The Young Bride Of The Don

"Mom, you look so beautiful."

My mother smiled. "You look beautiful in your new dress too. I wish I could see you in dresses more often, instead of jeans and a plaid shirt or a hoodie."

"Mom. You promised not to comment on my style anymore," I snorted.

My mother laughed, and the makeup artist almost smeared lipstick on her cheek because she moved around.

"Sorry. But seriously, you look so beautiful in that white satin dress."

"Thanks, mom. I feel like a princess today."

I stared at my mother's reflection in the mirror. She looked so happy in her white wedding dress with a train that hung very long on the floor. My mother wore a diamond tiara on her head. A makeup artist was applying nude lipstick to her full, exotic lips. This was the first time I had seen my mother this happy since my father died ten years ago. I almost thought my mother would never be happy again after my father died, but I was wrong. After ten years of draining emotions and tears, my mother finally got her happiness back.

"Fiona, you go to church first. Joshua's driver will pick me up and take me to church."

"Aren't we going to church together?"

"Seriously, there's no way I'm going to church in your beat-up Ford."

"Yeah, even though it's beat-up, it's been with me for three years. And so far, I'm fine with it," I snorted.

My mother always scoffed at my car, but she couldn't even afford to buy me a new one. I bought the car with my own money, the money I earned from working part-time for three full years. My mother had been working as a barmaid since my father died. Her salary wasn't much and was only enough to meet our daily needs.

But ever since my mother started dating Joshua Craig, her life started to change. I often saw my mother coming home with lots of paper bags from famous boutiques. Sometimes, my mother would come home with a lot of food, which I am sure she would not be able to afford with her salary. The food came from a five-star restaurant, which could cost more than three months salary.

Last week my mother also showed me a diamond necklace and a ring. My mother was very happy to have a rich boyfriend. I had never met her boyfriend, because he never got out of the car every time he took my mother home. But I was sure he was very rich because he always came in a luxury car. No wonder my mother made fun of my old car.

"Fiona, why are you daydreaming there? Go to church."

I blinked twice. My mother looked at me in annoyance. The woman who did my mother's makeup had already left the room. She was very quiet. She didn't say a word while doing my mother's makeup.

"Okay, I'll go to church now."

I walked over to my mother and hugged her. Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged her tightly.

"I'm happy for you, Mom."

"Thank you. I hope you'll stay with me after I marry Joshua."

"No, I'm fine staying here. This is Dad's house full of memories."

My tears dripped down my cheeks. This felt like my last hug with my mother, even though we would still see each other after she married her lover. My mother said she would see me often. However, I was a bit unsure about that. If her husband was that rich, Mom would definitely have a lot of new activities after marrying him.

"Let me know if you change your mind. Joshua doesn't mind you staying with us."

I released my hug and smiled softly at her.

"I want to be an independent woman. After I graduate from law school, I will apply for a job at a law firm and become a lawyer like I have always dreamed of. I might move out of town. Maybe LA, New York, I don't know."

"I am proud of you, honey. I am lucky to have you. If your Daddy were with us, he would say the same thing. You are the light of his life."

God

Her words were like onions, making my tears well up in my eyes. My tears flowed even faster down my cheeks. And I didn't want my mother to get married today. I wanted to take back my words last week when my mom told me that Joshua proposed to her and that he wanted to marry her as soon as possible.

"Don't cry. Go to church now. Joshua's driver will be here any minute."

I wiped my tears with a tissue and nodded. I waved at my mom at the door, then walked straight to my car parked in our yard.

There it was, my beat-up car. The red 2008 Ford Edge that I loved so much. This car had taken me to many places and witnessed countless naughties. I was once ticketed by the police for driving over the speed limit.

"Hey buddy, even though Mom called you a beat-up car, you're still the best. Let's go."

I climbed into the car and started the engine. Before leaving, I looked at my house and sighed softly. The house would be so quiet without my mother's voice.

-00-

My car entered the yard of the largest church in Miami. This church was built with white marble and looked very striking among the luxurious hotels that stood on the beach. According to rumors, only certain people could get married in this church. And it seemed that my mother's future husband was one of them.

Two burly men dressed in black from head to toe stopped my car in front of the church gate. Each of them carried a long-barreled gun. And I just realized that all the men standing in the yard of this church were carrying guns in their hands. They were all wearing the same clothes. All black. Their faces were cold and stiff.

"Open the window."