one hour
"Nervous?" A familiar voice asked while she burst into the dressing room, snapping Sarah out of her deep thoughts. She quickly got up from her chair and rushed to greet Natali and her mother with hugs and kisses on both of their cheeks. If she couldn't see her soon to be wife, seeing her soon to be family was the next best thing. "No, are you kidding? I'm more than ready to be your sister," She joked. Cynthia took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. The emotion was written all over her face and it nearly made Sarah tear up. "Please no! I cannot look at you!" She turned away and all three women had a laugh over it. "We should get back anyway. We just wanted to come say hi and we love you." She watched the two Germanotta women head out and she was sure she could fill her heart start to swell in her chest. Just before she closed the door, Natali poked her head in again. "Stef is so excited." It was just the right thing to say to put a smile on Sarah's face that would last through the night.
half hour
As soon as they finished putting on her dress, Sarah and her sister both studied her final look in the full length mirror in front of them. "I can't believe this is happening..." Liz finally said after a moment of both women just staring in silence. She had seen Sarah through many relationships and since at least her mid twenties, the only time she mentioned marriage was to make a joke about how she would never do it. "Are you happy?" Sarah questioned, leaning her shoulder back into Liz. "Yes, because I've never seen you like this, but I have seen a change in you and I think it's a good one. No offense. She's a good person, I love her already. Are you happy, buddy?" She linked her arm with Sarah's and rested her chin on her shoulder. "I just never thought this was me. Thinking about committing my life to someone forever used to make me itch, but I never once second guessed my decision. She's just. I don't know how I lucked out like this. I'm so happy."
one minute
Sarah stood in a line behind Liz and Amanda, just as they were instructed to do by the wedding coordinator. Everything was set, people were in their seats, it was all real. Part of her wanted to push her way through and just run as fast as she could down that aisle to wait for Stefani, she felt like she'd waited a lifetime for it. The other part of her wanted to take it slow and let every moment soak in, just like everyone told her to do whether they were asked for advice or not. "It's your day, it's going to by so fast. Enjoy as much of it as you can." If that many people gave her that same nugget of wisdom, it had to be true, right? "Go." Amanda walked through the door. It was closer now, but she still miraculously managed to keep it together. "Go." Off went Liz. Okay, it was getting a little harder. "And, bride one." The coordinator opened the door one last time, Sarah heard the music, and it was game over for her composure. All she could do was fight her tears back as she took her first steps toward the future she was so excited to start.