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There’s a knock on Mattie’s office door. She sighs. After all, it’s been a few quiet years since the Silas campus returned to normal–– or, its version of normal, anyway. So, generally, any knock on the door is cause for annoyance.
“Mattie?” a familiar voice calls through the closed door.
Yep. Annoyance.
“What is it?” Mattie asks.
“It’s Laura and Carmilla.”
Mattie shuffles some papers and takes a deep breath. “Well, what are you expecting? A medal for being Laura and Carmilla? Come in.”
The door opens slowly as Carmilla follows Laura in.
“To what do I owe this visit?” Mattie asks flatly.
Laura looks over at Carmilla, who smirks.
“Carm proposed to me last night,” Laura says simply, a grin threatening to break out across her face.
Mattie raises an eyebrow before drumming her fingers on the desktop.
The smile is fading. “Aren’t you gonna congratulate us?” Laura asks nervously.
Carmilla chuckles, watching her now-fiancé fidget under Mattie’s unreadable gaze.
“I’m sorry, my hearing isn’t what it used to be,” she replies, pressing her lips together in a thin line. “Death does that to a person.”
Laura sighs while Mattie gestures to a glass case on the side of the office, housing the previous broken pendant, accompanied with a plaque that reads, “Don’t trust Laura Hollis.”
This was nothing new. As time went on after the big battle, Mattie just got more and more overdramatic with her teasing.
“You heard us just fine,” Carmilla quips. “And if you’re done guilting Laura, we didn’t just come here to tell you what was–– oh, I dunno, the happiest news of my afterlife.”
Mattie chuckles. “I’m just teasing her, my dear.”
Laura giggles and takes Carmilla’s hand in hers. “We want you to be our… maid of honor.”
“You want me to be both of your maid of honor?” Mattie asks, quirking an eyebrow.
Laura nods. “Duh.”
Mattie’s face softens for a split second and if Laura had blinked, she would’ve missed it. She quickly goes back to her usual apathetic mask and clears her throat. “Is that all?”
“Is that you accepting?” Laura asks, the grin returning and threatening to split her face in half.
Mattie sighs and clasps her hands on her desk. “What would I have to do?” she asks with a bored tone.
“Just give a speech at the wedding,” Laura replies eagerly. “Perry's already volunteered to plan it, so that’s all.”
Mattie looks back and forth between Laura and Carmilla for a few seconds. “Very well. I'll give a speech that's just… to die for.”
Carmilla lets out a large groan and drags a chuckling Laura out the door.
“I don't know about this, cupcake,” Carmilla says that night in bed, wrapping one arm around Laura's waist and snuggling up against her side. “What if Mattie sabotages the wedding with her speech?”
Laura frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, what if she just starts in on her ‘Laura got me killed once’ spiel and…” Carmilla sighs. “I just want this to be your happy day.”
“Our happy day,” Laura corrects. “Besides, I asked for this, remember? It was my idea.”
Carmilla rolls her eyes. “Yeah, because those are always winners.”
“Well I'm starting to think agreeing to marry you wasn't one of my better ones,” Laura teases, laughing when Carmilla gives her a light smack.
“I'm serious, Laura. Remember when we took down my mother and you were taunting her, saying, ‘I'm gonna kill you!’ and Mattie actually stopped fighting to scream out, ‘Like you killed me?’”
“Well—”
“Or when she gave you a box of candy hearts for Valentine’s Day but inside was just crumbled candy and left you a note that said ‘like you crushed mine’?”
Laura scoffs. “It—“
“Or when she almost gave away our position in the library because I had said to you that I can trust you and she literally burst through a book shelf, clutching her pendant in her hand, very offended?”
“That was—”
“And when we invited your dad over for dinner and she dropped in and told him you had broken her heart and he was convinced you had dated her before you dated me?”
Laura clamps her hand over Carmilla's mouth. “Oh my gosh, Carm, I get it!” She breaks out in laughter as she feels Carmilla scowl against her hand. “I'm supposed to be the rambler, not you, remember?”
Carmilla sighs and Laura removes her hand, kissing the top of Carmilla's head.
“Look. Me getting Mattie killed is still definitely a thing she won't let me forget. But I think it's more of a habit and a running joke than her being actually upset enough to ruin our big day.”
Carmilla makes an unconvinced grunt.
“Besides, you love her. She's your best friend. She's your sister. Having her as our maid of honor is perfect.”
Laura tugs Carmilla in closer and feels her relax against her.
“She loves you, Carm. Even if she does hates me, there is no way she hates me more than she loves you.” Laura gives her a squeeze and pulls away to meet her eyes. “Just like I love you.”
This gets Carmilla to drop her grumpy demeanor and smiles. “I love you, too.”
“Mattie's coming over,” Laura announces to Carmilla, handing her a mug of warm blood as they settle in at their small kitchen table.
Carmilla quirks an eyebrow. “Why?”
Laura shrugs and looks at her phone screen. “She just said, ‘Need help. Coming over. A heart to heart may help me. Try not to shatter mine again.’” She jumps as the phone starts ringing in her hand and answers it. “Hey, Mattie. … Ah, yeah, Carm is here. … … Oh. Uhm. Sure? Yeah, see you.”
Carmilla cocks her head to the side, puzzled. “What's up, cutie?”
“I'm not sure,” Laura replies with a pout. “She wants to see me alone. So she asked me to come to her office.”
Carmilla looks amused at the tremor in Laura's voice.
“Do you think she knows we can't have a wedding if she kills me?”
Laura takes a deep breath and knocks on the office door. “Mattie?”
“That is whose office this is,” she calls from inside.
Laura rolls her eyes and opens the door to walk in. “What's up?” she asks, taking a seat.
Mattie sits in silence for several seconds and Laura is about to prod again when Mattie clears her throat.
“This speech my sister and you want me to give,” she says, clenching her jaw. “I'm afraid I'll have to change my mind and decline the honor of speaking at your wedding. Better yet, I probably won't attend at all.”
Laura's mouth drops open, her eyes widening. “What? Why?”
“I don't have to give you a reason,” Mattie states bluntly.
Laura jumps off the chair and is in Mattie's face within seconds. Even by vampire standards, that was fast.
“You are going to speak at this wedding,” Laura states through gritted teeth. “The moment I suggested this to Carm, she actually lit up. You are her sister. You're the only person she loves on this planet other than me and you are her best friend. I am not going to have a wedding where you are not there, and I'm not going to have a wedding where you're not speaking at it. If you hate me, then fine. But can't you just set it aside and let your love for Carm override it? I mean, I thought we had gotten over… everything. But even if we haven't, I don't care what stupid meeting, event, fundraiser, or gosh dang manicure you've got prioritized over Carmilla's wedding–– I will personally fight everyone involved to get you there. Because Carm loves you so, so much, and you make her happy, and I want to make her happy, so you will get your fashionable ass to our wedding and speak at it as our friggin’ maid of honor!”
Laura finally stops and realizes she is far too close to Mattie. She inhales deeply and takes in the vampire before her, who remains as unreadable as ever. Laura steps back and swallows hard, the reality of what she had just done sinking in.
“Uhm, Mattie? S-Say something?”
Mattie stares at her and takes a deep breath. “Get out.”
“B-But—”
“Get. Out,” Mattie repeats, softly but firmly.
Laura gulps and dashes out.
She makes it out of the building before she leans against it, trying not to cry.
She'd done it. She'd messed up her own wedding. Just because she couldn't keep her stupid big mouth closed.
Laura pulls out her phone with trembling hands, trying to muster up the courage to call Carmilla and tell her the bad news. Better to do it sooner rather than later, she thinks through a sob.
Her phone rings and Laura stares down at her phone, confused.
It's a text from Mattie.
“Fine. I'll do it.”
“Hello, Carm,” Mattie greets warmly on the wedding day, entering Carmilla's bridal suite. She pulls her into a hug before stepping back to appreciate her sister in a tuxedo top and a skirt bottom. “You look amazing.”
Carmilla smiles shyly before examining Mattie's outfit. It's a solid black dress, with a cut down the back. Her makeup is also dark.
“Geez, who died?”
“Oh, don't you know?” Mattie smirks. “Me.”
Carmilla rolls her eyes. “You're at my wedding, not your funeral.”
“Oh, darling. We're vampires. We celebrate death just by living. Every day is a funeral.”
“I'm supposed to be the philosophical one,” Carmilla chuckles.
Mattie shrugs. “As you’ve pointed out, it's your wedding day. The only thing you're supposed to be today is happy.”
Carmilla grins and pulls Mattie in for another hug.
“Are you?”
Carmilla pulls away, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Am I, what?”
“Happy?”
Carmilla nods. “I am.” Her voice cracks and she sniffles. “God, Mattie, I'm so happy, I might burst.”
“Good.” Mattie gives her a soft peck on the cheek.
Carmilla wanders over to the makeup table and sits down, looking for the mascara.
“Actually, could you do me a favor? Can you pop by Laura’s suite and just… Uhm… Check up on her?” Carmilla chews her lip. “She was a bit emotional last night and… I mean, I know it's bad luck to see a bride before the wedding, but to Hell with that if she needs me.”
“Of course, my little sap.” Mattie gives her one more hug before leaving.
Mattie brushes past Perry in the hallway. “Hi, Red. Have you seen Laura lately?”
Perry gives a hesitant nod.
“How is she?”
Perry clears her throat. “She— uhm, well— she…” she sighs. “I was actually on my way to get Carmilla. None of us can really get through to Laura.”
Mattie grabs Perry by the arm to stop her. “No. Don't bother her. Not yet.” She sighs. “I'll check on her myself.”
“Are you sure that's such a good idea?” Perry blurts out without thinking.
Mattie cackles and walks away. “Just go deal with getting the rest of the wedding ready.”
She knocks on Laura's door and waits. There's a sniffle and some rustling. “Who is it?”
“Your honorary speaker, dear. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Another sniffle. “Everything's great.”
“That'd be slightly more convincing without the voice cracking, hon.” Mattie pauses and briefly considers getting Carmilla. But her sister had been so happy and… trying with Laura didn't seem to be outrageously beyond her role as honorary speaker, right? “May I come in?”
A few seconds pass before Laura opens the door slowly. “Sure.”
Mattie stares at the girl before her. Laura’s outfit matches Carmilla’s, but her face is an entirely different story. “Ah, going for that ‘trashed and caught in the rain’ makeup look, huh?’
Laura chuckles, but it's more hollow than her usual laughter.
Mattie settles down on a couch as Laura takes a seat by the makeup station, dabbing away pitifully at tear streaks. “What's the matter?”
Laura gives a small shrug and shakes her head.
“Look,” Mattie sighs, getting up and walking over to Laura. “You asked me to be at your wedding. You demanded I clear my schedule to give a speech. You told me to come here for Carm. So if you're getting cold feet—“
“I'm not,” Laura says immediately. “I'm not.”
“Then what in the name of L’Oreal are you crying over?” Mattie asks.
“I…” Laura huffs and puts down the tissue. “I miss my mom, okay?”
Mattie stares at her, unsure of how to react or what to say.
“Perry was putting together some blurbs for pamphlets she's giving out to guests and she asked me about my mom so I could have something in there about her and— I froze. I couldn't think of a damn thing to go in there. I couldn't remember how my mom looked or how she smelled or if she gave nice hugs or what her laugh sounded like. So I froze and she just said she'd ask my dad.”
Laura sighs and looks down, defeated.
“And then Carm tried to make it better and it worked last night but then today they handed me one of the pamphlets and I looked at my mom’s page and it all just came rushing back. So then I started hyperventilating and I kicked everyone out.”
Mattie gives Laura a few more seconds of sniffling before she clicks her tongue. “Wait til Carm hears about this. The one time you kick everyone out, and she isn't even around to enjoy it.”
Laura narrows her eyes in a glare. “Gee. Thanks.”
Mattie pulls up a chair to sit facing Laura. “Do you know why I'm here?”
“Uhm… To give a speech at the wedding?” Laura asks, confused.
Mattie rolls her eyes so far Laura's not sure they're even still in the same dimension. If there were ever a question that she and Carmilla were sisters, this resemblance would end the discussion.
“Do you know why I said I couldn't come?” Mattie asks. This time, she doesn't wait for a reply. “I canceled because I wasn't sure I would be able to deliver a speech worthy of Carmilla's wedding. I had hit a block and I was going to give up.”
Laura frowns. “What changed your mind?”
“You.” Mattie scoffs. “Your little peanut of a body stormed into my office and yelled and ranted like a manic chihuahua and… Well, I finally got it.”
“Got what?”
Mattie sighs and drums her fingertips on her lap. “I got why she loves you.”
Laura stops asking questions and just stares at Mattie.
“She told me, once. During an evening with too many drinks and almost enough laughter. I made another crack about you being responsible for my death, except at that point I wasn’t really joking, and she got real quiet. Said she got why I blamed you but she couldn't keep spending time with just me or just you. She wanted to be able to spend time with both of us and she knew it was asking a lot of me, but to give you a chance.”
Laura blinks. Carmilla had never even hinted that this conversation had occurred. She just knew that one day, Mattie had agreed to hang out with both of them in their apartment, and things became less tense afterwards.
Mattie hands Laura her copy of the speech she is prepared to give at their wedding. “I was going to show this to you either way. Because I feel like some of it is so inflammatory that Raggedy Ann would try to put a stop to it. Do make sure she doesn't interrupt me later?”
Laura nods and takes the card, reading it over.
She reads it once, and then retreads it before swallowing hard. “Oh. Wow, Mattie, th-this is…”
Mattie scoffs and waves her hand. “Anyway, that day in my office was the first time I really got it. I mean, after that talk with Carmilla, I made an effort to tolerate your existence more. And it became some routine for me to make a crack at you about my death, even if was just a joke. I even became vaguely fond of you. But it didn't quite occur to me that you and Carmilla could really share a forever before that day.”
Laura giggles and Mattie raises an eyebrow.
“You're fond of me?”
Mattie rolls her eyes. “If you let that go to your head, I will pop it like a zit.”
Carmilla and Laura are snuggled together in front of a small room filled with Laura's family and friends, eating dinner following a beautiful wedding ceremony.
Mattie is with a couple of tables of Carmilla's acquaintances from over the centuries. She's sharing old stories with a vampire who is laughing rather cruelly about the bubonic plague when Carmilla and Laura both give her a pointed look. She nods and stands, going to the podium and clearing her throat to get the guests’ attention.
The noise dies down quickly and the spotlight is on Mattie. “Boy, am I glad I could be here today,” she begins with a happy sigh, glancing at the few dozen people staring at her. “I mean, that was a concern, what with Laura getting me killed once, and all.”
There are some confused murmurings in the audience and Mattie smirks. Apparently not all of them had been privy to all of Laura's adventures in college–– all the better for fuel for her speech.
“After I was killed, I spent hours lying in my mothers basement, where Laura and her friends hid my body. It was dark, damp. Mold was more alive down there than I was.”
Carmilla drops her head into her hands and Laura is stifling laughter.
“And while I lay there staring at the shattered remains of my literal broken heart, I couldn't help but reflect on how I had gotten there.” Mattie scoffs dramatically. “I mean, I actually don't know how I had gotten down there. I'm going to assume someone just chucked me down the stairs in hopes I would be an obstacle for whoever should choose to infiltrate the building from the basement. Or maybe I was carried down there by Laura as penance. Wouldn't that be a funny sight?”
She looks at her audience and is more than proud to see horrified and shocked reactions. Perry looks ready to run up to the podium and snatch the microphone from Mattie's hands, but Laura shakes her head at Perry, so she stays put.
“But I was down there for days, even after my resurrection, where I lay starving and wasting away, until I was found. And in that time, I was able to reflect on a lot of things. Like why my sister would fall for Laura Hollis. But, much like revenge against Ms. Hollis for my death, I never got it.”
She flips the notecard, more for dramatic effect than anything else. The truth was, she had the whole speech committed to memory.
“One night months later, I asked Carm what exactly was so special about Laura. I asked why she loved her.” Mattie laughs softly. “And she said, ‘Mattie, this girl never gives up. She sets a goal and she just goes for it. Whether it was finding her roommate, or making things right on campus, or getting me to love her again after messing everything up. And she never gave up on me. In spite of all her friends telling her I was a monster, in spite of me breaking up with her, she always saw the best parts of me. And it wasn't even just that. It was that she saw all of me.’”
Mattie pauses and looks back at the brides to see tears streaming down both of their faces. She turns back to address the guests.
“The reason I keep my broken heart on display in the office is because I know, in the new heart that rests within my chest now, that much like the shambles of its predecessor, they were meant to be together. Together, Carmilla and Laura make one hell of a heart.”
Laura slumps into the seat beside Carmilla.
“Because of your sister, I just spent half our wedding dinner assuring my family and high school friends that I'm not a murderer and have never hidden a body,” Laura huffs.
Carmilla chuckles. “So, you lied.”
“If you think an orange jumpsuit looks better on me than this dress, then you're more than welcome to tell everyone the truth,” Laura says, gesturing at the crowd on the dance floor.
“Actually, I think you'd look better in nothing,” Carmilla whispers into Laura's ear.
Laura visibly blushes but quickly gets over being flustered as her eyes narrow suggestively. “I mean, if I were to get arrested, at least we'd be able to play with handcuffs more sturdy than our last pair.”
Carmilla groans and throws her head back. “Ya killin’ me, Hollis.”
“Yeah, but she killed me first.” Mattie slides into a chair near them with a smirk.
Laura giggles and Carmilla rolls her eyes. “Did you just come over here to insult my wife?”
Mattie feigns offense. “Is that any way to talk to your maid of honor?”
Carmilla nods enthusiastically and Laura swats her.
“Thank you for the lovely speech, Mattie,” Laura says.
“You're welcome, dear.” Mattie pokes Carmilla. “Anything for my little sap.”
Carmilla leans over and hugs Mattie, whispering a heartfelt “thanks.”
Mattie smiles and reaches into her purse. “But to answer your question, no. I did not just come over here to tease your pint-sized new wife.” She pulls out a small wooden box and slides it over to Laura. “Open it.”
Laura opens the box and her mouth drops open. “Mattie…”
Carmilla mirrors Laura's expression, her eyes welling up.
“The jokes won't stop,” Mattie warns, standing up. “But think of this as my thanks for picking me to be the maid of honor.”
Laura springs from her seat and tackles Mattie in a hug. Mattie awkwardly pats her on the back as the hug lingers for a few more seconds. She pulls away from Laura and kisses Carmilla on the cheek, giving a small wave as she walks away from them.
Carmilla grins as she takes a sip of her champagne.
“Enjoy making love tonight,” she calls behind her, her laugh matching Laura's when Carmilla chokes on her drink and spits it back into her cup.
And as Laura dabs at Carmilla’s mess with a napkin, she makes sure none of it got on Mattie’s gift to them.
A small box, with her broken heart pendant in it, accompanied with the note, “I'm trusting Laura Hollis with the only thing that matters more to me than my heart—Carmilla Karmstein. Forever.”