The Bride

"Hey, babe!" Gabriella's cheerful tone was the only thing keeping me from turning my car around and heading back the way I came. "I know you're immensely stressed right now, and I wish I could be there with you to take the blow, share some of your pain, but you know I can't. It's going to make matters worse and you've done enough running away already. Just be careful, baby. And promise to call me at least ten times every day! I love you! And you know I'm always with you. Bye."

I removed the phone from my ears and stared at the screen for a good five minutes. Gabby's smiling face stared back at me. Her dark hair was blowing back from her diamond shaped face in the wind, highlighting a thousand shades of blue and her electric blue eyes were filled with joy and laughter. Her smile was contagious; it made the corner of my lips tilt upwards. But then my eyes shifted to the two storied Victorian styled house looming in the background of my phone, and my smile faltered.

This was a mistake. A huge, big, fat, fucking mistake. I was so glad to have left all this behind me when I ran but now I'm back again in dreaded Ruthwell and I have no idea what I should say or do to make everything better again. What could I possibly do to make this better?

Was there anything left to redeem? And why should I be the one feeling miserable and haunted when none of this had been my fault to begin with?

Dear God! It really has been seven years hasn't it? Seven years since I'd felt my brothers affectionate embrace; seven years since my mother had served me her delicious home cooked meals and seven years since my father had given me an affectionate pat on the head for achieving something for myself and making the family proud.

But...has it really been just seven years?

The last time my brother had given me a hug had been when he had been going off to college twelve years ago. The last time my mom even remembered to cook me my favourite meal was on my sixteenth birthday when all of my friends from school were coming over to celebrate. And the last time my dad had given me an affectionate pat on the back was when I was in sixth grade and had won the inter-school dance competition and the prize money worth five hundred dollars.

My brother had always been the gem of the family while I'd been the unwanted offspring, the disappointment and a surprise child they never wanted. Which was why my dad hadn't even thought twice before setting up an arranged marriage between me and his best friend's son, without even bothering to ask me first if I wanted to get married at eighteen. Or even get married at all?

I would never forget the day that he decided to tell me his decision; it's forever etched into my mind. Because he hadn't asked...he had just decided...just went ahead and made the biggest decision of my life for me.

He wouldn't listen to my pleas, nor did he even want to consider sending me to the New York Dance Academy first and develop a career before my wedding. I'd won a scholarship at an inter-state dance competition and I had been so excited to tell my parents that I'd finally made my dream come true, but instead I'd gotten the biggest shock of my life.

After that I had been forbidden to go outside of my house, even to dance classes; my father had thought that my dance teacher was putting ideas in my head. He's always been one of those firm conservative men who believe that a woman's place was in the kitchen and on her husband's bed.

The next few days before the wedding, I had tried my hardest to convince him to send me to New York. I had promised to return all the money he had spent on my education and dance lessons if he did so, but he had refused all logic and reason. I was to be wed in a week and that was his final verdict.

Neither my mother, nor my brother had been of any help. My brother had straight out refused to talk to me and my mother had bowed her head and agreed to everything my dad had to say. It was on my wedding day that I'd finally decided that enough was enough and I'd taken matters into my own hands. I couldn't stand being underestimated and treated like an object any longer.

Being married off would mean the end of my dance career and that felt like dying a thousand painful deaths before death actually came for me.

So I'd run away from home, taking whatever money that I'd made from the dance competitions that I'd participated in so far and made it to the bus station without getting caught. From there I'd called Miss Lydia Stonewall, my dance teacher, and she had arranged for me to go to New York and fulfil my dream by not only providing me monetary support, but mental support as well. It was easy to say that she had been the one to change my life completely.

But that had been seven years ago. Now, I was finally back in town, thanks to Gabby's persuasion; sitting in the driver's seat of the car that I'd rented from the hotel and debating whether or not I should go say 'hi' to my parents.

If only things were that easy. Ruthwell was the least forgiving town I've ever known and I highly doubt anyone was going to be as accepting of me as Gabby's parents had been.

'None of it was your fault, you know that and so do I. But from what you've told me of your hometown, they're going to be very hard on you.' Gabby had warned me.

'Then why are you forcing me to go back there? You know I hate that place!' I'd shouted, not understanding why she was doing this. We'd had a big argument that night but Gabby, not for the first time, had been my voice of reason.

'Because I know you miss them, Kiki.' She'd spoken calmly, without raising her voice for one single second. 'And don't you dare try to deny it. My parents love you, sometimes even more than they love me, but they're not the people who gave birth to you. It's unconditional love, Kyra. Make amends with them. You haven't spoken to them for seven years now. You've changed so much and so have they. Show them how much you've grown; show them how much you've achieved! Make them see you.'

And I'd ended up listening to her just like I did every time. And that's how I ended up here...in front of the house that I was born in, in the same town that I had never thought about returning to in the last seven years.

I sighed for the millionth time and rubbed at my eyes. I hadn't been able to sleep properly for the past week just thinking about how I would face my parents. I had stayed up all night while Gabby had slept peacefully next to me. At least she was a good pretender.

I knew she'd been awake too, worrying about me, but she still hadn't made me take back the promise I'd made to her about seeing my parents before our wedding. So I'd packed in silence, kissed her goodbye as she pretended to sleep and left our apartment as quietly as possible as the sun rose in the horizon.

Gathering all the courage that I could master at the moment, I got out of the car and locked it behind me. The cool autumn breeze ruffled my blonde hair back from my face and I pulled my jacket tighter around my body to keep me warm. My hands and legs were freezing by now, not so much from the cold as it was from nervousness and I rubbed my hands together as I forced my legs to move towards my house.

The white picket fence was spotless as I crossed the threshold and my dad's old Mustang was still shining bright red through the open garage door. Nothing seems to have changed at all, this place looked frozen in time. And that's how I was expecting the people inside the house to be as well.

Well...at least I was trying. At least I was trying to be the better person.

I climbed up the couple stairs to the patio and rapped my knuckles three times on the wooden door. I remembered my mother always liked it when people did that, knock instead of ring the bell, but I never really knew the reason why. But maybe...now that I was here, I could ask her about it. Ask her all the things that I had missed out on all these years.

It wasn't long before I heard her soft footfalls from the other side of the door. It wasn't long before I heard her soft, melodic voice muffled through the mahogany wood.

"Coming!"

A wave of nostalgia hit me as I felt my stomach churn with nerves. This was it. I was finally going to see my parents, my brother, after seven whole years!

How many times had I stood in this same spot, knocking on my door as I'd come back from school? How many nights had I sat on the patio stairs with my best friend and gazed at the stars in the sky? How many nights had my mother sat on these same stairs as she watched me and my friends run amuck in the gardens as she smiled her sweet smile?

It was all coming back to me now. The emotions were so overwhelming that I felt my eyes cloud with tears and then, before I could even prepare myself-

"Who is i-"

My mother stood facing me, the door partially open and a rapidly fading smile on her face as soon as she saw me.

Her hair was shorter now, just below her ears and she looked older that I could remember her. She was also a foot shorter than me in heels and her face had several wrinkles and fine lines that hadn't been there before.

She'd ages, gotten older while I was away. And I had missed all that. I'd missed her so much!

"Mom!" I chocked out and raised my arms to embrace her-

SLAM!

Ms. Stonewall's dance studio was located on top of Berkley's Bakery. And why was that relevant?

Because she had once told us that she wants to see how well we fair against the sweet temptation lurking around the corner and still come out victorious.

It was a test to see who amongst us would get into the elite dance team. As a result, she had lost half of her initial class strength to the bakery while the other half struggled to sneak behind Ms. Stonewall's back to grab a bite of the tempting desserts on display in front of the store. In the end, only three of us had been left standing after she had finished her little test.

Rika because she had diabetes and couldn't have sweets; Pamela because she hated sweets and adored spicy food. And then there was me. I didn't have any other excuses to resist temptation other than the fact that I had wanted to be on her elite team desperately.

From a very young age, dancing hadn't just been my passion, it had been my obsession. It had also been an escape from reality, because dancing was the one thing my brother couldn't do and I didn't have to walk in his shadows just this once in my life.

It had been hard to resist temptation, but once I had gotten it into my head that this was my one chance to outshine my 'perfect' elder brother...nothing had been impossible.

Today, I waved 'hi' to Mrs. Berkley through the open door of the bakery, where the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls waffled out to tingle my nostril, and thankfully, she waved back. The smile that spread across her chubby cheeks a clear sign of delight at having me back.

Mrs. Berkley was one of the few people in town who had been on my side when I'd made an escape and she was also best friends with Ms. Stonewall. After I'd greeted her, I went in through the side where the entrance to the dance school was located, and climbed up the winding stairs to the first floor where Ms. Stonewall made her dance studio.

As expected, the doors were unlocked this time of the day, the morning session just having concluded. When I looked in through the glass doors, I found Ms. Stonewall hard at work with her broom, cleaning the studio as she often did after each session.

But it also wasn't surprising to see her swaying lightly to the tune playing on the radio as she cleaned her classroom. Even though she was fifty one years old, no one could match her grace as she moved in-tune with the music.

The moves were soft, nothing complicated or out of the ordinary, but even the basics looked wonderful when she was the one dancing. It was why I had wanted desperately to join her dance studio. I'd been mesmerised by her grace ever since I saw her perform at our school's annual cultural festival.

I turned the knob and entered the room without knocking and instantly, Ms. Stonewall's attention snapped towards me. She was a tall woman of about five feet eight inches, only an inch shorter than me, and her hair was cut short to just above her chin. There were several grey strands in her dark brown locks but by no means could someone call her old. She looked as stunning as any ballerina would in her prime.

"Oh! You're here early." Ms. Stonewall said as she wiped a bread of sweat off of her chin. She then put her broom down and went to turn off the radio.

"I was just...terribly nervous." I shrugged with my hands tucked inside the pockets of my jeans.

"Usually when people are nervous, they either turn up late or don't show up at all." She said as she came over to me to engulf me in her embrace.

"Hey! No shading!" I told her, hugging her back as I remembered how I had almost skipped my first dance competition when I was in third grade. Ms. Stonewall had to drag me out of the janitor's closet and use all kinds of threats to get me on stage. When nothing else seemed to work, she had promised to teach me one dance that she had never taught anyone before.

That promise had worked wonders and I had immediately rushed to the stage without looking back. And thus had started my gruesome training to learn a dance that was not just difficult but meant for students twice my age.

But I hadn't given up until I had learned the entire dance routine by heart.

"I'm not shading," she smiled when we pulled back. "Just pointing out facts."

"So..." I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

"I watched your London performance." Ms. Stonewall took my hand and led me to a corner where a couple of stools were ready to be seated on. "In fact, I watched all your performances all over Britain. They were marvellous. I'm so very proud to call you my student."

"Thank you, Lydia." I told her sincerely. "But all of them? Didn't it get repetitive?"

"Of course not!" She waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal. "I love Swan Lake and I loved the contemporary twist they added in with the other dancers. Oh, and before I forget, congratulations on getting engaged."

"You already congratulated me over the phone," I told her laughing. "But thank you, it means a lot coming from you."

I'd always felt at peace whenever I spoke with Lydia. She had this calming, motherly vive to her that had always drawn me in. Today, when I'd stood in front of the door that my mother had slammed in my face, I had simply been shocked, not heartbroken.

I get that Gabby wants me to make peace with my past before we start our future together, but I feel that deep down, I always knew that I never truly belonged in this place or in the posh Wilder household. As if they were never truly mine.

"So," Lydia began. "Tell me more about your Gabby. I saw her perform with you and I must say I'm quiet intrigued."

"Gabby is the best thing that could've ever happened to me." I told her truthfully, not missing out on the opportunity to gush about my beautiful fiancé. "I met her right after I joined the academy. She literally had rainbows in her hair."

"Now I want to know all about it!" Lydia clapped her hands together in anticipation. "Tell me more! I never quite got the whole story."

So I told her the whole story.

"At New York Dance Academy, we are given two classes, ballet and contemporary. Gabby, Gabriella Gilbert, was the contemporary protégée while I was the ballet expert. We were literally from two different sides of the world, and I'm not saying it geographically but personality wise. She was this outgoing, fun, lively kinda girl that just grabbed everyone's attention while I was the scared little introvert who shied away from everyone else, too scared to make new friends and prove to be a disappointment to everyone.

"We didn't really get along at first though. I thought she was too loud and outspoken and she thought I was snobbish and the high-n-mighty kind. We clashed all the time, arguing and bantering about mindless things. That's why the teachers decided to throw us together and make us a team. She thought we had passion and the tension between us could grab everyone's attention. I had to teach her ballet for a performance during our annual exams and she had to improve my contemporary, that was the deal.

"It was the most difficult year of my life. And I'm not just talking in terms of dancing; that was the fun part. But I was having trouble getting a hold of my feelings." I told Lydia truthfully. "You know my parents; you know how conservative they are. I'd grown up with the notion that girls could only like boys and vice versa. Even though I felt out of place during high school, I just had to keep my mouth shut and endure it. Gabby made me feel things that I thought were unnatural. I was so scared and confused, until one day...Gabby just went ahead and kissed me. Nothing had ever felt so right before. It was like...I finally realized something about myself...like something just fell into place."

Lydia took my hand in hers and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "You have the right to love anyone you want, Kyra. I know you've already discovered that by yourself, but I just wish you could've told me this before...when you were alone and trying to sort your feelings. And I'm so happy that you've found the woman of your dreams who will share not just the rest of their life with you but also your passion for dancing. It's very difficult to find someone like that."

"Thank you, Lydia." I told her, my eyes blurry with tears. "I needed to hear that."

Even though those years were well behind me, those struggles had been long overcome...it felt nice to know that I was loved and there were still people in this world that had my back.

"Kyra!!"

Two voices sounded right then as the door to Lydia's studio burst open to reveal two familiar faces.

"Angie! Rika!"

I got up to greet my friends but was instead tackled to the ground by both of them.

Angel Michelson, the golden haired, blue eyed beauty was another one of the dancers in our elite dance group along with Rika Palmer, the brunette with hazel eyes. Angel and I have been inseparable ever since Kindergardenth, but I met Rika in Ms. Stonewall's ballet academy when I was chosen for the elite class. I was so glad to see them in person after being apart from them for seven whole years!

We had been chatting, calling and messaging each other through the years though, but I can hardly call social media connection as 'keeping in touch'. We hadn't been able to meet up and have lunches or dinners or even go to the movies like we used to when we were teens. I had missed our sleepovers and girls nights most of all.

"You guys!" I hugged them to my sides. "How did you know I was here?"

"Words already circulating," Angie told me when we all pulled back and stood in a circle facing each other. "Lydia had given us a heads up this morning that you'll be coming, but we got the official confirmation when Mrs. Spencer said she saw you coming home and...well..."

"And my mom slammed the door in my face?" I finished that sentence when Angie looked uncomfortable saying it. "It's alright Angie; I already know nobody's thrilled about me showing up here. After all, I did shame the town when I ran away."

"Oh, how ridiculous!" Rika snapped. "Your father was wrong to arrange your marriage to Jordan without even asking you how you felt about it! And you had just graduated high school!"

"Alright, enough about me. Tell me more about you guys!" I took their hands in mine and gave them a light squeeze, changing the same old subject. "Tell me what you guys have been up to! I'm so sorry I couldn't meet up with you guys for seven years, I'm surprised you're still talking to me after that."

"Well, we weren't going to," Angie told me strictly before she broke out into a smile. "But we hadn't seen you for seven years and I guess we thought it was time you paid us back for that time when we helped you escape from your own wedding."

"Yeah," Rika agreed, but she too was smiling. "How about you pay us in full this time. We demand to have lunch every day from now until your stay ends, at Jerry's!"

"Whoa! At Jerry's?" I blinked in surprise. "That place is still running?"

"Of course," Angie said as she began pulling me towards the door. "And the food there is sure to make a dent in your pocket! So come now, we're hungry."

"See you later, Ms. Stonewall!" Rika called out to Lydia and waved her goodbye. "We'll be borrowing Kyra for awhile!"

"Have fun children!" I heard Lydia's cheerful reply before the door to the studio closed shut behind us and we were rushing down the stairs to my car so we could take a ride to Jerry's.

"It's better to take the car," Angie told me sympathetically. "To avoid some unnecessary confrontations."

Rika shook her head disapprovingly. "I don't get why the whole town jumped onboard to blame you for it. Especially since J-"

"Rika!" Angie cut her off with a sigh. "Why don't we just get some lunch and catch on instead? This town hasn't changed one bit in the past seven years and I doubt it ever will. Let's just focus on the good stuff for now, alright?"

"Whatever you say." Rika shrugged and hopped onto the car with Angie riding shotgun. "Let's go and party!"

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at Jerry's Diner and as soon as we entered the diner after I had parked my car outside, the entire diner fell silent. Literally everyone was staring at me like I was the devil who had come to ruin their lives.

Parents told their children to shush and look the other way while the adults gave me heated glares filled with hatred. I knew almost everyone in this diner. I could see Mr. Joseph, our neighbour at the back with his stake and mashed potatoes just like he used to have back when I was in high school. I could see Lillian Grey, one of my senior schoolmates in her cubicle right at the front as she tried to distract her son with the menu card while giving me a glare.

Hell, I could even see Tom Hardly behind the counter giving me a distasteful look as he managed the cash register. There were others too, new faces that looked at the three of us with curiosity. I knew this was going to be a bad idea, but I had no idea it was going to be this bad.

"Wow." Rika whispered next to my ears. "You just turned into a celebrity."

"Celebrities are adored," I whispered back. "That certainly doesn't look like the case here."

"Just ignore them, Kyra." Angie took my hand and led me to an empty cubicle. "They have no business poking their nose where it doesn't belong."

Angie said it out loud enough so everyone could hear her and it actually worked. Out of embarrassment or ego, everyone went back to doing what they were doing before I walked in and the low hum of conversation started filling in the void created by the awkward silence a few seconds ago. We walked over to our cubicle and took our seats and waited for the waiter to come get our orders.

"So, Miss Prima Ballerina," Angel folded her hands under her chin and gave me a wide grin. "A little birdie told me the wedding is going to be help in two weeks or less."

"You've heard?" I blinked at them in surprise. "Damn! There goes my surprise."

"Of course!" Rika said excitedly. "Ms. Stonewall had kept us well informed. Just look at you! Working for Barry and Joseph's Ballet Troup and also engaged! You have everything you've always wanted!"

"Yeah!" Angie nodded her head vigorously. "It's great to see you living your dream. Even Rika has a job at a Ballet company in Dover to teach high school kids, while I'm just stuck here in Ruthwell teaching elementary school kids!"

"Really?" I asked them, happy that my friends were doing well. "You still haven't moved ye? Did you tell me you were sending out applications at Dover or neighbouring cities?"

"The applications haven't been accepted yet." Angie sighed. "One of the schools had looked into my application and called to confirm it was me, but they haven't called back with an appointment yet."

"I really hope you get this job, Angie." I told her as Ruth nodded. "Ruthwell is a nightmare to be stuck in."

The waiter came to our table then, wanting to take our order and by the look of excitement on her face, she was new to town and to all the juicy gossip surrounding me. We placed our orders and waited while our food got cooked. In the meantime, I got to know a lot about what has been going on around town ever since I ran away.

There was one question stuck at the back of my mind that I desperately wanted to ask but I didn't have the courage to. Or rather, I thought that I didn't have the right to ask after all this time.

But I guess I could ask Rika and Angie. They have had my back for the longest time and they would understand why I was asking them this. It's been killing me ever since I set foot in Ruthwell.

So, after gathering up enough courage, I went to ask the question to my friends but when the bell rang over the front door to the diner and some people walked in, my question got stuck in my throat.

Because that person was none other than my best friend since Kindergardenth, Cathy McCarthy, with a toddler in one hand and a five or six year old in the other and a slightly rounded stomach that pointed to that fact that she was pregnant again.

But what shocked me the most wasn't the babies or the wedding ring she had on her ring finger, but the fact that she was followed close behind by Jordan's mother. The same Jordan who was once supposed to become my husband that fateful night seven years ago. And that's when it clicked. That's how I got the answer to my unasked question.

The wedding had happened even after I had run away from it. And the person who had married Jordan had been none other than my childhood best friend, Cathy.