“I’m so proud of you,” Olivia whispers to me as she links her arm with mine and we take the stairs slowly, my dress, a tight lace number that shows off my swollen abdomen and then trails out behind me.
“Stop,” I groan, “You’ll start me off next.”
Olivia laughs and squeezes my arm as we hit the bottom of the stairs. Music is playing throughout the house but changes when we get to the Garden room to an instrumental edition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’which was picked for me to walk down to him to.
The moment I see him waiting at the end of the aisle for me, the emotion starts. My throat aches and my eyes sting but the tears only fall slowly, the happiness flooding through me making me feel light.
I am loved.
Olivia hands me over to him when we get to him and when I look into his eyes, I see the same glazed expression staring back at me.
“Hey, Red,” His grin wobbles, “You wear this dress for me?”
My laugh bursts from me, “Of course, baby.” I reply, “Who else would I wear it for?”
I can’t help but keep my eyes on Bast as we move through the ceremony.
“I have my own vows,” Sebastian says as he reaches into his suit jacket pocket and pulls out a card. I blink, trying to clear my tears as he starts.
“Willow,” He begins, “My Red, I want to start by thanking you. You’ve given me something I never thought was possible for me. You’ve given me hope, a future. You’ve shown me what love looks like and I hope to be able to show you the same for the rest of our lives. There is nothing and no one more important than you. You are my best friend, the mother to our daughter, the love of my life and for as long as my heart beats, it belongs to you. You are my whole universe, Willow, there is no light brighter in my life than you. I promise you forever and beyond, Red.”
Chapter Forty-nine
Imove Willow to the soft music, her body as close to mine as it can get.
“How do you feel, Mrs. Levine?” I ask, pressing my lips to hers.
“Happier than I’ve ever been,” She smiles but then her brow twitches and she grits her teeth.
“What’s wrong?” I demand.
She shakes her head, “Nothing, I’m okay.”
“You looked like you were in pain,” I narrow my eyes, “What is it?”
“Well,” She rolls her neck side to side, “I’ve been getting contractions.”
“What!?” I don’t mean to shout but the panic sets in immediately. I know I’ve drawn attention to us, even more than what it was.
“It’s okay,” she says it but then her face twists in pain again, “The doctor said this could happen.”
“Occasionally!” I whisper hiss, “They’re not supposed to be this close together! You’re in labor!”
“We’re still a week from our due date.”
“We need to get to the hospital,” I demand, immediately moving us off the dance floor.
Olivia rushes over, “What’s wrong?”
“She’s in labor!” I tell her.
“I don’t think I am; I think it may be false–” She stops talking abruptly and gasps, curling over a little.
“Willow!?”
“Um,” She stares down at the floor beneath our feet to the growing puddle beneath our shoes. “I think my water just broke.”
“Shit!”
