If you marry someone, that means that you love every side of your significant other you already know of. So if you find another side of them after the marriage you never knew about, doesn’t that mean you’ll love them even more?
—Kirito (Sword Art Online)
Breathe, Kaley, breathe, is what I had been telling myself for the last half an hour.
If some other woman were in my place, I’d probably laugh at her and say that she’s over-exaggerating. But now that I had come to this position, it was suddenly no longer funny.
It was rather depressing, actually.
I took a deep breath, repeating the mantra once more to boost my confidence.
Too bad I had none.
Come on. You can do this. Pull yourself together. You can do this. That’s right, you can.
Time passed sooner than I expected. Just a few weeks ago, I was laughing with Blake about our future and that day…that day was the day it started. I guess the reason why I never understood why women get so scared on the day of their weddings was that I didn’t know what it meant to truly marry someone. However, now that I was going through that myself, I could say that it’s probably because a wedding means the start of an entirely new life. Life with someone until death does you apart.
Or divorce. But that’s something else I didn’t want to think about before I even became a wife. I was panicking, I was unsure.
I mean, yes, I loved Blake, and it’s not like anyone forced me into this without giving me a choice to quit. It was just that the thought of abandoning everything I was before scared me. In one sense, that’s what the marriage was. The start of life with another person, new family, new purpose at that.
I twirled around, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I never thought that I was going to be in a wedding dress this soon. The feeling, despite the anxiety, was magical. There was something about looking at myself wearing white that made me feel out of this world, on a better—
“It’s time, Kaley!” It was Melissa’s voice from outside of the room that made me snap out of my thoughts. All the confidence I was boosting myself with—that I could do it after all—fell in the water with me returning to reality.
“I can’t do it,” I whispered before exclaiming it out loud so that she could hear me. “I can’t do it!”
When in truth, I didn’t even know why I said it.
“Don’t you screw with me right now, Kaley Evansville!” She burst through the doors, and I knew that there was no going back. “I’ve been waiting for weeks for this day to come!” She continued. It no longer mattered if I was ready or not; I just had to be.
“But I can’t! What if I trip? Or what if…” I rambled, but she interrupted me. I loved Mel; I truly did. She had that gentleness mixed with roughness in her that would always make her find a way to bring a smile to my face.
“Kay.” She growled like some wild animal at me. “You are going to get the hell out of this room. Ryan is going to walk you down the damn aisle, and you’re going to exchange those damn revolutionary vows!” Revolutionary? What? Were we in war or something?
“Wha—” Once again I was interrupted by her.
“Get your ass right now and marry my brother!” she finally yelled it.
I gulped, looking back at the mirror. My hair was done in some braided bun as my bangs were left falling freely on the side with crystal decorations. I didn’t really like this much of makeup and accessories, but I got to wear sandals instead of heels. I actually won that one; heels are big a no for me, and I used the pregnancy card on that one. Kaley–1: them–0! I was getting good at this.
“But what if he doesn’t like my look?” I asked. I was exaggerating.
“Have you seen yourself, girl?” she asked, fuming. I had indeed,
“But—”
“Are you blind? You look like a goddess. Now, get out before I marry you instead of Blake!” she yelled, gripping her head before calling out for Ryan to see me. She looked gorgeous. If I weren’t the one wearing white, she would’ve been mistaken for a bride. Her light peach dress that fell freely from her waist and her elegant see-through scarf made her look like a queen. Not to mention her neatly done hair that was pulled in a similar way as mine. Truly a graceful woman unlike someone in sandals over here.
A few seconds later, Ryan came through the doors with the usual grin on his face, and it was quite a sight to see him in a tux instead of chef attire. Since I no longer had a father to do it, I asked Ryan to walk me down the aisle, and he was more than happy to do so. Well, after rounds of his “what-ugly-alien-chose-to-take-the-ugly-you-for-wife” speech. But he met Blake and wished him luck. Blake, of course, had no idea what Ryan meant but guessed that the man just wished him a happy marriage. I, however, knew but said nothing, seeing as that old fox wasn’t someone to back off and let another have the last word.
The forty-year-old chef came through the doors, looking at me proudly before engulfing me in a bear hug I gladly returned to him. I knew that he had to say something on my account, but he surprisingly held back. I swear he was more childish than Ayden.
“Look at my girl. She’s all grown up!” he exclaimed once he got away from me and twirled me around, making me smile. He was truly the closest one I had to a father.
“It’s only because I had a model to grow up to,” I said back, referring to him and Aunt Elizabeth, his wife.
“Oh, Kaley.” I noticed the tears forming in his eyes, so I immediately wiped them away. “You made me the happiest old fart in the world when you asked me to walk you down the aisle,” he said before hugging me again, almost making me cry, but Melissa wouldn’t have been Melissa if she didn’t interrupt us.
“Don’t you dare ruin that makeup!” she yelled, and we both parted, bursting out in laughter.
“Move now, move. They won’t wait for you forever, you know? C’mon, girl. You’re becoming a wife today,” she exclaimed with those devilish lips of hers as I rolled my eyes. Melissa was a devil, but she finally took my anxiety away. She loved to butt in where she didn’t belong, but she meant to do it for my sake. She knew when to piss me off, but I could never hate her for that. Then, at the end of the day, she’d always come back to lure a smile out of my face. And that’s precisely the reason why she was my best friend.
“She is right. C’mon, milady,” he joked before taking my arm. “It’s show time, you goddamn midget!” Ah, he didn’t forget to joke on my account after all.
Without a doubt, Melissa was my maid of honor while Max was the best man. I wanted a small family wedding, but Grace, Blake’s mom, had another idea, making it into the grand one in Blake’s garden. Approximately, around five hundred people were invited, all rich. I guess I had no idea who they were, but Grace told me that I should know them for the future. Well, whatever works I guess. Looks like getting Blake married was a huge deal among them, but then again all those articles about him being a bachelor forever wouldn’t even exist if he was an easy person.
A realization dawned on me like a wrecking ball: I was about to walk past five hundred people and kiss Blake. I froze. With a hollow chuckle, I started turning back, but Ryan held me tightly tugging on me to go forward.
There was no escaping him now.
The doors leading to the aisle opened, revealing a lot of people chatting around the garden. They suddenly stopped when they saw me. They were standing on both sides of the aisle as Amy started throwing white rose petals in front of Ryan and me.
“Now, that’s what I call a wedding,” Ryan whispered in my ear, and I giggled, forgetting all about those people around me. And suddenly, there he was, under the white tent decorated with silver leaves and roses, waiting in a devilishly handsome black tux and a red satin tie. He gulped when his blue eyes met mine. His lips parted in a slight oh when he saw me, and I blushed under their intensity, and he grinned.
“Nikolas, I swear I’ll fucking crucify you for your dumbness!” I heard someone whisper next to me. My eyes looked around to find the owner of that voice. It was a blond guy around Ryan’s age screaming at his phone before throwing it away—yes, he freaking threw away his phone, probably killing it. He turned to me and gave me a gentle smile. I didn’t know what else to do, so I smiled back at him, taking him off guard.
Whoever he was, with that accidental gesture, he made me go to Blake with confidence and one incredibly silly smile on my face.
I was next to him in no time. My breath was taken away, bewitched by his blue eyes.
“Take care of her,” Ryan told Blake. My fiancé took my hand and gently kissed it, making me blush.
“Oh, I will.” And then he winked at me. Was it weird that I wanted to jump on him and kiss him senselessly at that moment or not?
The ceremony passed so fast, way too fast but long enough for me to almost cry from the vows we exchanged. The way he looked at me with those love-filled eyes almost knocked me down. The rings we had Ayden bring us were two matching platinum rings. Mine had His engraved while his had Hers. When I looked at him questioningly, he only shrugged with a huge childish grin on his face.
I loved this idiot.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest said. “You may kiss the bride,” he continued, and I bit my lip, glancing at Blake. He didn’t waste a single second. He held my face and kissed me passionately while the mass of people behind us started cheering and whistling.
“I love you,” he whispered seductively at me as he opened his eyes, and I blushed, already missing the warmth of his lips on mine.
“I love you too.” I grinned, and he chuckled.
“I know, who doesn’t?” he joked, and I playfully slapped his chest, making him raise his eyebrow. He lifted me in his arms, and I squealed. Then a load of aww and chuckles followed as he kissed me on my forehead.
“It’s party time!” he then exclaimed at everyone. We all headed to the other part of the garden where there stood a huge purple tent that was by some miracle able to fit all those people in. Don’t ask me how. Well, actually, most of the people. There were more round tables outside it, but the whole place was wonderful, nonetheless. There were some strange trees with white roses and lights, making the place look like something from a fairytale.
“We won’t stay for long. We have a flight in an hour for our honeymoon. Let them party without us,” Blake told me once we got there before he finally placed me on the ground.
“No heels…Midgets are midgets regardless of their situation, I guess,” he joked, and I huffed. Was he Ryan’s cousin or something?
“It’s your problem for being too big.” I crossed my arms, and he grinned. My face looked mortified as I realized my mistake.
“Oh, I have some—” he started, but before he could continue any further, Max hugged me from behind and twirled me around. Thank you, Max. I love you; you’re my savior!
“Look at her, married and pregnant.” He chuckled so that only I could hear, making me giggle at his words. Surprisingly, there weren’t people around us.
“Isn’t it supposed to be something like barefoot and pregnant?” I asked, and he shrugged.
“Ditto. Go and cut the cake already. I’m hungry,” he said and giggled once again before grabbing Blake’s hand and heading toward the huge four-layer white cake with purple edible roses and silver leaves. There were figures of mini Blake and me on the top. I smiled. Mini Blake looked funny.
And then I blushed. Damn this perverted mind of mine.
“It’s cute,” I exclaimed, and Blake only groaned, grabbing my hand and placing a knife in it with his other one. We cut the chocolate cake together.
“It’s not cute,” he protested, and I rolled my eyes once again.
“What are you, five?”
“A man that married you,” was his reply instead, making my lips part. And he fed me the cake. I wanted to grab a handful of cake and then hit him with it, but I reminded myself that it was my wedding, so I simply gave him a bite too.
“You’re lucky you’re getting married today.” With a sigh, I looked at his face.
“So are you. Who’d ever want to marry a midget like you?” At that moment, I deeply regretted not having heels because the hit I gave to his foot with my own would’ve hurt him much, much more then.
Half an hour later, Blake was already packing our bags in the car while I was looking for Ayden who was in the middle of stealing the cake with Amy.
“Ade!” I called out, catching his attention before he turned around with a yelp.
“I tried nothing. I—” he rambled, but I interrupted him.
“The one in the kitchen is better, and no one’s watching.” I winked at him, and he grinned at me with a toothless grin. That missing tooth was making him incredibly cute.
“Thanks,” he said, and I hugged him.
“Ade, remember that three-week travel I told you about?” He nodded. “I have to leave for it now,” I added, and he moved away.
“Wisten to the Aunty Mew, never go out alone, and take care of myself. You said it quadwilion times, Kay.” He grinned, and I kissed both of his cheeks before hugging him again. He was way too smart for his own sake.
“C’mon, Kay.” Blake’s voice interrupted us as he kneeled next to me and hugged Ayden.
“Take care of the house, little man. You’re the boss until I come back, alright?” he asked, and Ade saluted at him. Blake did the same, and I giggled. He was going to be a great father. Pain in the posterior to me, but a great father.
“Let’s go.” He tugged at my hand, indicating for me to start going. He gave one last hug to Ayden. I moved to the car where people waited for us, greeting us and bidding us farewell before we got inside.
And then there was that thought on my mind once again: I’ll have to sleep with Blake!
But unlike all those times in the past where I could only hope and dream of the future, at that moment, I was finally able to take the first step into it. However, the unknown might be dangerous. I was willing to risk everything and obtain my dream.
Because it was so precious to me.