Adeline stops to give Maria a big hug, and it seems to calm the older woman's waterworks.
"Eres bella," Maria tells her before Adeline pulls away to walk the small distance to her future husband.
Lucien stands there staring at her with an indecipherable look on his face. I think he's fucking speechless…or maybe having a stroke. I can't even tell at this point.
I clear my throat loudly, and that seems to snap him out of his trance.
"You look gorgeous," he tells Adeline, and she blushes at his comment.
"You look pretty handsome yourself," she replies with a big grin.
Alexander squirms in Lucien's arms, and he sets him down. The kid runs over to me, and I bend down to pick him up. "Let's watch your Mommy and Daddy get married," I tell the little guy, and he gives me an emphatic nod.
The minister begins the ceremony, and my gaze keeps lingering over to Katya. She seems entranced by the whole thing, but I'm completely beguiled by her. I can imagine the two of us standing up here someday. Maybe someday real soon actually.
I love that girl with all of my being.
And when she glances my way and a big smile forms on her perfect lips, I know today will mark more than just the day my cousin and his wife got hitched. I'm going to propose to Katya sometime later and hope and pray that she says yes.
"And now the bride and groom have prepared their own vows," the minister announces.
I hand over the rings to Lucien. Then, I give Alexander a light squeeze, and he rests his head on my shoulder. It's been a busy and hectic morning, so the kid's probably ready to crash soon.
Lucien places a ring over Adeline's finger as he gazes into her eyes and tells her, "We met under completely abnormal circumstances. You were never mine to keep. But I knew, without a doubt, that I could never let you go. And you've made me so incredibly happy over the past few years — happier than I could have ever imagined. You gave me our son, a gift that just keeps on giving." Adeline smiles at him through tears forming in her eyes, and Lucien reassuringly squeezes her hands in his. "Waking up next to you each day is a blessing when I thought for sure that I was cursed for eternity. You brought me back to life, taught me how to appreciate the little things and that sometimes it's okay to not always be in control of everything." He brings her hand up to his mouth and plants a kiss on her skin. "Adeline, I just can't imagine my world without you in it. I'm so glad you let me love you, because it's my favorite thing to do. You make me a better man every day just by being you, Adeline. I love you with all of my heart, my soul, everything I have inside of me. You own me completely."
"Oh, Luc," Adeline cries. "How am I supposed to top those amazing vows?" she jokes, and everyone laughs.
"Just try," Lucien encourages.
"Okay," she responds, sliding the thick titanium band over his left ring finger. "Before I met you, I was walking aimlessly towards nowhere. You plucked me out of that life and gave me a new one. Yes, it wasn't easy as first," she says with a chuckle, "but we figured things out. And now I can't imagine not being by your side." She takes Lucien's hands in hers and squeezes them lightly. "I love you more than anything. And I'm glad you mentioned about Xander being a gift that keeps on giving, because…" Her voice trails off as she places Lucien's hand over her belly, which I didn't take notice to before that moment. "We have another gift on its way."
"You're pregnant?" Lucien asks with wide eyes.
Adeline nods before blurting out, "Yes!"
Lucien gathers her into his arms. "Oh, that definitely topped my vows," he says with a chuckle.
"I'm never one to be outdone," she quips before giving him a kiss.
When he sets her down, the minister continues on with his spiel before announcing them husband and wife. "You may kiss the bride…again," he announces.
Lucien grabs Adeline and bends her over to plant a big kiss on her lips while everyone whoops and hollers around them. Alexander claps his tiny hands and flashes a big, shy smile.
"Mommy, Daddy, married," he says.
"That's right, buddy," I tell him with a smile.
I glance over to see Katya wiping tears from her eyes, and I give her a wink. She smiles the most beautiful smile and winks back.
Yep, I'm gonna marry that girl someday.
We follow Lucien and Adeline down the aisle, and Wraith comes out of nowhere and follows us back to the house where we have a whole setup in the backyard complete with a DJ and dance floor.
Alexander runs to play with some toys with Maria closely supervising while Adeline and Lucien dance to their first dance. I sit down beside Katya at one of the small, round tables. "Aren't weddings grand?" I ask with a grin.
She's still trying to fix her eye makeup as the tears keep flowing. Concerned, I lean over and grasp her hand in mine. "Katya, what's wrong?"
"N-nothing," she stammers before pulling away and running away from me like I have the plague.
