St Valentine’s Day – Short Romance Story

Miriam McGuirk

It was Beau and Belle’s Wedding Day. Beau stood with his best man Brad as the guests sat in the blue-hued, sunlit room. Beau worried. How will I say the words I Do while steadily placing the wedding ring on Belle’s finger? Beads of perspiration gathered on his forehead. He looked anxiously to his Best Man for reassurance.

Brad gave none. He concentrated on his ten-page speech, that he had spent the night writing and proposed to make later.

The night before, Belle had heard a pop and a distinctive cracking sound while tucking the pristine sheets into the corners of the marital bed.

“Agh…my back, my back,” she cried out. On her hands and knees, crawling to the other side of the room, she reached into a drawer where Doctor Marrow’s tablets rested.

Later, while she struggled to brush her teeth, Bridget her mother, appeared by the open bathroom door. Belle spied a disapproving look in her mother’s eyes.

“You know it’s not lucky to be with your future husband, especially the night before the wedding.” Belle knew her religious mother could not bring herself to say, ‘sleep with’.

“Mother,” Belle spat the toothpaste out in exasperation, “Would you listen to yourself? I am in agony the night before my wedding. Beau and I have been living blissfully together for the last year. I followed the holy book the first time around. You have forgotten how that ended. Right now, my dilemma is: will I be able to walk up the aisle tomorrow and take my vows.’

Her mother sighed, kissed her daughter on the cheek and bade her goodnight. Disappearing into her bedroom, Belle heard her close the door with a sharp bang.

Belle’s yearned for wedding day finally arrived. Alone with her pain, and Doctor Marrow’s medication, she waited outside the registry office. She hoped that Beau and the best man were in their rightful place as their guests walked up the path and through the main door. With no sign of her bridesmaid or her great uncle Brendan to give her away, holding her emotional state in check, eventually, uncontrollable tears spilled down her cheeks. “Why didn’t we run away to get married.” She whispered.

Dressed from head to toe in ice blue, the matching crochet garter her aunt had made began to slip down her thigh, ending up at her ankle. Uncle Brendan appeared at her side with a limp, and a twitch in his eye. Startled, she gasped with anxiety.

“Would you like me to push your garter to where it needs to be, love? Seems it’s slipped.” He gave her a mischievous smile and spun her around in the wheelchair towards the registry office door.

“You are late. Where is my bridesmaid? Get this ridiculous garter off me. Go and tell my mother it’s an emergency. She needs to fix my panda eyes and smudged makeup. I refuse to be taken up the aisle in this state. Belle’s voice rose in desperation.

Too late, “whee…ee, down we go. Stand back, everyone.” He called out. Losing his balance, he pushed her wheelchair forward and then let go. Out of control, Belle sped at full force and hit Brad, the best man, who flew up in the air, hair skew-whiff, landing face down on the registrar’s desk.

Thrown from her wheelchair, into the arms of the man she truly loved, Belle realised she had no option but to take her vows of ‘I Do in Blue.’

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