>>>ARETHA'S WEDDING DRESS
Everyone was seated and I was nervously standing at the end of the altar. Everything looked exactly the way Aretha had said she wanted things, and I guess everyone just pulled it together quicker than we had decided.
I didn't even know how my bride to be felt about this, but she must've clearly agreed if I was standing here. I couldn't imagine being humiliated because she didn't show. I'm not an idiot, so I know that some of the people here come from the different magazines and newspapers that are meant to interview us.
For the first time in my life, I actually had a feeling of butterflies in my stomach. I was freaking out, but obviously my years of being stoic have helped me with managing to not look panicked, even when I am, like now.
I watched my sister giving instructions at the back, and that's when the music came on. I watched as my little girls came down the aisle, throwing rose petals from their little baskets. The guests cooed from how adorable they looked, and I could only smile in pride.
"You look very handsome daddy," Camilla told me once the four of them were standing before me.
"Thank you princess," I smiled, before kissing their foreheads.
They giggled and went to sit down next to my grandmother. Yvette was sitting there as well, and I was curious to know who would then be walking Aretha down the aisle. Gio walked down the aisle next. He was basically running down the aisle with the rings in his chubby little hands. The guests and I laughed as he continued to run until he barrelled into my legs.
"Hey there little guy," I picked him up.
"Look," he said excitedly, showing me the rings.
"Hold onto them ok?" I said, putting him down.
"Ok!" he nodded before going to sit next to the girls.
The song changed before the first pairing appeared. I was shocked to learn that it was Malia, Gabi's sister. While I have sort of a relationship with her, I didn't think she'd be making an appearance at my wedding, let alone as a bridesmaid. She was coming down the aisle with Joel.
Next up was Luigi and Bianca. They walked down the aisle and Luigi whispered something in her ear. From her eye roll, it wasn't that hard to tell that he'd said something stupid. Lastly, Fabius and Rhonda stepped up- the Best Man and Maid of Honour.
My nerves were shot when I realized that it only meant that Aretha was next. My mind was getting fuddled up and my palms were sweating. Hell, I think I was sweating everywhere, but again, I was saved by my years of 'stoic training'.
And then she appeared.
I think my eyes all but rolled out of their sockets. My sister had truly outdone herself with this creation, and having it on Aretha had me fighting to understand whether I wanted her to keep it on, or whether I wanted to peel it off of her body.
The creation in question is Aretha in all its glory. What I mean is that I knew from looking at it that she'd chosen it herself. It is simply elegant, much like she is. It's a long, straight dress. It's pure white with floral embroidery designs at the top. It has a plunging neck line that drops to her stomach, but it isn't racy or slutty.
Just pure sophistication.
The song changed and I got the answer to my question when Gerard assumed his position beside her. She looked as nervous as I was feeling, and unlike me, she wasn't hiding it. She and Gerard slowly started moving towards us.
The closer they got, the more confident she seemed, which was working in the opposite way for me. The closer they got, the more nervous I got. I knew I had to keep my cool, but she looked so damn breathtaking, and I'm not just saying that.
I couldn't breathe!
"Breathe Ambrosi. You've been waiting a long time for this," my brother said lowly beside me, and he was right.
I was finally getting to make this caramel beauty my wife. I put my concentration back on her. I etched everything about this moment into my memories- her amazing hairdo with the diamond tiara connected to her veil, her perfect makeup, her pouty lips, the sheer excitement in her eyes.
Just everything.
"Take care of my princess Maestri, or I will hunt you down and kill you myself," Gerard warned when they reached the front.
"Dad," Aretha giggled, smacking his arm.
Dad?
"I promise to treat her like the queen she is," I promised.
"Good!" he said before handing her over. She handed Rhonda her bouquet before we faced each other.
"You look... I don't think there's a word to describe just how magnificent you look," I told her.
"Well, magnificent is a start," she said with a nervous laugh.
"That it is," I chuckled.
"If you guys are done, we can start the ceremony," the priest teased.
"We're ready Father Jones," Aretha smiled.
So this is the infamous Father Jones.
"Dearly beloved. We are gathered her to join this man, Raphael Maestri, and this woman, Aretha Washington, in holy matrimony..."
I give props to any married person who can honestly say that they heard the priest during their ceremony. I couldn't, for the life of me, focus on what the man had to say; not with such a breathtaking sight before me.
"Rafe!" my soon to be wife giggled.
"Huh?" I snapped out of my dazing.
"It's time for you to say your vows," Father Jones chuckled. Seemingly everyone else was just as amused.
"Right!" I cleared my throat, making Aretha laugh a little.
"Oh daddy!" I heard Caprice sigh as her sisters giggled.
"In case it wasn't obvious enough, I just can't get over how remarkable you look right now. Twenty four hours ago, I was still stressing over mundane things, and the last thing I expected was to be brought back home to get married to the woman who has my heart," I smiled before reaching out to wipe away the first fallen tear on my love's beautiful face.
"I met you in the most unconventional way, and I didn't believe in love at first sight, until I lay my eyes on you. The perceived notion about me is that I am a cold and heartless man, and that has been true for the past ten years. I've never believed myself to be a good man, a good father, and I believed that I would die with that engraved to my tombstone. I am a man with many faults and lots of demons that I have yet to face. I know for a fact that most people find me incredibly intolerable and rude, and again, it's something I know is true about myself. Now, the real question here is, why on earth you're standing before me, willing to bind yourself to this mess," I chuckled. Our guests laughed along with me, while Aretha was wiping away her tears as she laughed and cried at the same time.
"The first time I heard your name, I was told I had to marry you to secure a business deal. I thought that was absurd, until later on when I found out that the woman I was told to marry earlier on, had been fired from my hotel for corporate espionage. The last time I heard your name was when I watched my little girls cry, not wanting to leave their new mummy behind. I had seen you earlier, and as I said before, it was love at first sight, so when my girls connected the dots for me, I couldn't have cared less about the other two times I heard your name. I knew I had to convince you to be in our lives," I said, reaching out to wipe away her tears once more.
"Of course you tried to put up a fight, but the girls already had you. A man like me, especially with my reputation, wouldn't be trusted, but you took that risk. You up and moved to Italy with us, and I can't remember the last time I was this happy. Ari, I'm not a romantic man, and neither will I be your fairytale man, but I can assure you the one thing I am sure of. You have my heart. Only four other people get to share that ownership with you, and that's my daughters. I almost used the words honour and privilege, but I would be highly mistaken, for it isn't an honour or a privilege for you to have my heart, but it is mine. You are an incredible woman Aretha, and I know that sometimes you doubt that about yourself. You always want to make everyone else happy, and you forget about yourself. I am one hundred percent sure that to get married today was not your idea, and it clearly wasn't mine, but I do not regret it. If anything, it just means that you get to be Mrs Raphael Maestri for an even longer time," I said, only for my brother to cut in.
"Ambrosi, we would all love to live to see next year, and preferably not in this garden," he joked.
"Shut up Fabius. It's their wedding," Rhonda told him, making the guests laugh.
"Go on son," Father Jones said. I nodded before turning back to Aretha.
"You know that I have things in my past that I have not dealt with, and I honestly do not want to coax you into anything. I want nothing more than for you to share my last name, but I want you to do so knowing that I am a stubborn man. I rarely show any true emotions, I don't like sharing, whether it is verbally or physically, I will probably anger you more than anything, I have terrible habits that I have gained over the years from being alone, and I will probably never change. Through having you in my life though, I can confidently say that I am happier. Because of you, I have a relationship with my daughters, one that I hadn't had with them for seven years. Because of you, I have made peace with family members that I was too proud to confront. Because of you, I have become a somewhat better man to deal with. Because of you, I have had a glimpse of what my future could look like. Because of you, I am closer to God than I have ever been in my life. Because of you, I know how to love, how to truly love from the bottom of my heart. I am not saying that you changed me because I believe that partners shouldn't change each other, but should rather uplift each other. In that case, you have uplifted me and enhanced the person that I am. You have scoured the very roots of my darkness and begun to pull out a light I was sure had died out long ago. You are my light Aretha Washington. My daughters are my angels, but you, you're the light I need to defeat the darkness in my heart. I love you with my entire being, now, and probably in our previous and upcoming lifetimes, because I can't imagine that there's anyone more perfect for me than you. I love you," I finished off.
Silence settled over all of us as Aretha continued to cry. They'd even gotten her a box of Kleenexes'. I managed to steal a glance at our female friends, family members and guests, and the crying seemed to be a common thing with them too. I looked behind me and even Fabius and Luigi wiped away some tears.
"Way to make everyone emotional son," Father Jones chuckled lightly, breaking the heavy mood.
"Longest vows ever! And Rita hasn't even said anything yet! Imagine!" Bianca joked, making everyone laugh in agreement.
"Aretha, whenever you're ready," Father Jones told her.
"No pressure ey caro?" she giggled. Her tears seemed to have calmed down.
"No pressure cara mia," I chuckled, taking her hands in mine.
"Whew, ok! I can do this!" she said, causing some laughter.
"Raphael Maestri. A few months ago, that name terrified me, and whenever it was mentioned, I'd watch as others around me scrambled, sharing that very same fear. The day I was fired from the hotel, was the same day I met the girls. When they told me that Raphael Maestri was their father, I thought they were kidding since the media knew nothing of them, but then I figured, why would they have a reason to make up such an absurd lie at such a young age, so I believed them. They actually threatened me into looking after them; told me that they would continue to cause havoc if I didn't," she shook her head, a smile on her face.
"They did?" I asked in shock. That isn't how they told the story to me.
"They did! Shelby fired me just after that, clearing my schedule, so I figured why not? I didn't have anything to lose. It was the best decision I made. I gained everything from my decision to look after them. I wont lie and say that I was comfortable about moving my entire life to Italy. I had doubts about it even after we'd arrived, but I also began to see glimpses of this future you spoke of. I lost my entire family when I was thirteen, save for my grandmother, who I am currently losing to cancer. That bit of information could paint me in a terrible light considering how broke I was. Many people will come up with stories saying that I am with you for your money, or that I am desperate for a family because I barely have any left b-" she started before I interrupted her.
"I don't care about what anyone has to say," I said quickly.
"Ambrosi, let the girl finish!" Marcia snapped. Aretha smiled before mouthing a thank you to my sister.
"As I was saying, they will say all those things, and I already know that you don't care, and neither do I. The only thing I care about, especially right now, is that you know exactly how I feel about you," she said before pausing.
"It's ok," I whispered, squeezing her hands. She nodded before taking a deep breath in and out.
"It took me a while Rafe, I'm not going to lie about that. It took me a while to understand that you actually truly love me. For the longest time, I couldn't understand why. I couldn't understand why me. Why me? You could have any other woman on the planet, and yet you want me. The girls would've eventually gotten over their encounter with me, and yet you kept fighting me. I thought moving to Italy would give me a clearer picture, but the big why still stayed in my head. The night you told me that you loved me, I panicked. There has only been one other man who told me that they loved me, romantically that is, and he shattered my heart to pieces," she sniffed, using her one hand to wipe away her tears.
"Ari, you don't have to do this right now," I told her, low enough to be heard by only Father Jones and her.
"You see, but I need to. I need to make you understand why the last week has been the most incredibly eye opening week for me. You took the girls and left for Australia, while I went to Argentina for some soul searching. I was on the same flight as the weirdest man in my life, and yes, I mean you Jonathan," she looked to him.
"I resent that," Joel deadpanned.
"You'll live! Argentina was an eye opener for me in more ways than one. Not only did I find my calling, but I realized that the names Caterina, Calinda, Camilla, Caprice and most importantly Raphael Maestri, weren't just names of people I'd met anymore, but had become names of people I needed. Being away from you guys helped me to see the truth about how important you are to me, and how badly I want to be a Maestri as well, but today isn't about that," she said.
"It isn't?" Joel, Fabius, Luigi and myself asked.
"Who said you get to question vows? What is wrong with you men?" Malia scolded.
"Sorry," we mumbled. Aretha just brushed it off with a giggle.
"Today is about me trusting my gut. Today is about freeing me from the chains that hold me. Today is about me falling. Today is about letting someone else in. Today is about trusting God's plan for me. I have things of my own that I haven't dealt with in my past, and while you keep saying you fear that I'll leave you once I know your demons, I share the same fear with you learning mine. I am not perfect Raphael, despite contrary belief. Sure, I have a deeper rooted faith than most, but I am nowhere near perfect. I am a sinner like everyone else, but right now isn't my time to preach either. I must confess my biggest fear to you though," she said, nervousness overcoming her features.
"What is it?" I panicked.
"My biggest fear is that I will never be good enough. From the moment I met the girls and you, all I've ever heard about Gabi are terrible things. You hated her and still do, that much I know, but you have no idea what it feels like to feel like you're competing with a dead woman. Again, it took me a while to overcome this fear. I finally realized that I didn't need to have this fear. The girls didn't know her, and whatever history you had with her is in the past. If it's one of your demons, we'll face it when we get to it," she sighed. I kissed her forehead before stepping back to let her continue.
"This morning, I was thinking about the absurdity of today and how it came to be, but I wouldn't change anything. I didn't let everyone else decide to have our wedding today because I'm a pushover or because I was being coerced into it. I agreed to have our wedding today for a number of reasons. I thought it was spontaneous, first of all, secondly, having it today meant less stress for me since everyone else was taking charge, and lastly, and most importantly, I agreed because I felt that it was the perfect place for me to tell you, in front of our family, friends, guests and God, that I, Aretha Washington, am madly and hopelessly, head over heels in love with you Raphael Maestri," she smiled. I didn't know I was crying until she reached out to wipe away my tears.
She finally said it!
"Today is about you and I accepting that we are not perfect, but that we are more than willing to be perfect for each other. I love you, and you love me. You have my heart and I have yours. In front of everyone right now, I promise you that I give you my all. I will never leave you Raphael, no matter how dark your demons are. You said that I am your light, but it is our love that is our light. Only our love will help us defeat the darkness, and only God can help us through that journey. Marriage isn't easy Rafe, and we already know this, but if we fight for it, it can be amazing. I will never leave you because you and the girls are my lifelines. I can't wait for us to have even more children, and I know you look forward to that too, for all the wrong reasons, but we'll overlook that," she joked.
"Hey!" I protested with a chuckle.
"I love you Raphael, and I pray to God every day that I don't live to regret those words, though, after your vows, I highly doubt I will. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, however long that is. I love you caro," she finished off with a smile.
I will never get tired of hearing that.
"All the food has probably gone off by now," Luigi commented, making everyone laugh.
"Father Jones, I think we all agree that these two should be officially wed already," Anita joked.
"Indeed! May we have the rings," Father Jones requested. We laughed when we realized that Gio had fallen asleep.
"Gee guys! You bored the kid to sleep," Joel chuckled.
"Here you go," the girls presented the rings for us. Caprice and Caterina had their fingers on my ring, while Camilla and Calinda had theirs on Aretha's.
"Thank you," Aretha and I thanked them before they went back to sit.
"Do you, Raphael Maestri, take Aretha Washington, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, for better or for worse, till death do you apart?" Father Jones asked me.
"I do," I smiled, slipping the ring onto her finger.
"And do you, Aretha Washington, take Raphael Maestri, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, for better or for worse, till death do you apart?" Father Jones asked her.
"I do," she beamed, putting the ring on my finger.
"By the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Father Jones announced.
I had waited a week to do this for a week, so you can be damn sure I kissed her like I wouldn't see her again. The world fell away from us as it finally dawned on me- Aretha Maestri is now officially my wife.
And I will never let her go!
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr and Mrs Raphael Maestri," Father Jones' voice boomed.
Cheering erupted around us as I pulled my wife in for a second kiss. My wife; it will take a while for me to get used to saying that. We were dazzled with rose petals as my wife smiled into the kiss. Yes, I'm being that possessive.
I have a free pass to do so for the next year!
"Congratulations mummy and daddy," our girls hugged our legs. We laughed and hugged them back.
"About damn time!" Luigi, Jonathan and Fabius chuckled.
"Whatever!" Aretha said before sticking her tongue out at them.
"Ok guys, not to ruin the good mood, but I suggest we get the interviews and photo shoots out of the way while you're all still fresh and clean. We'll get you to the reception area after. Are you ok with that?" Marcia asked my wife and I.
"That's wise, especially on the girls' part. Plus, once everything is out of the way, then we can celebrate with no stress," my wife replied.
"Alright! Follow me," Marcia said.
We followed her to another section of the garden, where everything looked like it had been set up. We had the photo shoots first since it was agreed that they'd just use the photos taken and distribute them amongst the different magazines.
"I can't believe you're finally mine," I smiled, holding my precious wife by the waist as the camera clicked away.
"I can't believe you're my husband either Signor Maestri," she beamed, her eyes bright with happiness as she looked at me.
We took a whole lot of pictures and managed to also get our wedding pictures done with our different family members and friends. When the photo shoots were done, Marcia led everyone to the great hall while my wife, daughters and I stayed outside to do the interviews.
We started with the family interviews so that the girls could go in as they were getting restless. When they were gone, we did the wedding interviews, which were lovey dovey and all, and then my wife answered questions for the bridal magazine.
Watching her talk about wedding planning had me mesmerized. She had such a passion for what she was saying, and I knew, even without her telling me, that whatever she discovered about herself in Argentina is something creative. She's a creative person at heart. I thought it was more PR, but I realize now where she truly stands.
From the bridal interview, she was surprised by being interviewed for her health and body, as well as her lifestyle and herself in general. That's when I learnt that she's going to explore painting and food. I knew that she's got the creative thing going.
Lastly were my interviews. I was interviewed as a business man, about my health and body, about my lifestyle and gadgets, and about myself in general. Joel said he'd lead the photography team back to the house for them to get shots of our home and my gadgets.
I have never felt so fully exposed in my entire life.
"I'm proud of you Rafe," my wife smiled, wrapping her arms around my torso.
"Why?" I scowled.
"You did it! You opened up yourself and showed the world who you are. Now, the world will never again question you or your lifestyle. They will know who Raphael Maestri truly is," she explained.
"And it's all because of you Mrs Maestri. When do the articles go for publishing?" I asked.
"They're all releasing the articles next month, so about two weeks from now. The Huffington will release a major article that day as well. That will be the article that summarizes everything and basically sway people towards buying the magazines and logging in to read the articles. Also, TV special will air that day as well," she informed.
"TV special?" I asked in confusion.
"Have you been that engrossed in my looks that you failed to see the cameras?" she giggled, signalling to the said devices. I was truly stunned.
"I didn't realize. I would've expected a single interviewer or something," I replied.
"That's what most people would expect, but we thought that was too cliché, so they're just going to combine the different interviews with the clips from the wedding. It's going to be a two hour special," she smiled.
"Mrs Maestri, I am truly astonished! You have truly outdone yourself with this. I'm the one who is proud of you, especially since you've found your calling," I returned the smile.
"It was so exciting Rafe. I got to paint and I have a talent for it. I met everyone that you sponsor under Jono's company and they gave me pointers. I don't know whether I want to paint more or cook more though," she said thoughtfully.
"You have all the time in the world to do either. We'll set up a studio for you at the house. I know you're already crazy about our kitchen, so that will be your working space for now until we get your restaurant, bakery and gallery running," I said. Her eyes widened.
"Bakery? Restaurant? Gallery? Are you crazy?" she squeaked.
"We can always branch out into those industries Ari. We're already established in thirteen industries, so why not? You will have full control over everything and I'll just be there to guide you. You can have your art works exhibited or you can collaborate with Joel's artist and showcase their artwork in your museum. You can decide what gets baked at your bakery, and what gets put on the menu at your restaurants. I will get Bianca on it as soon as we return from our honeymoon," I replied, caressing her cheek. Her eyes were glistening with fresh tears.
"You're a crazy man Raphael, and I'm pretty sure I've told you this before," she giggled.
"I know cara mia, but you love me the way that I am," I chuckled.
"That is true. It feels great to have finally told you. I've been waiting for days to tell you," she blushed.
"Really?" I asked, not bothering to hide my shock.
"Yeah. As much as he annoys me, Jonathan made me realize that I didn't need to fear loving you, because while it's scary, and while there's a possibility that you might break my heart, I'll always love you and it's worth it," she sighed.
"I'll never intentionally break your heart Ari, I hope you know that," I said seriously. She reached up to kiss me.
"I know," she smiled when she pulled away.
"Oi! We're waiting for you!" Joel shouted behind us.
"We're coming," my gorgeous wife giggled.
I wasn't ready to share her attention with everyone else just yet since we hadn't seen each other in a week, but I understood that it was only for a few hours before we could jet off for our honeymoon. We had to wait for the idiot to announce us.
"Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Mr and Mrs Maestri."
Once again, everyone cheered and applauded as we entered the great hall. The happiness in my wife's eyes was enough to have me feeling exactly the same. I was still overwhelmed by the events of today. I didn't expect that I'd be married this soon.
My sister led us to our table, where the girls were already seated. It was the six of us at this table and everyone else was sitting around us. They got to serving everyone food while music was played in the background. Rhonda had come to take the girls to get them food.
"What would you like to eat my lovely wife?" I asked her.
"I don't even know what's on the menu. I'll come with you," she said as she stood up.
We headed towards the buffet table and everyone let us go through first. I held our plates while she dished up for us; that was until Bianca almost had a heart attack from seeing us dishing up for ourselves. She thought Aretha had spilled something on her dress, and when she was sure that she hadn't, she instructed us to go back to our seats.
We were done anyway.
We went back to our table and the girls joined us soon after. They started sharing stories of their adventures in Australia with their mum, and she was so happy just listening to them. They promised to give her the gifts they got her before we leave for our honeymoon.
"Caro, are you aware of our supposed honeymoon plans by any chance?" she turned to ask me.
"No. Are you?" I asked. Before she could respond, Fabius and Rhonda interrupted as they got onto the stage.
"Good evening everyone. Welcome to the wedding reception of the infamous Maestris. Are you enjoying yourselves?" Rhonda asked. There was agreement all around.
"Fantastic! Well, it's time for the speeches of the night," Fabius announced, resulting in cheering once more.
"We'll be hearing speeches from Rita's grandmother Yvette, Raphael's helper and the woman who raised him, Anita, Rita's guardian Gerard Hartley, Raphael's best friend Jonathan, otherwise known as Joel, Malia Hart and Fabius and I," Rhonda informed.
"We will be going in that order, so we'll start with Yvette," Fabius announced before they headed over to her. She couldn't stand, so it was understandable.
"Aretha honey, you have no idea how happy I am to see you like this. I was always worried that since you had already sacrificed so much just to be with me and pay for my medical bills, that you would have no one to take care of you when I was gone. I wish your parents and siblings could've seen you, but I know that by the grace of God, they are looking down on you right now, and they are just as proud of you as I am. I know that you're refusing to accept that I will be gone soon, and I pray that your new family will be able to help you through losing me. I love you so much Aretha. Raphael, take care of her. She will need you, but I trust that you'll do everything in your power to make sure she gets through losing me. I wish you both the best and that God blesses you both abundantly," she said. I wrapped my arm around my sobbing wife.
"I promise," I told Yvette while comforting my wife.
"Alright! While our bride regains her composure, we'll move on to Anita," Fabius said before they moved to her. She was at the same table with Yvette and my grandmother in any case.
"Ambrosi, I know how much you hate that name, but I gave it to you, so I'm going to use it. I have watched you grow up your entire life, and today is the happiest I have ever seen you. I know that you have gone through some dark times in your life, and I prayed every day that you would find your redemption. I wanted to believe that the girls were your redemption, but sadly, they weren't. The woman seated beside you however, possesses a pure love that I have only ever read about. Aretha dear, you are truly one of a kind, despite what you'd like to believe about yourself. You didn't only redeem Raphael, but his daughters too. They had begun to believe that they would be condemned to a life without parents, and yet you became their mother and revived their father. There is no greater love than that which you have bestowed upon them, and I can only thank you. They are my family, and I can now rest assured that God has granted them a woman who will make their lives better and help them to grow together in love. I pray that God watches over you, and that all of you never lose the happiness which you possess at this very moment," Anita finished off, tears in her eyes.
This woman raised me, and it honestly warmed my heart to know that I had, for once, made her proud. I know she was proud of me when I started my company, and all the achievements that came after that, but the joy on her face right now is the purest I've seen from her.
"Thank you Anita. That was heart warming. Next up we have Gerard Hartley," Rhonda announced. I could see the curiosity on people's faces as they finally realized exactly who was next.
"Raphael son, I am proud of you for not only cancelling the deal, but for falling in love with my daughter. When Aretha's parents and siblings died, I assumed responsibility as her guardian since Yvette had already been diagnosed with her cancer. I was a close friend of Aretha's mother, so it made sense. I've watched her grow up her entire life, and I can safely say that I am proud of the young woman she has turned out to be. Aretha, my princess, I would like to believe that you are in the safest hands. You love so wholeheartedly, and you're always taking care of everyone around you. It's your turn to be taken care of, and I can only hope that Raphael lives up to his promises," Gerard said, looking to me in warning.
"I promise Gerard," I assured. He nodded in approval.
"Great! Next up, we have Joel Jonathan Barclay," Fabius announced. He and Rhonda were back on stage, where Joel joined them.
"Ah, we get to the not so sentimental parts of the speeches, no offence to the old people. Ambrosi buddy, you've cost some people a lot of money today. I'm not gonna lie. A lot of us thought you'd end up dying alone, so of course bets were made, and since rich people have no sense, they bet some pretty ridiculous amounts. I, of course, believed in you. I am after all your best friend, despite you not wanting to admit to that fact. I bet for you, and I'm five million richer because of that. I'll be donating all that money to your new foundation. You see, you have all these businesses in the different industries, and while you also do give back, your wife mentioned something interesting to me. She wondered why you don't have a foundation in your name, and so Marcy, Fabius, Luigi, Rhonda, Malia and I came together to make that happen. Let it be noted that it was your wife's idea and that we just made it happen. And so, I'd like to introduce to you all, The Maestri Foundation," he said before Rhonda pulled a sheet to reveal the logo for the foundation.
The logo was designed with the same theme and design as everything else under The Maestri Empire. I was honestly shocked. A foundation hadn't ever crossed my mind. After I built the school, I continued to give back, but I never thought of actually opening a foundation. I could see the astonishment on my wife's face too.
She just makes me proud at every turn.
"Now, as I mentioned, I will be donating the first five million. Rita, you'll establish the foundation and its direction when you return from your honeymoon. We just helped to get it started. Speaking of your honeymoon, Ambrosi buddy, don't disappoint me here since I made a bet with your wife. The two of you are going on a month long honeymoon an-" he started but I stopped him.
"No way!" I refused. My wife giggled beside me.
"Yes way!" Joel scowled.
"In what world did you think I would agree to that? I love my wife, but a month is too long for me to be away from my company. I run an empire Joel, not just one company. You said it yourself, I have my fingers in different industries, sixteen as of today for that matter. My wife understands that, and since you bet with her, I'm going to go on a hunch and say that she knew I would disagree. Am I right?" I asked. Joel was actually pouting.
"I believe you owe me a very exclusive sculpture Jono," my wife giggled, making everyone laugh.
"Couldn't you just agree?" Joel groaned.
"You've known me for more than half my life, and yet you chose to bet stupidly. It's not my fault," I shrugged.
"Whatever! I would get around to embarrassing you, but now I'm just too mad. I hope that you two enjoy your miserable lives together and yada yada blah," he said before walking off of the stage. Everyone was laughing at him while he sulked back in his seat.
"I feel bad now," my wife giggled.
"He'll live," I said before kissing her forehead.
"Oh Joel, ever the dramatic soul! We will now have Malia Hart," my brother announced.
"Hi everyone! Uhm, I don't really want to say much. I just want to thank the bride and groom. Aretha, I'd like to thank you for your friendship. You chose not to judge me based on who I am, and for that I am grateful. I hope that our friendship is one for the books. Ambrosi, I want to thank you the most. I know that Gabi was never the easiest person to deal with, and you ended up resenting her more than your brother ever did. I thank you for not treating me any different because of that. You helped me to get away from the nightmares of my past and I will forever be grateful for that. I hope that the both of you live happily ever after because you both deserve it," she ended with a smile.
"Thank you," my wife and I responded.
"Ok, we've agreed that I'll go first, and then Fabius will go last. Girly, ever since I met you, I knew I'd met one of God's heaven sent angels. You are the most incredible person I know, and you deserve the happiness and love that embraces you right now. You have given it to many, from across the world, and now it is your turn. I am so glad that what seemed like a misfortune for you, turned out to be your saving grace. Raphael, I've grown to like you, and your family has adopted me too, but I will break your neck if you break her heart," Rhonda warned.
"I believe you," I said honestly.
"Good! The two of you are perfect together, and may God bless you with many more bambinos. I love you guys!" she smiled.
"We love you too Rho," my wife giggled, wiping away her tears.
"Right! I am the last speaker for the night, and I'm not sure whether to end this on a sad or sweet note, so I'll go with bittersweet. Brother, you know me better than anyone else on the face of the planet, and I'd like to think that it works the other way round too. I have seen you through some of your darkest hardships and I know that the greatest one was the loss of your twin, our brother Ralph. His death brought us even closer and we motivated each other not to lose focus on life because of our loss. We both love Marcia to death and we have a mutual dislike for our absent parents and little sister, but that's only because together with Lui, the three of us have been bound that way. With that being said, it probably gives me the greatest joy of everyone in the room to see you so happy. I have seen you get a taste of happiness before, but it was nothing close to what I am witnessing right now, and it's all thanks to the angel beside you. Aretha, much like everyone else, I fell in love with you the moment I met you. I knew you were perfect for my brother. I was shocked to learn that you not only adopted the notorious four devils over there with you, but that you were willing to spend the rest of your life with my brother, despite knowing nothing about his past. It was then when I realize that I not only admire you, but I respect you. You've admitted to having your own secrets or demons or whatever you guys want to call them, and I'd like to be the first one to say I pray that my brother is strong enough to handle whatever that is. I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that we all know that you'll probably take his demons better than he will yours. Ambrosi is just stubborn like that. We will all be on your side if push comes to shove, but I hope and pray that it wont. Ambrosi, be patient with your wife, but most importantly, be patient with yourself. I know you brother and you are very impulsive, but you are a married man now. You need to think about the woman beside you before you say or do anything stupid. You love her and she loves you. May that, always remind you both why you took this vow to spend forever together. May your love, be one that many will look up to years from now. To Aretha and Raphael," Fabius ended with a toast.
"To Aretha and Raphael," everyone toasted.
"With that being said, I'd like to call upon our bride and groom for their first dance," Rhonda requested.
I helped my wife up before we approached the dance floor. Our chosen song, I'll Stand By You, started playing in the background as we started swaying. My hands were on her hips, while her hands were linked behind my neck.
She was all that mattered to me at that moment.
Our first dance was soon over and everyone else joined us. We danced with everyone else, switching every now and then. We mingled with everyone who congratulated us. I was surprised to learn that she knew most of my business partners, and that they remembered her too.
She was excited to see Joel's parents, especially since she'd finally met their spawn son. Marcia introduced her to Liam, her husband. It was great seeing him again. I know he makes my sister happy which is all I've ever wanted for her. My parents wanted her dead for running away from Italy.
We cut the cake and fed each other before she tossed the bouquet. It was actually caught by Caprice, and everyone agreed that my wife had to throw the bouquet again. It was caught by Rhonda the second time round.
When I had to take the garter off of her thigh, it was most definitely one of the most sensual moments we've shared. Her lips were parted and her breathing was short as I decided to use my mouth to take it off. By the time it was off, she was completely flushed. I threw it and Joel caught it, much to his horror.
"Alright guys, my brother is a very impatient man. He'd like for them to say their speeches so that they can get the hell out of here," Fabius announced, making everyone laugh.
"Ok, I'll go first. I'd like to thank you all for coming to celebrate our special day with us. I'd like to thank everyone who worked to pull this together. I'd like to thank my precious angels for the love they've shown me and for actually bullying me into taking care of them that weekend. None of this would be possible if they hadn't caused havoc that day. Lastly, I'd like to thank my husband. Thank you for everything you have done for me and that you will do for me, but most of all, thank you for loving me. I really hope that forever with you is worth everything. I love you mio caro," my wife smiled before leaning down to kiss me.
"Well, not much can be said after that. I guess I'd like to thank everyone who supports us and who helped put this together. I'm thankful to my little devils for snagging their mummy and manipulating her into staying with us. I'd like to thank my beautifully incredible wife for loving me for who I am and for agreeing to spend forever with me. I love you cara mia," I said before kissing her.
Everything else after that didn't get my attention. My attention was on my wife, and everyone eventually got the message. My wife, my daughters and I were driven back to the house with my siblings, cousin and our best friends following close behind.
"Alright! You can't go into the house. You're headed straight to the airport. The jet is already waiting for you. You'll communicate your own honeymoon terms to us as time goes," Marcia informed us.
"Fabs and I will keep the ship afloat at Maestri Empires and we'll only communicate if need be," Bianca told me.
"And we'll be here to keep the home afloat. You guys can deal with everything else while you're away," Rhonda added.
I don't think someone has intentions of returning home.
"And don't worry about us. We're big girls and we only want you guys to be happy and enjoy your time together!" Caterina said sternly.
"Is there anything else that anyone wants to add?" my wife teased.
"Enjoy yourselves," they all replied.
"You're all weird, but we will do so," I chuckled.
"Are you ready for this Signor Maestri?" my beautiful wife turned to me.
"Forever with you? I'm pretty sure I am Signora Maestri," I smiled before kissing her.
I could definitely get used to this.
**********
ELO SMURFLETTES!!!
So, early update! I took time from my exam studying to bring you guys this chappie because of all my books, this book has picked up the most in the past two weeks. It's gaining more attention and I'm more than happy about that.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
So, who cried at their vows? I know they were rather long, but for character development, it was vital for everything to be that way. So anyway, thoughts? Did you love this?
PLEASE COMMENT WITH MORE THAN 'Loved it' or 'Please update'.
It's always nice to know what you guys are really thinking and I'm beginning to think I've been cursed with readers who just don't like commenting on ANY of my books.
PS I refuse to translate anything in the middle of the chapter as I feel it's distracting. If you want translations, read to the very end. I'll be going back to translate in some of the earlier chapters, but I wanted to make that clear to everyone.
Anyway, I hope you're all doing good. I've got two exams to go and I'm freaking out about my next one.
Please continue to vote, comment, add to your libraries, share and follow. Love you guys!
Katee (^^,)