Page 20 of A Touch of Fate

My iron will would do that, at least a few steps. I knew it would be impossible to walk all the way down the aisle, but I wanted to stand before the altar for a few seconds. This was my wedding, and I wanted to make this the day I imagined.

Danilo looked doubtful.

“I did some research.” While in our world, my marriage to Samuel was pretty much a novel thing as most disabled women so far had remained spinsters, the outside world was more progressive, and I’d watched countless weddings with a disabled bride or groom to see options. It has given me renewed hope, not just for the festivities but also for my marriage.

“I could wear leg braces,” I said.

“You had them before and hated them.”

He was right. In the beginning, Mom had insisted I wear them. She found them less obvious than the wheelchair, but I’d never liked them. They’d been more hindrance than help, and I didn’t mind sitting in my wheelchair most of the time as it allowed me to reach most places quickly. “I don’t want to wear them daily. I’m just thinking about wearing them in church so I can walk the few steps.”

It was only a small gesture, a tiny moment in time, but I hoped it would show Samuel that we could be partners at eye level. In our world, so many people had trouble seeing me as an independent grown-up woman for the simple fact that I had a disability. And the little girl who dreamed of being a princesswanted to stand in her wedding dress for a moment. The dreamer and the realist in me wanted the same thing for once, which showed me how important it was for me. I was used to compromise, but I didn’t want to concede on this.

Danilo got up and leaned against the edge of the desk to be closer to me. “Emma, even with leg braces, you can hardly walk. You’d need something to hold on to.”

“I could use a walker or maybe even a cane.”

“A walker could work, but even those few steps could be strenuous in a heavy dress, and it would take a long time.”

I swallowed. Danilo wasn’t trying to hurt me or be unkind. He was simply analyzing the situation in his usual manner. “I still have six weeks. I could train daily with an evening gown to simulate my wedding dress.”

Danilo sighed. “We need to talk to Mom first. She’s planned every second of that day in detail. Your plans will change the timing.”

I stifled a smile. Of course, Danilo wanted to be as accurate as possible. His expression remained stern and worried.

“Can you ask her to come over for dinner today?”

Danilo sighed but picked up his phone. I gave him a big smile.

“Don’t get excited yet. You know Mom.”

Danilo was proven right when I told Mom about my plan.

Her eyes widened as if I’d suggested walking naked into church. “A walking frame would ruin your outfit.”

“If a wheelchair doesn’t ruin my outfit, I doubt a walker does,” I said teasingly, but Mom wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Not that she was ever in the mood to joke about my wheelchair. For her, it was always dead serious.

“We could wrap the walker in white silk and decorate it with flowers,” I added.

Mom pursed her lips. “That could work.” She paused, and I knew I wouldn’t like her next words. “But Emma. You have two minutes for the walk down the aisle. That’s the length of the music piece I’ve picked for your entry. With your wheelchair, you can easily stay within the timeframe, but if you try to walk?”

“It’ll take longer, yes. But I’ll only walk a few steps. That takes maybe two minutes longer.”

Mom shook her head. “Getting out of your wheelchair, smoothing your dress, taking the walking frame and then walking a few steps…that could take three to five minutes.”

I looked down at my hands. “I know.”

“You can’t make people wait. They’ll be bored, and it’ll be awkward for them. You know how it is.”

“I know,” I muttered. “We don’t want to bother them with the sight of my disabled body for too long lest they feel uncomfortable.”

Mom glanced at Danilo as if she hoped he’d come to her help, but he was watching me closely. My face probably gave away how close to tears I was. I had grown used to my wheelchair. I could do almost anything I wanted with it, but for my wedding day? I just wished I could walk down a small part of the aisle, even if it was at a snail’s pace.

“Emma,” Mom said softly. “Think about Samuel.”

I pressed my lips together. “You’re right. He’s the groom. It matters what he thinks. But it should matter what the bride wants too.” My voice cracked at the end.

“I’ll talk to Samuel,” Danilo said.

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