"What?" her colleague asked, the surprise evident in her voice. "Since when?"
"Since right now," she answered with a smile. "I think I just decided this very minute."
"But, are you sure?"
"Yes, I am," she said. "Have you ever felt so sure of something that you just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt? There were no "ifs, ands, or buts" about it?"
"Yeah, I guess,"
"It's just a fact," she said. "I'm leaving my husband."
"Does he know?"
"No, I'm going to wait a bit to tell him," she mused, realizing she had decided already. "I need to make some arrangements, and I don't want to deal with the drama if he knows too soon."
"Well, if there is anything I can do, just let me know," her colleague said, standing up. "You know you have a lot of people here who are willing to give you a hand moving, or anything else you need."
"Thank you, I appreciate that," she responded, gratefully. "And I may take you up on it."
Sitting alone in her office, she was amazed at what had just come out of her mouth. She wasn't sorry she had said it, not by a long shot. But she was surprised at how sure she was and how calm she felt. Their relationship had always been so full of drama and angst, that she was shocked it was ending with such a sense of surety and peace on her part. Maybe it was just shock right now, but she didn't care. It didn't matter what her friends thought, or her family, or her colleagues. It was her life, and she deserved to be happy and to take care of herself.
She took a deep breath and sat back, threading her hands behind her head. She stared at the ceiling as memories of their relationship washed over her. Whatever had happened, no matter why it had happened, she knew beyond a doubt that she had loved him. She remembered their wedding day, but this time, she didn't analyze or try to understand the past, she just let it come to her. Their wedding day, so full of hope and promise. She had been so sure it was the beginning of the rest of their lives together.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Wedding
T he plane taxied into the gate just after eleven a.m. As the seatbelt sign went off, she could hardly believe they were going to do it. It might not be a big wedding, and their friends and family might not be in attendance, but they were getting married!
They were staying at the Mandalay Bay hotel, and the shuttle was waiting just outside the airport doors. They found their overnight bags on the carousel and jumped into the van. Holding her hand, he smiled down at her as they swayed with the movement of the vehicle.
"Well, you ready to do this?" he asked her
"Yup, and you?" she answered.
"Too late if I'm not, right?" he joked.
"You better believe it," she laughed.
"So, what do I have to do?" he asked her.
"Well, we need to go to the Clark County Marriage Bureau to get our license. It shouldn't take long as I filled out most of the paperwork online," she answered.
"Why don't you do that, and I'll try my luck at the machines?" he told her.
"Ha! I don't think so," she said, jabbing him playfully in his side. "We both have to be present to get the license."
"Do we have to give blood or anything?" he asked.
"Nope, just sign, pay the fee, and we're ready," she responded.
"Then we just have to find an Elvis that will marry us?" he asked, jokingly.
"I agreed to a Vegas wedding, but that doesn't mean it's going to be that tacky!" she exclaimed with a smile. "No, I will check in with the hotel, but I was told we can just let them know what we want, pay, and get married the next day."
As they arrived at the hotel, she was in awe at the over-the-top splendor of it all. It had been many years since she had been in Las Vegas, and it seemed to have grown in both magnitude and sheer presence. Their room was plush and tastefully decorated, with a king-size bed, deep jacuzzi tub, and white robes laid out on the bed.
"I thought we could go and get the license right away, so that's out of the way," she explained. "Everything else can be done on the strip, but we need to grab a cab to go and get the license."
"Okay, then let's do this," he said.
It took an amazingly short time to get the license. When they arrived at the marriage bureau, they went straight to the express line, gave the clerk the paperwork they had filled in online, the clerk checked their identification, stamped the paperwork, and they were on their way.
"Wow, no wonder people come to Vegas for a quickie wedding," he commented. "I've spent more time getting a fishing license."
Back at the hotel, she left him plugging quarters into a slot machine while she went in search of a dress. She was a bit concerned because she wasn't sure she would be able to find what she wanted. Because it was such a quick and small wedding, she didn't want a full-blown wedding dress, but she still wanted to look and feel like a bride. She glanced through some of the shops in the hotel but quickly realized that they were way outside of her budget. Stopping by the information desk, she asked the woman behind the counter where the best place would be to find a simple wedding dress.
"Best place if you need something today is a place called Brilliant Bridal," the woman told her. "You can buy them off the rack, and it's about a ten-minute cab ride."
She sat on one of the cushy lobby benches while she waited for the taxi the woman had ordered to arrive. She couldn't believe she was going to pick out a wedding dress. She felt a twinge as she realized she was doing this by herself, and that it would have been nice to have her mother or one of her friends with her, but she quickly brushed that thought away. It was the marriage that was important, not the wedding. She had to keep herself focused on that and not let anything cloud this experience for her. She watched the people milling around her as she wondered what her family's reaction would be when they returned home married. She stirred uncomfortably at the thought, as she knew the news would hurt some people who were close to her.
She made an effort to push the negative thoughts aside as she slipped into the cab and left for the bridal shop, but a sense of uncertainty stayed with her during the drive. As the taxi pulled up to the shop, she passed the driver his fare, along with a healthy tip.
Getting out of the vehicle, she looked around at the sprawling Spanish hacienda-style strip mall. The red adobe tile roof seemed especially appropriate for the hot desert climate. Nestled in between a wedding chapel and a Mexican restaurant, Brilliant Bridal looked large and welcoming with large pictures of happy brides adorning the windows. Entering the store, she was greeted by a beautiful teal and white-colored room, complete with low upholstered benches, beautiful fabrics and dresses lining the walls. The dark hardwood floors gave it a luxurious, indulgent feel and she felt herself relax as she let herself take in the room.
"May I help you?" a saleswoman, with the tag identifying her as Joan asked.
"Yes, I'm looking for an off the rack wedding dress to buy today," she answered.
"You've come to the right place then," the woman smiled at her, apparently used to brides coming in last minute to purchase a dress that many women took months to finalize.