Chapter Text
This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.
"Planning for the Future"
If someone had asked for a scene from the perfect wedding day, no one would have argued against the present day and location. The sun was bright, warm, and shining, as if it was giving its blessing for the upcoming nuptials- just an hour or so away. The grounds of an exquisite estate decked out in the pinkest of pale pinks, including roses and organza, looked like something out of a celebrity wedding photoshoot. The reception area had an impressive dancefloor, tables perfectly set with dove centerpieces, and a DJ area set-up where a custom playlist would waft through the scene in just a few hours. Everything was simply beautiful and perfect!
And it wasn't just that everything was perfect. The wedding party was, too. There was the best man who looked quite dapper in a light-colored suit, although he seemed to have something on his mind. Surely it was just him reassuring himself that he had the ring and that his prepared toast to the bride and groom was just right. The groom was movie-star handsome in his tux, as his eyes seemed focused in on something outside his window. It was probably just him taking in all the beauty of the stage that had been set for this most important of days for him and his soon-to-be bride.
The bride, who after securing a replacement for her maid of honor, was ready for the finishing touches to help her become the beautiful and blushing bride she had envisioned becoming exactly one second after she had said "Yes" to the soon-to-be groom. She had decided to wear her hair down, as she thought it would flatter her and the dress as she stood ready to become a wife.
And the one person who had toiled long hours to put this perfect day together could not help but to take some moments to take in what all she'd been able to do over the last few months. She had done it. She had set the stage for a beautiful couple. Yet, as she took her place at the back of the lined-up chairs while waiting to signal the beginning of the ceremony, Trina Robinson, wedding planner extraordinaire, couldn't ignore the slight gaze of the groom on her. And worse yet, she didn't want to ignore it. But with Spencer Cassadine all set to marry Josslyn Jacks, that was something that Trina had to push to the side. And while she attempted to do just that, her mind took her back to the time just before she met the couple who had come into her life- just as a dozen others had- looking for her to plan the biggest day of their lives.
*****
Trina Robinson had always excelled at whatever she had set her mind to ever since she was a young child. She started walking and talking earlier than most. "Probably because she had so many things to do and so much to say" was the light-hearted reasoning her mother, Portia, gave to explain her daughter's early and advanced accomplishments.
And Trina seemed to prove that in so many ways. She loved to create. Whether it was stories, drawings, or dances, Trina Robinson was always in the midst of making something beautiful. For her the process of creating the beautiful was just as important as the end product of that process. So, she knew at an early age that she wanted a career that allowed her to create, get lost in that process, and to have the satisfaction of seeing a completed product from her hard work.
"A wedding planner?" was the question from both of her confused parents, Portia and Marcus- known affectionately by many as Taggert- when Trina told them of her plans for after college.
"Yes, a wedding planner. I'm really surprised I didn't think about it even earlier," Trina had told them weeks before her junior year at PCU. "I've always loved to create and then marvel at the finished product. And that's wedding planning at its core. I'll get to work with couples to create the most special day in their lives. I'll be there to figure out best venues, themes, decor, and everything else in between for their wedding day. And when their big day comes, even before they can see it all, I'll get to stand back and look at what all the hours of creating and planning have led to when I see the church, the grounds, or even just the intimate space of a backyard that will be the places where a couple's dreams will come true. And that will give me so much satisfaction."
And after hearing how passionately their daughter spoke of being a wedding planner and seeing the light in her eyes as she did, Portia and Taggert couldn't help but to become Trina's biggest supporters.
Trina finished her studies and graduated from PCU, with the intentions of becoming the wedding planner who was known as the best in all of Port Charles. And after not too many years, that's exactly what happened. It began with her planning the wedding of a friend, who was willing to trust her big day to a "newbie". And even though it was not a huge affair, taking place in the bride's backyard, Trina created a most magical wedding and reception for her friend. She received praise all around, as well as the attention of her next client. A client with a bigger budget and grander ideas for her wedding- who was not disappointed in what was only Trina's second wedding. And after that, Trina became a much sought after name for wedding planning.
Hers was a name that also became linked to a hotel owned by Ava Jerome. Trina had been attracted to the beautiful accommodations offered by the hotel's ballroom, dining area, and pool area, and had used it for an early reception that she planned. Ava was impressed and never failed to mention Trina's name as a skilled wedding planner. And Ava was just the one who suggested Trina as the perfect wedding planner to Josslyn Jacks.
While the suggestion was made to Josslyn, Ava had truly done if for her stepson, Spencer Cassadine. Spencer's father, Nikolas Cassadine, was Ava's husband and the head of a multi-million-dollar company. Spencer, being his father's heir, had been destined to become a part of Cassadine Industries-although he had avoided it years before doing so. When Nikolas and Ava first became involved, she had been a witness to quite a few conversations where Spencer's future was the focus.
"See the world, explore, and experience all there is for you," Nikolas had told his son nearly two years ago. "Take six months or even a year. Then, come home and get to the business of taking on all that comes with being a Cassadine."
And that's what Spencer did. He saw the world, he explored, and he experienced so much. The six months, which turned into a year, opened his eyes to so much he would like to have done... But he was resigned to the idea and fact that Cassadine Industries would be his future. And he had found a way to make it work- so much so that his father began to encourage Spencer in his personal life, as well.
Josslyn Jacks was the daughter of a wealthy business tycoon who had long left Port Charles behind after a divorce from Josslyn's mother. After time away at school in Europe, Josslyn had returned all set to become part of the society crowd and to find a husband equal to her standing, in terms of name and wealth. And because of those two very factors, it seemed almost predestined for Spencer Cassadine and Josslyn Jacks to become engaged and in need of the perfect wedding planner.
Yet, despite destiny's seemingly perfect track record, there's no way that destiny could have known how the crossing of paths between a wedding planner and a newly engaged couple would come so close to turning so many things all around.