by Adom Sample
There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Isabella’s face was red and tears rolled down her beautiful blushed cheeks.
“And now the rings,” said the officiant. Gaspard gave me the rings. They were the same rings we both wore around our necks. I took her left hand and raised it to waist level. Her hand was shaking with nervousness and joy.
“With this ring, we belong to one another forever,” I whispered, sliding it onto her finger.
“Forever—” she said, putting the other ring onto my finger.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kiss your bride, Mr. Alonso,” said the officiant. We saw fireworks shoot into the sky through the windows. Their red-and-gold coloring lit up the chandelier.
Women descended from the ceiling dressed as angels, playing violins and harps. What a glorious day. I lifted the veil from my wife’s face and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and held me tightly, pushing her lips harder against mine. I squeezed her and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around. Everyone shouted cheers of joy. She grabbed my face and looked into my eyes.
“I love you, Dante! I love you,” she cried before kissing me again.
“I love you too, Isabella Alonso,” I said into her shoulder.
The day turned to night and everyone drank and danced. This day would be a defining moment in time for the both of us forever. We danced our first dance to the song Everwanting by Maxwell, and it had me weak. So much clear, undeniable emotion flowed through the both of us. We decided to save the cake for last after everyone had their fill of wine and food.
We sat at the table, and the chef brought out this monumental white cake. Each layer signified a moment in our journey together. The first layer had children playing in a field; the second had the Youths Convention design; the third had Korean writing in blue icing; the fourth had new love evolving out of a broken heart; the fifth had forest decorations, I assumed to signify my helicopter crash in the Amazon. The last layer was Isabella and I standing atop all of the obstacles and destitution. The cake was so beautiful that I didn’t want to cut it. She gave me the knife and placed her hand on top of mine.
“Promise me one thing, Isabella,” I said.
“Anything.”
“Promise you’re not going to smash this cake into my face the way you did yesterday.”
She laughed and nodded as we cut the cake. I took a single piece and split it in two. We both grabbed a piece and put it in one another’s mouths. She took a bite and I did the same. I was waiting for her to smear it into my face, but she didn’t. And I was grateful for it as I didn’t want change for our trip to France.
Even though we were married in Florida, she’d allowed me to plan our honeymoon. Immediately after the reception was finished, we were off to Marseille, France. What could be more romantic and peaceful? Isabella licked her fingers and wiped away the icing from her mouth. “I want you,” she whispered.
“Soon, my love.” I kissed her between the eyes.
France wasn’t the only destination for our honeymoon. I’d also planned visits to Spain, South Korea, and the Azores, Portugal. France was just the first stop. This marked the beginning of our lives together.
I would never have thought I’d get everything in life I wanted. And I was forever grateful she chose to be with me. No man could ever hope for more. We needed each other. Through all our trials and tribulation, I could see that this was what we’d earned.
And I would cherish it—for all time.
Dear Reader
Thank you for reading the A GIFT OF MATRIMONY and I hope you enjoyed this series. Please help me spread the word! Show your support by leaving an Honest Review. For independent authors, your reviews mean so much as we don’t have the backing of huge publishers, or the marketing budget to advertise our work on a competitive scale. It would mean a lot to me if you could take a moment of your time and leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. I would be delighted to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoyed this novel.
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Author
Adom Sample born in Kansas City, Missouri and currently lives in Fairfax, Virginia. He holds an MBA from George Mason University. He served in the United States Air Force from 2001 to 2008. During his time in the Air Force he visited numerous countries around the world. He is an independent author who enjoys reading and writing romance, erotic, and paranormal stories. Writing is his passion and he lives to give others ideas and inspire stories to push the limits of creativity.