chapter 113
chapter 113
Lydia sat in the cozy corner of a chic café, a handwritten list folded beside her coffee cup. She glanced at it for the tenth time, then sighed, half-excited, half-nervous.
It had taken her weeks to narrow it down — not because she lacked friends, but because this moment felt... sacred. These women would stand beside her at the altar. They’d be there when her hands trembled and when she danced for the first time as a wife.
She finally picked up her phone and began texting.
First stop: Mariam’s Place
Mariam was Lydia’s childhood friend, loyal to the bone and brutally honest.
When Lydia showed up unannounced with cupcakes and a white ribboned box, Mariam squinted. “What are you plotting now?”
Lydia handed her the box.
Inside, a silver bracelet with the initials “MB” — Maid of Honour — and a small card that read:
“Will you be my person through laughter, chaos, and wedding mayhem?”
Mariam blinked. Then she jumped up and hugged her so tight, Lydia laughed and gasped all at once. “Was starting to think you’d forgotten me!”
“Never,” Lydia said with a teary smile.
Second: Keziah & Natalie
She met them at college — they’d seen her through breakups, exams, and heartbreaks.
They met for brunch. Lydia handed them matching boxes with hairpins and robes inside.
Keziah squealed. “You mean I finally get to cry publicly in matching satin and not be judged?”
Natalie grinned, pulling Lydia into a group hug. “We’re gonna slay, girl.”
Third: A Surprise Pick — Ethan’s Sister, Claire
Claire had been surprisingly warm to Lydia ever since their first meeting. She was calm, witty, and had helped Lydia navigate the tension with Ethan’s aunt during the dress fitting.
Lydia wasn’t sure how Claire would respond, but when she asked her — slipping her a card over a lunch date — Claire choked on her tea and cried.
“You’re serious?” Claire whispered.
Lydia nodded. “I want you there. Not because of Ethan, but because of you.”
That sealed it.
Later That Night – Back at Home
Lydia placed her list back into her drawer. Her bridal team was complete.
It wasn’t just a team — it was her chosen family.
As she sat curled on the couch, Mariam video-called her.
“Just so you know,” she said with mock sternness, “we’re already planning your bachelorette. There will be feathers. And possibly tequila.”
Lydia laughed. “I trust you. I think.”
Ethan stared at the open notepad on his desk, pen twirling between his fingers. Planning a wedding with Lydia had been full of warmth, family, and elegance — but now, it was his turn to pick the men who’d stand by him when he said “I do.”
He wasn’t one for big emotions, but this decision felt deeply personal.
He pulled out his phone and sent the first message.
First Pick: Caleb – The Childhood Friend
“Meet me at the basketball court. I’m bringing snacks and something important.”
Caleb showed up in minutes, still in his work boots, grinning. “Don’t tell me you’re finally challenging me to a rematch?”
“Something better,” Ethan smirked.
From his duffle bag, he handed Caleb a small box with a customized tie clip engraved: Best Man — since day one.
Caleb blinked, then held the box tight. “You serious?”
“Only one guy has stuck with me through every ugly haircut, every heartbreak, and even helped me lie to mom that one time in high school. It had to be you.”
Caleb pulled him into a hug that almost cracked Ethan’s ribs.
Second Pick: Daniel – The Cousin Who’s More Like a Brother
They met at their usual weekend lunch spot. Ethan passed him a sleek envelope.
Daniel opened it, read the card, and burst out laughing. “‘Because I need someone to calm the drunk uncle down and hide embarrassing family secrets…’ Bro, say less.”
“I’m serious,” Ethan grinned. “You’re the only one who knows how to survive our aunties’ interrogations.”
Daniel raised his glass. “To groomsmen duties. I’ll wear a tux, but I draw the line at glittery boutonnières.”
Third Pick: Felix – The Unexpected One
Felix was one of Lydia’s family friends — quiet, intellectual, with a sharp sense of humor. They had bonded surprisingly well during a family gathering.
Ethan pulled him aside during Lydia’s dress fitting chaos. “I know we didn’t grow up together, but... would you be one of my groomsmen?”
Felix looked stunned. “Me?”
“Yeah. You’ve been solid. And Lydia really trusts you. That means a lot.”
Felix smiled. “Then I’d be honored.”
Fourth Pick: Adrian – His Soon-To-Be Brother-In-Law
Though they were from very different worlds, Ethan and Adrian had found common ground in how fiercely they loved the women in their lives.
When Ethan asked him — in the middle of a quiet drink on Adrian’s balcony — Adrian clinked his glass against Ethan’s and said:
“I’ve never stood beside a man I trusted with my sister’s life… until now.”
Back at Ethan’s Place – A Toast to Brotherhood
That weekend, the group met for cigars and aged whiskey at a rustic lodge Ethan booked. It was a moment of bonding — laughter over old stories, teasing over suit fittings, and pledging to stand tall together on Ethan’s biggest day.
Caleb raised his glass.
“To the groom, who somehow convinced the most beautiful woman to say yes.”
Ethan chuckled. “And to the brothers who’ll keep me from passing out before I say ‘I do.’”