Shimmer

January 22

What a cold frigid day out.

Ring ring

A number I slightly recognize.

“Hello?”

“Hello Shawn,” a once familiar voice said.

“Hello is this Ashley?” I questioned.

“Yeah hey I am so sorry to call you out of the blue. I am a little ashamed. Can we talk?” She asked.

“For what?”

“Out of all the people I could talk to about this you are the only one. Who was always great at helping me get my head together.”

“Ash, I don’t think we can just forget our past. I may not be able to.” Said with regret.

“Could you meet me at this address? For we can chat.” She responded.

“Okay,” I said.

I drive to the location. This is a wedding venue. I am just wearing a dark button down and jeans. It is about 1 o’clock in the afternoon. I walk into the building.

I notice the color scheme lavender, cream, and light pink.

“Hello sir, there is a private event here in a few hours. May I help you?” This business lady asked.

“I think I have the right address.” Looking very puzzled.

I show her the address I had written down.

“You are at the right place.” She responded quickly.

“Is there an Ashley Stigler here?” I asked.

“Is she expecting you?”

“She did just call me.”

“Let me go check in and I will be right back.”

So this is really odd.

“Follow me she is downstairs here.” She waved for me to follow her.

We walked down a flight of steps in front of me was this woman in this gorgeous wedding gown.

“Shawn, thank you for coming. Thank you Lana.” Ashely talked so calmly.

Lana walks back up the steps.

“I am confused… is today…are you getting married?” I couldn’t even talk. So tongue tied by the sight.

“I am supposed to be in a few hours.”

“Ashley, I shouldn’t be here then.” I pondered as to why I really was invited to come here.

“I need someone to talk to. I am having cold feet.” She blurted out anxiously.

“Ha! Sorry not to be rude. But am I really the best person for this. I am your ex.”

“Shawn, love is for fools that fall behind. And I’m somewhere… in between.” What a response with haste.

“Somewhere between what… a killer and a savior for love?”

“Exactly.” Ashley murmured.

“ I always imagined you and I would have gotten to this position…” I began to reminisce.

“We should have gotten to this position.” She bit back.

“Then why didn’t we… Was it the bad… timing… Was it your career…or mine? I told you we could have made it work regardless. Here comes a low blow. But you always had cold feet… always afraid to take that extra leap. And here on your wedding day of all things.” Coming off a bit frustrated. How could I not be? This is a woman whom I saw a future with.

“ I was hoping you would give me advice.” She pleaded.

“Advice on what? Getting married…? I guess I could try to give you advice. But I am not winning the lottery in dating or anything. I haven’t held on to anything since you. If I am going to be here for a bit is there some alcohol? Can I get a drink? Can I get you a drink too?”

“Please.”

Lana comes back down with two old fashioneds.

“That is better. What was I saying?” I completely lost my train of thought.

“I find that hard to believe. You have been single since?” Ashley begins the investigation.

“Well believe it. You were the closest I ever got to this day.”

“You haven’t dated anyone in five years?” Now this is how Ashley prods the dead animal.

“I tried. The most recent relationship ended because she liked women.” I started blushing in humiliation.

“Ouch!!!”

“Yeah, it was a huge hit to the libido.”

“Shawn, look at me I am sure it is not because of you. How long ago was that?”

“Six months ago.” I whispered.

“SHAWN!” Ashley damn near broke my ear drums.

“What?”

“I think it is time you have moved on.” She requested.

“That is ironic coming from you. Haha.”

“Yeah I guess it kind of is.”

“Tell me,…”

“I am afraid I am missing out on something.” She said with regret.

“Well are these new feelings or old feelings?” My turn to wear the detective hat.

“It hit me over the last few weeks.”

“Is there some kind of spat going on between you and your future husband?”

“We are having disagreements on when to have children.”

“Let me guess. You want to hold off and he wants to impregnate you right away.”

“Yup.”

“My career.”

“Ash, is that always going to be an excuse? Your job is not what defines you. And not only that. That was your reason between us. Five years, if you’re not there yet, clearly you are in the wrong profession.” I do not regret throwing the harsh reality at her.

“I got promoted a couple of years ago I got a slightly bigger workload now.”

“And no other woman at your job has had kids?” Giggling at the absurdity of the question.

“They have.”

“Wouldn’t your future husband make a great father?”

“He would be…a great dad.” She softly said.

“What if you two compromise and start trying in a year?”

“That sounds good.”

“What else?”

“Umm..”

“I wish I could just ask this,…will we ever be again? But we are too far gone to hold onto anything now.” Pondering the what if gorgeous a moment.

“Our time has come and gone.” Ashley admitted.

“It has.”

“I guess I am just scared that we will repeat what happened to us.” She sounds remorseful.

“Us?”

“Sigh….”

“Ashley, for you to even get to this day, tells me what you feel for the lucky guy. If there were any doubts knowing you. You would have never even gotten this far. Believe me.” I damn nearly wanted to smack her across the face.

“You are right…”

“I know I am right about this. Here give me a hug. And I will find Lana or someone to sneak me out before any of your guests see this underdressed guy.” Time to leave this be.

“Shawn, I really appreciate this. Thank you for chatting with me. I wish there was some way I could repay you.”

A beautiful woman in a lavender bridesmaid dress comes walking down the steps. She is stunning. Our eyes meet and I am just blown away.

“Ashley, it is almost…hello there.” This beautiful woman said.

Our eyes meet and for a moment…both of us are awestruck.

“Shawn, this is my maid of honor Heather. Heather, this is an old friend Shawn.” Introducing us.

“It is a pleasure.” As I put out my hand.

“Pleasure is all mine. Not to be too forward you are just…breathtaking.” I couldn’t help myself. She deserves a compliment.

Heather blushes under her makeup.

“Well anyway, it was great talking to you Ashley. I wish you years of happiness and it was great to meet you Heather.”

I head for the steps.

“Shawn.”

I turn around.

“Yes?”

“Stick around for a minute.”

Ashley gets on her phone. I am looking at Heather. She looks back at me.

“How come an old friend of Ashley is not going to be at her wedding?” Oh no here comes a new line of questioning.

“I didn’t make the cut.” I joked.

Ashley gets off of her phone. And she talks to Lana which now I am guessing she is the coordinator.

“Shawn, as a favor to me. Would you be the best man at my wedding?”

“Ashley, I do not feel…”

“It is really bad to argue with the bride on her wedding day.” Heather pointed out.

“Sure thing.” Can’t argue with that.

“Any second now a tux is coming down those steps with a vest for you.”

Just like that it showed up. I got myself ready in a flash. I walked out with Lana and I stood next to the groom.

“How you doing? I am Shawn I guess I am your best man.” Meeting Ashley’s soon to be for the first time.

“Adam. Yeah Ashley just called me about adding you. She said you are a really good friend of hers….Tell me Shawn.”

He looked so anxious.

“Adam, I can tell you she doesn’t have cold feet man.”

“Did she bring up having kids?”

“Yes.”

He sighs.

“Thanks.”

He nods slowly.

The wedding party started walking down the aisle. There was Heather. And soon to follow was Ashley. She looked stunning in that wedding dress. It hit differently this time. I am happy for her. She found someone that means the world to her. She just needed a shove, that’s all.

I could hear the couple whisper to each other.

“Ashley, I want children someday. But that’s not why I am marrying you. I want to spend my life with you. When we are ready to start a family, we’ll do it together.”

“Adam, there is no doubt in my mind. I am so excited for when this happens.”

I drifted off as stuff was said to each other. And then they kissed. They walked arm and arm. And it was time to go arm and arm with Heather.

“So Heather told me all about you.” She whispered in my ear.

“Hopefully nothing bad.” I chuckled back.

“She told me everything. You are more than an old friend. You are an ex. You know what you did was very sweet for Adam and Ashley.”

“She loves him. You can tell. She just needed to face the right direction.” And she has.

The wedding party made their way into the venue with introductions, dances. They handed me a microphone. I looked at them, panicked. I just became their best man an hour ago if not longer. What do I even say.

“Hello everyone! I am a friend of Ashley’s. I have known her for a long time. She is the hardest worker I know a real go-getter. She was telling me earlier about Adam. The normal wedding jitters. But she never once said today was out of reach or it wouldn’t happen. I could see her eyes shimmer when I mentioned her soon to be husband. That wasn’t someone who was afraid of today. That was someone afraid of stepping into the beautiful unknown ahead of her. And now it is official you are husband and wife. May your future be so bright and many adventures await you both. Cheers!” I lifted my glass.

The reception had settled into a warm haze of laughter, clinking glasses, and tired dancing. Ashley and her new husband were surrounded by family near the center of the ballroom, smiling for photos.

I loosened my tie and slipped toward the quieter side of the room.

A minute later, I heard heels clicking behind me.

“Well,” Heather said, stepping beside him, “there you are.”

I glanced over with a grin. “You say that like I escaped custody.”

“You disappeared after saving the wedding. That feels suspicious.”

“Saving might be generous.”

Heather folded her arms and leaned against the wall beside me. “Ashley was ready to bolt.”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “For a minute there, I thought she actually might.”

“And somehow you talked her back.”

I shrugged lightly. “She just needed someone to remind her why she was there.”

Heather looked at me carefully.

“You’re either a really good guy,” she said, “or emotionally insane.”

“That’s still being debated.”

She laughed, and I caught myself staring at her a second too long.

Heather noticed.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

“That wasn’t a nothing look.”

I smirked. “You always interrogate people this quickly?”

“Only the interesting ones.”

That landed harder than it should have.

Across the ballroom, the band transitioned into a slower song. Couples drifted back toward the dance floor beneath strings of hanging lights.

Heather looked toward it, then back at me.

“Dance with me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You ask strangers to dance often?”

“You’re not exactly a stranger anymore.”

Before I could answer, she held out her hand.

I stared at it for a beat before taking it.

The dance floor had thinned out, leaving enough space for quiet conversations and slow movements. Heather rested one hand on my shoulder while I settled carefully at her waist.

“You know,” she said, “for someone claiming he dances badly, you’re doing okay.”

“That’s because you’re doing most of the work.”

“I know.”

I laughed softly.

The song wrapped around us while the lights dimmed lower across the ballroom.

For the first time all night, I felt my shoulders relax.

Heather noticed.

“There,” she said quietly.

“There what?”

“The real smile.”

“I’ve smiled tonight.”

“Yeah,” she teased. “But those were your polite survival smiles.”

I shook my head, laughing under my breath.

“You read people too well.”

“It’s my toxic trait.”

I looked down at her for a second longer this time.

“No,” I said quietly. “I think your toxic trait might be making people comfortable enough to forget they’re guarded.”

Heather’s expression softened slightly.

“That,” she admitted, “was smooth.”

“Wasn’t trying to be.”

“That’s why it worked.”

The music slowed further. Around us, the reception blurred into soft gold light and distant conversation.

Heather tilted her head slightly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Depends.”

“When you were talking Ashley through her panic attack earlier…” she paused, searching my face, “…were you hurting the whole time?”

I exhaled slowly.

“A little.”

Heather’s eyes softened.

“But honestly?” I continued. “Seeing her happy made it easier than I thought.”

“And you still stayed.”

“Someone had to talk her down.”

“No,” Heather said gently. “Most people wouldn’t have.”

I didn’t answer right away.

Then I shrugged lightly. “Ashley mattered to me. She still does. Just differently now.”

Heather smiled faintly. “That’s probably the healthiest thing I’ve heard a man say at a wedding.”

“Low bar?”

“Very.”

We both laughed quietly.

Then the laughter faded.

Neither of us moved away.

Heather’s hand slid slightly higher against my shoulder while I instinctively pulled her a little closer. Not possessive. Just natural.

Comfortable.

Dangerously comfortable.

“You know,” Heather said softly, “when Ashley told me about you, I expected some heartbreaking ex-boyfriend story.”

“And instead?”

“Instead I got the guy who helped his ex marry someone else.” She looked up at me. “That’s annoyingly attractive.”

I smiled. “Annoyingly?”

“I was trying very hard not to flirt with you tonight.”

“How’s that going?”

Heather bit back a smile.

“Poorly.”

The air between shifted.

The kind of silence that says everything.

My eyes dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.

Heather noticed that too.

Neither of us spoke.

Then she said quietly, almost teasing:

“So are you gonna keep looking at me like that or are you actually gonna do something about it?”

I laughed under my breath.

“You don’t waste time, do you?”

“Life’s short. Weddings are emotional. Read the room.”

That was all it took.

Heather met me halfway.

The kiss wasn’t rushed or dramatic.

It was warm.

Certain.

The kind that felt unexpected and inevitable at the same time.

When we finally pulled apart, Heather smiled first.

“Well,” she whispered, “that definitely violates maid of honor professionalism.”

I grinned.

“I think talking the bride out of running away earned me one dance-floor kiss.”

Heather leaned closer again, forehead resting lightly against my chest.

“One?” she murmured.

And as the music carried on, I realized something surprising.

For the first time all day, I wasn’t thinking about the past anymore.