Ave María

The invitations were sent, all services and the church were booked. Everything was ready, waiting for them. Only Laura's dress was missing; two weeks was too little time to find the ideal one, much less have it made. But it was enough time for Deanna to find hers, which turned out to be very similar to the style her favorite soprano had worn in her day.

A white dress, off-the-shoulder and form-fitting, but with draped fabric in the skirt. Nothing spectacular; the simpler, the better. She wasn't supposed to be the star that day - Laura was - and achieving that would take more than just a dress. She'd need help from a few more people.

The guests would be family members from both sides, closest friends, and of course, several university classmates - something she was counting on. Deanna loved Harry and Laura dearly; they were like siblings to her, and she wanted to give them something no one else could. So she had to be careful in the days leading up to the wedding to ensure neither suspected anything.

That Saturday, Daniel spent the day with his brother at their parents' house, while Deanna and Laura got ready at the hotel where the reception would be held. Susan was with them, part of Laura's bridal party.

"Why didn't you bring your bridesmaids, Deanna?"

"This isn't really my wedding... I don't need them. This is all for Laura."

"She's very happy, but very nervous, hasn't eaten anything all day."

"I can do something about that..."

Within an hour, room service had delivered several pizzas, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks.

"I can't eat anything, Dean."

"The dress will still fit even if you eat a little... This one has double cheese," Deanna tempted while taking another bite of her slice.

Laura finally gave in and took a bite. But Dean was eating like there was no tomorrow and drinking beer too. She was used to this kind of food, more than anyone else in the room, and she was enjoying it so much it made them envious.

Meanwhile, Daniel had a perfectly ordinary Saturday at his parents' house. Harry was the nervous one, pacing back and forth everywhere.

"You're making me dizzy, Harry," his father said.

"Sorry, Dad, I didn't think I'd get like this."

"It's natural to be anxious, but calm down," Daniel told him.

"You're very calm, brother."

In reality, Daniel was in turmoil inside. Of course he was nervous; everything related to her made him nervous, but he wasn't going to show it. He was an accomplished man with a solid and successful career, three wonderful children, an impeccable reputation, and in just a few weeks, a woman was giving him knots in his stomach. A woman he barely knew. But he had to maintain a normal facade. All of this was nothing more than a lie.

At the church, there was a small room where the bride could receive guests beforehand, in case anyone wanted to take photos with her. Laura was there, and people were filing in to see her. Her dress was a typical princess-style wedding gown, with a very full skirt and long train. She was the image of the perfect bride, looking spectacular. The grooms had arrived too, but they were waiting elsewhere.

Daniel decided to greet his new sister-in-law and went to see her. But Deanna was supposed to be there too, and she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she'd preferred to let Laura be the center of attention at this wedding and stayed in the background. It was getting close to ceremony time and she still hadn't appeared. She wouldn't have backed out at the last minute, would she?

"I can't find Deanna," Susan announced.

"What do you mean you can't? The guests are waiting," Camila was hoping she wouldn't show up.

"I'll look for her myself, she must be somewhere in the church."

Daniel went out to see where she'd gotten to; for a moment, anxiety overtook him. Would she really back out? As he walked down the hallway, a door opened and several young people started coming out, probably Harry's university classmates. And suddenly, she emerged from the same room. What had she been doing in there with all those men?

"What were you doing in there? Everyone's waiting for you, we need to start," he demanded, more harshly than he'd intended.

"Already? Well, let's go!"

He hadn't seen her in the dress yet, wasn't sure how to feel about her bare shoulders. This was getting harder and harder.

Deanna walked in on Charles's arm. Since she had no father and hadn't announced her wedding to anyone, Daniel's father took that place. People were still surprised to see her... so young for him. Her bouquet was simple gardenias and jasmine; she wore no veil and just a modest necklace. Camila had excused the bride's simplicity, saying that since it was Daniel's second marriage, it was better to keep it discreet.

He waited at the altar alongside Harry and some cousins, in the typical black tuxedo. But he looked even more elegant and imposing. His three children sat in the front pews, watching her walk. When she saw them, Deanna smiled, and Jonathan's face lit up with a huge grin as he started waving at her. After that time at their house, they hadn't seen her until today, so the little one's enthusiasm was too much to contain.

The justice of the peace married them without ceremony, and then came the moment to "kiss the bride." But Daniel wasn't moving; Harry watched expectantly and the guests didn't understand what was happening. Deanna had to act fast, so she moved close enough to give him a small kiss on the cheek, but it backfired: Daniel was startled and looked directly into her eyes. She gestured for him to walk already, took his hand, and they started to leave.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked when they were finally outside.

"What?"

"I asked if you're feeling alright, you weren't moving."

"Yes, yes, I'm fine."

"We need to hurry, it's Harry and Laura's turn now."

Deanna seemed unaware that she'd just married him. Why did her attitude bother him? It was a temporary wedding, a farce, not real, so why did it bother him? Daniel resigned himself and waited a few minutes before going back in - he was Harry's best man. And Deanna had disappeared again. She was supposed to be with the rest of the bridesmaids.

Laura entered with her father, a huge smile on her face. Her appearance was nothing like Deanna's; she was the princess marrying her love. Dressed in white from head to toe, with an enormous bouquet of white roses and the veil covering her face.

Suddenly, from the upper balcony, the church organ began to play, accompanied by a guitar, and a powerful, sweet voice sang the first verses of "Ave Maria." This was Deanna's gift to her friends: her voice. Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing, seeing her up there with that expression on her face looking straight ahead, completely lost in the moment, singing like that.

Laura's smile grew even wider when she heard the singing, matching Harry's. It was the perfect wedding, the one she had always dreamed of. She was about to cry and had to make a huge effort to hold back her tears. Except for her and Harry, none of the guests had heard her sing before; many didn't even know she could.

Daniel wasn't the only one completely stunned; Jonathan had stood up on the pew as if trying to see her better. He watched her with big, enormous eyes, without blinking. He loved music too, and Deanna could communicate in his language.

When the last note sounded, the bride and groom were waiting at the altar holding hands. Deanna simply withdrew from the balcony, and the Justice of the Peace began his speech again. She quietly returned to her place as bridesmaid and watched her friends' wedding. Daniel couldn't stop looking at her.