She worries too damn much. I tell her that all the time, but of course that only makes her worry about worrying. "I know so," I tell her with a smile. "Now, let's get you ready. If you're even a minute late walking out there, you'll give Lucien a heart attack."
She smiles the biggest and most beautiful damn smile I've ever seen in my life, and I can already feel the tears building up behind my eyes. It's going to be a great day full of love…and lots of tears.
* * * * * * *
JACKSON
I'M STANDING NEXT to Lucien on the beach, waiting. And even though he's the one getting married, I can feel the nervousness building up inside of me. I have something special planned for today, and to say I'm freaking out would be the understatement of the year.
"Relax," Lucien says from beside me.
My head whips around to look at him with wide eyes. Lucien is tellingmeto relax? Fuck, that's rich. Over the past few years, Adeline has made him into a changed man. He's not the neurotic bastard I once knew. Now he's kind and…I can't believe I'm saying this…sweet.
His impulses are always there, but mostly at the bare minimum instead of raging out of control…even though he can still drive me crazy with his facts about how much bacteria is on any given surface in a room or how far little germ-filled water droplets can travel when someone coughs…
"I am relaxed. You're the one getting married," I remind Lucien. "Or did you forget?"
He chuckles and flashes me a smirk. "There's no way I could forget a day like today." He straightens the cuff of his black suit jacket. We're both dressed similar in three-piece suits, except I'm wearing a navy blue tie compared to his ivory one, looking like a million bucks.
Lucien hired a string quartet and a minister to perform the ceremony today on the island. The music is playing softly in the background, and the whole setting is like in one of those rom-com movies that the girls watch together way too often.
I smile when I think of how Adeline and Katya's relationship has grown and flourished. They are the best of friends, and so it was no surprise when Adeline asked Katya to be her maid of honor for her special day.
They've been wedding planning for months, picking out flowers and colors and all that girly shit. Lucien and I just basically sat back and watched as they planned it all, throwing in our own input when needed, which was very seldom.
There are several white chairs decorated with ribbon and flowers sitting on either side of a white, satin aisle runner. Maria is seated in one of the chairs, already bawling her eyes out into a lace handkerchief as she whispers words of encouragement in Spanish.
She's been like a mother to both Lucien and me ever since he bought this island, and so it's only fitting that she's sitting in the exact place where our mothers should be.
It makes me sad that my dad couldn't be here today, but I know he's looking down on this day with a big smile on his face. He would love the fact that both Lucien and I worked through our issues and are finally settling down in life with women that we love.
I clasp my hand over Lucien's shoulder, and he beams at me. He's so damn happy, and I couldn't be happier for him.
Then, the music changes up from the string quartet, and I stand stock-still, my nerves racketing up a notch. I watch in complete awe as Katya and little Alexander walk hand-in-hand down the aisle together. He's wearing an identical three-piece suit to his dad's — in a much, much smaller size, of course — and holding the ring bearer's pillow with two fake rings tied to a ribbon. And when he whips the pillow in front of him and it bounces down the aisle runner, I realize why the girls insisted I hold onto the real rings in my pocket.
Alexander giggles at what he did, and Katya smiles down at him, chuckling softly.
She's dressed in a navy blue color that accentuates her blue eyes and draws me instantly to her. Fuck, she's beautiful.
And her walking down the aisle towards me only solidifies my need to make her mine someday.
Alexander runs up to his daddy, and Lucien gathers him in his arms. "Good job, buddy," he tells him, holding him tight.
Katya continues her way down the aisle, her eyes locking onto mine. She gets a crooked, mischievous grin on her face that makes me want to take her right there in the middle of the aisle in front of everybody. I give her a wink, and her smile widens. She blushes innocently, even though she's anything but, and looks away as she goes to stand on the other side of the minister.
The song once again changes, and everyone in attendance stands.
"Look, here comes Mommy," Lucien whispers to Alexander.
Everyone's eyes are locked on Adeline as she practically floats towards us. She's a vision in ivory, and she's one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever laid eyes on. She literally takes everyone's breath away.
But I know now that the love I feel for Adeline is not the same kind of love I feel for Katya. I love Adeline and Lucien like my own flesh and blood. I would die for them. Even kill for them.
But my feelings towards Katya are on a whole other level.
"Mommy's pretty," Alexander says in awe as Adeline continues down the aisle.
Maria's mopping up her tears as she watches the girl, who has become like a daughter to her, walk past her.
