A Friday, the 18th of September
The beautiful Dovelore Castle
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”
My hand glided over the whites of the fabric, over the lace, over the bodice. The day had come. Today was the day—a day that would lead to eternity.
Six years had swept past like a fast breeze on a windy day, but I could still remember the first day. I was standing by the window, Blond behind me, watching the one man I could ever truly love staring back at me.
Now I was standing here, in my wedding gown. Every minute of the six years had rolled before me, some days great and some days anything. But one thing had stood constant through out the years: Bryce. And now here we were, finally, on our wedding day.
Blinking away the sudden tears in my eyes, I turned back towards the mirror and stared at the reflection of one woman who meant the world to me. She was watching me with warm, proud, wet eyes, a forgotten tissue in her hand. My father was beside her.
“It’s time, darling,” she whispered, glancing at my father for a second before slowly sweeping out of the door, leaving us in the room alone.
“You look radiant, Fuzzy.” Dad walked to stand behind me, then rested his hands on my shoulder.
“Thank you, Dad,” I whispered back, my eyes blurring as I looked at the man who fathered me cry—the man who cared for me, the man who raised me with love and warmth.
He stood behind me, his eyes proud and sad.
I couldn’t help it. I turned and hugged my dad.
“I know I’ve never said this enough, Dad, but I love you. You’re always going to be my superhero.”
“I love you too, kiddo. You’ve made me a very proud father. Thank you,” he mumbled back, chuckling midway as his voice broke.
I held him tighter.
He chuckled again. “Okay, I need to walk you down the aisle.” He pulled away, smiling as he dabbed a tissue under my eye carefully. He moved back, extending his arm to me. “Ready?”
I hooked my arm through his, my thoughts now on the one man—the one man waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
Looking at my dad, I smiled back. “Ready.”
“Ready?” Blond asked Dad as he stood in front of the large oak door.
“Ready.” Dad smiled, looking at me, before he tightened his hold on my now shaking arms.
I glanced towards Blond, and he grinned.
“Congratulations, Luna.”
He and Emogin then pulled the doors open, and my eyes swept up and stilled on the loving wide bright-blue pools. At the end of the aisle stood Bryce, towering over almost everyone. Derek, Rome, Alistair, and Chris were behind him, almost as tall as him. Each had a bright smile on their face, but my gaze was fixed on Bryce and his beautiful blue eyes that glistened as he smiled at me.
I took a step forward—to our forever.
***
A Saturday, ten months later
Peidmont, WA
The keys jingled from my fingers as I closed the office up early, twelve at noon, on the dot.
A soft smile graced my lips as I reached forward to open my car door, and the two rings on my ring finger shone in the light, stopping me to admire the symbols of my marriage. Almost a year had come to pass, and it still felt like it was only just yesterday. I still took out time to admire them every chance I got.
“Have a great weekend, Mrs. Wilhem,” my secretary called out cheerfully as she walked to her own car somewhere in the parking lot.
I put a hand up in a wave, my bright smile matching hers. “You too, Shelly. Have fun! See you on Monday.”
She grinned as she got into her red bug. “Wouldn’t miss it, Mrs. Wilhem. Your mother’s Monday visits are the only things that brighten my Mondays.”
Opening the car door, I grinned back at her. “Same here, Shelly. Same here.”
Another wave and goodbye and we drove out of the parking lot.
“I demand you come to the boutique right now, Theia. The girls and I are waiting for you,” Mom insisted over the phone.
I glanced at my wristwatch, sighing. I gave in.
“I don’t know what this is about, Ma. But really, you and the girls are starting to scare me with your secret missions,” I grumbled into my phone as I sat in my car, which I had parked on the side of the road to take the call from Mom.
A round of excited squeals echoed in the background, making me roll my eyes. I almost imagined them throwing their hands in the air in triumph. My friends were really losing their minds as they grew older.
I couldn’t help but shake my head as the line went dead.
I glanced at the main road and quickly got my car back in the lane. I began driving towards the boutique, all the while wondering what the girls had up their sleeves now.
When I finally arrived, I quickly walked into the boutique, looking around suspiciously. But everything seemed in the ordinary, nothing appearing amiss. A frown marred my features, and I took a step towards one of Mom’s sales assistants.
“Hey, excuse me, do you know where my mother, Mrs. Anderson, is?” I asked as I reached the girl with straight black hair, her back turned towards me as she tidied up the rack.
She stopped and turned around, and my eyes widened as I looked at Gardenia, one of my clients, sudden happiness apparent in her gray-blue eyes.
“Nia! What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be in college?” I asked, startled.
I was happy to see her but confused all the same. She was supposed to be in college, in New York.
“Well . . . Dad spiraled again,” she spoke quietly, shuffling her feet.
I understood perfectly well. Reese Evans, Gardenia’s father, was a cocaine addict, reforming and then relapsing one too many times. He was usually very abusive under the influence of the drug. His fear for Gardenia’s late mother’s genes and features being in her led to his undying hatred; his hatred had led to Gardenia’s brutal beatings, which had resulted in her seeing me much less often.
“How is he doing, now?” I took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Nia shrugged, looking away. “He had an overdose, two weeks ago.”
Oh my . . .
“Why didn’t you visit me?” I breathed from between my teeth, watching the sad-looking girl in front of me.
“I just . . . didn’t think there was hope. College . . . my dreams . . . I mean, how?”
I squeezed her hand again. “You still want to go to NYU?”
She shook her head, surprising me. She looked stuck between speaking her mind and not.
“I just want to get out of America. I’m done. But there isn’t any hope left. I’m stuck and penniless, in debt, because of my father’s addiction.”
Despite myself, I smiled, the thought of my mother and the girls still in the back of my mind.
I shook my head, then looked at the girl in front of me. “There is always hope, Gardenia. If you want, you can apply to any of the universities in Europe. Germany is great. My best friend is settled there. We can help you out. Sell your house to pay the debt. Take a leap because without it, you won’t be able to pass the ditch. Think about it.” I softly tapped the her hand before letting it go.
Eyes wide with hope and fear, Gardenia slowly nodded.
“You always know where to find me.” I smiled.
Her stormy eyes met mine, and I wished it had twinkled like it usually had in our sessions when she had laughed. This girl had seen a lot, and it was about time her life changed for the good.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you. Mrs. Anderson is in her newly finished office.”
Sending a smile her way, I nodded. I turned around and made my way to the former back room, the soft scent of frangipani making me smile brightly. I had come to have a sudden liking to the exotic flower for a few weeks now.
It smells like heaven . . . I stopped at the door when I heard loud rumbles of chattering.
Immediately, there was silence, and I sighed. They knew I was here.
The doorknob felt warm against my palm, and I smiled as I turned it and then pushed the door open, my body temperature increasing—in fact, it had been rising.
“Surprise!”
I blinked, starting to tear up as I stared at the large decorated room. Mom and Aunt Meryl were standing in the middle while Marley, Casey, and Charlotte were excitedly vibrating in the right. I cocked an eyebrow up upon seeing a guilty-looking, smiling Shelly beside them.
“Guys,” I breathed, a shocked laugh leaving my lips as I shook my head at this treat.
Immediately, all the six women rushed to me. Mom’s arms found mine, and she pulled me into the room and onto the large white seat in the middle, a bunch of wrapped packages and boxes resting on the floor nearly around my feet.
“We know it’s a little early, but we wanted to. Happy baby shower, darling.” Aunt Meryl grinned. She swooped in and placed a kiss on my forehead. Mom sitting on the armrest to my right, her comforting arm around my shoulder.
“Yes, sweetie, and we all think you tell Alexander. I know he’s been in the UK for the past eight w—”
“Which is crazy,” Marley butted in. “I never thought he could stay away for so long, but—” She fell silent as Aunt Meryl sent her a warning look.
“But you should tell him.” Aunt Meryl smiled and continued as if she hadn’t been cut off.
I smiled, shrugging at the women in front of me. “I’ll tell him when he comes home tomorrow.”
“They’re twins, you know.” Aunt Meryl grinned, a knowing look in her eyes.
“What?”
The two whats echoed around the room—Charlotte’s excited and mine surprised. My hand immediately found my stomach.
“See? I told you she didn’t know.” Mom turned grimly towards Aunt Meryl, her lips out in a pout.
Aunt Meryl smirked. She patted Mom on her arm. “Well, now she knows.”
Mom nodded slightly, her smile in place once more. Then, she looked around the room again. “Well, ladies, let the baby shower begin!”
***
It felt like a frenzy, how the baby shower commenced and ended—all the gift giving, unwrapping, awwing over the tiny sweater from Mom and Aunt Meryl’s new clothing line, and all the pregnancy stories that Charlotte and Casey had to share.
I walked out of the shower, my hair wet. Droplets of water dripped on the tiles as I walked towards my towel with a full-blown smile on my face.
Maybe it was the hormones. Maybe it was the growing sense of warmth I felt every time I thought about the life growing inside me, the lives growing inside me—my babies.
Babies.
A soft sigh left my lips as I let the towel fall when I stumbled slightly. I rubbed myself dry, then slipped into the most comfortable clothes I had found earlier. Letting my hair air-dry, I put the towel on the hanger before opening the door and walking out.
Walking towards the bed, I stilled when I heard the sound of the doorknob turning. Suddenly curious, I turned towards the door, and when it flung open, so did my mouth. The beating of my heart accelerated to loud, fast beats of the drums.
A smiling Bryce leaped into the room, with bags in his hand. He stopped all of a sudden. I watched him, stunned, as he tilted his nose up and took a wiff, his ears twitching. His eyes, golden and fiery, immediately snapped to mine and then to my stomach, and my hand instantly touched my abdomen on reflex.
One second my husband stood at the door, his black shirt clutching to his solid muscles; and the next he stood before me, nose to nose, his eyes peering into mine and his hand placed flat on my stomach.
I pulled away. “Two. . . .”
It came out like a growl. A year earlier I would have flinched, but I only sighed as I brought my hands up and framed his face with them. His golden eyes darkened, and he let out a low growl.
“Our babies. You’re going to be a dad,” I let out, my breath a soft whisper.
Bryce’s eyes shut close. He leaned his forehead against mine, a serene smile suddenly on his face. “Thank you. I love you.”
My eyes blurred as his opened, and a tear slid down his left cheek. I pulled my beast into an embrace, holding him and allowing him to hold me, and I felt a sense of calm slip over me for the first time in eight weeks.
“I love you too, babe. I love you too.”
***
A Sunday, five months later
Theia’s home
“Theia, will you stop?”
I turned, an innocent look on my face. “Stop what?”
My mother heaved out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes, her hands up in exhaustion. “Stop standing on the chair and trying to decorate the Christmas tree! Alexander is going to be very angry. And so is your dad!”
I rolled my eyes as I mocked whatever she was saying. The irritation filtered through while I stretched on my swollen feet, my growing stomach definitely there and present.
Finally, the decoration was hooked to a branch, and I grinned.
A loud growl erupted in the room, and I closed my eyes, cussing myself for having been caught.
“Theia Wilhem!”
My father’s voice boomed just as two strong arms snatched me off the chair and wrapped me against a hard chest. Low puffs of growl echoed around the room.
I stayed still, letting Bryce hold me as I basked in the feeling of having his wedding band against my hot skin, under his large T-shirt that I had stolen earlier.
“That’s it. I’m never leaving you and your mother in the same room alone,” Dad muttered as he came to stand behind my husband.
Bryce let out a low growl at that before we began walking towards the sofa, Dad marching behind us.
“I’m fine, guys. Super pregnant but fine,” I grumbled awkwardly, my hand finding the front pocket of Bryce’s T-shirt, and I pulled out a Snickers bar. I grinned brightly as the wrapper gave away.
“You’re seriously testing my patience,” Bryce hissed under his breath.
I smiled at him brightly as I took a bite of the Snickers bar. “I love you too, husband.”
He sighed, then pressed his lips onto my forehead. “Why do you always have to scare me like that, Thi? I just want you and the kids safe.”
I frowned, taking another bite. “I love you?”
Bryce shook his head, and I almost smiled at his resolve breaking away.
“I love you too, wife.”
