The final part of my Voice Week 2011 entry. (Click here to go back to the beginning of the story.)
* Angel in a Wedding Dress *
Part Five
She looks like an angel. It is difficult for Jayla to believe that the woman she sees in the mirror, with a halo of golden hair and a silken wedding gown, is her. The difference being, of course, that the Mirror-Bride, locked away within her wooden frame, is not burdened by the uncertainty that clouds Jayla’s mind.
Moments from now, she will take her fiancé’s hand and commit herself to him, forever and always, while her real-life Romeo, the inappropriate soul-mate, stood stoically aside.
“Are you ready, Jaybird?”
Jayla gave her father her hand and forced a smile. Perhaps Juliet could have lived happily ever after with Paris, if she had listened to her head and not her heart.
There was only one way to find out.
“Yes.”
* * *
So there you have it. Apologies to those who were hoping for a happy ending, perhaps with a dramatic “I object!” during the ceremony, but this is where it ends. There could be a happy ending for Jayla and Archer – after all, who knows what our characters do after we stop telling their story?
But for now, you shall have to fill in your own holes.
Thank you all again for your interest in Angel in a Wedding Dress. I treasure every single comment, and take all constructive criticism on board. And (please excuse the shameless self-plug) if you enjoyed this story, I hope you will consider subscribing to Love The Bad Guy to continue viewing and assisting with my stories, and to view my other works that have been posted in the past.
A heartfelt hug to you all!
- Love The Bad Guy
Picture taken from here.
Wow. So she married her fiancée after all. Thank you for posting this. It was splendid :]
Thank you for the comment, Eliannet!
if she had listened to her head and not her heart. – - You know, this is exactly what I subscribe too. Always listen to your head and not heart. It can never go wrong.
Great job with all different voices.
Thank you very much! I appreciate all the effort you went to in commenting on every part of my story.
I’ve been waiting to read all of it before I commented, and I gotta say… I love it!
One thing that I was told several times by several people right before my wedding, “If you have any doubts, any at all, no matter how small, don’t walk down the isle.”
Thanks so much Bekah! I’m glad you liked it.
Love it! Haaha,I’m a sucker for stories that don’t end with happily ever after!
Is it a little to weird that I actually thought of Bella at the end?
Bella, as in Twilight?
Huh… Don’t know what I think of that comparison.
But I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who enjoys the occassional unhappy ending!
yeah,THAT bella! She rambles on about what if Paris was this or that in new moon!
But, then again, Jayla made more sense and I loved this story!(I don’t really like twilight! My friends think I’m weird that way)
hummmmm, her inappropriate soulmate. That little line speaks volumes. Nice ending!
Thank you very much, Janece!
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Well done! One of the hardest things to do as a writer is not to flinch. It’s easy to go for the twist ending or a happy ending, but it isn’t easy to tell the truth, to show life as it really is sometimes. I love the honesty in this voice.
Thank you very much! I admit, I had my doubts about this part of the story, especially after reading comments from people who were hoping for a fairytale ending, or who were expecting there to be some deep dark secret about the groom that I would reveal at the end.
Very happy to know you enjoyed it!
A great end to an intriguing set of stories.
As you so rightly say – what happens next with this set of characters is entirely down to us as readers to ‘fill in the holes’ – unless of course you’ve got other ideas.
Thanks for your company this week – I’ll definitely be coming back to look at more of your writing.
I certainly hope to hear more from you, Mike!
Thank you for all the comments.
I gotta say that I like endings like you have presented here, and not the ‘happily ever after’ sort. Thank you for your stories throughout the week and this fitting ending to the tension and ambituity that has been building. I look forward to what is yet to come from you.
Thank you very much! I hope to see you around my blog again.
I feel like she would have dithered if she’d known her boyfriend was outside, so you caught her conflict right on its edge. Congrats! Robin
Thanks for the kind words, Robin!
Sometimes not delivering a twist at the end when readers very much expect it has the same type of punch as giving them one. This piece delivered that punch. All along we knew she was getting married but kept wanting a twist so when one didn’t happen it had the same wow factor. Well done! I loved the bittersweet type ending.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Billie! Thanks for reading.