by Diana Nixon
I heard Olivia’s short steps down the marble floor. She was supposed to bring the wedding rings to the priest. It was the moment when Stanley and I were supposed to say our vows and I had no idea how to make myself calm down and not forget everything I wanted to tell him.
“The groom, take the ring, please.”
The gold metal rang against the porcelain plate. Stanley took my left hand in his and said, “Ivy Ryan, I give you this ring as a promise to you: a promise to be there for you, always and forever. A promise to hold you when you are tired, a promise to comfort you when you feel cold, a promise to make you smile when you feel like crying, a promise to be your eyes when you can’t see, show you the world around you through my love and help you see the light where hopes vanish in the darkness.”
I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to stop the tears that pooled my eyes. I knew Stanley’s every word was said from the heart – the heart so big, it would endow everyone around him with love and kindness.
“In the name of God, I take you as my wife, to honor you each day we spend together, to support and inspire you and to love you unconditionally, from this moment forward, in this life and all the next you agree to share with me.”
The ring slipped down my finger and then soft lips covered it.
“Now your turn, Miss Ryan.”
“Don’t be a chicken, doll,” Crystal whispered from behind me.
I smiled and took the ring from the plate.
“Stanley Burke, I give you this ring as a sign of my love for you and the courage you planted in my heart. I take you as my husband, and I offer myself to you with everything I am. I promise to be your wife, your partner and your best friend. I promise to honor and care for you, and I promise to cherish every single moment we share as a family. I promise to love you for the rest of my life, because the love that you’ve showered me with is beyond anything my life ever gave me. I used to think that my blindness was physical, but now I know that it was my heart that never saw the love so powerful before. I can feel it so well, I don’t need my vision to see it. It’s enough to know that you are near, ready to catch me whenever I fall and lift me up and make me believe that magic is everywhere. Because of you, I feel so happy now; I smile and laugh and see beautiful dreams at nights. Because of you, I am complete. Thank you for this, thank you for the world you have created for me, for us. I have found everything I need in you and I promise to always keep it in my heart.”
I put the ring on Stanley’s finger and he bent down to kiss my lips.
“This part was supposed to happen a little later,” Liam said with a smile in his words.
The priest spoke again, “Bride and groom, you have said your vows and made promises, and celebrated this union by giving and receiving of rings. Now, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal this union with a kiss, another kiss.”
The guests laughed and applauded.
And my husband and I shared the most sacred kiss ever, as if one more time promising to love each other forever.
***
Stanley
ONE YEAR LATER
I looked at my wife, holding our son Landon and smiled. There was nothing I wanted more than what I had now – a family with the woman I loved and our little boy who made everything about our lives so much better and happier. I wanted to shelter them from all the dangers of the world, even though I knew I couldn’t be with them 24/7.
I still remembered the moment the doctors let me hold Landon for the very first time. I had heard from Liam and Kameron that it was something incomparable to anything in the world.
I was exhausted after the sleepless night that I spent in the hospital, waiting for Ivy to give birth to our little boy. But nevertheless, I felt like every fiber of me was filled with adrenaline. Even being a doctor and knowing a lot about the birth process and the rest, I was still a little terrified about the upcoming meeting with Landon. But all of the above was crossed out by the overwhelming excitement that followed the doctor’s permission to see my baby. A part of me couldn’t believe I was actually holding him in my arms, when my other part felt like we had known each other forever. He was so small and fragile. For a moment, I got scared I would break him. But then, when I pressed him to my chest, I felt warmth filled my heart. He was with us, finally; safe and sound and so adorable. My whole world seized to there and then and concentrated on the little man in my arms.
We were alone in the room and nothing broke the silence apart from his barely audible breathing. Ivy was still recovering after the C-section procedure and I wasn’t allowed to see her for another hour or so. I knew she was okay and thanked God for helping her go through the labor. I pictured myself thanking her for our son, but when I was finally allowed to see her, no words came out of my mouth.
I sat on the edge of her bed and just watched her. She looked a little tired, but apart from that, she radiated light, and so much love, it would flood the planet, in a good sense of the word.
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” She asked quietly.
“He sure is.” I took her hand in mine and kissed it. “You did really well. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m the happiest woman in the world.”
“I’m so proud of you, Ivy. You’ve been so brave these days. Even when you were not feeling well, you never once complained about it.”
“It’s because I knew you were there for me, and that soon my waiting would be over. Have you told our families the news?”
“Emery had been here with me, so she called your parents right after Judie said the operation was over. And my sister, as if having a sixth sense, called me shortly after it. By the way, Jesse said he would make a perfect cousin for Landon. Mike and the kids will come to see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. I feel so sleepy now. If I pass out without kissing you first, know it was unintentional.”
I laughed under my breath. “I’ll forgive you. Though you know I hate letting you fall asleep without a proper good-night kiss.”
“We will share plenty of them. I promised to spend my whole life with you, remember?”
How could I not? After all, calling her Mrs. Burke had been my dream since the very first time I laid my eyes on her – the girl whose flaws made her perfect for me.
“I love you, Ivy. I will keep saying it every day, for as long as I live and maybe even longer. Not just to say the words, but to remind myself that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
She smiled gently and laced her fingers with mine, saying in response, “Stanley Burke, you’ve made the best chapter of my life. Now I know for sure that one bad page doesn’t mean the story is over. It means there will be another book, a completely different one…”
THE END
About the Author
Diana Nixon is an International bestselling author of contemporary and fantasy romances. A Master of Law, she never thought she would betray the world of law and dive into fiction. But once her first book – Love Lines – was published, she realized that writing was her true passion. Since then, she has written 19 more books. She can’t imagine her life without her fictional characters and she never stops thinking about the new storylines that haunt her dreams. She’s married and has two daughters - her biggest source of inspiration. She loves music, traveling, coffee and chocolate. She believes that writing is the best cure for everything that can be healed with words.
Diana Nixon's books are being translated into Spanish, German, Russian, French, Portuguese, Italian and Greek.
Author’s website:
www.diana-nixon.com
filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share