We Already Meant For Each Other!

Chapter 2 : The Wedding Preparation!

I look at my watch; it is 9 in the morning. I'm currently standing in front of the 'Fée D'Amour' main entrance. It is one of the famous new wedding salons & boutiques in France. I had booked the earliest slot so I could look at the wedding dresses inside the boutique and have an idea to custom-make mine. At 9:15 a.m., the best designer at the boutique, Chloe Pettibona, opens the door with a big smile. She welcomes me and invites me for a cup of tea before we start discussing my wedding dress. The rose tea is absolutely soothing & comforting. I start the conversation by saying that I would like a fairy-themed wedding gown. A trumpet silhoutte dress with Asiatic apple motifs/decorations and a shimmering dust cape overlay from the shoulder was my dream wedding dress. I hope this wedding dress can trigger Adrian's childhood memory of me, as he doesn't know I'm actually wearing a strawberry blonde short-hair wig. I hope he can remember me as his Fairy Ella, who always appears on a brick wall fence near an Asiatic apple tree.

As I was imagining Adrian's reaction, having teary, puffy eyes when he finally remembered me, a call from him immediately interrupted me. His voice is like warm honey — too thick and slow to resist. "How are you today? Is everything okay with 'your ' wedding dress appointment? I let out a small chuckle, trying to ease a discomforting feeling I felt when he mentioned 'your' as though he weren't the groom. I replied, "Yeah, it was wonderful, as Chloe really understands the vision I'm having for my dream wedding dress." His next reply made me feel a little hurt but also a little happy: "Oh, that's good to hear. Stella, the reason I called you because I'll have to cancel our lovely date this afternoon. Lila has invited us to dinner tonight, so I'll have to finish all of my pending work by today to avoid being interrupted during my tuxedo fitting for our wedding. You can admire me my handsomeness for the whole day." He teases me with his flirtations.

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "Adrian, your confidence is truly inspiring." A low laugh rumbled through the phone. "You say that now, but wait until you see me in that tuxedo." The warmth in his voice settled somewhere deep inside my chest. It was unfair how easily he could make me smile, especially when every mention of the wedding carried a strange ache I couldn't quite explain. "Well, since you've abandoned me for spreadsheets and deadlines," I teased, glancing around Chloe's elegant showroom, "I suppose I'll spend the afternoon being productive too." He let out a little laugh. "Good. Try not to miss me too much." "No, promises." I responded jokingly. Another soft chuckle. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable; it felt familiar, like sitting together beneath the old summer sky of a memory neither of us could fullt reach. Then Adrian's voice softened. "Stella?" "Yes, Adrian?" I don't know why, but..." He hesitated. "When you mentioned wanting a fairy-themed dress the other day, I kept having this strange feeling. Like I've seen something like that before." My fingers tightened around the teacup. A sudden flutter passed through my stomach. "What do you mean?" I asked carefully. "I don't know." He sounded almost frustated with himself. "It's silly. Every time I think about it, I picture sunlight, a brick wall, and someone laughing. That's all." My heart nearly stopped. The image was so precised that I could see it clearly - the old brick fence near the Asiatic apple tree, the place I used to wait for him. The place where he had given me the nickname Fairy Ella. Across from me, Chloe had been sketching quietly on a notepad. When she noticed my expression, her pencil paused. "Stella, is everything alright?" she mouthed. I managed a small nod. On the phone, Adrian continued, almost apologetically. "Sorry, it was probably nothing." "No..." I whispered before catching myself. "I mean, memories can be strange sometimes." "Maybe." His voice grew lighter again. "Anyway, I should get back to work before my assistant starts sending search parties." "Go save your company, then." I giggled a little. "Always so supportive, that's why you're my heroine." "Goodbye, Adrian." I tried to end the conversation before I couldn't focus on the task infront of me. "See you tonight." There was a bried pause. Then, unexpectedly he added, "I have a feeling you're going to look beautiful in whatever dress you choose." The line went quite. I stared at the phone long after the call ended. Across the table, Chloe set down her pencil and offered me a knowing smile. "Well,"she said gently,sliding her sketch toward me, "judging by that expression, I'd say this dress has someone very special waiting at the end of aisle" I looked down at the drawing. A fitted trumpet silhoutte flowed elegantly around the figure. Delicate Asiatic apple blossoms climbed the bodice like living vines,while a shimmering cape drifted from the shoulder in sparkling layers, as though fairy dust had been woven into the fabric itself. For a second, I could imagine Adrian seeing it. And perhaps, when he did, the last missing piece of his memories would finally find its way home.