#(ft. allison)

I want to start by thanking everyone for joining us tonight, and thanking Sanem for choosing me to stand by her side on this special day as her maid of honor. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lily and I’ve been best friends with Sanem since we were teenagers. She had just moved to Crescent Harbor with her family and she have been the new girl in school, but she took me under her wing and was basically there for me even after we went our own ways after graduation. She’s someone you always want to have in your corner, and someone who lets no amount of time or distance stop her from being there for her loved ones. From staying up all night at sleepovers in high school, to booking trips and starting our own businesses, and finally at this beautiful wedding tonight; Sanem has been there for both the ebb and flow of life. I’ve seen her go from a starry-eyed teenager to the successful and exuberant woman sitting here tonight, and I couldn’t be prouder of the person she is today.

I’ve also known Allison for almost all my life, but we reconnected as adults due to a misunderstanding that resulted in us believing we were each other’s clients. Instead of setting the record straight, Allison played along and kept the joke going. We realized the error rather quickly and laugh about it now, but that showed me that Allison was not only intelligent and quick on the draw, but that she had a sense of humor as well. I’ve seen this come through in her relationship with Sanem. She has never failed to put a smile on my best friend’s face, or mine for that matter. A jovial energy that’s equally as contagious, you’ll never be bored around her. She may also have a power of manifesting realities, as I actually have ended up planning her wedding. 

I first heard about Sanem’s connection with Allison after a Valentine’s Day charity gala which we had both attended together, and it was hard to deny the connection the pair shared. Even as I left Crescent Harbor briefly and pursued some projects around the country, Sanem and I kept in touch and I heard the story of how her love story with Allison developed. What surprised me was when it was Allison who reached out to me about the latest developments: her intention to propose to Sanem and asking me to help with the occasion. There was no doubt in my mind that Allison is Sanem’s soulmate, and that they are each other’s missing puzzle piece. 

We know how the story tends to go: one friend finds a partner and ends up spending all the time with said partner, and none with their friend. But the opposite happened here - not only did Sanem devote as much time and energy to our friendship as she did in the past, but I have also become incredibly close to Allison. I am so happy for both my old friend and my new friend today, and I know that they both have bright futures ahead of them. I hope that you never stop growing together, and celebrating each other’s accomplishments while supporting each other in times of need. 

May you have love, health, and wealth; but most importantly, may you have the time to enjoy them all together. With all the happiness in my heart, here’s to the lovely brides!

“That’s some deep shit,” Sophie grumbled from behind her glass. “They teach you that in school? Shakespeare write that? It’s all crap, you know, he was a perv.” She’d officially had too much to drink; her vision was blurred and the rooming was spinning sending the depression-inducing white from the walls in all directions.

Hadn’t Sophie told Allison that she wanted to be left alone? Letting herself into the Deveraux household was the furthest thing from staying away as it got. She stood abruptly, the glass falling out of her hand and shattering on the hardwood floor. There was a shuffling from the doorway and her gaze snapped towards where she knew Allison was last standing but in her delirium all she could make out was brown hair, brown eyes and the kind of innocence only a young girl could possess. All she could see was Monique.