"Gal you really did a full preparation on this whole wedding thing " Raye said looking out the window before turning to Jane who was operating her phone .
"Of course I had to come prepared , I got a taxi guy ready , beside Raye we are very late ..it's a church wedding ".
Raye nodded turning to stare at the window again , sighing tiredly .
The church bells rang softly as the late afternoon sun spilled gold across the stained-glass windows. Raye tugged lightly at her dress as she and Jane walked up the stone pathway leading into the church, Jane's heels clicking against the pavement.
Inside, the decorations were simple yet breathtaking. Cream and white roses lined the aisles, ribbons of silver cascading along the pews. The altar had been transformed into a floral arch with candles glowing warmly, making the whole church look like something out of a dream.
Jane gave an approving whistle. "Now this is how you do a wedding," she muttered under her breath, her blonde hair shining like spun gold under the church's lights. She had styled it in soft waves pinned delicately at the back, with a few tendrils falling to frame her face.
Her dress was a soft champagne shade, fitted neatly at the waist, the skirt flowing out elegantly with every step.
Raye adjusted the strap of her pale lavender dress. It was a modest A-line cut, just right for a church wedding, with lace along the neckline. Her shoulder-length hair, styled into curtain bangs, had been blow-dried sleek and pinned lightly to the sides with pearl clips.
The soft waves brushed her cheeks whenever she turned her head, giving her a polished yet effortless look.
"You know," Raye whispered as they stepped inside, "we look like we came straight from a fashion magazine. Admit it."
Jane smirked, patting her clutch. "Correction. I look like I came from a magazine. You… look like my very well-dressed assistant."
"Excuse me?" Raye gasped, swatting her arm as quietly as she could so as not to draw the attention of the ushers. "This assistant is prettier than her boss. Ask anybody."
Jane bit back a laugh and leaned closer. "You wish."
Raye scoffed with a small smile before rolling her eyes .
They were ushered to a pew halfway down, where family and friends were already filling up the rows. Children ran about giggling, their tiny shoes squeaking against the polished wooden floors, while older guests murmured greetings in rapid Spanish that Raye barely caught.
She managed a polite smile, though most of it went over her head.
One of the groom's aunts leaned forward and said something warmly to Raye in Spanish. Raye froze like a deer in headlights, blinking rapidly.
The aunt chuckled softly, then Jane stepped in with the smooth confidence of someone who had been practicing for years. "Ella dice que te ves hermosa hoy,"
Jane translated quickly with a smile. "She says you look beautiful today."
"Oh! Uh—gracias," Raye stammered, heat rushing to her face. She mouthed to Jane, What did she just say again?
Jane leaned back with a wicked grin. "Don't worry, I'll be your official translator. Just follow my lead." Jane whistled before saying . "Not for free though".
"You're right , if you think am going to pay you for this , I rather just stare at them blindly or maybe avoid them ".
" Yeah stare at them like you were struck with dumbness " Jane said rolling her eyes with a satisfied smile as Raye pinched her on her waist .
Jane mouth formed a silent .
Ow www
As she turned to stare at Raye massaging her ribs she glared at her while Raye rolled her eyes before shifting her gaze to look at some of the guest .
As the organ began to play softly in the background, the church buzzed with chatter, a mix of English and Spanish floating in the air. The decorations glimmered under the lights, and Raye found herself marveling at how much love and effort had been poured into the event.
"The man literally said 'small celebration' " Raye muttered to herself still staring at the design .
This was definitely not consider small .
"Yeah, do you expect the wedding venue to be in hut ..." Jane scoffed rolling her eyes while Raye muffled a laughter hearing Jane continue to speak " it's a wedding even if you plan something small it's would still need to be grand , beside , I think what Luis meant by small was only family and friends ...few friends ".
Raye nodded absolutely that was true she couldn't spot all their neighbors , except for Mr jukims and his wife .....and five kids .
"Yes you are right , Mrs Robbins isn't here , alot of them aren't too ".
"Hmm , that true ".
While waiting for the ceremony to begin, Raye nudged Jane. "Okay, you seriously have to tell me—when did you even learn Spanish? Last I checked, you barely survived French class back in high school."
Jane flicked her hair back, smug. "Online courses. I told you I register for maths online course , so when I saw they also give language lesson too I also registered , when everyone else was baking banana bread, I was getting Spanish drama ."
Raye giggled, nearly covering her mouth to keep from drawing stares. "No way. That's how you learned all this?"
Jane shrugged like it was no big deal, though her eyes gleamed with pride. "Well, and I watch telenovelas. Those things teach you more about drama and vocabulary than school ever could."
Raye shook her head in disbelief, her curtain bangs falling softly across her forehead. "I can't believe I thought the mystery texter could've been our neighbor—the Mexican guy ! Like, imagine me assuming he was writing romantic messages in perfect English when he probably says half the time, '¿Cómo estás?'"
Jane burst out laughing so hard she nearly drew a stern glance from the older woman seated in front of them. She leaned against Raye's shoulder to stifle her laugh. "That was honestly your dumbest theory yet. I didn't tell you he was Mexican on purpose—I wanted to see your face when you realized."
Raye rolled her eyes, though her lips curved into a smile. "You're evil."
As the ceremony finally began, the guests rose, the bride making her way down the aisle in a stunning white gown. The atmosphere was filled with warmth, laughter, and joy.
Raye and Jane sat side by side, whispering little comments, translating greetings, and stealing giggles every now and then.
But more than that, Raye realized it had been a long time since she and Jane had such a moment together—just the two of them, sharing inside jokes, with no Kyle, no Danielle, and no university drama hanging over their heads.
It was simple. It was beautiful. And for a while, it was enough.