𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐢

Isla looked at him once more and smiled in grave admiration. “I am glad I have you to pick me up whenever I can't do it myself." Isla had never struggled with confidence, or at least the fake it until you make it, whenever it came to her looks. However, when it came to actually believing in herself, that was always a bit more of an issue. "That sounds good." She smiled, "And the wine-" Pausing, she raised the edge of the glass to her lips to take a sip off of it. "It is great! I mean, I love all wine.. I am yet to find one I do not enjoy, but this one I doesn't have any weird or dry aftertaste to it" She remarked. "Do you like it?" @elianxbrowne

Isla flashed her soon to be husband another smile, "Sometimes I feel like you have more confidence in me, that I do in myself." She told him, and it wasn't the first time she'd come to that conclusion. He had ensured the location for her store, after all. "What did I ever do to deserve you." She added in disbelief, before she brought the glass of wine back to meet with her lips. "It really is." Nodding her head as she spoke, as count down really was on and she could see the sand running out in the hour glass by the minute. "What do you say to watching a movie in bed after we finish up dinner and I have that long anticipated shower?" @elianxbrowne

Isla felt her eyes widen slightly at the mention of emeralds. She knew very well how pricey those could be as she was fortunate enough to own a few pieces herself. "She's a lucky woman." She stated, before looking over at the nearby display of items for women as he began to explain. "How do you think she'd feel about pink?" Walking over to pull out a beautiful pink dress they had received earlier in the week. "That could go well with emeralds." She had added, before she walked over to grab one of their new white coats. "Or this. I know it is neutral, but it would go with anything and she could wear it both day and night." It was a classical piece in Isla's opinion, which her store was all about. "Oh-" Isla chuckled, "I think I am too stressed about the minor details to be there yet, but I am sure it will arrive when I least expect it." She was just looking forward to spending the rest of her days with Elian. @julianxhawthorne

"Yeah. If I end up changing it all up, I'll have to owe it all to you," Coralie said to the other, bowing her head. Even the slightest possibility of finding something new to love was enough for her to switch up for a day. "It is. Portland really isn't all that far, but sometimes it feels like a lifetime away. The little pieces of home are sometimes the biggest things." It was important to Coralie to keep herself as close to her home as possible, even when she was the furthest she'd ever been from it. "And then every time, I'll think of that nice lady in the line who made it happen," she said, the corners of her eyes creasing as she laughed.

Isla laughed softly, lifting a hand in mock surrender. "Hey, if I’m responsible for expanding your ice cream horizons, I’ll take the credit proudly," she joked, eyes bright with amusement. "But you’re right, those little pieces of home matter more than people realize. It doesn’t have to be something big to make you feel connected." She stepped forward again with the line, glancing back at Coralie with a grin that softened at the edges. "And for the record, I’m honored to be the ‘nice lady in the line.’ Could be worse things to be remembered for." She nudged her shoulder playfully. "Who knows? Maybe years from now you’ll be telling people about the day you ditched strawberry and discovered greatness." @coralie--olsen

Isla chuckled before reaching for her wine to take a sip of it. "I just don't want to end up like a bridezilla towards the end if I can help it." She admitted, before her head tilted to the side a little when he said he'd always cook. "And I will always eat whatever you make me without complaining." She told him with a grin, "And it will decrease our chances of both food poisoning and fires significantly." She teased before she let her eyes rest on her future husband. "I love you, Eli. I can't wait to be your wife." @elianxbrowne

closed starter for @islaricci

Coralie nodded enthusiastically, her smile bright as she listened to the woman. She’d never related to someone so much on something as simple as ice cream, but it was nice to not have to take things so seriously sometimes. “Even if I have to spend a little extra just for those surprises, the experience is so worth it.” She was always looking for ways to keep home within her, whether it was the ice cream, or little trinkets and books from her childhood—if it kept the memories fresh, that’s all that mattered. “Exactly. With school, it’s so hard to be able to get back home for a while, so anything to keep my family close in the meantime.” As the line finally began to move Coralie followed the crowd, smiling back at the woman. “I think today, I’ll branch out. Strawberry is wonderful, but I think it doesn’t hurt to try something new.”

Isla’s grin widened as she stepped forward with the line, clearly delighted by Coralie’s decision. "That’s the spirit," she said, voice light with encouragement. "Sometimes trying something new ends up becoming the next favorite, you know? Worst case, you circle back to strawberry next time." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she glanced at the options again. "I get that though, being away from home makes the little things feel more important. It’s nice to have those small comforts that remind you where you came from." Her gaze softened as she looked back at Coralie. "But hey, maybe this new flavor becomes part of the tradition too." @coralie--olsen

Isla’s expression softened at Colbie’s words. "That actually sounds kind of perfect," she admitted with a smile. "Coffee as motivation, ice cream as a reward, it sounds like you’ve got the whole self-care cycle figured out." Her eyes flicked toward the line ahead before returning to Colbie. "I get why you’d miss it, though. There’s something special about the kind of place that feels like home even when you’re away from it." She had felt the same when living in New York. "What brought you to Kismet?" @colbiebowen

Isla was glad Elian agreed that they shouldn't put stuff off. She nodded in agreement, "The quicker we can get all the details sorted out, the more time we have to rewind, relax and hopefully not stress too much before the big day." She said before smiling, "Yeah, then maybe we could grab lunch somewhere? I know I have been strict with my diet recently, but I hate to admit that I do really crave a fast food meal." She laughed while shaking her head a little. "Thank you for cooking, by the way. I really appreciate you." @elianxbrowne

Isla smiled, figuring he would have considering he seemed to remember everything she ever told him, which again was something she appreciated. It made her feel heard, and who didn't want that? She sighed, before shrugging, "Well, if you don't have any set plans, maybe we could go to a nearby hobby lobby or something next weekend to get some stuff?" She asked, wanting to check out the options that might already be available for them to start buying now in case they needed more of something. "If not, maybe I could take a day off too and we could spend it together?" She asked, "Relax, maybe go to the spa or something for a couple's massage?" @elianxbrowne

"Even now, when I go to the beach, I often get myself a strawberry cone. It's how I relive my childhood." It was something Coralie often did when she was feeling homesick. It brought her back to those moments with her parents when she missed them the most. "Going off of vibes hasn't failed me yet," she said with a soft laugh. "Oh, now that sounds good. A little crunchy, a little salty, and super sweet—sounds perfect." Her eyes moved to a flavour on the menu that sounded similar to what the other woman was describing. Now was the perfect time to stray away from her usual. "I love a good ice cream with bits and pieces of things. I think it's so disappointing when you get like, say, birthday cake ice cream and it's just ice cream without the little cake chunks." She sighed. "You absolutely should. Always get yourself the best thing whenever possible."

Isla let out a small laugh, nodding in agreement. "Exactly! If you’re going to get birthday cake ice cream, it really needs to feel like a birthday party in a cup," she said, eyes lighting up with amusement. "Half the fun is digging around for those little surprises—bits of cake, cookie dough, caramel swirls. It’s like treasure hunting, but tastier." Her tone softened a little as she added, "And I love that you still get strawberry at the beach. There’s something really sweet about keeping those traditions alive, you know? It’s like a quiet way of carrying a piece of home with you." She smiled, the warmth in her expression matching her voice. "Makes the ice cream that much better somehow." @coralie--olsen

Dean laughed before giving her hand a light smack as she reached for his fries. He had bought them knowing she was going to steal some, and he didn’t mind, but it was more fun to tease her about it. “Eh, maybe 10% of your jokes are funny but that’s as high as I’ll go. Anything higher than that would be a lie and I’m a very honest person” he joked, but there was some truth to it. Dean messed up a lot, but to his credit he was fairly honest about his wrongdoings. “I won’t make any jokes about you being a bridezilla don’t worry…. I will however definitely make a joke about me and you hooking up” he said with a grin, knowing that joke would’ve bothered her. Obviously that wasn’t something he would ever bring up at her wedding, but he would still use it to annoy her from time to time. His smile grew brighter with her next comment, choosing to completely ignore her saying he was a cautionary tale, “So you think I have a charming smile?” Of all the compliments he received, that was probably one he’d heard most often- but he was flattered every time. “I got pockets, I can carry stuff” he offered- figuring he was likely going to be holding some of her stuff for the wedding anyway. “I would totally be in your wedding party. We can get ready together in the bridal suite, that might even be your favorite and most memorable part of the day” he said, always needing to add a small joke at the end of something genuine. @islaricci

Isla let out an exaggerated groan, covering her face with her hand for a second like the mere idea of Dean in the bridal suite was too much to handle. "You are so deeply unserious," she said, peeking at him between her fingers before dropping her hand and grinning. "There is no way I’m letting you anywhere near the bridal suite. I actually like my sanity, thank you." She picked up one of his fries without asking this time, casually popping it into her mouth. "And please, if you even joke about us hooking up in front of my family and especially Elian, I will personally have you escorted off the premises, probably by my very large, very judgy cousins." Her tone was all mock-threat, but her eyes were warm. "But yes, obviously I think you have a charming smile. It’s the only reason people tolerate you half the time." She smirked, then nudged his shoulder. "You can be in the wedding party. But only because you’ve got pockets and I trust you not to lose my lip gloss." @dean-walker

"Yes. Like when you hold in a big breath and then you finally let it out, it gives me that same sensation. I'm glad that I found someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about because sometimes the way I think can sound a little crazy to others. "Oh she definitely is wiser than us. She knows exactly how to direct us in the right direction. We can help each other but sometimes forget to do it for ourselves and she's that person for us telling us what we need to do." Oliver explained. @islaricci

Isla let out a soft laugh, her eyes still on the horizon. "It doesn’t sound crazy to me at all," she said gently. "I think more people feel that way than they’re willing to admit. There’s something kind of beautiful about being understood without having to explain every part of yourself, you know?" She turned to him, her expression open and sincere. "And you’re right, we’re so quick to show up for others, but we forget we deserve that same care, too. Maybe that’s why the ocean resonates so much, like it doesn’t ask anything from us. It just reminds us to be still for a while." Her voice softened even more. "I think we all need someone, or something, to bring us back to ourselves when we drift too far." Luckily Elian did that for her. @oliver-attah

Isla peaked up from where she was seated on the floor, papers scattered around her into an organized mess while she was trying to get all the small details for the table set up ready. She felt the shopping list kept getting longer and longer, and the time they had left, shorter and shorter. "Coming!" She called back to him as she stood up, legs prickling almost instantly from the lack of blood circulation. Walking into the kitchen, she took a seat and smiled. "Yes, that sounds great!" She told him, "I am sure it is all perfect, as long as you didn't seat aunt Carmen next to uncle Alessio, because they do not get on ever since their divorce." She said with a small sigh before reaching for her wine. "Well.. I didn't make it that far.." She admitted, knowing she had said she was going to have a quick one. "I got so into the table set up and decoration, I figured I still had time." @elianxbrowne