I just didn't have the heart to tell her.
She was so excited.
She so wanted to go.
She'd heard so many good things and had to see it for herself.
She begged and begged.
She promised.
I let her go.
She got dressed quickly in her most fabulous going-to-church dress.
She put on her shoes.
She found her little matching purse.
We brushed her hair.
She waited anxiously by the front door.
I simply didn't have the heart to tell her.
We got in the car with the rest of the On The Upside family.
We drove across town.
We found a parking spot.
We followed the other guests and found a seat near the front.
We waited.
I still didn't have the heart to tell her.
"Where is she?" her eyes were wide with excitement.
"I can't see anything," she stretched her neck to see around the tall people.
"This is taking forever," she fiddled and farted around with her purse and her shoes and her hair.
"How long is this going to take?" she was only ten minutes into the event and she had already exhausted herself.
I should have told her.
"What are they doing?" she leaned over and whispered in my ear.
"What happens next?" she could not sit still.
"Why do we have to keep standing?"
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"I can't see a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g!"
It was finally over.
We loaded the On The Upside family into the car and headed back across town.
She sat quietly in her seat.
She gazed out the window.
We arrived in another parking lot and filed out - the On The Upside family - her dragging behind - her hair a bit of a mess - her matching purse left in the car - her whining ...
It was too late to tell her now.
"Where are we?" her eyes are a bit glazed over.
"I just wanna go home." *whine*
"Will there be food?" *whine*
"Will I be able to go to the bathroom?" *whine whine*
"Will there be cake? *big whine*
*sigh*
We find a table.
We get a drink.
We fill our plates with carrots and celery and olives.
*big sigh*
"Where are they?" she asks, scanning the crowded room.
"When will they be here?" she bounces in her chair.
"Will there be dancing?" she swirls her dress as if she is a dancing girl.
"I didn't even get to see the kiss. Did they kiss?"
"Can I go see the cake?" she jumps up and down in front of me.
"When do we eat cake?" she begins to drool.
I am getting very tired.
"Will they open presents?" she asks.
"When will they cut the cake?"
"Can I go get a piece of cake?"
"Why are we leaving?"
"We can't leave yet ... I didn't even get a piece of cake?"
*Mom traipses over to the cake table - begs for a slice of cake - takes cake back to the small girl*
The On The Upside family exits the building and ... goes home.
On the upside ... I hate weddings. I knew she would be bored. They're long. They're boring. They are bor-ing! I should have had the heart to tell her ... "It's really not a thing like you see on tv, Sweetie. Honestly ... you are simply going to hate it."
All was not lost ... she did enjoy the dancing ....
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