By the end of the two weeks, she stood in front of the mirror in the tiny church, her mother sighing happily next to her as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She’d chosen a simple but elegant tea-length gown with layers of fabric that floated around her calves. No veil and just a pearl choker with pearl earrings for adornment. The simple accents made her engagement ring stand out even more and she loved looking down at the ring and thinking of how sweet and thoughtful he’d been that night.
“You look lovely,” her mother said, squeezing her shoulders gently.
Livia’s smile brightened. “I can’t believe that today is finally happening.
Her mother’s smile turned concerned. “Livia, are you…” she hesitated, stumbling over the words. “Are you sure about him? Are you sure he won’t…?”
Livia’s hand reached up and covered her mother’s where it rested on her shoulder. “Stefan would never hurt me, mother.” Livia pushed her father’s ridiculous rumors from her mind. Stefan was sweet and gentle, nothing like her father.
She looked at the tired features of the woman who had endured so much. “Which brings up another issue. I was hoping that, after the wedding, maybe you could come live with me and Stefan?” She watched her mother’s eyes, saw the hope in her eyes. “Yes, mother. Stefan could protect you. I know the main reason you’ve never left Dad was because you were too afraid he would find you and hurt you even worse than what you’ve had to endure over the years. Or Dad might even take your departure out on me. But with Stefan, he could help. He could protect you from Dad’s wrath. Stefan has bought a beautiful house right in the city. It’s huge and wonderful and there is plenty of space if you’d like to come live with us. There’s even a small apartment over the garage, if you don’t want to live in the main house with us. But the whole area is protected by his security team.” She looked deeply into her mother’s eyes. “Dad couldn’t hurt you again,” she said with hope that her mother might finally find a way to escape the hell of her marriage.
Livia knew that her mother was tempted. It was a scary world, to step out of something that was so very wrong and hope that there was a light to escape.
But then the light died in her mother’s eyes. Livia spoke up before her mother could say no. “Just think about it, okay?” she pleaded. “Let that be my wedding present. Just think about the idea.”
Her mother opened her mouth to answer, but in the end, she simply closed her mouth and smiled. “Anything for you on your wedding day, dear,” she said and kissed her daughter’s cheek.
Her father burst into the room, all bluster and bourbon fumes. “You ready to marry this guy?” he enthused. “I’m ready to walk my baby girl down the aisle!” He chuckled as if he’d just made a hilarious joke.
Livia picked up her bouquet of pink roses and straightened her dress. “You’re not walking me down the aisle,” she said succinctly. “I’m my own woman and I can walk to my future husband on my own.” She thought about telling him off for being such a horrible human being, but she didn’t want any negativity to mar her wedding day.
The man stared at her for a long moment, completely flabbergasted by his daughter’s outrageous statement. “But…”
Livia simply ignored him and walked out of the room. “Go sit down, Father.”
A moment later, she walked away, moving to the back of the church. She didn’t care if her father was there to watch her get married or not. And actually, she would prefer it if he wasn’t. It would be wonderful if he would just leave the building, allowing her mother to sit alone. Her father was the ultimate doomsayer and she didn’t want to hear his lies again.
Standing at the back, she looked out at the small crowd of people and took a deep breath. When the music changed, she felt her heart beat faster and she stepped into the main church.
The next few hours were like a dream come true. As she walked down the aisle towards Stefan, her heart swelled with the love she felt for him. No, she didn’t know everything about him. And no, she couldn’t predict what might happen tomorrow or next month. All she knew was that this man frightened and excited her like no other man ever had. He was kind and gentle and absolutely nothing like her father.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her father standing against the wall, sneaking a drink out of a flask and looking like he wanted to disrupt the proceedings. But she also saw one of Stefan’s bodyguards standing only a few feet away and she wanted to laugh, delighted with how Stefan had anticipated her father’s potential obnoxiousness and circumvented any undesirous actions. Her man was brilliant and he was going to be her husband! It was all so exciting and thrilling and…goodness, she loved him!
A shiver of awareness went through her as he took her hand. Facing him as the minister started to speak, she couldn’t wipe the deliriously happy smile off of her face.
This was her dream, she thought. This man, this day and everything in the future, her dreams were all coming true!