Who Gives this Bride?

By Valderia Brunson

Alma Gibson is elated and grateful for the joy that her baby sister, Marissa, has found with her husband to be, Justin Weeks. As their wedding day draws near Alma is concerned that Marissa is looking to fill the void from the loss of their mother by dredging up her deadbeat dad to give her away at the wedding. The two sisters have different fathers, but have never allowed that difference to create any space in the love between them. Alma has her own painful memory of the last time that she met her father, but she buried the memory so deep that she has never shared it with another soul, not even her sister.

Alma's desire to protect Marissa from a similar fate has become all consuming. Her concern over Marissa's naivete is so great that it risks jeopardizing Alma's own happiness with her longtime boyfriend, Marc Slade. Marc does his best to support Alma, but when he discovers that the men in both Alma and Marissa's lives have secrets that may destroy the Gibson sister's fragile bliss, he finds himself in the unenviable position of having to make a decision that could ruin his own chance for a happy ending with Alma.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Valderia Brunson
• Release date: Jun 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463051696

Valderia Brunson

Valderia Brunson has been a writer since she began writing short stories in the school newspaper at Memorial Junior High. It was then that she discovered how her stories affected others and recognized that entertaining readers was not just her passion, but also her gift. She has continued this writing and, in addition to this book, she has written two full length novels with a third, Without Repentance, currently in the editing phase and scheduled for release Fall 2020.Valderia practices law during the day and loves to read and write in her free time. Valderia has entered writing competitions and was a winner of the North Carolina State Bar’s First Annual Fiction Writing Competition for her short story, Jesus Freak. This story was adapted into a full length novel under the title Blood Cries.Valderia enjoys supporting and encouraging other writers on their writing journey. She created www.writingtowin.org as a way to connect with fiction and nonfiction writers from all genres and categories.When Valderia is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Book preview

Who Gives This Bride

Valderia Brunson

Copyright 2020 by Valderia Brunson

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This book is dedicated to my father, James - for always being there.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Other books by Valderia Brunson

Connect with the Author

CHAPTER ONE

Alma Gibson was scrolling through photos of bridal gowns on Pinterest when her phone chimed and the text from her nosy Aunt Faye popped up.

Don’t let that girl up and invite some narrow behind stranger to her wedding, the text read.

Alma was getting ready to respond to her crazy tail aunt when Marissa stepped out of the dressing room.

The wedding dress seemed to fill the entire room with its many folds and tufts of crinoline and organza billowed out like bubbles in a glass of cold milk.  The fitted bodice made Marissa’s small frame appear even more petite.  Combined with her pixie cut and curly tresses she could have easily been the sassy smart mouthed character on one of the popular modeling reality shows.  Alma knew better though.  Marissa had always looked like she would be the one to tell someone off, but she was the kind of nice that the Bible tried to convince us we could all be.  Alma on the other hand, was the exact opposite.

With her wild mane of naturally curly hair, large smile with generous deep set dimples, and grown woman curves everyone’s first impression was always that she was the sweet, gentle mothering type.  It didn’t take long for them to quickly realize that Alma was the surly, sassy, and skeptical type.  She was a bulldog when it came to her family and it didn’t hurt that she had a short tolerance level when it came to people.  She was quick to cut off people who had become problems and move on to the next adventure.  Her character traits served as both her greatest strengths and her greatest weaknesses.  

Can you zip me up?  Marissa timidly asked as Alma quickly jumped up and helped her adjust the dress over her slight frame just before sliding the zipper slowly upward.  

What kind of maid of honor would I be if I couldn’t help my baby sister?  Now turn around and let me see.

Today was the final fitting and Marissa turned to reveal that the meticulously beaded wedding gown fit her perfectly.  She looked so elegant, like an absolute princess.  

Princess Kate has nothing on you Sweet Pea.  Alma used the nickname that their mother had always used for Marissa.

Marissa laughed and Alma watched as her eyes began to water up.  

Mama would have been so happy for you Mimi, Alma felt the tears welling up in her own eyes and sniffed quickly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Now, Alma, don’t you have me in here crying.  You know how fragile I am right now.  The tear navigating its way down Marissa’s face signaled that it was already too late.

You are going to make an absolutely beautiful bride, That was the last thing Alma got out before the two of them exploded into a tearful embrace.

To say their emotions were raw would be a gross understatement.  Now that their mama had passed away in late October, almost eight months earlier, the sisters were all they had in the world.  There were of course the nosy aunts and the well meaning cousins, but none shared the bond that they did and none of them were experiencing the pain that they were now left with since their mama was gone.  They were still navigating through the firsts.  The first Thanksgiving without their mama and the first Christmas without her.  Their first Mother’s day without her had been spent, not at a crowded restaurant complaining about the slow service and subpar food like Alma loved to do, but instead laying flowers in front of her gravestone and recalling their fondest memories of her.  Their birthdays alone had left them completely raw and then when Mother’s day had finally rolled around it painfully reopened the wounds that stubbornly refused to scab so they could finally heal from the gnawing hurt.  

Now here they were at the one event where the absence of your mother was even more painfully obvious and put out on display for the world to see.  There would be no mother of the bride to walk down the aisle and be seated in the honored position on the front row.  All of the wedding programs listed their mother’s name with an asterisk that informed the world that she was lovingly viewing the proceedings from her seat in heaven.  It may have been somewhat bearable if a father had been present and accounted for, but there would be no father of the bride to fill the gaping hole and at least provide the support of walking her down the aisle.  

Marissa and Alma both had different fathers, but neither of them had a relationship with their respective fathers.  The fact that neither Marissa nor Alma knew who their father was, was the scorn and utter embarrassment of their meddling Aunt Faye.  

According to their mother, Marissa’s father had gone out for cigarettes in the same direction as Alma’s father, towards Neverland.  Nearly as soon as their mom had passed away Marissa had taken up the arduous search for her father in earnest.  She had used every tool that she could find and paid exorbitant fees on various search sites that would show just the peak of a name and then promise to have more information if you just clicked this button and paid for that background check or whatever special feature they were selling.  

Marissa was fairly confident that she had located him and forwarded a long letter to the last known address proclaiming that she had forgiven him for the past and wanted to build upon the future.  The letter had also generously included an invitation to her wedding and was sent in the ivory envelopes with the honeysuckle borders and gold foiled lettering.  In order to demonstrate her total forgiveness she had invited the mystery man to give her away, if he cared to show back up and participate in her life for the first time after thirty one years.  

Aunt Faye was thoroughly against it and for once Alma had to agree with her.  Aunt Faye’s earlier text was her last ditch effort to get Alma to convince Marissa to abandon her search for her ‘no good father’ as Faye affectionately liked to describe him.  Alma had vehemently argued with Marissa about that ridiculous decision.  Now, standing in the dressing room and looking at her sister positively shine, she couldn’t help but ask one more time.  

Why would you want someone who has never looked a single day for you, seen a single birthday, or sent a single card to walk you down the aisle and be a part of the most important day of your life?  Alma reached into the box and retrieved one of the two veils that they had carried with them for the final fitting.

Marissa reached out to take it and the wispy layers fluttered in a way that resembled the breath of angels as she placed it atop of her head.  

Because mama's gone forever, I have to at least try.   Maybe he’ll show up this time because this is the one event that he doesn’t want to miss.  I guess I just want to have a daddy to lean on.  Marissa wiped away another tear.  Pass me the other one.  Marissa gently removed the veil that seemed to swallow her small frame and took the second veil that Alma passed her.  

As Alma gently folded the veil into the box, Marissa adjusted the smaller veil atop her head.  It was a tiara replete with crystals and faux diamonds with a small veil that dropped just below her eyes.  As soon as she put it on it was clear that that was the one.  Alma remained silent while Marissa looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Alma had promised to not be a vocal as she normally was on matters such as this.  Marissa wanted a wedding that reflected her dream and not anyone else’s.  Alma was happy to stay silent on the veil issue that she had been toiling over for a few months.  Alma was relieved to keep her mouth shut and give Marissa complete and total control when it came to the cake, the photographer, the venue, the date, and every other minute and exhausting detail of this once in a lifetime event.  The father thing was the only issue that she couldn’t seem to drop.      

Still, Marissa’s answer had silenced Alma.  Even though Alma thought it was a ridiculous idea, it made perfect sense.

Alma had actually met her father, but it wasn’t something that she ever talked about, not even with Marissa.  It was also the same reason that she never wanted to meet or see her