Inspired by the freewrite prompt don't shake it. The little story that unfolded in my head today, as I began to respond to the prompt, reminded me of the Don and Amanda tale of a few months ago, so I decided to link the two!
Kids in the kitchen while wedding food is being prepared: never a good idea. On the morning of my wedding to Amanda, my niece Bella was in high spirits, flying around the tables and chairs, performing a little dance routine she had made up the previous day. She was going to be the flower girl, and she couldn't wait.
Everyone would be coming back to our house after the ceremony for a party on the lawn. Mom was in charge of proceedings, keeping an eagle eye on the caterers as they laid out the main courses, while the wedding cake – made the night beforehand by our town's top bakery – took pride of place on the kitchen table.
Bella's enthusiasm was sweet, but we all knew she had taken it too far when, in the midst of her routine, she grabbed a leg of the table and used it for support as she jumped up and down, singing about her dress.
Mom's eyes widened. "Don't shake it!" she yelled. "Do not –"
Too late. We all watched the cake, as if in slow motion, topple over, its lovingly crafted bride and groom figures – made of marzipan and icing sugar – breaking on impact, the fresh cream and chocolate sponge filling exploding all over the floor, the plate shattering too, for good measure...
Speechless. Stupefied faces – as if we were all confused, as if we couldn't quite figure out how our carefully laid plans had fallen asunder at the very last minute.
Mom rushed over to me, her face pale, her hands shaking. "Don, I am so sorry. I can't believe this – Bella! Look what you did!"
Bella's eyes were already beginning to well up as she stared at the destroyed cake, and her beloved grandmother's reprimand seemed to be the last straw. Her face scrunched up, her mouth began to open up as she took in a huge lungful of air – screams were on the way.
"Hey, hey, hey, Bella," I said quickly, dropping to my knee and patting her head. "Don't cry, it's alright."
"Well, I'm sorry Don, but it certainly isn't," Mom snapped. "What are we supposed to do now?"
"She couldn't help it, Mom, she just got overexcited. Look ... what else do we have in the fridge?"
"Nothing that's good enough for your goddamn wedding cake, Don."
Bella was now silently sobbing, her cheeks streaked with tears.
"You know what this kind of reminds me of?" I said, smiling. "The night we had a similar accident with some fish. At Ginny's. It was the night I first plucked up the courage to ask Amanda out. So in a way... I think she'll find it funny that this happened today. It's like we've been brought right back to the start. A sign that we were always meant to be. You haven't ruined anything."