koa of course. The girl had a vision and she stuck with it to the end. Not just because she was my sister and I was a little biased, but it was the most magical wedding I had ever been to and would ever have the pleasure of attending.

I held her bouquet in my hands and watched as the happiest day of my sister's life materialized before my very eyes. Her vows were accurately hilarious, while Koa's were half in English, half Hawaiian, and probably the most romantic thing I'd ever heard. I caught myself almost crying three times throughout the entire ceremony.

The last time was because I took the liberty of looking out into the crowd moments before the couple said "I do" and my eyes directly latched onto Gus. It was so normal, almost like we planned it. An anchor in a sea of uncertainty. He was already smiling at me when I saw him; an adoring look that flattened my lungs in a second. A look that told me he hadn't paid much attention to Sutton this whole time.

From the hundreds of gazes I could have caught, I knew then that it would always be his that I'd find, even if I wasn't looking for him.

〰️〰️〰️

A/N - omfg can y'all even believe we're FINALLY at the wedding??!?! it's time. it's here. and this is only the beginning.. there's still SO much more to come. tbh this was not how i planned this chapter and i know it's kinda short but just trust me that i had to split it up. this was gonna be one long ass jumpy chapter and i wasn't about it. sorry i just keep dragging you guys along with seemingly false hope LOL.

not much happened but any thoughts on the wedding?! y'all know i'm a HOE for details so i tried my best. i've been scrolling through pinterest for days just to get this imagery right and now my feed is full of wedding shit. sutton's hashtag?? i think it's kind of perfect. i hope she'd be proud of me. creepy best man keone?? GUS popping in at the last minute?!? tell me anything and everything.

ALSO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE RECEPTION? ANY IDEAS??? do you want to hear bayla's MOH speech? should bayla ignore gus or talk it out with him? is she gonna get hammered and ruin her life (AKA my famous move)? who knows honestly... i can't keep up with the girl anymore.

my life has been hectic as FUCK so i'm trying to write whenever i get the chance. wattpad has definitely taken a backseat and i do apologize but unfortunately i have to take part in Adult Life. ya girl is struggling rn... ugh. i hope you guys are doing better than i am!!! thanks for supporting me even tho i'm like the worst author ever!! LOVE YA LOTS.

xoxo, sabbbycat