Writing Prompt: A Person Undergoing a Change

It should be fairly simple, shouldn’t it? I mean, you only spend just your entire life in search of some sort of deeper meaning that makes it all worth it, right? Um. Maybe best not to think that way. There’s only so much a heart can vehemently pound against one’s ribs before the rest of their body decides it’s time to call it a night and peace out for five minutes. But on second thought, fainting sounds like a far more pleasant option that the ever-increasing panic spiral that’s swirling throughout my body and making my hands sweat in a very, very unladylike manner. Thorns and sweaty hands? Not a great combo when holding a bouquet that could very well just wilt away and then that’s a bad omen for the next journey of my life and goddamn is that piano loud I feel like every bang of the keys is a slamming into the side of my temples and it freaking hurts to wear heels why is it ladylike to wear stilettos maybe I should lay down and nope okay I’m being ushered. Deep breaths. Ladylike. You know what? I don’t think a man has ever once needed to have this brain parlay while simultaneously worrying about not tripping over a floor length lace gown in sparkling five inch heels. And you know what else, I could very just as well keep my last name, it’s freaking 2021. Maybe if I just stopped for a breather we could reschedule the whole shindig and we can just elope and find a small boat to live on and be like hermits and get really tan and make fake names and then I wouldn’t need to make a life-changing commitment for the rest of my life until death do us pa— “You ready, sweetheart?” I look up at my father’s kind eyes through my heavily glued lashes and blink back the shuddering panic that’s shaking the trim of my white gown. “Ready?” I breathed out, taking his firm hand in mine like a steady tree in the wind, my rock from when I had bandaged knees and paint splattered fingers. I stood tall, tethered back to Earth. We stepped forward, and rounding the corner, I met eyes with my future. My heart skipped another beat, and the nerves easily washed away like a wave upon the shore. Here comes the bride.