worried about safety?” Esther asked.
I shook my head. “He’ll protect us, but I just—the thought of all those people looking at me…” I shivered.
The thought of it now, eyes on me, measuring me, assessing me, judging me. It was nearly too much to bear.
“You know only one person who’s going to be there matters, right?” Esther said, her voice quiet, sincere. “Focus on him, and the rest will take care of itself.”
I looked at my friend, saw the conviction in her eyes, and tried to latch onto it and make it my own. She was right. I had the man I loved. Nothing else mattered.
Esther patted my hand and stood. “Now come on. We’re finding a fucking dress today or else.”
Fifteen
W edding Day …
----
F awn
----
“ Y ou look amazing !”
Esther hugged me gingerly, not having to lean down quite as far since I was wearing heels today.
I smiled at her and then looked down to scrutinize my dress. It was an ivory satin sheath, with nothing much to it at all.
“You don’t think it’s too simple?” I asked.
“Well, today’s the day, so you don’t have time to change it. But it doesn’t matter, because it’s perfect. Classy, elegant, just like you,” she said.
Then Esther leaned in and hugged me, her face nearly radiating with joy.
“You know, you don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.
She wore a soft pink satin pantsuit that fit her to perfection. She stretched her arms and looked down. “You’re right, I don’t,” she said.
I laughed, and she joined in. A moment later, after she’d calmed, she looked at me.
“I’m so excited,” she said.
I chuckled. “I can tell.”
“You doing okay?” she asked, turning serious.
“I’m better than okay,” I said.
And I was.
After everything we had been through together, and after everything that had happened, Vasile and I were finally about to have our happy ending. Him, everything that had happened to us was beyond anything I could have imagined, but we’d gotten through it and were now going to promise ourselves to each other forever.
And I knew that no matter what might come to greet us, we’d face it together.
Esther cleared her throat. “Ehm, so what about your other news?” she asked.
“What other news?” I asked, not meeting her eyes.
“Dude, this is me you’re talking to. Did you think your best friend wouldn’t notice you’re pregnant? You look beautiful, by the way,” she said.
“Thanks, Esther,” I said, again looking at my friend’s face.
With the wedding and everything, I hadn’t found quite the right time to discuss the new addition to our family, and as the wedding had gotten closer, I’d decided to wait to surprise him.
“I’m going to tell him tonight,” I said.
She whistled. “Nice wedding gift,” she said.
“I hope he thinks so,” I replied.
“Oh, he will,” she said. “Let me get out of here. See you out there.”
After Esther hugged me and left, I spent the next few minutes fussing with my hair, which looked as good as it possibly could, and then double-checked my makeup, which was only a light dusting of powder with a little shimmer.
I turned when our bedroom door opened, expecting Esther. But it wasn’t Esther.
It was Vasile, and the sight of him took my breath away. His tuxedo was perfectly cut to fit his broad shoulders, and he’d brushed his hair back more neatly than I could recall seeing it. But he didn’t look tamed. No, he was my wild, dangerous Vasile, the man who held my heart.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked when I finally managed to speak.
“I missed you,” he said softly.
“We saw each other yesterday,” I said, smiling as I remembered how he’d protested yesterday when I had made him leave the house.
“Too long. This is a stupid tradition,” he said.
“Yes. I can see you think so since you’ve already broken it,” I said, smiling at him.
He came toward me, the expression on his face predatory and one that made me feel precious,
I shook my head. “He’ll protect us, but I just—the thought of all those people looking at me…” I shivered.
The thought of it now, eyes on me, measuring me, assessing me, judging me. It was nearly too much to bear.
“You know only one person who’s going to be there matters, right?” Esther said, her voice quiet, sincere. “Focus on him, and the rest will take care of itself.”
I looked at my friend, saw the conviction in her eyes, and tried to latch onto it and make it my own. She was right. I had the man I loved. Nothing else mattered.
Esther patted my hand and stood. “Now come on. We’re finding a fucking dress today or else.”
Fifteen
W edding Day …
----
F awn
----
“ Y ou look amazing !”
Esther hugged me gingerly, not having to lean down quite as far since I was wearing heels today.
I smiled at her and then looked down to scrutinize my dress. It was an ivory satin sheath, with nothing much to it at all.
“You don’t think it’s too simple?” I asked.
“Well, today’s the day, so you don’t have time to change it. But it doesn’t matter, because it’s perfect. Classy, elegant, just like you,” she said.
Then Esther leaned in and hugged me, her face nearly radiating with joy.
“You know, you don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.
She wore a soft pink satin pantsuit that fit her to perfection. She stretched her arms and looked down. “You’re right, I don’t,” she said.
I laughed, and she joined in. A moment later, after she’d calmed, she looked at me.
“I’m so excited,” she said.
I chuckled. “I can tell.”
“You doing okay?” she asked, turning serious.
“I’m better than okay,” I said.
And I was.
After everything we had been through together, and after everything that had happened, Vasile and I were finally about to have our happy ending. Him, everything that had happened to us was beyond anything I could have imagined, but we’d gotten through it and were now going to promise ourselves to each other forever.
And I knew that no matter what might come to greet us, we’d face it together.
Esther cleared her throat. “Ehm, so what about your other news?” she asked.
“What other news?” I asked, not meeting her eyes.
“Dude, this is me you’re talking to. Did you think your best friend wouldn’t notice you’re pregnant? You look beautiful, by the way,” she said.
“Thanks, Esther,” I said, again looking at my friend’s face.
With the wedding and everything, I hadn’t found quite the right time to discuss the new addition to our family, and as the wedding had gotten closer, I’d decided to wait to surprise him.
“I’m going to tell him tonight,” I said.
She whistled. “Nice wedding gift,” she said.
“I hope he thinks so,” I replied.
“Oh, he will,” she said. “Let me get out of here. See you out there.”
After Esther hugged me and left, I spent the next few minutes fussing with my hair, which looked as good as it possibly could, and then double-checked my makeup, which was only a light dusting of powder with a little shimmer.
I turned when our bedroom door opened, expecting Esther. But it wasn’t Esther.
It was Vasile, and the sight of him took my breath away. His tuxedo was perfectly cut to fit his broad shoulders, and he’d brushed his hair back more neatly than I could recall seeing it. But he didn’t look tamed. No, he was my wild, dangerous Vasile, the man who held my heart.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked when I finally managed to speak.
“I missed you,” he said softly.
“We saw each other yesterday,” I said, smiling as I remembered how he’d protested yesterday when I had made him leave the house.
“Too long. This is a stupid tradition,” he said.
“Yes. I can see you think so since you’ve already broken it,” I said, smiling at him.
He came toward me, the expression on his face predatory and one that made me feel precious,
Similar Books
