The summer had been exceptionally warm and humid, even by New York standards. However, today was comfortable with temperatures in the mid-seventies. A gentle breeze danced off the waves of Lake Montauk, causing water to lap against the docks and boats at the marina. I closed my eyes and listened to the soothing sound coming in through the porthole of The Lucy. It was rhythmic and relaxing, and worked wonders to soothe my tremulous nerves.

After a few minutes, I opened them and stepped up to the full-length mirror in the master suite of the boat. Running my hands down the sides of my wedding dress, I took in the exquisite satin. My stomach was a ball of nerves, but not so much that I couldn’t appreciate how incredible the gown felt on me. Inspired by Inbal Dror, my dress designer created a backless satin bridal gown with hints of lace. Of course, her creation didn’t go without input from my mother, Justine, and Allyson. They suggested that embellishments be added to the plunging V-shaped backline. It was now scattered with clear sequin beading set on lace, giving the gown that hint of simple elegance I was looking for.

I fingered the pearl spaghetti straps as I took in my reflection. The straps dipped into a sweetheart neckline, accentuating the curve of my breasts without revealing too much. Not wanting to bother with my unruly mass of curls, a stylist came on board that morning to do my hair. She styled it half up and half down, leaving most of it to cascade down my back with just a few curls left free to frame my face. My veil wasn’t overly long, the pearl edges stopping just below the tips of my hair.

“Oh, love! You look stunning!” my mother gushed as she entered the suite. I smiled at her through my reflection as she stepped up behind me.

“You don’t think my makeup is too much?” I asked.

“Absolutely not. It’s delicate and natural. It’s just perfect!”

We stood together in the full-length mirror, a million unspoken words passing between us, before I turned to face her.

“Thank you, Mom.”

“For what?”

“For helping me plan all of this. I never thought you would do it, but when you jumped right in, it meant the world to me. I know you’ve had your reservations about me and Alex, but –,” I stopped, my eyes welling up with tears. I was suddenly feeling overly emotional, all of my childhood memories coming to the forefront of my mind.

“Now, now. Don’t do that. You’ll mess up your makeup,” she chided.

“No, really. I know the sacrifices you made for me years ago after my father took off. And then, when I was ten years old and you got together with Frank…” I trailed off, unsure of how to explain what I thought about her marriage to my stepfather.

“Krystina, I know what you think about my marriage. You think I didn’t marry Frank for love. In some respect, you are correct. Frank offered a means to an end at a time when I could barely afford to put food on our table. But, I knew he was a good man and I cared deeply for him. Eventually, I did fall in love with him. He was very persuasive,” she added with a light laugh. “Perhaps I didn’t fall for him in the conventional way, but it did happen.”

“Does Frank know? I mean, that you didn’t love him in the beginning?”

“Oh, I suspect he might. That could be why he’s always spoiled me so much. You know how he dotes on me and likes to take care of me. That’s why, when I saw you and Alex together, I got scared.”

“Scared? What do you mean?”

“Alex has a possessive way about him. He looks at you like there’s not another soul on the planet, like he would move mountains for you. I’ve only seen one other man look at a woman the way.”

“Frank,” I said immediately. “He looks at you like that.”

She smiled softly and nodded.

“I knew it wouldn’t be long before Alex staked his forever claim on you, and I was right. But,” she added.

“There’s always a ‘but’,” I laughed.

“But, don’t go having babies right away. You have years to do that. Take some time to get to know each other first,” she advised.

My mother reached down to squeeze my hand just as the door to the suite burst open. Allyson came hurrying in, her arms laden with flowers, boxes, and who knew what else. I could barely see her burgundy maid of honor dress behind all the things she was carrying.

“Delivery!” she sang.

“Ally, what is all that?” I asked as she placed everything down on the settee. She picked up a huge bouquet of cream colored lily’s and handed them to me.

“These are from Alex, along with this,” she said and handed me a small gift box with a note card attached. I set the items aside with the intent of opening the card and gift box in private.

“What’s the rest of the stuff, Ally?”

“Something borrowed and something blue,” she stated matter-of-factly. I had nearly forgotten the tradition. “We talked about you borrowing my pearl necklace, so this works perfectly for your something borrowed.”

She pulled the necklace out of its case and held it out to me. Moving in, she reached around my neck and secured the clasp. I smiled my thanks as I touched the pearls resting near my collarbone.

“I know my dress is the something new, but what about the something blue?” I asked. “To be honest, I never even thought about it.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that. Your mom has you covered there,” Allyson assured.

I turned toward my mother. Tears shone in her eyes as she picked up a shallow rectangular box that Allyson brought in. She opened it up and pulled out a white scrap of material with blue embroidery.

“Your grandmother, although you don’t remember her, was a hopeless romantic,” my mother explained. “On the day you were born, she had this made for you. It’s a handkerchief with your name embroidered on it in light blue. Of course, naturally I asked her why she chose blue instead of pink. She told me that I was to give this to you on your wedding day so that you would have your something blue.”

I smiled.

“And you kept it all this time?”

“Of course, I did! She’d come back to haunt me if I didn’t!” my mother laughed.

“I guess that just leaves my something old,” I murmured, glancing over to Allyson’s pile. There didn’t appear to be anything of use, as our flower bouquets were the only things left sitting there.

“Open your gift from Alex,” Allyson suggested. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief. I narrowed my gaze at her.

“Have you been scheming?”

“Obviously,” she said with feigned exasperation. “I am the maid of honor after all. It’s my job to think of the things you forget.”

Curious about the tiny box from Alexander, I picked up the note card that came with it and slid my fingernail under the envelope seal.

For Alexander and me, our love did dare us to be brave. Together, we beat the odds, and now we were free. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes. It was a real struggle to keep them from falling, but my mother was right. I had spent an hour perfecting my makeup and I didn’t want to mess it up.

I blinked rapidly and took a deep breath. Once I was more composed, I picked up the box and tore the seam of the gift wrap. Inside was a small jewelry box with an emblem on top. It was one that I recognized well, as I had been running their ad campaigns for months.

Beaumont Jewelers.

I shook my head. Although he never admitted to it, I had a sneaky suspicion that Alexander had something to do with me landing that contract. With everything else that was happening, I realized that I didn’t have the time to worry or care about it.

Alex will be Alex.

I smiled to myself. Cracking the lid, I slowly opened the jewelry box until a stunning pair of triskelion earrings came into view.

“Oh, wow!” I breathed.

“This is your something old because the center diamonds belonged to Alexander’s grandmother,” Allyson told me and pointed to the sparkling gems in the middle of the triskelion’s. “They used to be stud earrings. She wore them on her wedding day. He had them removed from the setting and placed into these earrings for you.”

I stared down at the pair of intricate spirals. Round diamonds and tiny pearls dotted and sparkled throughout the design, but not so much as to take away from the fire and beauty of the center stones. The tears that I blinked back earlier began to well up again and I heard my mother sniffle. I looked up only to find her and Allyson both crying. The sight of them opened the floodgates.

They hurried to my side and wrapped me in a fierce group hug.

“My baby is getting married,” my mother sobbed.

“I am,” I choked out, hardly believing it myself.

A knock at the door interrupted us.

“Who is it?” we all yelled in unison.

“It’s Matteo,” said the familiar male voice from behind the door.

“Is it bad luck for the best man to see the bride before the wedding?” Allyson asked. She dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue before passing a separate one to me.

“No, I don’t think so,” I said with a shrug. “But who cares? It’s Matteo.”

When my mother opened the door, Matteo took one look at the three of us blubbering and shook his head.

“It’s not a funeral! Why are you all crying?”

“Alex gave Krys earrings,” Allyson explained.

“Ah, say no more. But, as much as I hate to break this up, it’s almost time. Besides, Alex has been pacing like a crazy man all morning. I’ve never seen him in such a state. If you don’t get down that aisle soon, I wouldn’t put it past him to come in here and haul you down the aisle himself.”

“He totally would, too,” I laughed.

Matteo and my mother went on ahead and left Allyson and me alone. She picked up her small bouquet and handed me the larger one.

“Are you ready, doll?” she asked.

“As I’ll ever be.” I smiled at my best friend, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with nostalgia. She was always there for me, and now here she was, with me again, on the most important day of my life.

We walked out of the master suite and stopped when we reached the bottom of the glass staircase. I gave her arm a light squeeze before she could head up.

“Thank you, Ally.”

“For what?”

“For pushing me to take a chance with Alex.”

She grinned and winked.

“I believe I told you to have a little fun. I never said anything about marriage,” she laughed and tossed me a wink. “Come now. Your husband-to-be is waiting.”

The climb up the glass staircase seemed to take forever. With every step I took, warm memories of Alexander and I came flooding back. From our chance meeting at Wally’s, to the day Alexander proposed, to the endless nights entwined in passion – images of it all consumed me.

I also remembered the heartache. I recalled how empty I was when I left him. I could envision his face twisted with worry over my abduction and car accident. Then there was his controlling nature and my own stubbornness to give in, inevitably resulting in numerous fights and arguments. His nightmares, although now coming less and less frequently, would not be something I’d soon forget either.

However, Charlie’s trial was now behind us. Our relief finally came when he received a twenty-year sentence. It meant we didn’t have to worry for a long time to come. Our home was near completion and all the arrangements had been made to move Alexander’s mother. It still pained him to see her mental state, but it wasn’t enough to keep him away. After regular visits, she now recognized both of us, even if she doesn’t know who Alexander truly is to her. Justine and Hale’s relationship with Alexander was still slightly strained, but improving. Only time would heal the wounds enough so they could move past everything that had happened.

Despite it all, the heartache and stress paled in comparison to all the good Alexander and I shared. Even his possessive and domineering side was overshadowed by his moments of love and tenderness. I knew we were stronger together than we were apart and I welcomed a lifetime of accepting the good with the bad.

Until death do us part…

I could barely believe that it was happening, that we had finally made it to this day, withstanding it all. I almost wanted to pinch my arm to convince myself that I wasn’t dreaming.

When I reached the top of the stairs, a white runner lined with chairs and guests came into view on the expansive open deck. I did a brief scan of the crowd, hoping the distraction would calm my nerves.

I saw Mr. and Mrs. Roberts and a few others from Wally’s. The staff from Turning Stone sat near the back with Laura Kaufman and Gavin Alden. Angelo and Maria Gianfranco were also there with their children, surprising me by closing La Biga so that they could all come. Stephen, Brian, Samuel, and Justine sat in the row behind my mom, Hale, and Vivian. There were also others that I didn’t recognize, presumably business associates of Alexander’s. Everyone stood when they saw me and my heart began to pound in my chest.

The pianist began to play “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, the song we chose for me to walk down the aisle to. We opted to skip the traditional wedding march since Alexander and I were anything but traditional. However, as my vision blurred with tears, I wondered if we should have stuck with the traditional and mundane. The song, while there were no vocals to accompany the piano, didn’t stop me from singing every lyric in my head.

“…Take my hand. Take my whole life, too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”

I closed my eyes to blink the threatening tears. When I opened them again, my gaze settled on Alexander. He was standing on the far side of the deck under a trellis covered in thick ivy and white lilies.

My breathing hitched and I faltered. It was as if I were seeing him for the first time all over again. He stood still with his hands clasped in front of him, his stance slightly parted, accentuating the broad span of his shoulders. His white tuxedo highlighted the golden tan of his face and near black hair. Even from where I stood, his blue gaze was piercing, devastating, just as it was on the day we first met. The man was a force of nature and he was waiting for me.

He stared down the aisle and our eyes locked. Gone were the people, the boat, the pianist. All I could see was him. His smile shown bright, beckoning me to make my way toward him.

I don’t remember Frank taking my arm and I don’t remember walking down the aisle. Yet, I must have because, before I knew it, Alexander was directly in front of me and reaching for my hand. The way he looked at me caused me to tremble. I may have been covered in satin and lace, but his eyes burned so deeply that one could swear I was stripped bare.

“Angel,” he said in a husky voice.

That one word made my heart swell until it was near bursting, effectively banishing the nervous jitters that plagued me. Alexander was about to become mine, and I was about to become his.

The celebrant began the ceremony, but Alexander’s gaze never left mine. The only time we looked away from each other was when the celebrant cued us to collect our wedding bands from Allyson and Matteo.

“A wedding ring is a symbol of unity. It’s an unbroken circle that embodies a promise that wherever life leads them, they will always come back to each other. As Krystina and Alexander exchange their rings, they have opted to recite their own vows that they wrote for each other,” the celebrant announced. Turning to me he asked, “Krystina, are you ready?”

“Yes,” I whispered, nearly sobbing tears of joy on the word. I stared into the eyes of the man I loved and began reciting the vows I had written from my heart. “I take you, Alexander, to be my partner for life. I promise, above all else, to live in truth with you and to communicate completely and fearlessly. I vow to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share in the silence when they are not. I give you my heart as a sanctuary of warmth. You will always find home within my embrace. As I join my life to yours, I vow to love you with all my body, mind, heart, and soul.”

My hands shook as I slipped the platinum band onto his finger, but I never once pulled my eyes from his. When he began to speak, his voice was thick with emotion and it was as if the world stood still. All I could hear were his words.

* * *

I looked down at the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on. I was about to make her my wife. My throat clogged as a surge of emotion welled up in me. I almost couldn’t speak. But then she smiled softly, her chocolate brown eyes so full of love, and my voice returned.

“Krystina, I love the spark that’s inside you,” I told her. I reached up to touch her face with the hand that she just placed my wedding band on. “Your eternal glowing flame is my light in the darkness. You’ve taught me how to feel. Your mind stirs my soul, your touch soothes me, and your devotion gives me strength. My vows to you are not only my promises, but my privileges because you have chosen to give yourself to me. I enter into this life with you without reservation, without fear or confusion, but with a clear heart and sound mind. You are my past, present, and my future. When you accepted my engagement ring, it was more than just a diamond to me. For diamonds, like angels, are unique. They cannot be made, but only found. You are my angel, my diamond in the rough, and I found you. I promise to cherish our love as a love everlasting.”

I vaguely remember the celebrant telling me to kiss her, but neither of us needed his encouragement. When we leaned into one another and pressed our lips together, we sealed our love with a fierceness that only Krystina and I could understand.

It was a kiss that I’d never forget for as long as I lived. The Fates had tested us and brought us both humbly to our knees. But with our mouths molded as one, we proved that we could overcome their odds and create something truly magical.

Together.

After the ceremony drew to a close, we posed for pictures and went through the traditional cake cutting. Before long, the reception on The Lucy was in full swing. Krystina and I opened up the dance floor to everyone in attendance after our first dance, but that first dance ended up turning into many. We probably should have been mingling with our guests, but I couldn’t bring myself to break away from her. I wanted her to stay wrapped in my embrace, swaying to the music, all night long.

As we danced, I leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. I absorbed the moment, adding her kiss to a mental box of memories from the day.

When I eventually pulled my lips from hers, I smiled down at her. However, she didn’t return my smile. Instead, she suddenly looked frantic.

“Angel, what’s wrong?” I asked in alarm.

“I was just thinking that I don’t want to forget one second of today. And about how – how,” she faltered. “And about how our wedding story will be one that we tell our children and grandchildren.”

“Yes?” I prompted, completely bewildered about why she seemed so panicked.

“Babies. I want them,” she blurted out.

I felt a slow smile began to spread over my features, as images of a beautiful little girl with wide brown eyes and curly hair formed in my mind.

“I think we might be able to arrange that, Mrs. Stone.”

“Really?” she asked, as if surprised that I was so quick to agree.

“Yes, really,” I chuckled and tossed her a mischievous wink. “As soon as we kick everyone off this boat and set sail for the Caribbean, I think we should get straight to work on making them.”

“Oh, I…” she faltered again. “I don’t know if I want them right now. I only meant…”

I laughed again, the sound coming deep from within my chest. She was just too damn adorable. I spun her around, twirling her on my finger, before bringing her back to me. I placed my hand against the warm skin of her spine, appreciating the open back of her wedding dress as I drew her close.

“How about we just practice while on our honeymoon? We’ll have plenty of time to talk about when we should have children later.”

She relaxed then and met my gaze, her eyes twinkling under the lights of The Lucy.

“We do, Alex. In fact, we have a lifetime.”

“Look at you two!” I heard Allyson chime from behind us.

My brow furrowed in aggravation over the interruption as Krystina turned to look at her friend.

“What about us?” she asked.

“I remember telling you a while back that I would have an I-told-you-so moment. Well, here it is. The two of you literally melt my heart. I need to take a picture of you.”

She whipped out her phone and snapped a photo before either of us could even react. I shook my head and held out my hand.

“Give me that phone, Allyson.”

She arched a confused brow, but handed over her phone.

“What are you doing?” Krystina asked me.

“I’m taking a selfie,” I announced matter-of-factly.

I held out the phone in front of us, but Krystina wouldn’t stay still long enough for me to snap the picture. She was too busy laughing hysterically.

“Taking a selfie? Now that, Alexander Stone, is the one phrase I never thought I’d hear from your mouth.”

“Calm yourself,” I scolded, but there was no heat to my words. I, too, was grinning just as broadly as she was. “Say cheese.”

Instead of doing as I asked, she turned and planted a kiss on my cheek just as I took the picture.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” she laughed and I frowned at her.

“You know, I noticed that you never mentioned honor or obey in your wedding vows,” I pointed out.

She tossed me a sassy grin.

“Did you honestly expect me to?”

I shook my head.

“Oh, you really are glutton for punishment. Will you ever be able to follow my directions?”

Her smile broadened.

“Probably not.”

The right side of my mouth quirked up in amusement.

“And, angel, that’s exactly what I’m counting on.”