| General Fiction posted April 8, 2025 | Chapters: |
2 3 -4- 5... 
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Resilence Won In the End
A chapter in the book Emotional Guest List
Fade to Red, Blue then White
by Begin Again
| Background "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Confucius, an Ancient philosopher The Emotions of Embarrassment -- Laughter -- Resilence |
Her best friend was married today, leaving her the only one in the gang who hadn't tied the knot yet. She didn't even have any prospects on the horizon.
She'd endured numerous jokes and questions throughout the day, but was doing fine so far. All that remained of her Maid of Honor duties was the toast, which should be a slam dunk.
Nerves were there, but she'd practiced the toast a dozen times — maybe more. The mic didn't even shake in her hand. She stood beneath the twinkle lights, looking out at all those faces and trying not to lock eyes with the groom's brother. He always made her forget what she was saying.
Then someone — of course, it was the groom's brother — handed her a glass of champagne for the toast and took a step back at the exact wrong moment.
His heel snagged the train of her dress. She staggered, and the bride tried to help but snagged her four-inch heels in the lace of the dress — which caught her ankle — and collided with gravity
Her glass flew. She tumbled backward, legs in the air, landing hard and exposing the world to her good luck shorts patterned in dancing frogs.
There was a collective gasp. And then, silence. Embarrassment arrived instantly, all fire and fury. "Well, there it is. Red couldn't get any brighter. You'll never live this down."
She covered her face, refusing to breathe.
Then came Laughter — loud and uninvited, of course. People were bent over and howling. "The frogs! OMG, dancing frogs!"
Even the bride burst into a snort-laugh, trying to cover it with her bouquet.
The woman groaned. "Please, someone just make me disappear."
A hand appeared.
It was his.
The groom's brother looked equal parts horrified and impressed. "I didn't mean to take you out," he said. "But I'm pretty sure those shorts just became legend."
She blinked, then laughed — a small, surprised sound.
"I guess the basketball coach was right," she said, brushing herself off. "You really do have big feet."
He smirked. "You planning to sue?"
She shrugged. "Nah, but tomorrow everyone's going to be talking about my underwear. So, thanks for that."
His laugh was the best sound she'd heard all day. "Tomorrow? You've already hit the number one wedding shot on Facebook."
Resilience leaned in close. "See? Not the end of the world. Just a rough start to a great story."
He helped her up, steadying her with both hands and handed her the mic. "You've got this," he whispered. "Just don't fall for anyone else tonight."
She shook her head, cheeks flushed but grinning now.
Embarrassment wandered off the stage, muttering.
Laughter lingered.
And Resilience stayed — quiet, steady, and just close enough to remind her she'd be just fine. She smiled at the crowd, lifted her chin, and said, "Now, that's going to be a tough act to follow."
Laughter exploded. Her eyes met his, and for a quick moment, a warmth of good things to come washed over her.
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