The Christmas Bride

Shelly stood before the mirror viewing her bridal gown of white satin, intricately trimmed within tiny mother of pearls in addition to white lace. In less then one hour she would be Mrs. Austin Weston her sweet heart and one true love from high school. Her blue eyes sparkled with anticipation, her lips lined in the softest pink lipstick, while her cheeks showed just a hint of blush; her dark chocolate brown hair cascading in delicate curls down her back, Meg, her maid of honor placed a diamond tiara gently on Shelly’s head. Meg’s dress was green satin and white lace, a crown made out of Christmas flowers, her long brown hair flowing down her back.

Austin stood next to his brother Josh dressed in black matching tuxedos, shiny black dress shoes, bow ties and white dress shirts. Their black hair did not have one strand out of place. The wedding march begins to play from the organ that carries the music throughout the cathedral and into the street.

Meg ambles slowly down the aisle before Shelly and her father; Austin as well as Josh feel the same knot in their throats as they witness the most beautiful bride ambling towards them. Shelly appeared as a princess and felt like she was a princess marrying her prince. Her eyes began to fill with liquid pools of tears, her pale pink lips held an angelic smile as she and her father takes their places with Meg at the alter. A silence falls upon the Cathedral as the wedding begins. . .

They are now united from this day forward as husband and wife before God and their witnesses; they sealed their vows with the holy kiss. Shelly felt her head begin to spin slightly as their lips met and she struggled to regain her composure for she would not ruin her wedding day.

The ballroom where the reception was held was identical to Cinderella’s ballroom where she first met her prince. Shelly smiled as she had regained her strength. Their wedding gifts were under a Christmas tree by the brides and grooms table also decorated in a Christmas theme. They were so blessed on this Christmas Eve.

They smiled in each other’s eyes as they waltzed around the ballroom floor, once they sat down at the table Shelly has noticed blood droplets on the sleeves of her dress, Austin noticed a small amount running slowly from her nose. He gently patted the blood droplets away from her face.

“Are you feeling alright baby?” He asked apprehensive that something was dreadfully wrong.

“I am just slightly weak; I think it’s just the excitement of being a Christmas Bride.” She told him bravely with a weak smile.

Shelly and her father waltzed around the ballroom smiling and laughing when she collapses! Austin runs to her side while Shelly’s mother runs to her daughter as well. Shelly is unconscious and rushed to the hospital where the diagnosis is not what they expected. Doctor Morris looked at the new groom and this was one time he really wish he did not have to tell a husband the news.

“Mr. Weston, I am sorry to be the one to tell you this… your wife is dying, I don’t expect her to last past midnight. You and her family might want to spend her last six hours with her.” He told them wishing for some miracle.

Austin went into shock; he collapsed into his brother’s arms. Shelly’s mother fell to her knee’s crying out a heart-wrenching scream, while her father stumbled backwards to a chair. Meg tried to console Shelly’s mother through her heartbreak of losing her best friend.

Austin walked into the hospital room where his bride lay fading away; he would not accept that there was not any cure for her rare blood disease. They did not even have a name for it, only that she developed it in the last twelve hours and it was ravaging her white blood cells faster then they could administer transfusions. Her mother sat vigilantly at her only daughter’s deathbed, holding her pale fragile hand while she cried a thousand tears and prayed for a miracle to take place. The death rattle could now be heard emulating from Shelly’s fragile body and Austin held her in his arms as he wept holding between his fingers the crystal Christmas bride from their wedding cake.

“Shelly, please do not leave me now. How am I to go on without you to guide me in our dreams?” Austin cried as he maneuvered his body against hers in the hospital bed.

Shelly’s parents sat silently as the clock strikes midnight. Shelly’s breathing becomes rasped as her vitals began to fall. Austin held onto her tightly crying and fearing if he let go that shelly would leave him then.

“Please do not take her away from me. Shelly I love you and I wish I could go instead of you.” He sobbed into her shoulder as his tears fell upon her.

Josh held Meg in his arms as she cried her last good-bye to her friend. “Who is going to help me with my make-up if you go away? Shelly, please, I don’t think I can make it here without you.” Meg cried out her pain-filled words.

Shelly’s father fell to his knees beside her deathbed calling out to the Heavens above, at that exact same moment she flat lined… It was as if the Heavens had opened up in her hospital room when a brilliant light lit the whole room. Austin cried out as death took his bride away from him.

“God no! Shelly come back please, please come back baby. Oh my God she is gone!” he cried holding her lifeless body in his arms.

A beautiful Angel dressed in a deep red gown with a crown of roses on her head raised her hands above the lifeless Shelly, a brilliant gold light glowed from with her body as the angel had begun curing the rare disease and returning her to her husband, family and friend’s. Outside her window, the angel’s could be heard singing Silent night.

Merry Christmas