The Happiest Day of Her Life
Tampa’s morning sunrays shined through the light blue curtains they picked together to go along with the beach theme of their bedroom. They’d covered the walls with seashells from Clearwater Beach because it was her favorite place to be, and he only lived to make her happy—or at least that’s what he always told her. Long, curly, dark brown hair of a tan, young woman stretched across the mountain of pillows stacked at the top of the bed. With a slight knock coming from the other side of their bedroom door, she groaned and attempted to sound like she’d just woken up. Sleep failed to persuade her because excitement enticed her just a little bit more.
“Makani?” a female voice called. “Are you awake? Can I come in?”
She nodded before realizing that the person on the other side couldn’t see her. “Yes, I’m awake,” Makani replied with a tired voice.
“It doesn’t sound like it.”
The door slowly opened, revealing Makani’s mother, Kailani—whom people often confused for her sister because of how similar they looked. “Today is the day, sweetheart. You have to get up and get ready.”
Today was the day. A smile threatened to split Makani’s face in two as she remembered that today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. And it would be. She had prepared for this day for quite a few years. Of course, she’d had a major bump in the road—one she thought might be impossible to patch—but Makani was patient. Methodical. Thankfully, today would be the day all her waiting paid off.
“Today isn’t about me,” Makani reminded her mother. “It’s about me and Seth.”
“I know, sweetheart. I know.” She raised her hands, a sign Makani translated as her mother not wanting to argue. “Anyway, I made breakfast. Come downstairs when you’re ready.”
Makani nodded, thanking her mother. “I’ll be down after I shower.”
***
“Ma, I didn’t need to come to the ER,” Makani whined, lying down on an uncomfortable hospital bed. “It was a simple slip in the shower. I’ll be fine.”
Kailani’s eyebrow lifted. “Oh, really? Then why are you still holding onto your wrist? You fell three hours ago.”
Makani shrugged. “It’s probably just a sprain.”
“I’d rather be safe than sorry, Ani. We’re going to stay and wait on the doctor.”
Almost on cue, the doctor waltzed in. A tall, caramel-skinned man with a folder in his right hand smiled at Makani. His pearly teeth glitstened so perfectly that the moon was probably jealous of its reflective shine.
“Ms. Hale?” He extended his hand toward her. “I’m Dr. Young.”
Fitting, considering how young he looked. Early to mid-30s, maybe. Makani wondered if they were close in age.
“Mind telling me what’s going on with your wrist?”
“Oh, I fell in the shower and landed wrong,” Makani explained. “I’m sure it’s just a minor sprain.”
“Can I take a look?”
Makani nodded then sat up straight. He was close enough for her to smell his earthy-scented cologne. She fought the urge to run her good hand through his short, black, curly hair. As Dr. Young examined her wrist in his hand, she couldn’t stop her heart from beating out of her chest. The spark was undeniable, but did he feel it, too?
He twisted her wrist into a slightly awkward position. “Does it hurt when I do this?”
“A little,” she answered, her brown eyes meeting his hazel ones.
“What about this?”
Makani flinched, pulling her arm away from Dr. Young.
“I guess so.” He chuckled. “Let’s get an x-ray just to be safe. You have insurance, right?”
“Oh, shoot!” Kailani yelled and stood. “I left the insurance card in the car. Let me go grab it. Be right back.”
Dr. Young followed behind Kailani but stopped in the doorway. “Okay then. I’ll be back to check on you in a moment, Ms. Hale.”
“You can call me Makani,” she corrected.
He smiled. “Okay, Makani.”
“Umm, Dr. Young? Before you go, there’s something I need to tell you.”
He clasped his hands together, facing her. “Yes, ma’am?”
“I think you’re cute, and I’d like to get to know you better.”
Dr. Young’s eyebrows lifted. “Flattering, but I don’t mix work and pleasure. I like to keep my patient relationships as professional as possible.”
“Then allow me to professionally introduce myself. My name is Makani Hale, and I’m a 27-year-old fashion designer with a big business and an even bigger personality. However, professionalism has nothing to do with my attraction to you.”
“How… Forward of you, Ms. Makani.”
“I don’t wait. I go after what I want, and I want you.”
He took a few steps closer to you. “Lucky for you, I enjoy a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.”
A mischievous grin spread across Makani’s lips. “So, are you going to professionally introduce yourself or let me make a fool out of myself?”
“Seth Young, 29-year-old trauma doctor with a cliché dream of making the world a better place and half the confidence of you.”
“Nice to meet you, Seth.”
“You too, Makani.”
***
“Makani, hurry up!” Her mother yelled from downstairs. “Your father will be here with the limo in thirty minutes.”
She applied a few more strokes of red lipstick before pressing her lips together. Her makeup was done, and she’d straightened her hair after her shower. All that was left was to get dressed. Makani opened the French doors that led to her closet and removed the plastic covering from her dress. The design came to her in a dream almost a year ago and she started working on it immediately. Who else could’ve designed her perfect dress better than herself?
So, she decided on a comfortable, polyester fabric and then overlaid the entire dress with lace. Long, lace sleeves and pearl bedding down the back were definitely a part of the vision. It hugged her curves just right and flared out at the bottom, lightly grazing her feet. A simple slit stopping at her left knee was added at the last minute because sexy was her signature. She wasn't one for an extravagant veil, but she wanted something to cover her face during the ceremony. Veils were symbolic. She knew that, so she decided on a mesh blusher. It was small and only covered the top of her head, but it was detailed enough to be considered a veil.
Once the last piece of jewelry was added around her neck, Makani found her reflection. She looked more beautiful than she imagined when she put this look together in her head. The diamonds sparkling from her ears and neck, the lace sleeves gently covering her arms, the five-inch custom-made pumps she designed herself, her fresh-face makeup with a red lip just for a pop of color, her hair falling down her spine. She couldn’t stop obsessing over her appearance. In fact, Makani was so preoccupied with staring at herself in the mirror that she didn’t hear her mother come in.
“Oh, Ani.” She covered her mouth with her hand.
Makani dashed across the room to hug her mother. “Ma, don’t cry. There will be plenty of crying at the church.”
“I know,” Kailani said, still warmly embracing her daughter. “I’m sure you’ll be crying, too.”
Makani was thankful that her mother couldn’t see her roll her eyes at that moment. “I’ve already shed my fair share of tears.”
Suddenly, the front door opened and closed. Makani and her mother both turned in its direction.
Kailani pulled away, wiping her tears with the backs of her hands. “Your father is here. “Are you sure you're ready for this? A new chapter of your life is about to begin.”
***
Seth knelt in front of a tear-stained face Makani. “A new chapter of our lives is about to begin.”
The twinkle in Makani’s eyes matched the twinkle of the clear, night sky above them. Waves crashed behind Seth with the same intensity as Makani’s heart beating against her chest. Just when she thought their romantic evening couldn’t possibly get better than a midnight picnic on the beach, he removed the largest diamond ring a doctor’s salary could afford from his pocket. Her lungs filled, but she couldn’t remember how to exhale.
“Marry me, Makani. Be my wife, and let me be your husband.”
All the words Makani thought about saying were stuck in the deep breath she forgot she took. She wanted to tell him how full her heart was to have someone love her as deeply as he did. She loved the frigid touch of his hands after a long day of work and the warmth of his words when he compared his love for her to the steam of his morning brew—felt by anyone in the room, but only seen up close. She loved his strong demeanor and the way he crumbled in her arms after losing the life of one of his patients. He was caring. He loved everyone, and that was what she loved most about him.
“Mickey? You okay?” Seth attempted to hide his worry behind a sweet smile.
“I hate when you call me that,” she finally breathed after finding her voice. “Call me ‘Mrs. Young’ instead.”
A genuine, joyous grin tugged at the corners of Seth’s lips as he placed the ring on Makani’s left hand. “As you wish, Mrs. Young.”
She admired how perfectly the ring hugged her finger. “I love you.”
***
“I love you, Ani. You know that, right?” Makani’s father said in between silent sobs. He’d barely been able to hold himself together since he stepped foot into the house.
“I know,” she reassured him while looking out of the narrow limousine windows. To save herself from the same blubbering cry, she had to look away. “I love you, too.”
“And I’ll always be here for you. You’ll always be my little girl.”
“Daddy, please stop.” The words came out harsher than intended, so she placed her hand on his but refused to meet his gaze. “I need you to be strong for–”
The vibration of her father’s phone interrupted her impromptu monologue. He fumbled for an eternity, trying to pull it out of his suit jacket pocket. “Hold that thought, Ani. I’ve got to take this.”
***
Buzz. Buzz.
“Your phone is ringing,” Makani yelled without lifting her head from her pillow. 6:43 a.m., the clock read. “I think it’s the hospital.”
Seth stuck his head out of the bathroom doorway, toothpaste foaming from his mouth. “Answer it for me.”
She groaned but accepted the call and cleared her voice to speak.
“Seth, baby, I was beginning to think you were ignoring me,” the female on the other end said.
Makani’s eyebrows lowered, but she didn’t—or couldn’t—say anything.
“I’m getting tired of having to call your work phone to hide us. When are you going to tell Makani? I’m ready to have you all to myself.” The woman paused, waiting for a response, Makani assumed. But what was she supposed to say? “Silent as usual, I see. We’ll talk about it later. Anyway, I was thinking maybe we could have another quick lunch today. I’ll have your favorite dessert ready.”
“Who’s on the phone, Mickey?”
Makani jumped, promptly hanging up the call at the sound of Seth’s voice. She parted her lips to respond, but speechlessness reached her before the right words could.
***
A tight-lipped Makani stood with her arm linked with her father’s as the church doors opened to receive them. Every row was packed with people, some she recognized and others she didn't. Her friends, Seth’s friends, Seth’s patients, her clients. Their eyes were glued to her. Some stares were so overwhelming that she thought she was going to crumble over her knocking knees. Instead, Makani lifted her chin and took her first step toward forever.
She expected variety as she walked down the aisle, but every facial expression was the same. They all allowed tears to fall in streams. They wept so much that the floor would soon become a river that grew into a pond, a lake, and maybe even a sea. In fact, Makani was the only person not crying. She was a deserted island in the middle of a growing ocean.
Once she finally reached her destination, Makani let her father go. She stood at the altar with her husband, reminiscing on the love they had for each other. The missed dinner dates and apologetic breakfasts because of their conflicting schedules, every single seashell Seth found by spending hours digging through cold sand, her many attempts to not let his infidelity break her. It all consumed her upon the sight of her husband. A single tear slipped passed her guarded eyes, and she blew him a kiss.
***
The priest began to speak. Makani tried to pay attention to what was being said, but she was distracted by the long, oversized sleeves of his white robe swaying rhythmically when he outstretched his arms. Thankfully, his speech wasn’t as nearly as long as his robe.
Shortly thereafter, everyone was ushered into the dining area for a buffet-style dinner.
However, Makani’s dinner was served to her in honor of the occasion. Guests came up to her table bearing gifts and kind words. All of their encouragement caused her heart rate to speed up. They all seemed to care so much about her, Seth, and their love. It tugged on the tightest strings of her heart. So much so that she wasn’t able to speak when she was supposed to. Instead, Kailani called for an open-mic.
A line of people quickly formed beside the stage. Each person spoke on Seth’s character and how Makani had only made his caring personality become more vibrant. His childhood friend spoke of how brave he was, standing up to all the school bullies. The woman from work told tales of his warm, compassionate nature, and the frat brother from years ago regaled everyone with stories of a lady’s man turned gentle, loving husband. Makani’s own mother even mentioned how Seth would never hurt her.
Never hurt her? That sentence triggered her, creating a burning sensation in her chest. Her fists closed underneath the table would only give away her raw emotions toward Seth. All the nice things everyone said about him were almost humorous. It took every last ounce of self-control Makani had left not to erupt into an insensitive burst of laughter. But she had an image to uphold, and she was determined to enjoy the happiest day of her life.
Everyone was right about one thing. Makani was Seth’s dream. Throughout their relationship, she showed qualities good wives possessed—humility, kindness, compassion, and honesty. And today, she exemplified those characteristics better than she ever had before. Why? Because she knew murderers were not humble, kind, compassionate, or honest. The few heartfelt tears she shed during the ceremony were because of her dead husband, not for her dead husband. The congregation was heartbroken from the loss of a friend, brother, and son, but her heart was broken from the hurt he’d caused her. Nevertheless, she planned to soon celebrate. She had saved herself.
Everyone mourned the death of Makani’s beloved Seth—except Makani. With a name like Seth, she should’ve known he would crush her, eventually. His name was associated with the Egyptian god of chaos, but she knew better. Her name meant wind, and there was no way in hell she’d let a god she didn’t believe in disrupt her current. The night of the phone call was the beginning of it all. Her wind became an uncontrollable storm even Seth wasn’t able to manage.
Those following months of pretending to be a naïve wife only fueled Makani’s fire. She read recipes every day and cooked dinner every night, planting traces of ricin in every love-filled meal. It would take about a week to become lethal, but Makani was a patient storm. So, she boiled, and she stirred as her strength grew. And when the glorious day finally came, she watched him convulse from his failing lungs while continuing to eat her baked salmon and white rice. She always loved dinner and a movie.
