The hallway was noisy. Several women were fussily checking the bride's bouquet and baskets of flowers, while others were just excitedly discussing the wedding ceremony, which was about to begin any minute. All this cloyingly sweet and happy atmosphere made Howard feel out of place. He was supposed to be happy that his incredible childhood friend was getting married today, but every one of his smiles felt more like a jagged, harsh line, drawn with so much pressure that the paper was almost tearing.

He couldn't be happy for her because everything around him felt so... wrong. And the problem was, Howard couldn't even explain to himself what exactly was wrong. The decorations irritated him, the guests' conversations about what a beautiful couple was uniting in matrimony today irritated him. She was, without a doubt, a wonderful person who deserved the best, but her fiancé? Just the mention of him made Howard's skin crawl with an unpleasant itch and a desire for a strong drink. He simply couldn't understand how she could agree to marry someone so utterly wrong for her.

And yet, he needed to show his support on such an important day. That's why he was stealthily sneaking toward the door behind which the bride's room should be. Okay, maybe he wasn't doing it just for a few words of encouragement, but if anyone caught him right now, that would be such a perfect excuse. Just a childhood friend, almost like family, wanting to support the nervous bride. Who could do it better than Howard?

The door creaked softly as he slipped into the small room decorated with ribbons and flowers. Howard reached up to first adjust his tie and then run a hand through his perfectly styled hair, but he froze. His gaze instantly locked onto her. She was standing in front of a large mirror. A long, lace veil obscured her face. But, god, she looked breathtaking. For a moment, Howard was even speechless, but he quickly pulled himself together.