68
Icouldn’t even put into words how nervous I’d been that entire morning. My mind was taken up with questions about whether everything was going to go right. In my head, I was certain something was going to happen, that Kristo’s dad was going to squirm out of it at the last second and let us down, that the flowers weren’t going to arrive, that the dress wasn’t going to fit, that something was going to throw off this whole perfect day we had put so much time and effort into putting together.
Then, I was sitting there in the room they had set up for me to get ready in, and I was staring at myself in the mirror, wearing the dress I had fallen in love with from the moment I’d laid eyes on it the week before. Jolene had picked well. She knew blue was my favorite color, and when I had slipped into the dress, even though it barely fit, I’d known this was the one for me. Sitting in front of the mirror, it was hard to believe this was really me, and this was really happening. How long had I dreamed of this moment, soon to walk down the aisle to meet the man I loved at the end? For years, he hadn’t had a specific face or a name. I had just known the love would be there, and I would be certain. Now that I knew Kristo was waiting outside for me, I couldn’t wait to get down there and meet him.
I’d expected to panic right up to the moment I walked down the aisle, but a coolness swept over me as I got to my feet. I could hear them starting to play out there, and I looked out the window to see Jolene wheeling herself down the aisle, throwing the daisies in front of her. Those flowers, Kristo said had reminded him of me. Jolene had been so stubborn, insisting on getting there under her own steam, and I couldn’t help smiling as I watched her moving slowly down the aisle. I couldn’t quite see Kristo, but I knew he would be there alongside his sister in that gorgeous suit. Darla had stepped in as a bridesmaid, coming up with a beautiful dress that matched the fade on the bottom of mine, and I watched her as she headed down before me. Then, it was my turn. I lifted the hem of my dress, got to my feet, and went to marry the man I loved.
The look on his face when he saw me was beyond anything I’d ever seen before. When I’d pictured this moment before, when the man at the end of the aisle was no one in particular, I’d imagined him telling me I was beautiful and that I had never looked more incredible to him in his life. But the look on Kristo’s face told me far more than that. It told me he adored me, every inch of me. It told me I could have been walking toward him wearing a sack and sneakers and he still would have taken my face in his hands and looked at me the exact same way.
The officiant asked if we were ready to begin, and we both agreed at once. That was when my heart started pounding in my chest. I had my vows to remember. We had chosen to write our own, and we had no idea what we were going to say to each other. I had spent all of the night before going over and over what I wanted to say to him, but I wasn’t sure there were words in the world that would convey the depth of my love for him.
Kristo went first. He smiled at me and took a deep breath, and I was relieved to see he looked as nervous as I was.
“I think everyone here would tell you they never thought I would marry.” He cast his hand over the small crowd gathered to watch us, and I bit my lip to keep from beaming too hard.
“And I think I would have agreed with them until a few months ago,” he went on, growing more confident as he went. “I could never in my life have imagined meeting someone like you, Amaya. When you came into my life, I knew it, even if I couldn’t admit it to myself. I knew you were the one. I know it took me too long to realize that, but trust me, I’m never going to forget. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re the woman I have dreamed of since before I knew I was dreaming of you. I love you, Amaya.”
I realized I was choking up a little, and I closed my eyes and composed myself before I responded with my own vows.
“Kristo, I never thought I would find a man who would take me for everything that I am,” I began, voice trembling slightly. “But then I found you. You never asked me to change who I was. You accepted my love, and you loved me back. That’s more than I could ever have asked for. You have given my sister and me a family that we’ve never had and a life that we never dreamed of. For that, I will never stop loving you.”
Cleo appeared with the rings and handed them to us. I had picked them out, two delicate bands, not far removed from the ones we’d worn after that first night in Vegas. For a moment, I was fearful, scared I was going to mess this up somehow or that I wasn’t worthy of a wedding this gorgeous. Then, Kristo went to slide the ring onto my finger, and my entire body ached with love for him, filled from top to bottom with the warmth of knowing this man needed me and wanted me and loved me, loved me so much, he would stand up in front of all these people and declare his love for me.
I slid his ring on his finger, and we exchanged our “I dos.” The officiant beamed widely, and I thought I noticed her tearing up a little bit.
“You may kiss your bride,” she told Kristo, and he leaned down and planted his mouth on mine—the first kiss of the rest of our lives. My heart ached with love for him, and my head spun with desire. When he pulled back, he laughed and leaned in again, kissed me, and bowed me down so I was dipped close to the ground. As he came back up for air, he swept me into his arms and carried me down the aisle. A cheer went up from the crowd, and I held tight to my new husband, trying to commit every second of this moment to memory.
Once I had changed into something more party-worthy, the reception began, and at last, I could really relax and enjoy myself. Jolene and I spent a good hour dancing together before Kristo cut in to get his hands on me, holding me close and swaying with me as the band played a slow song. He kissed my neck softly, and I felt that burning desire for my husband pick up intensity. I couldn’t wait to get him alone, but we weren’t leaving for our honeymoon to Greece until the next day, so I had a while to wait yet.
The food was amazing. There was even baklava, which Nonna had insisted on making herself. It wasn’t quite as good as Kristo’s, but I didn’t say a word of that to her. She would never let me hear the end of it. I ate and drank nonalcoholic cocktails, danced, and watched my guests do the same. I couldn’t believe how perfect this was. Darla and Cleo spent the night basically glued to each other’s sides, and I couldn’t help but coo internally over how cute they were.
When I finally collapsed at our table, Kristo came to join me at once.
“You all right?” he asked, taking my hand and brushing his mouth along the knuckles. I nodded and then yawned.
“I’m so tired,” I admitted. “And I really want …”
“Mmm?” he prompted me playfully.
“I really want to just be alone with you,” I admitted. He grinned.
“Your wish is my command.” He got to his feet, and I stared at him.
“What the hell do you mean?”
“I mean, we’ll leave tonight,” he told me, as though it was that simple.
“But the trip—”
“I can cover any expenses.” He waved his hand. “Trust me, I’ve got this.”
“Are you serious?” I squealed, and he nodded.
“Come on, I’ll call us a car,” he told me. “Go say goodbye to Jolene. They won’t even notice we’re gone. They’re just looking to have a good time for the rest of the night anyway.”
I looked around, and I had to agree he was right. Everyone was having an amazing time, and they didn’t need us to stick around. I bit my lip and went to find my sister, who gave me a huge hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” she told me. “Have an awesome time on your trip, okay?”