“And Mom returned the favor by inviting her ex-husband and his new wife to her wedding. Let’s not forget that her new husband and the long-time love of her life didn’t even flinch when Emilio asked for a dance,” I continue.
“True.”
“Why would I take the obvious road and get a dress where Mom used to work? That would be way too predictable and I’m pretty sure one of our great-grandmas would wake up from her grave to shake me.”
“As impossible as that is, I must agree. Our grandmas were so feisty, I wouldn’t put it past them.” My sister giggles, and I do the same.
My best friend chimes in. “Well, I for one think shopping here is way more fun than in New York. I love how the French speak English with that sexy accent, all these decadent little nibbles each store treated us to while we sit around waiting for you to come out clad in another couture, and I’m digging all this sparkling water. I was never a big fan back home, but now I’m a convert. And may I say, I can totally get used to having a chauffeur full-time at my beck and call.” I can’t see her from behind the wall of the changing room, but I can tell how thrilled she is by this adventure. Harley has been like a kid in a candy shop all day. She’s enjoying her first visit to Paris so much she might never go back stateside.
“I gather you’ll come back and visit often?”
“Damn right.”
“You’re lucky I have a few spare rooms to accommodate you.”
“If I can just time my return for when your sister’s coming back, I can hop on that swanky jet with her. Now that’s what I call flying in style.”
“You kill me, Harl,” I shout out before nodding at the little woman standing patiently on a chair behind me to let her know I’m ready. I turn my back to Payton’s assistant, conscious that everyone’s waiting for me. And let’s be honest, I’m also very eager to know if this dress is the one.
“Vos cheveux.”
“Ah. Vous avez raison.”
Following Payton’s assistant’s advice, I grab the hair that escaped my elastic when I removed dress number four and twist it into a bun with shaky hands. I inhale a deep breath and press a hand to my belly, finding it odd that I’m this nervous—I mean, it’s only a dress and there are plenty of other bridal shops in Paris, but for some reason I still have butterflies.
Marie-Claire zips up this fifth creation and I’m happy I don’t feel like I’m going to pass out from my lungs being pressed so tightly against my rib cage. I peek down to tell if I like the design or not, but it’s impossible to tell from this vantage point. I pivot and look up to meet Payton’s assistant’s gaze to determine if this is another disappointment, but what I read in her gaze startles me.
“Is it okay?” The words leave my mouth so softly, I’m surprised she hears them. Marie-Claire nods her head emphatically and brings both her hands up to cover her mouth, as if words are too much. “Really?”
She nods again. She’s still perched on top of a chair, looking down at me speechless, but now one hand is fanning her face. “Oh, mon Dieu.”
“Oh, my God?” I repeat. “So it looks good?”
“Ah oui,” she whispers, clasping her hands together as if she’s praying. “Vous êtes ravissante. Elle vous va a ravir,” she continues in French. “Ciara, it’s far more than okay.”
“Seriously?”
As exciting as this day has been, it’s been filled with highs and lows. It’s a known fact I abhor shopping for jeans because I usually end up going home empty-handed. There are challenges about having legs as long as mine that no one wants to hear me complain about. Had I not been having the time of my life with two women who mean the world to me, I most likely would have retreated home a very long time ago. I’ve already tried several dresses so far today, but Marie-Claire’s beaming face lets me know this might be the last.
“Ciara, the groom will have a heart attack when he sees you walk down the aisle.”
Fueled by her reaction, I can’t wait to find out if my best friend and my sister will also be shell-shocked. Nervous, I turn around and place the palms of my hands against the swinging door, taking one last breath before step out.
“Okay, girls, the dress is on. Is everyone ready?”
“Yes,” Harley and Sofia scream out.
“I’m coming out,” I cheer, pushing the door open.
“Ciara, I really hope you love this design half as much as—” Payton gapes when she sees me.
Sofia drops the magazine she was holding
“Payton? What do you think?”
The designer looks at me as if I have two heads. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, but nothing comes out. I turn to my sister, hoping she might give me a better clue to help me understand Payton’s reaction.
“Sofia? Does it look good on me?”
Instead of answering, my sister fights back tears while fumbling in her bag until she pulls out her iPad. “Mom has to see this,” she says between heavy exhales. “She’s never going to forgive me if I rob her of this precious moment.”
“Is that good or bad, Sof?”
“Oh, sis…”
She’s not giving me much to go by. Gosh, she can get so emotional. I turn to the one person I know will give me a straight answer. “Harl?” I know I should look at myself, but I’m still too much of a ball of nerves.
Harley blinks, dumbfounded. “Don’t ask me, Ci. Step on that podium and own it, girl.”
All right, time to face the music.
“Ciara, if I may?” Payton finds her voice.
“Of course.”
“It doesn’t matter what the rest of us think. The only thing that matters is for you to love it.” She gestures in front of her, inviting me to take a step up.
When I first catch a glimpse of myself, I’m shocked by how magnificent this dress looks. Everything I’ve tried today has had a certain distinction, but this… this is regal.
“Oh, Payton. It’s breathtaking.” It’s hard to put into words what I see when so many emotions are colliding inside me all at once. Payton’s creation is an A-line gown of misty tulle with layers of decadent lace appliqué that trim the strapless sweetheart neckline. The flattering bodice is adorned with a crystal belt that emphasizes the waist.
“The lace…” I’m unable to finish my sentence.
“It’s hand-beaded lace appliqué and the belt is hand-beaded as well.”
When I turn around to admire myself from the back, I gasp again. Payton’s stunning creation is completed by a chapel-length train. “God.”
“The only thing missing is a simple one-tier cathedral veil. A very long veil that follows you with every step you take. You’re tall and it’ll truly be a show-stopper on you. It’ll bring more emphasis to your height.”
I look at Payton and shrug my shoulders. “There’s not much more to say. This is perfect.”
“Nothing you’ve tried today comes close to this, Ci.” Harley steps up and joins me on the podium. She hugs me and squeezes hard. I return her embrace, fighting off tears of blissful joy.
I’m about to ask Payton another question, but I’m interrupted by the distinct sound of a Skype connection. The next thing I know my sister is talking to my mom. “She’s found it, Mom.” My sister looks up at me with a radiant smile on her face. Her brown eyes are glistening and as much as I want to make fun of her for being a silly romantic, at this moment I’m as sentimental as she is.
“Finally.” I can’t see her yet, but I hear my mom’s hands clap together. “Ciara, is that true?” Mom asks from the tablet my sister is holding.
“Yes, Mom,” I shout.
“It’s so beautiful I’m at a loss for words,” Sofia says. “And I’m not the only one. You should see Harley’s face. Even the designer and her assistant are astounded.”
“Honey, quick, turn your iPad so I can see your sister.”
Sofia gets up and turns the device around so I can see my mom on the screen and I gasp.
“Oh, my God, Mom, you’re so tanned. Th
e African sun suits you.”
“Thank you, sweetie. I love the darker skin, but wait until you see Diego. He’s unrecognizable and his eyes are insanely blue. He’s so incredibly sexy,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows. “I’m as smitten as I was when I first met him so many years ago.” She giggles and blushes like a teenager experiencing her first love.
“Mom,” I whine. “I don’t need to know this sort of stuff about my parents.”
“Okay, enough chitchat. I need to see my baby girl.” Mom smiles. “Sofia, honey, you’re going to have to get a bit further back. I only see Ciara’s face. I can’t see the rest of her.”
My sister takes a few steps back. My mom is moving her head from left to right, hoping to catch a glimpse of me. Her face brightens and I know she’s finally able to see me. “Oh, God. Sofia, walk back so I can take in the full view. And move the device from your sister’s feet all the way to her head. I don’t want to miss an inch of that dress.” My sister obeys and I stand there silently waiting for my mom’s blessing. “Ciara, my sweet child. You look like a princess,” my mom gushes.
“Really?” I choke.
“Do you have to ask? Honey, you have beautiful brown eyes and I can’t imagine they can’t see what I’m witnessing now.”
“Mom…” I take in a breath. “I’m so happy right now, it’s as if my heart is about to erupt from my chest.”
“It’s because he’s the one. You’ve known it from the beginning and in a few months, you’ll be his wife,” she says with motherly love. “Sofia?” My mom beckons my sister. “Make sure to take photos of this moment.”
“But Mom, the photographer will take tons of photos on the day of the wedding,” my sister laments as she turns her iPad back towards herself.
“No, Sofia. You have to take photos today. You must capture this moment. Ciara’s big day will be completely different. Everything will be so polished—so flawless and rehearsed. But you’ll never be able to recreate the crux of this… right here, right now.”
“Sofia, your mom’s right. Why don’t you focus on holding the iPad and I’ll take photos of my best friend in all of her glory.” Harley steps down from the podium, walks towards her Hobo bag and pulls out a DSLR camera. She grins when she notices my surprised expression. “Sue me. I’m a tourist. There’s only so much you can do with an iPhone. I brought this baby along because I don’t want to miss a beat of my Parisian journey.” She pats her Nikon fondly. “After all, you never forget your first time.” Her excitement is palpable. I roll my eyes at her. Harley bursts out laughing. “Oh, Ci, my beautiful friend, I never thought this day would ever come given our wild past of parties and unavailable men, but I’ve got to admit it’s so much fun to watch you experience it all.”
I quirk my eyebrow at her and shake my head, filled with so much love for my little blonde bombshell. Instead of answering, I blow her a kiss, elated by her comment. As my best friend snaps away, my mom speaks again.
“Sofia, reposition the tablet so I can see my baby.” My sister obeys and I’m face to face with my mom once again. “Oh, before I forget. Aunt Carmelita says hi to both of you. Can you believe she’s already shopping for your wedding gift?”
“Huh?” What is my mom talking about? I thought these two couldn’t stand each other? I glance at my sister and she returns my baffled look. “Since when are you two close?”
“Since your father gave her an ultimatum.”
“What?”
“And by the way, she also apologizes for her behavior on my wedding night. She’s asked that both of you extend her apologies to your men.”
“Okay, but Mom, you didn’t explain how she went from disliking you to expressing remorse for flirting openly with Bryce and Nikolaj.”
“Flirting?” my sister snarls. “She nearly humped them right in front of us.”
“Sofia,” my mom reprimands.
“Sorry. Maybe that was a little much, but Ciara’s right. The way you described things, she could barely stand you. That’s quite the turnabout,” Sofia adds from behind the iPad, raising her eyebrows.
“I can go into more detail when we speak again, because I didn’t expect you two to be so inquisitive and there’s no need to wash our dirty laundry in front of other people as your father would say. To make a long story short, Diego told her if he’s forced to choose, she’ll lose. The reality is that Carmelita is now part of my life. It’s not like when I was still married to Emilio and she’d only have to deal with me once in a blue moon. We’ll see each other at every family function. I wouldn’t call us BFFs, but she’s made a huge effort and I appreciate it. It’s taken her nearly a month to call me, but I had a pretty amazing chat with her yesterday. It turns out there’s a lot about her I didn’t understand and vice versa.”
“Wow, Diego really put his foot down,” I say.
“Ciara, your father and I have waited decades to be together and he won’t accept anyone who tries to meddle in our relationship. And that goes for his cousin. Now enough about Carmelita. Let me call your father over or else he’ll never speak to me again if he finds out I didn’t summon him to witness this joyous occasion.”
“Yeah, where is he?” I say.
“It’s well past cocktail hour, honey,” she says as if it explains everything.
“So what?” I press.
She giggles. “You know your father is such a Spaniard. We just got back from our late-afternoon walk along the beach and he was getting restless. Even though we’re only an hour ahead of you and it’s six-thirty here in Kenya, Diego needed his drink.”
“Those crazy Europeans.” I chuckle.
“Tell me about it. My husband is fretting in the little kitchen in our suite getting some nibbles for us to snack on while we enjoy a nice bottle of chilled white Chenin Blanc wine from South Africa on the massive deck watching the sunset over the ocean.”
“You crazy lovebirds,” I say, excited my mom is finally wholeheartedly with the man she loves.
“Crazy, huh, at my age? Give me a sec,” she says, lifting her index finger at the screen. “Diego, hurry, your daughter’s on Skype.”
“What’s going on?” I hear Diego’s rich accent from afar.
“She found the dress.”
“¿Enserio, mi amor? My daughter is one step closer to becoming Mrs. von Henningsen?”
“Diego, I’m still petitioning for him to become Mr. Echevarria-Herrera. So far my suggestion is being received with a lot of resistance, but I’m sure I can wear him down before the wedding.” I grin.
My parents, Sofia and Harley burst out laughing at my moxie, but Payton and Marie-Claire both look confused. “It’s a long story,” I reassure them to ease their minds. They both nod with a smile hanging from their lips and I return my attention to the screen Sofia is diligently holding up.
After a few minutes, Diego’s frame hovers behind my mom’s. “Let’s see if your daughter is as beautiful as you were when I saw you in your wedding dress,” he says, dropping a kiss on my mom’s forehead before sitting next to her.
I hope Nikolaj and I will always be this much in love as the years pass.
Diego adjusts his elegant tortoiseshell glasses on his nose before speaking. “I can’t see anything other than your face, darling.”
Wow. Mom wasn’t joking. Diego’s eyes are a sparkling shade of sapphire against his sun-kissed skin.
It’s my turn to lift my finger at the screen. “Sofia, can you move a little further back so Diego can catch a full glimpse of the dress?”
“Sure.” My sister takes a few steps backward until we hear Diego’s excited voice.
“Much better. Sofia, can you move the iPad from her head to her toes? That would help a lot. Right now I can only see the lower portion of the dress.” Diego squints, leans forward towards the screen and moves from right to left just like my mom did a few minutes ago in an attempt to see me better.
“How’s that?” my sister asks as she moves the tablet from floor to ceiling.
; Suddenly the expression on Diego’s face changes dramatically. “Whew, I can’t believe my eyes. Julia, is that really our little girl?”
I snort. “Diego, are you going to be as sappy as all these women?”
“Honey, our baby’s all grown up.” My mom is no longer in the frame, but I can still hear her choke up in the background.
“I can’t argue with my wife, she’s right.” Diego smiles. He studies me silently for a few seconds and his blue eyes turn serious. “Gracias, mi querida hija. Thank you, my sweet child, from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to share this indescribable experience with you and your mother.”
It was a given that my sister Sofia was going to shed a river of tears. I expected my mom to break down as well and I was pretty certain Harley was going to get all emotional on me. What I didn’t expect was for this tall, solid and incredibly strong man to dissolve like he is right now. As much as our relationship started on shaky and dramatic ground, over the last nine months, I’ve come to open my heart to my real father. In many ways, Nikolaj and I are together today because Diego refused to give up on him. During the six weeks we were apart while Nikolaj was trying to sort out the hellish nightmare Jakob had created, my father urged me to have faith and to believe that Nikolaj adored me even when I was wallowing in sorrow over what I thought at the time was the loss of the most incredible and passionate relationship I had ever experienced in my life. The stranger I vowed to hate when I first met him has become a caring ally and I can’t imagine not having him in my life.
“I love you, Diego.”
“Ha,” my mom exclaims. As if to make sure this is really happening, she leans her little head next to my father’s. They lock eyes before returning their attention to me. They both blink incredulously with their mouths wide open. Mom reaches out and wraps her arms around my father’s shoulders before giving free rein to her tears of joy.
I’ve never expressed to Diego how much my feelings for him have changed, but I can’t think of a better juncture to confess. He folds his lips into his mouth, caresses my mom’s arm with one hand and beats his closed fist against his chest with his free hand, fighting back tears. “Ciara, I’ve loved you from the first day I found out you were in your mom’s belly. We weren’t one hundred percent sure you were mine, but in my soul I already knew it. The day of your birth was epic for me. When it was confirmed you were my daughter, it was as if I was walking on air. I was that overjoyed. But right now, there are no words to express what I feel for you because it’s simply too tremendous. Te quiero tanto mi amor.”
Always & Forever Page 15