EPILOGUE - CAROLINE
One year later
I stood alone in my childhood bedroom, looking out the window at the big backyard I used to play in as a child. It was now covered in flowers and rippling white tapestries. There were chairs lined up on either side of an aisle peppered with roses. I smiled as my eyes scanned the yard, falling on the alter my father paid extra to have set up for us. This day would have been perfect no matter where it happened but here, in my childhood home, it felt like my entire life had come full circle. I finally felt like I was exactly where I was always meant to be.
“Hey,” my dad said from behind me. “You ready?”
I turned to face him, smiling and nodding. He grinned and held out his arm for me to take. The guests were all seated, lined up and waiting for my entrance. As my father led me down the stairs to toward the back door, I felt my heart pounding inside my chest. I was nervous but mostly, I was just excited. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone but Dean. In just a few short minutes, he would become my husband. My dream was finally coming true and I couldn’t believe it.
Dad and I paused in front of the door. He turned to face me with a smile and tears in his eyes. I laughed at the sight of him being so emotional and he soon joined me.
“I know I doubted Dean at first,” he said. “But, I was wrong. I see now how good he is for you. You’ve flourished over this past year and Caroline, I am so proud of you.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
He kissed my cheek and we turned back to the door as it swung open. The yard was even more beautiful from this vantage point. I already felt tears well in my eyes as we took our first steps down the aisle.
Things between my dad and I were better than I ever imagined. After my surgery, he and I bonded a lot. I couldn’t say the same for my mother. Finally, after years of unhappiness, she left my father. I could honestly say they were both better off for it but it made my mother even more distant. She kept in touch but not too often. The second the divorce was final, she flew abroad and hadn’t returned to the states since.
I missed her sometimes, especially today, but I knew it was for the best. The Michaelson family was all finding a way to be happy and for that, I was grateful.
As we moved further down the aisle, my eyes fell on Dean. The sight of his standing there waiting for me took my breath away. I couldn’t breathe as my father led me to him. When my hand was placed gently in Dean’s, butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him for the rest of the night.
The wedding progressed quickly. We said our vows, both of us teary-eyed and emotional. I could hear Teresa sniffling in the audience and Daniel was even tearing up behind Dean. Stephanie was crying behind me and when we said “I do,” the entire backyard erupted in cheers.
Our reception was fun and lively. Everyone danced and had a great time. Out of respect for Teresa’s sobriety, we made it a dry wedding, which added something special to the festivities. Knowing Dean’s mom was there, and sober, was the best gift we could have received.
When the night ended, Dean whisked me away to our private honeymoon suite downtown. We weren’t leaving for our honeymoon until the following day but I planned on spending our wedding night showing him just how much I loved him.
“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered as I slid my wedding dress down my body. I was wearing white lingerie beneath it, picked out especially for this occasion.
Dean’s eyes raked over my body while he removed his tux. I couldn’t stop staring at him as he moved toward me, naked and hungry with desire. When our lips finally met, electricity shot through my body, binding me to him for all eternity. I kissed him with more passion and desire than I ever had before and before I knew it, he had me on the bed, ravaging my body.
I moaned and writhed while he claimed every inch of me with his lips. He tore my lingerie in his haste to taste my skin but I didn’t care. The passion coursing through my veins and the love I felt for him were stronger than anything else. My entire body was lost in the moment. He held me close, running his fingers over my skin and making me shiver while our lips crashed together again and again.
When he took me for the first time as husband and wife, I gasped and felt myself tremble with need. He moved slowly that time, savoring every inch of me and whispering words of love in my ear. Our bodies melted together and I truly never felt more loved than I did in that moment.
Dean rocked his hips into me, his thrust slow and powerful. With each thrust, I came closer to release. When I finally came, it was with a rush of love and adrenaline that brought tears to my eyes. I cried out his name and clung to him desperately, digging my nails into his skin. He held me close and continued his thrusts, moving harder and faster each time.
“I love you,” I moaned.
“I love you.” His voice was weak and rough from exertion. It was husky in my ear and I felt like putty in his arms. He continued to take me, never letting our passion dissipate for even a second.
As the waves of pleasure rocked my body, I suddenly came alive in his arms. Keeping him inside of me, I flipped him on to his back and sat up to ride him. My pleasure was still so fresh that it drove me forward, hungry for more.
I rocked my hips back and forth, watching his eyes watch me. He couldn’t keep his hands off my breasts as they bounced freely with the motion of my hips. I ground myself on top of him, and he met my every move.
Each time our bodies connected, shock waves went through us both. It wasn’t long before I was coming again, rocking forward and clenching my pussy around his pulsating cock. The feeling was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I collapsed on top of him, letting him envelope me in his embrace.
Our bodies were drenched in sweat as we held each other well into the night. When I finally had the strength to move, I pushed myself to the side and curled into Dean. He held me even tighter as I rested my head on his chest. It felt like I was living someone else’s life. My life had become a fairy tale, a dream, and I never wanted to wake up.
Dean kissed my head and breathed me in, sighing deeply and tightening his hold on my body. I smiled against his skin, pressing my lips to his chest and breathing deeply with contentment.
“I love you,” he said softly.
“I love you too.”
“Caroline, you’re everything to me. This, our life together, is more than I’ve ever dreamed of.”
“Me too,” I sighed.