A Blue-sky Aurora

Only seconds before the wedding party began its procession down the aisle, she entered so elegantly. Her presence was felt before eyes were amazed. Whispers and gasps filled the air and echoed up to the ceilings of the cathedral. There she stood; the fire that burned hotter than any flame he could put out.

Her light celeste laced-gown glided against the time-worn carpet as she flowed in with the gust of wind from the entrance. Aware of the hush noise initiated from the groom’s side, she took her place. The air stood still like her expression. At the altar, she gazed without a smile or look of disdain.

Abruptly, the acoustics of the organ sent vibrations through the walls to signal the wedding party to commence their steps. There stood the love of her life. He jovially strolled to the altar. Shortly after, three beloved young sisters were slowly escorted up the aisle by three sharply dressed and groomed men.

In the front graced Sanaa, their eldest daughter and the splitting image of her alluring mother. When he saw his babies walking towards him, all he could see was their mother. In awe of them, his eyes began to water. Doubts rushed through his mind and his heart felt heavy. He always pictured getting married, but he never imagined it this way.

Once they reached the altar, the three ladies faced the crowd. More loved ones and unfamiliar faces followed to reach the place she dreamt of since she met him. Then, the tone of the music changed, and everyone arose from their seats. Astonishment came over all the guests as the bride graced the aisle. The groom’s family and friends' faces were masked with confusion while the bride’s side varied between excitement and awe.

Zara, the youngest daughter, spotted her mother in the back of the grandiose room as bodies motioned to grab their devices. She nudged the middle sister, Jamila, to look across the room. Overwhelmed with excitement, they became disruptive enough to alert Sanaa. She shushed them immediately. Jamila rolled her eyes and pinched Sanaa next to her.

“Look!” she tried to whisper and, unintentionally, caught her father's attention. Jamila then fixed her eyes in the direction of their mother. Sanaa slowly examined the back pews and couldn’t believe her eyes. Neither could he. His heartbeat accelerated, and he smiled. Surprisingly, he was happy to see her despite their last encounter.

Undoubtedly, her eyes focused solely on him. She continued to gaze out while her mind took a trip to a romantic haven. The only time she felt like herself was in this man's arms. A break was needed from feeling controlled by any substance for the special occasion. However, she kept "the normal'' Dr. Morrison prescribed in arms reach just in case she felt another manic episode coming on.

His forehead glistened with sweat. Her adrenaline rose, but her mind walked her down the aisle even though she sat perfectly still. She remained calm facing the love of her life who she knew intimately for almost two decades. As the bride strolled towards the groom, looks of confusion and shock covered his side of the congregation.

Members of the bride’s family wore concern on their face, but the bride continued to float on rose petals in bliss and ignorance. The whispering chatter travelled through the crowd and, finally, reached the mother of the groom’s attention. Mrs. Knight searched carefully for the reason behind the chatter and noticed Aurora staring at her son.

“Oh here we go,” she mumbled under her breath as she grinned awkwardly. All who knew the scandalous pair were at the edge of their seat waiting to see a spectacle, but Aurora didn’t move. She heard the music stop, the minister speak and the vows read aloud.

As they both gazed into one another’s eye, Aurora was awakened by the words, “if anyone knows why these two should not marry, speak now or forever hold their peace.” Time appeared to stand still until their daughter’s faces expressed confusion mimicking the congregation. The room fell silent for a second, and members of the groom’s side looked over their shoulder awaiting objection. They couldn’t believe what wasn't happening.

Aurora remained almost lifeless. The bride noticed the soft commotion in the room and looked to him for clarification. He kept smiling, but the sweat beads were falling from his forehead like raindrops. Regardless, the officiate continued, “I now pronounce this man and this woman, husband and wife.”

When their lips connected, reality punched her in the gut once more. Aurora could see what everyone else was seeing - her worst nightmare. The love of her life was kissing and marrying another woman. A soft tear subtly fell down Aurora’s cheek, and she calmly raised her hand to wipe it off.

Caleb's family was expecting a show given Aurora’s impulsive and unpredictable track record. Although they had a tumultuous relationship, they always found a way to resolve their problems and find their way back to each other. However, the ceremony was coming to an end, so the joy quickly morphed into disappointment.

Nothing was happening. Mrs. Knight was more astonished than anyone else at Aurora’s calm demeanor. Briefly, she became truly concerned about Aurora until cheers and applause erupted. Once more guests looked over their shoulder, but Aurora vanished before Caleb and his new wife jumped the broom.

As she fled the scene, her mind wouldn't stop moving, thinking or hallucinating. "Have you told your family? Are you ashamed or afraid?" "Really; Schizoaffective?" "For how long?" "What if we had known sooner?" All the times people called her crazy over and over again. One diagnosis explained so much: years of extreme natural highs, hallucinations, violent outbursts, disappearing acts, emotional drowning and self-destruction.

She couldn't believe there was a name for it all; including the paralysis she felt during the wedding. Why didn't she want to fight once more? Why didn't she stay 3 years ago instead of packing up her things? Too many voices and too much noise was lashing at her at once. Last time this happened, she sought peace in pills and potions and ended up in the hospital.

If her concerned neighbor didn't notice her door unusually cracked open, she would have drowned in her sorrows. Fearfully, she reached down into her purse for the prescription to cease her anxiety. She stared at the bottle for a moment as if it was magical, popped the top and swallowed a must needed pill.

Suddenly, a hand fell gently on her right shoulder and slightly startled her. When she looked over, there was Mrs. Knight, and a few feet away stood her daughters. Aurora turned completely around to face her, and Mrs. Knight glanced at the prescription on the bottle in her hand. "Vraylar?" Mrs. Knight inquired.

Aurora stared into her eyes and broke down hysterically into tears. "Oh baby come here," Mrs. Knight embraced Aurora. When her daughters saw their mother descend into their grandmother's arms, they hurried over to comfort her. For a moment, Aurora lifted her head to look up and see a blue sky; and for once, she didn't feel alone.