I love you.
I smiled down at his handwriting etched in black against the crisply folded white paper. It was just the message I needed to read to calm my nerves fluttering around in my stomach.
Simple.
So different from our story of how we came to be. A mess of an office affair, blackmail, arrests, lawsuits, and an unexpected pregnancy. It was amazing to have beat the odds. To have chosen each other through it all. Our love story, as complicated as it was, was getting its happy ending.
The heavy wooden doors opened slightly and my wedding planner popped her head out, her brown hair pulled up in a tight bun and her green eyes dancing with excitement as her eyes landed on me.
“You ready?” she asked in her melodic voice.
“Mhmm.” I nodded.
“Coming! Coming!” said a voice that approached from down the long hallway.
I smiled, turning to see Sarah in her matching bridesmaid dress and carrying my daughter. My beautiful three-month-old daughter who was giving me a gummy smile as her own pale pink dress exploded around her in lace and tulle.
“Hi, baby girl,” I said, leaning in to kiss her nose as Sarah cradled her in the crook of her arm, a basket of fresh rose petals strewn in her other arm. “And hi to you,” I said, looking up at my now best friend. Sarah grinned at me from underneath her bluish black bangs that sat just above her thick brows.
“Flower girl is reporting for duty,” said Sarah.
“Blair, you look so beautiful,” gushed Gabriella, tickling my daughter’s rosy cheeks.
Blair cooed at her, making us all melt.
“The music is starting,” said my wedding planner, a little hint of rush in her voice.
I nodded, tightening the grip on my bouquet. I watched as Sarah and Blair slipped through the door, followed by Gabriella and Sadie in a line. When the door closed behind them, I swallowed hard, gathering myself for this huge moment in my life, my emotions threatening to pour out of me.
“Keep it together,” I whispered, just as the doors opened leading into a room that was absolutely breathtaking. I let out a gasp as I took my first step down the aisle, surrounded by white roses in glass vases and tea light candles twinkling in a warm glow that matched the crystal chandelier hanging overhead, casting rainbow prisms along the walls.
My eyes ran slowly up the aisle, landing on the man of my dreams, making everything else suddenly disappear. I let out aquiet sob. Chester stood at the end of the aisle in a black tuxedo, his strong hands crossed in front of him, as a single tear ran down his cheek and landed in the crook of his smile. It felt like my satin shoes were floating down the aisle toward him, my chest thudding in my chest, so loud, I swore people could hear it over the string quartet.
At the end of the aisle, he stepped down the glossy white stairs and held out his hand, helping me up to stand beside him. The warmth of his hand enraptured me as I stared up at his handsome face, still damp with tears. He mouthed “hello” to me and I smiled back at him, my own tears now falling. He wiped them away gently with his thumb just as the minister began the ceremony.
I wished I could remember every word spoken, and I knew it was on video somewhere, but I was so focused on Chester that everything seemed to fall out of focus. Words. People. The smell of roses. All I could see was him. All I couldfeelwas him. It was like we were in our own little world, pronouncing the words we had been waiting to say to each other.
I do.
We sealed our vows with a kiss, soft and loving, followed by a low dip as I laughed softly, staring up at Chester who had that sexy smirk on his face. The one I loved so much. We walked down the aisle, carrying Blair between us, nuzzling her soft, round face. I mentally captured the moment to memory in my head, a polaroid that would live with me forever.
The photographer gathered us and the bridal party for a few pictures before leaving us to celebrate with our closest friends before we joined the reception that people would be filtering into after the cocktail hour. I couldn’t help but notice during the photos, that Sarah seemed a little distant, like her mind was elsewhere. She tried her best to put on a smile, but I could see through it.
When the groomsmen and bridesmaids were popping open a bottle of champagne, I pulled her aside. I hooked my arm through hers and studied her face.
“What?” she asked with a shrug.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she said nonchalantly, but I caught the high pitch to her voice that told me she wasn’t being fully honest.
I was about to press further when I felt familiar hands wrap their way around my waist and pull me in. I breathed in the sandalwood and closed my eyes, my body arching into the warmth of Chester’s body.
Myhusband’sbody.
I looked up at him and smiled.
“May I steal my bride away?” he asked Sarah.
