My parents had fallen in love with Niko immediately and had welcomed him with open arms. When they met that first time, just as we were leaving, my father gathered us together andprayed over us. Seeing the two most important men in my life praying together would be a memory I would treasure until my last breath.
Of course, when my older brother, Harrison, first met him during a visit not long after the proposal, he gave Niko the ‘hurt her and you die’ spiel, making my poor fiancé break out in a sweat.
Mike offered to get one of those online officiant certifications so he could say those iconic lines from The Princess Bride at the wedding.
“Come on guys. It’s perfect. Listen…wove, twue love is what bwings us together today,” he said.
We both yelled “No!” at the same time. He pouted for months.
Vicky and Sofiawalked into the bridal room, having gone for drinks for us, and talked about how beautiful the church was, decorated with lilies of every color, matching my fragrant bouquet.
“Leyla, you are stunning,” Sofia said.
“Niko isn’t going to know what to do when he sees you,” Vicky said, carefully handing me a bottle of water with a straw. The makeup artist would kill me if I messed up my lipstick.
“Aria said she was going to write your love story next. A real enemies-to-lovers romance,” Sofia said. Aria was Sofia’s close friend back in Positano and was a best-selling author. It was no secret that she used all of our love stories for her inspiration.
I laughed, thinking about the crazy path that Niko and I had been on all these years. We spent every free minute together since his spontaneous beach proposal. Getting to know all the everyday things about my fiancé was fun and challenging. There were surf days, picnics, long, quiet walks around Balboa Park,and cuddles on the sofa as we watched all the romcoms my heart desired. Niko pretended to be interested, but admitted he took notes from time to time.
The decision to move into my house was easy because he wanted me to be happy, but we talked about finding a bigger place together once we were ready to start a family.
The thought made my heart soar. Being Niko’s wife and having his little science-nerd kiddos. It was all a dream come true.
Niko and I prayed about waiting longer to get married, but in the end, we decided that life was precious and neither of us wanted to wait any longer.
Adjusting my veil in the mirror as they fussed over me, I said, “It’s crazy to think that I once considered him the enemy. I was so foolish.”
“Well, I think it was all part of your story. Sometimes we meet the right person, but it’s not the right time,” Mom said, picking up my bouquet.
“That’s what happened with Miles and me. It’s all in God’s timing,” Vicky said with a smile, Sofia nodding her head. “You and Luke, too,” she said to Sofia.
“Yes, it’s true. We started out as enemies, and then I accidentally fell inlovewith the enemy,” I said, shaking my head with a chuckle. “Little did I know that it was all part of God’s purpose.”
“All right, well, it’s time to get you married. Mike texted me saying Niko was starting to pace. That man is in love and ready to get married!”
With a huge smile, I said, “Let’s not make him wait any longer.”
Dad kissedmy hand as we watched Sofia and Vicky walk slowly down the aisle. My stunning engagement ring glittered in the light. Niko chose a one-carat emerald-cut diamond, saying it reminded him of my emerald eyes.
My white-and-pink lily bouquet shook as my trembling hands held it when the church doors opened, and my father and I took our first step down the aisle.
As we passed our friends and family, everyone sighed and whispered about how beautiful I looked, but my focus was on the handsome Turkish man waiting for me in a gorgeous black tux.
We chose the song ‘I Get to Love You’ as my bridal march song, and it was so appropriate for our love story.
When Niko’s eyes met mine, I could see tears brimming in them, his hand over his mouth as Mike squeezed his shoulder. He wiped his face as he watched me walk toward him.
Just as Dad was about to give Niko my hand, I heard my husband-to-be whisper, “I can’t believe I get to be the man to love her.”
Those whispered words unlocked my own tears, as our pastor asked, “Who gives this woman to this man?”
My father took my hand and placed it in Niko’s, answering, “Her mother and I do.”
We stepped up the stairs, Niko helping me with my train as we stood before our pastor.
We both tried to listen to everything being said, but we couldn’t stop looking at each other.
“I love you,” I mouthed to him, making him inhale and nod.
