wedding preparations

A small bell chimed as the glass door swung open. The scent of dried flowers and soft perfume immediately greeted them. The store wasn't large, but it was tidy and full of color: shelves lined with beaded necklaces, dangling earrings, and glass displays showcasing a range of rings from dazzlingly luxurious to simple yet elegant.

Behind the counter, a blonde woman with straight shoulder-length hair immediately looked up. Her face lit up the moment she recognized the two visitors.

"Athena? Lucy?! Oh my God!" she exclaimed, rushing over to them. "You're here so early, wait." Her eyes widened.

"Wait a second. Are you seriously wearing a wedding dress?!"

Athena, still wearing the worn-out white gown and a thick jacket, froze. "Um… hey, Celine…"

"Are you getting married?!" Celine half-shouted. "Or… wait, did you already get married? And you didn't tell me?! What the hell, girl! You didn't invite me?!"

Athena opened her mouth but couldn't figure out where to start.

Before she could say a word, Celine turned and finally noticed the tall figure behind Athena, Asher standing still, his wide, curious eyes studying the ring display.

Celine fell silent. Her eyes grew even wider. "Oh my God… is that your fiancé?!" She stepped closer, her voice dropping in disbelief. "Where did you find him? He looks like… straight out of a romance novel!"

Lucy burst out laughing. "We literally found him in a pile of snow."

Celine blinked. "Lucy, don't joke."

"I'm not." Lucy raised her hand like taking an oath. "Cross my heart. Snow. Side of the road. No ID. No shirt. Just… that face and a sexy body."

Celine gave Asher a once-over from head to toe. "Okay… seriously, what even is your life, Athena?"

Asher still said nothing. His gaze drifted from one shelf to another before settling on the ring display. His eyes lit up like a kid staring at candy. He stepped closer, pressing his face to the glass.

Celine finally turned back to Athena, hands on her hips. "Okay. Start explaining. Now. This better be good."

Athena took a deep breath. "I don't have much time. It's… complicated. But the point is... I need a pair of rings. Today. Like, right now."

Celine blinked. "Wait… you're really getting married? Today?!"

"Yeah. Today."

Celine's jaw dropped. "What in the actual… Athena, are you running from the mob or something?"

Lucy grinned. "That's… surprisingly close."

Athena shot her a sharp look. "Not helping."

Celine raised both hands. "Okay. Alright. No judgment. You want rings? I've got rings." She walked over to the display and pulled open a special drawer beneath it. "Gold, silver, imitation, resin, couple rings, stackables, vintage... What kind of emergency marriage are we talking here?"

"Something cheap, but real enough to scare a psycho," Lucy said casually.

Celine looked at them both, one brow raised. "...I feel like I need popcorn for this story."

Athena let out a small laugh, though there was a trace of bitterness in it. "I mean, it's not exactly... fun. This is an emergency. A weird one."

Celine pressed a hand to her chest, her expression turning serious. "Alright. Emergency mode on." She looked at them one by one. "You're getting married today, and I'm not letting you pay for the rings. Consider it a wedding gift."

Athena's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"

"Dead serious, sweetheart." Celine smiled warmly. "This is huge, Ath. And I'm happy for you. Really. After all this time… you're not gonna be alone anymore…"

Athena stared at her, lips trembling. She stepped forward and hugged Celine tight, warm and grateful, even if just for a moment.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

"Of course." Celine patted her arm. "Now come on, let's find you the perfect rings."

The three of them leaned over the glass display. Asher stood at the end, his eyes scanning every little detail behind the glass. Suddenly, he pointed to two rings.

"I like these," he said quietly. "That one has a white stone. It glows. And the other one... has wings."

Athena looked at the ones he pointed to. One was a silver ring with a small white gem in the center, glowing like a star. The other was simple, but had wing engravings around the band.

Athena swallowed hard. "Those look expensive."

Celine and Lucy leaned in.

"Hmm… let's see..." Celine picked up the rings and checked the label underneath. "Five hundred bucks. Total."

Athena's eyes widened. "No way. No, no. That's too much. We'll pick something else."

But Celine just smiled and placed the rings in their box. "Athena, you and Mr. Snow Prince here deserve these. I'm giving them to you."

"I can't. Seriously, that's too much. I don't want you to lose money because of me," Athena said firmly, shaking her head.

But Celine only chuckled softly and handed the box to Asher. "I'd never call it a loss, giving wedding rings to a perfect match like you two. You should know this is my way of celebrating good news. I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Asher accepted the box carefully, as if receiving something sacred. He stared at it in awe, then turned to Athena, his face lighting up like a kid getting a birthday present.

"Let's get married," he said firmly. "I can't wait any longer."

Lucy laughed behind them. "Okay, Snow Prince, slow down!"

Athena covered her face with both hands, blushing. "I can't with him... Oh my God!"

Celine just smiled. She looked at Athena, studying her fresh but pale face, untouched by makeup.

"Hmm... I am not letting you walk into your wedding lookin' like a runaway bride who barely slept."

Athena looked up. "What?"

"Come with me. Now." Celine grabbed Athena's hand and pulled her toward the back of the store, a small room filled with mirrors, table lights, and beauty style makeup tools.

Athena barely had a chance to protest as Celine sat her in a swivel chair. She tied Athena's hair back and began applying a light base to her cheeks.

"You'll thank me later," she muttered while dusting a hint of blush over Athena's cheekbones. "No bride of mine is walking outta here without at least a lil' magic."

A few minutes later, Celine finished the final touches with a thin eyeliner stroke across Athena's lids. Then she gently combed through Athena's hair, tucking a few strands behind her ears.

"There," she said with a satisfied smile. "You still look like you… just, like the best version of you. Like someone who's about to be loved the right way."

Athena stared at her reflection in the mirror. The once-weary face now glowed softly. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes more alive. But what struck her the most wasn't the makeup, it was the new feeling growing inside her. A feeling of fear… and hope.

Celine gently patted her shoulder. "Ready?"

Athena took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

They returned to the front of the store, where Lucy was casually leaning on the counter, playing with a vintage brooch, and Asher stood waiting with the most sincere smile Athena had ever seen.

As soon as he saw her, Asher froze. His eyes widened, like he couldn't believe it.

"Hey… you look…" He paused, lost for words. "Beautiful."

Athena looked down, hiding her flushed face.

"Too late to run now," Lucy teased.

Celine chuckled softly. "God, look at you two. It's like the final scene of a movie… except I know this is just the beginning."

Athena glanced at Asher, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down. Time made space for the feeling growing between them, a feeling without a name… but real.

"Asher," she whispered.

Asher turned to her, eyes full of attention. "Yeah?"

Athena smiled gently. "Thanks for staying."

Asher furrowed his brow slightly, then nodded.

"I said I'd protect you, remember?" he said softly. "And I meant it."

The wall clock ticked softly in the background. Celine reached for Athena's jacket and handed it to her.

"I'll close the shop and follow you guys, just wait a moment!" Celine called out.

Athena was speechless. She never expected that an emergency wedding would feel so real like it had been planned, filled with love and support. She never imagined something like this could happen.

And when she glanced at Asher, who was helping her into her jacket, she felt like the luckiest girl alive like she'd won the lottery, even though she wasn't sure if this happiness was fleeting… or forever.