*ONE WEEK AGO*
Jonathan ended up dragging me to the restaurant that had him ever so excited. I wont lie though; they do serve the best prawns I've had by far. By the time we were fed, Jonathan couldn't have looked any more satisfied.
"So, how do you know my fiancé?" I asked him.
"For someone so detached, you're very possessive," he smirked.
"Of course I am. He's my fiancé, and I've already admitted my feelings to you about him," I argued.
"Calm down feisty pants," he chuckled.
"Just tell me what I want to know," I mumbled.
"Well, Ambrosi and I go way back actually. For whatever reason, he still denies the truth in that we are the bestest of friends. From the fact that you're his fiancée, I'm going on a limb here by guessing that he told you about Ralph. Well, the three of us went to the same boarding school for boys, and after an incident, the three of us were expelled when we were fifteen. Anyway, we're best friends and yeah," he ended on an awkward note.
"You hit on me knowing who I was?" I asked, a bit appalled.
"I'm shocked you'd think so lowly of me," he glared at me.
"I'm sorry," I apologized.
"I didn't know who you are until you told me. Ever since Ralph passed, Ambrosi hasn't been the most open person as he feels like the entire world is against him. He's practically barricaded himself from everyone. I found out that he was engaged from Fabius, but Fabius hadn't exactly said whom Ambrosi was engaged to. When I met you on the plane, I honest to God had no idea who you are, hence me turning off the charm the moment I found out. That's also why I attached myself to you so quickly. A part of me wanted to make sure that Ambrosi wasn't getting into bed with a snake as my best friend doesn't open up to just anyone, so I wanted to get to know you better," he explained.
"And?" I curiously enquired.
"And I'm still sitting here with you, aren't I?" he smiled.
"I'm actually shocked by what you've just revealed," I admitted.
"He made you believe that he has no friends or family right?" he asked knowingly, to which I nodded.
"That's just his way of making sure no-one gets close to him again. He didn't take Ralph's death well, and being blamed for it doesn't make things any better for him," he replied.
"But why was he blamed for it?" I asked.
"The fact that you don't know the answer to that question means that he is yet to spill his own demons to you, and quite frankly, he's the only one who is allowed to do that. I'm sorry, but you both have to be honest with each other at some point," he gave a sympathetic smile.
"I guess that's fair. I just don't want to lose him," I said more to myself than him. He stood up suddenly.
"Up you go! We didn't come here to sulk!" he said as he signalled for the waiter to bring the bill.
"I'm tired Jono. Can't we start the adventure tomorrow?" I pouted.
"You're not tired Aretha. You're just afraid of the adventure I have planned," he deadpanned.
"For today I am," I told him honestly.
"Fine! I guess you can enjoy the leisure of the hotel for today, but tomorrow we begin the adventure," he warned.
"Thank you," I hugged him.
We walked back to the hotel and parted ways, with him heading to the hotel casino instead. I headed to my room and took a much needed bath. When I was done, I ordered in and settled into the room, being one with my thoughts.
The phone ringing brought me out of thought.
"Hello?" I replied.
"Hi mummy," four adorable voices that I missed greeted.
"Hello my angels," I said happily, my joy overwhelming me.
"How are you?" one of the girls asked. I can't tell them apart on the phone.
"I'm ok and how are you?" I asked.
"We're fine," they replied.
"Cara mia," my fiancé's smooth voice reached my ears.
"Caro," I replied, thankful that he couldn't see my blush.
"Are you well?" he asked.
"As can be! You?" I counter asked.
"I'm fine," he sighed.
"You're stressed you mean," I corrected.
"There's no hiding it from you, is there?" he chuckled.
"Nope! What's wrong?" I asked.
"It's just a deal that isn't going anywhere this side, but enough about me. How's Argentina?" he asked.
"I'm yet to truly start enjoying it, but I miss you guys already," I sighed.
"Mummy, you're going to see us again very soon. Don't sound so sad," one of the girls told me. Seemingly I was still on speaker.
"I know my angel, but I still miss you," I laughed.
"We miss you too mummy!" the girls chorused with giggles.
"Girls, how about you go and find out what's taking Sven so long with your ice-cream?" Rafe asked them.
"Ok daddy! We love you mummy," they said.
"I love you too my angels, so much," I replied before I heard their feet patter away.
"Ari, I need to talk to you about something," Raphael said seriously. Dread settled in my stomach.
"What is it?" I asked, barely breathing.
"I want to tell you about my past connections," he said.
"Past connections?" I asked in confusion.
"I mean every woman I've ever been connected with. I don't want you to ever be ambushed by any woman claiming anything. I want you to always know where we stand," he explained.
"And where do we stand at this very moment?" I asked curiously.
"I'm sorry about how cold I was before we left. I shouldn't have been that way with you, and for that I apologize. It's just hard for me to know that I love you so much, and that there's a strong chance that you may not feel the same way," he sighed.
"Rafe, if you know me as well as I think you do, then you should know that that's not true," I said, my plea carrying in my tone.
"I know. I'm just having a tough time coming to terms with that because of my past," he replied.
"I understand. Tell me about the women," I diverted.
I listened for a whole hour while he told me about all the women he's ever been linked to, how they met, how they're connected, and what they could possibly spin. I was stunned that he trusted me that much, and I was also slightly annoyed and jealous, but I didn't say anything.
"That is quite a list," I commented when he'd finished.
"I know, but I needed you to know. You're the only woman for me, and I don't want to have anyone coming between that or us," he replied.
"I'm grateful that you did, despite my annoyance," I sighed.
"You're annoyed?" he asked amusedly.
"Don't laugh at me Raphael. It's annoying hearing about all these women," I huffed.
"Aaaaw, don't worry cara mia. You're the only woman in my life right now," he chuckled.
"Because your laughing makes it all the more convincing," I replied.
"I apologize tesoro," he said very quickly.
"It's ok Rafe. Look, I'll call you when I wake up. I'm pretty beat right now. Is that ok?" I asked.
"Of course it is. I'll tell the girls you love them," he replied.
I love you too.
I wanted so badly to say it to him, but for the life of me, I just couldn't. I just had to bite my tongue and hope that I would gain the courage to soon enough. I love how he knew what I wanted to say to the girls though.
"Thank you," I said.
"Goodnight cara mia. Have the sweetest dreams. I love and miss you," he said before the line went dead.
I guess he didn't want to say he loves me knowing that I wouldn't say it back.
I sighed and put the phone down before getting myself settled into bed. I couldn't sleep and I spent most of the night tossing and turning. By the time 6am rolled around, I figured that I might as well get ready for my day.
I got dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a sheer shirt and a grey jacket. I paired the look off with a pair of black open toe heels, a matching handbag, simple black studs and my sunglasses. I may not have been feeling all that well, but there was definitely no sin in looking good.
I headed downstairs without bothering to check on Jonathan. I wanted to get breakfast at the hotel restaurant. I knew he'd find me there in any case. I was shocked when I was approached by the maitre d' herself.
"Good morning Miss Washington," she greeted.
"Uhm, hi," I replied.
"Your fiancé has already set up a table for you. He even ordered your breakfast already and the chef had said he'd start preparing it upon your arrival. Is that ok with you?" she asked.
"I guess so," I nodded.
"Fantastic! This way please," she said as she led me to the secluded and reserved table.
"Mr Maestri instructed me to give you this and this," she said as a guy handed me a bouquet of red roses and a box with a card.
"He's insane," I giggled happily.
"He thought you might say that. He said to tell you that he apologizes once more and that he will make it up to you when you're both in Italy," she replied.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Malia," she smiled.
"Are you the Hotel Manager of this branch?" I asked knowingly.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"Raphael only talks to the managers of his hotels," I replied.
"Wow, I honestly didn't think you'd know that," she admitted.
"You thought I was an airhead?" I teased. I giggled when she blushed.
"Something of a sort. Men like Mr Maestri very rarely marry smart women," she laughed.
"True! I was the Supervising Manager of the branch in Washington D.C," I found myself sharing.
"Wow! Was it like love at first sight or something?" she asked, clearly intrigued. I signalled for her to take a seat opposite me.
"Oh no! I can't join you," she shook her head.
"Please! I insist," I smiled.
"Okay," she sighed, though the ghost of a smile was evident on her face.
"You're sort of right in that it was love at first sight, except it wasn't necessarily with him at first. It was love at first sight with me and his daughters, and then it was love at first sight with us," I replied.
"Let me guess. The quads gave you hell?" she laughed.
"How do you know?" I giggled.
"Every year, whenever I go to the Maestri Convention, the quads are brought up by a couple of other managers from around the world. They can be a handful, especially when Mr Maestri is really busy," she explained.
"Well, not anymore. I think they'll start behaving better now that I'm around, but that's how I met them. They were causing trouble at the hotel and my manager was borderline insane since she thought she had to keep Raphael happy and that the quads would ruin that. I was given the duty of finding them, though at the time my manager was under the impression that it was only one little girl. I soon found out otherwise and I formed an instantaneous bond with them without even realizing it," I smiled, tears in my eyes.
"You love those little girls like they're your own. I can only imagine that they love you too. It's been tough for them without a mother," she commented.
"You know about that?" I asked in surprise.
"When you get through to them, they can capture your heart in ways you didn't think possible from little girls their age. I'm one of the lucky people they don't enjoy tormenting, and I learned about their story when I was babysitting them a few months back," she informed.
"So you know about Raphael's absenteeism as a parent?" I asked. She nodded.
"I understand that Mr Maestri is a busy man and he looks like a man with a lot more going on in his life," she replied.
"But...?" I trailed off.
"There's no but really. Those who respect him, much like myself, will only be happy to find out that he's happy and that he's actually moving forward in life. It's clear to see that he's in love with you, and clearly you love him and his daughters back. I can only be happy for you both, together with the girls. The five of them need you," she smiled.
"And you think I'm what they need?" I asked.
"I've only spoken to you for fifteen minutes and even I can tell that you're a good woman. You're exactly what they need," she reached to squeeze my hand.
"My, my, Miss Washington! Your fiancé is all the way across the world and you're going lesbian without even giving him a chance to make you his wife?" a new voice joined us.
"Joel," Malia deadpanned, letting go of my hand.
"Always lovely seeing you Malia," he chuckled.
"I'll be here if you need to talk ok?" she turned to me.
"Thank you," I smiled before getting up to hug her.
"Any time," she smiled before going away.
"What's in the box?" Jonathan asked as he sat opposite me.
"I actually don't know," I replied before opening the box.
I was shocked when I did. It was a jewellery set. It contained a necklace and teardrop earrings. They were silver with sapphire stones and diamonds. I grabbed the envelope and opened it, pulling out the note inside:
Something blue...
I smiled to myself when I realized that Raphael had gotten this for me for our wedding. It was my something blue. I wiped away a stray tear before handing the box and note over to a clearly curious Jonathan.
"Well, isn't he romantic? Glad to see things aren't awkward between the two of you anymore," he smirked as waiters brought our breakfast.
"How do you know Malia?" I asked, diverting the subject.
"I've got the perfect venue," he replied.
"What?" I scowled.
"My parents said they'd handle getting all the guests to Italy, and Marcia confirmed that your wedding dress would be there by the time we got back. She said she'll handle the catering as well, and my cousin will handle the venue and everything else," he said thoughtfully.
"What on earth are you on about?" I asked.
"Your wedding of course! You're getting married this weekend," he smiled.
"Why am I not aware of this?" I asked, wide-eyed. Surely Raphael wouldn't plan this without me.
"You can stop accusing him in your head. Raphael knows nothing about this. This is the surprise from you to him that I was talking about. There's no better time for you to tell him that you love him, than in front of your closest friends and family as you officially give yourself over to him," he explained.
"And you think this is a good idea?" I asked sceptically.
"Sweet sweet child, this is the best idea I've had this year. You both need this. You both need to be tied into a marriage to make sure that you don't run away from each other," he smirked.
"This sounds like a bad idea of proportions, especially when you put it like that," I scowled.
"You're just being your afraid self! After today, you'll realize what I mean," he winked.
"What's on schedule today?" I asked.
"You'll find out as we go along. To answer your question, Malia is Gabi's sister," he replied, shocking me.
"What?" I whispered.
"She probably didn't tell you because she wanted you to like her without that label attached to her. She hated Gabi and she ran from home. That's how she ended up all the way here in Argentina. Don't think of her as Gabi's sister, but rather as your friend. She'd really appreciate it if you did," he informed.
I looked across the restaurant and spotted Malia talking to one of the waiters. I couldn't see anything about her that would resemble the infamous Gabi Hart. I wasn't going to treat her as Gabi's sister, but I was curious about her.
"They were half sisters, which is why they don't look alike. They shared a mother, but different fathers," Jonathan added.
"Why does she call you Joel?" I asked curiously.
"That's one of my names and the name everyone who has known me since I was younger uses. Your fiancé calls me by that name as well," he replied.
"Should I call you by that name too?" I asked.
"Nah! I like the fact that only you get to call me Jono," he smiled.
"Jono it is," I giggled.
"Well, eat up so that we can get moving. We have a very long day ahead of us," he said, clapping his hands.
As we ate, he made me multitask. He had me emailing the magazine people to tell them about the wedding and the interviews. Apparently the interviews and photo shoots would happen after the wedding so that we wouldn't have to get dressed up twice. Also, our honeymoon was rumoured to also be long.
"What do you mean we'll be on our honeymoon for a month? There's no way that Raphael will go for that," I argued.
"You leave your future husband to me. Just know that the two of you will be off for a month. The first week of your honeymoon will be spent alone, and then the girls will join you in the second week for a family vacation. They'll leave at the end of that week and the two of you will have the rest of your honeymoon to yourselves," he explained.
"I still say that Raphael wont go for this, but I'll trust you. You've clearly been busy," I giggled.
"These things just come to me," he smirked.
"Yeah, yeah! Well, I'm done now. Can we head out already?" I asked. I was too excited.
"Look who's suddenly eager to see Argentina," he chuckled.
"Whatever!" I blushed.
We got up and I took my roses and jewellery back to my room first. I checked my phone and found a text from Raphael, asking me whether I'd received his gift or not. I quickly typed my response, promising to call him later, before heading back downstairs. Malia caught my eye as I was walking towards Jonathan, and she came towards me.
"You know," it wasn't a question.
"I do," I nodded.
"I'm sorry I had to pretend, but you don't know how frustrating it is to be linked to that woman. I would give anything to have never been associated with her," she sighed.
"Malia, I don't look at you any differently, but I do request that you be one hundred percent yourself from now on. I don't care about the fact that Gabi was your sister. I didn't even know her," I smiled.
"You truly are a one of a kind woman. Raphael is lucky and he deserves this," she returned the smile.
"I'm glad you think so. I'll check in with you later. Jonathan is taking me somewhere and he looks rather impatient right now," I giggled. She turned to face him before sticking her tongue out at him.
"When is Joel ever patient? Anyway, enjoy yourself and I'll see you later," she said as she hugged me. I hugged her back before heading to Jonathan.
I was more than surprised when we got outside and the valet handed him the keys to a white convertible Aston Martin that was parked before us. He informed me that he had rented the car for the duration of our stay in Argentina.
"So, where are we headed?" I dared to ask.
"Well Miss Nosy, we're headed to an art gallery. I told you that I want you to come to my meetings with me," he reminded.
"I know! So we're going to meet potential clients?" I asked.
"That and to check up on existing clients," he replied.
"Cool!" I smiled.
The rest of the way, I let my thoughts get lost. I was getting married at the weekend according to Jonathan. I hadn't even asked for the full details, like where it is exactly that I was getting married. I was just letting everything get arranged, and it honestly felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. As to whether or not this was a good idea; that matter was still debatable in my mind.
We reached the art gallery and Jonathan came around to open the door for me. With the car locked, we headed inside the surprisingly full gallery. There were people viewing the exquisite art there, but apparently we were heading to another sector of the gallery.
After passing by security which Jonathan had to handle, we were met by the many artists as they worked away. I learned that the gallery also has a studio to save the artists time and transportation costs of their artwork to the gallery.
"I'll be with you now now," Jonathan said before leaving the room.
There were seven people in here and they all seemed to be in their own zones as they created art. They were all painters seemingly. I was honestly fascinated by everything. I was astonished to be grabbed by the hand by a random guy who told me to go wild on his plain canvas.
"Go on and paint. I want to work around whatever you paint," he smiled, handing me an apron.
"I don't know how to paint," I blushed.
"Have you ever painted before?" he raised an eyebrow. I shook my head.
"So how do you know that you do not know how to paint?" he asked in confusion.
"I can't draw," I replied.
"Sweety, painting and drawing are two completely different things. I know brilliant painters who can't draw to save their lives," he chuckled.
"What should I paint then?" I asked.
"Something tells me your heart has the answer to that question," he winked.
I turned to the plain canvas before me. My mind was creating the picture in my head, but I didn't know if I could actually paint the picture. I put on the apron and I picked up the paints and the brush. I took a deep breath in before stroking the brush on the canvas.
That first stroke was exhilarating, and I found myself completely focused on my task. I wasn't analysing my work. I was just letting the brush go ahead and work with my hand, which was in turn working with my mind and heart.
I hadn't even realized that the guy was now painting behind me on a completely new canvas, or that Jonathan was eyeing me intently. I just let myself get consumed by my task. I don't even know how long I was at it.
When I pulled away, shock settled in me. I stepped away from the canvas and couldn't believe what I had painted. He looked so life-like on the canvas. I had brought him to life in a way I didn't know I viewed him.
"You have the most exquisite expressions," a new voice said to me. I turned to see a beautiful woman there and she looked like an artist too.
"Uhm, thank you?" I said unsurely.
"Look around you," she said.
My mouth dropped in disbelief when I did. Basically everyone in the room had done what I could only imagine as their version of what I looked like to them. They were all breathtaking pieces, and the guy who got me painting to begin with, had painted a picture of me, painting a picture of the love of my life.
"Painting is your calling dear. You captured him perfectly," another woman said to me.
"You know who this is?" I asked.
"We all know who Raphael Maestri is. Question is who he is to you," another guy commented.
"My fiancé," I blushed.
"Mr Maestri's getting married?" the first woman asked, not hiding her amazement either.
"Yep, and he will definitely want to pay you all a fetching price for all your pieces," Jonathan informed them.
"Oh no! These aren't for sale. If anything, I think we all agree that we'd like to give them to Mr Maestri as a wedding present for all he's done for us," the second woman smiled.
"Who are you guys?" I asked.
"I'm Raymond, that's Sasha, Ro, Gia, Huey, Sergio and Iman," the guy who grabbed me, introduced.
"I'm Aretha. It's lovely to meet you guys," I smiled.
"Oh no, the honour is ours," Iman smirked.
"Do you paint for a living?" Ro asked me.
"Uhm, I actually don't do anything for a living at this very moment. I'm not sure what to do with my life," I replied.
"Well, you've most definitely found your calling dearest Rita! You said you came to Argentina to find yourself, and well, here you go," Jonathan smirked.
I turned back to my painting. It was borderline perfect, but I knew that I still had a lot to learn about painting. As to whether or not it's a calling is another story, but I was willing to give it a try. I owed myself that much.
Jonathan brought me back the next two days. I was painting with everyone as they all gave me a painting crash course. Apparently I was good enough without the need for school. They were all convinced that I could only get better with time, without the need to go to art school.
"Rita, chocolate or vanilla?" Jonathan asked me.
"What are you asking about?" I turned to him, pausing from my painting.
"Your wedding cake," he replied.
"Uhm, hold on," I said before taking out my phone.
"Cara mia," he responded. My stomach did those weird flips.
"Caro, quick question. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla?" I stayed on task.
"Chocolate, why?" he asked, confusion clear in his tone. Jonathan told me not to say anything.
"It's nothing. How are the girls?" I giggled.
"They're asleep again, but they were excited to tell me all the things you promised them," he chuckled. I'd spoken to them the night before.
"Yeah well this place is just too amazing, but look at me being mean and not asking you how you are," I said guiltily.
"I had a long day of meetings. I was on my way to bed when an unannounced visitor showed up at my door practically half naked and she wont leave," he replied. My blood ran cold, which didn't go unnoticed by everyone else in the room.
"Is it who I think it is?" I asked knowingly.
"Yeah," he replied.
Well damn!
"Am I on speaker?" I asked.
"Yep!" he said.
"Celine White?" I called to the woman. Jonathan looked panicked when I said that.
"You know who I am?" she responded.
"My fiancé warned me that you'd try something. Please be so kind as to leave him alone. He's a committed man and I'd like for things to stay that way," I said sweetly.
I was annoyed beyond!
"What bullshit stunt do you think you're playing at? Raphael isn't engaged. It would be all over the news. Besides, who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" she snapped.
"I happen to be the woman that man proposed to. I happen to be the woman who his daughters call 'mummy'. I happen to be the woman that man is in love with. I also happen to be the kind of woman who you really wouldn't want to mess with," I replied, fighting to keep my cool.
"What? You're intimidated by me? Can't take me on?" she asked, sounding very confident.
"On the contrary doll. I'm just confident enough to know that Raphael will never be yours. You will never fit into his life. You will never be able to get our daughters to love you, and best of all, you'll never be me," I replied confidently. Jonathan looked proud of me.
"I'm not afraid of you bitch! Do you have any idea who I am?" the woman asked angrily.
"I don't need you to be afraid of me. Quite frankly, I couldn't be bothered, just like I'm not bothered enough to know who you really are. You're of no significance to me, so please don't make the mistake of thinking that I care, and leave my fiancé alone while you're at it," I replied. Jonathan looked ready to take the phone away from me.
I'm pretty sure I was fuming.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" she shouted. I was done with her.
"Caro, sarebbe meglio assicurarsi che lei scompare. Ora mi sento super possessivo e geloso di destra e non mi piace un po'. Mi fido di te, ma non mi fido di lei. Si prega di sbarazzarsi di lei," I told my fiancé.
"Sei geloso e possessivo?" he asked, sounding somewhat amused.
"Che vuoi hai indovinato?" I sighed.
"Ok, prometto che ti sbarazzarsi di lei. Posso chiamarti più tardi?" he asked.
"Mi piacerebbe che," I replied.
"Va bene! Ti amo," he told me.
"Ciao," I said before hanging up.
"Chica, are you ok?" Sergio asked me.
"I'm furious," I admitted.
"You need a proper night out in Argentina," Ro suggested.
"I'm not sure I'm up for it," I sighed, taking off my apron. I couldn't go back to painting.
"I actually agree. It will get your mind off of things, and it's a great stress reliever," Jonathan smiled.
It's safe to say that it wasn't such a great experience for me since I got food poisoning. Obviously when Raphael found out, he demanded that Jonathan get me back home, except we were already way ahead of him.
"You'll heal better at home. We'll fetch the girls so that they can come and be with you as well. We need you to be well before Saturday," Malia told me on the flight back home. She, and my new painting friends were coming with us since they were invited to the wedding.
When we landed, I was taken straight to the doctor, where Marcia and Rhonda were already waiting for me, stressed out of their minds. I had to reassure them that I was internally ok, despite looking like crap on the outside.
The doctor prescribed me some pills and put me on bed rest until my wedding day. Marcia and Rhonda kept me updated on how everything was coming along. We were apparently having the wedding at Florencia's glass house as I'd originally planned.
The girls came back on Friday and I was more than happy to see them. They spent the whole day with me since I wasn't allowed to do anything. That night, the ladies came to Raphael and I's room and we had a PG rated bachelorette party for me since the girls were there.
By Saturday morning, my nerves were shot. I was completely healed. I stood before the long mirror in Raphael and I's room. I was dressed in my wedding dress, and my hair and make-up was already done. I was just waiting to be fetched.
I had on the jewellery set from Raphael (my something blue), which actually went well with my dress. My grandmother gave me the veil that she bought when she was out with Florencia and Anita (my something new), while Marcia borrowed me the garter that she had on her wedding day (my something borrowed). Florencia informed me that she paid for our entire honeymoon, much to my astonishment.
"Knock knock," he said before walking into the room. My eyes filled with tears as I went over to hug him.
"I've got something for you," he said, handing me the box.
"What is it?" I smiled.
"Open it," he chuckled. I opened it and it was a sapphire bracelet that matched my earrings and necklace.
"It was your mother's," he informed me.
"Really?" I whispered.
"Yes really. She gave it to me to hold onto it for her," he replied.
"Please help me put it on," I requested, which he did.
"My something old," I said happily.
"Twirl for me," he smiled.
"How do I look?" I giggled as I twirled.
"You look exceptional princess. He wont know what hit him. Now, don't ruin your make-up over silly old me," he smiled.
"You're not silly dad," I giggled.
"True, but today, I'm not worth your happy tears. Save them for your husband," he winked before my grandmother walked into the room. She was looking a little faint.
"Ah Gerard, there you are! I wanted to ask a favour of you," she told him. He nodded.
"I'm not going to be strong enough to walk Rita down the aisle. Would you please do me the honour?" she requested. Tears filled my eyes once more.
"Do you mind?" he turned to me.
"No," I shook my head with a smile on my face.
I hadn't exactly clarified my relationship with Gerard to my fiancé, and I knew he'd be curious to know why the esteemed businessman was walking me down the aisle, but I've known Gerard my whole life.
When my family died, he very quickly took over as my guardian, except my grandmother let her pride stop him from helping us. Unfortunately, it's a trait I picked up from her since I wouldn't let him help us either, but he's the most important adult to me after my grandmother, hence me calling him dad.
"Then it would be an honour to do so," he smiled.
"Good! We need to get going now. Everyone is headed to the house," my grandmother informed.
"Rafe?" I asked her.
"Apparently they just landed," she informed.
I could remember Jonathan's stupid plan to get their suits spilled on with wine 'by accident', causing them to change into tuxes, which happen to be 'the only change of clothing available'. He was pretty convinced that it would work, so I guess I'd see when I get there.
We left the house and I headed into the car with Gerard and the girls. They looked super adorable in their baby blue dresses and flower crowns. They were all going to be flower girls, and they couldn't be more excited about that.
"Mummy, you look so beautiful!" Camilla beamed once we got out of the car outside the glass house.
"Thank you baby," I smiled.
"Alright, let's get you inside. My brother isn't here yet, and I'd rather he not see you before you say your 'I do's'," Marcia said as she dragged me away into the house.
I was left alone in one of the rooms while everyone else was busy with last minute arrangements. The room had a clear view of the garden, where the altar and everything were set up. We were having both the ceremony and reception here. The ceremony was happening in the garden, and the reception was happening in the great hall in the house.
I walked over to the window and looked out at the garden. Guests were already seated on the Tiffany chairs that had been organized beautifully by Marcia and her team. We only had about one hundred and fifty guests, because I apparently made a lot of friends over the years. Raphael's guests were definitely less than mine.
I knew Raphael had arrived when I saw the slight panic and excitement downstairs. I could hear the commotion downstairs as Marcia and Rhonda told everyone to get to the places and be ready. I never got to see my fiancé though.
"Princess, it's time," Gerard said as he walked into the room.
"Ok," I turned to him.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"I am," I smiled.
I was ready to finally let the love of my life know exactly how I feel about him.
**********
ELO SMURFLETTES!!!
FINALLY RIGHT?
I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long, but third year is harder than I thought it would be, and I bear some sad news. I wont be updating again until after May as I have exams in May.
Anyway, who's ready for the wedding? I'm excited to get around to typing that chapter when the time comes. I hope this chapter satisfies you until then.
Thank you for the support on this book. It means the world to me. Please keep voting, commenting, following, sharing and adding to libraries. I love you guys!
Katee (^^,)