Part 26: Manda and Ethan

 Manda's wedding was right around the corner and with the constantly changing Covid restrictions, we're limited to a drive-by bridal shower. I really felt sad for Manda and Ethan. They would have loved to have a huge party for their wedding with unlimited guests and a big dance and speeches. I was crowned the maid of honour and I was going to do all that I could to make this a good experience for her. 

For the bridal shower, we set up stations around the outside of the church building where people could drive around and see each of us and do an activity. I was the first station where we collected gifts and handed out Pringles and La Croix water. I was spending a lot of time at the church building with my ever growing crush on Pete. He was still a missionary in Abbotsford and we did still talk everyday. Before the bridal shower started, he and his companion Elder Jensen showed up to the church. I had tried to message Elder Jensen on his birthday, to which he just replied with "Thanks." This wasn't my usual response from the Elders. Most of them thought I was hot and reciprocated my non-stop flirting. But Elder Jensen was not budging, he actually seemed annoyed with me most of the time. Anyways, I offered the two of them some chips and water and they accepted. We get a great turn out to the bridal shower and Manda is showered with love and gifts, as she should be. 

With only a few weeks to the wedding, the restrictions change again and the guideline is that we will only be able to have ten people at this wedding. Ethan's family and our family made up more than ten, so that wasn't going to happen. So the solution? Have a secret wedding in the woods with thirty people. 

It rains constantly in the Lower Mainland, and we were planning an outdoor wedding. Somehow, it rained all week leading up to the wedding but stopped the day before and the day of — just enough time for the ground to dry and for us to set everything up. It was a warm and sunny day in May. As my sister gracefully cascaded down the aisle with my dad, she actually looked magical. The birds were chirping and it was the first time we had seen the sun in weeks. Everything was so green and smelt so fresh. It was the perfect day for the perfect couple. 

After the wedding, Manda and Ethan had to move quickly to get their photos done and make it to their drive-by reception in time. Do you know the movie Father of The Bride? Okay, it's beautiful and sad and everything good. Anyways, in that movie after his daughter gets married, he is trying to get five seconds with her as she's swarmed with attention and photos. I felt similarly in that moment. I wanted to be with her on this big day but I couldn't be with her for more than a few seconds in passing. This felt symbolic that her world wasn't just made up of the Leavitt family now. There was a new very important person that was going to be the center of her universe and I would be alone. 

The day finishes with cake and a send off. That's when the tears hit me. Unfortunately it wasn't like "I'm so happy for her and this is so touching," I was just so sad. "But she's only moving to Langley" is what people would say to me. It didn't matter. She wasn't going to be in the next room over and we were never going to live together again. I don't want to be a bummer, the wedding was a glorious occasion and we were so happy. But my big sister was leaving me and everything was changing. 



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