"Feel better?" Paul asked, sitting next to me as he handed me a mug of hot chocolate. I nodded, gratefully taking a sip of the hot beverage.
"Where is everyone?"
"Mom and Uncle Leo went to the church to help with a fundraiser for the orphanage. Alpo and Lola took Cindy with them to see Alpo's mom upstate at the senior village. Sky and Nick went out to see the lights in the city and Ava is in bed, taking a nap."
"How long was I out?"
"About three hours. It's a little after 10. Come on, I have a surprise for you, but you should eat something first. I'll go get Ava ready while you do."
Nodding groggily, I headed toward the kitchen and made up a plate from dinner, popping it into the microwave long enough to heat thoroughly. Paul returned with Ava, both bundled up in their coats and gloves, when I was halfway done eating. Once I was finished, Paul helped me get all bundled up in my coat, scarf, and gloves in the foyer, patiently waiting to reveal the surprise. Giving him the okay, I braced myself as Paul opened the door and I gasped, my heart melting into a puddle. Outside was a shiny red and green sleigh attached to two beautiful white horses. The driver was perched on the bench attached to the sleigh; he turned when the door creaked open and he tipped his hat, smiling kindly at us.
"Let's go for a ride," Paul said, taking my hand in his and pulling me forward.
He helped Ava and I into the sleigh before he climbed in; settling Ava in between us, Paul made sure she was snuggled in tight and covered with one of the blankets provided by the sleigh rental company.
After making sure we were all settled in and comfortable, the driver directed the horses away from the mansion and toward the woods, taking the scenic trail that winds back to town. Soon, we were going through one of the nature parks that were decorated to match downtown with twinkling lights and the evergreens dressed in garland and ornaments. Snow began to fall softly as the driver stopped at a stand near the fountain in the middle of the park and Paul bought hot chocolate for all of us. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever experienced, and my heart swelled with joy that I had gotten to experience something so magical with my little family.
When we arrived back home about an hour and a half later, I knew I had fallen even more in love with the man sitting next to me. The way he made an effort to create memories for Ava, and for our family, that would last a lifetime reassured me that finding my way back to Paul had been a good thing, if not the best thing for all of us. Once inside, we put Ava back to bed together, showering her with hugs and kisses before getting ready for bed ourselves. I crawled under the comforter next to Paul and kissed his cheek, resting my head on his chest.
"Thank you for that. It was amazing."
"I'm glad you liked it. Get some sleep, baby. I love you." Paul kissed the top of my head and pulled the blanket up to my chin and rubbed my bloated stomach soothingly.
"I love you too," I mumbled, reveling in the comfort of his touch.
He shifted closer to me as the room fell into a content silence and I fell asleep almost instantly, happily dreaming of all things Christmas and the imperfectly perfect little family I get to call mine.
CHAPTER 17: WEDDING BELLS
"I can't believe it... You're getting married tomorrow!" Skylar squealed over lunch a couple weeks later. I rolled my eyes at her joyful outburst and laughed as she clapped her hands together excitedly, bouncing up and down in her seat.
"I know! It seems like it was literally just yesterday I had promised Ava I'd find her dad. We've been through a lot over the last few months," I said, rubbing my stomach as I leaned back in the passenger seat in Skylar's car. The baby had been kicking up a storm ever since I got up this morning.
"When did Dr. Grayson say the baby is due?"
"Around January 8th, so I have about two weeks left? Really, it could be any day now because Dr. Grayson thinks I'll go into labor early. All I know is that I'm ready to pop this baby out either way. I feel like one of those bloated beach whales stuck on dry land with no way to roll over."
We laughed at the mental image and the baby kicked just below my belly button at the sound. I rubbed the spot carefully where it had kicked and shared a bewildered look with Skylar before erupting into a fit of giggles again.
We had spent the morning after breakfast getting the church set up for the ceremony. There was still a lot to be done in terms of decoration placement, but I had gotten hungry, so Sky took me to Subway while everyone else finished their tasks before taking their own breaks; now we were sitting in the parking lot of the church. We watched in a tender silence as Paul pushed Ava on the swing of the church playground. I smiled as I saw her laughing every time the swing glided forward, her feet kicking outwards in the crisp winter air.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Sky asked, her head turning to study me. I thought about her question and shook my head, a small happy smirk splitting across my face.
"No. I'm not nervous. I've been waiting for this my whole life. I always knew it would be Paul that I would end up marrying.”
After lunch was over, we headed back into the church and picked up where we left off on the decorating. Sky ended up finishing the decorations while I mostly directed from the front pew after a short wave of dizziness swept over me when I attempted to hang a strand of garland across the wooden cross on the wall.
Sky and Paul immediately grabbed me before I toppled over and helped me to the closest pew, concern in their eyes. Since I didn't want to risk going into labor now with the wedding tomorrow, I listened to their worried instructions to take it easy; after tomorrow, however, going into labor was a completely different story.
The church was completely decorated shortly before dinnertime; after making sure everything had been cleaned up and put away properly, everyone piled into their respective cars and headed back to the mansion. Clara began preparing dinner as soon as she stepped into the kitchen, always a whirlwind of direction and order. An hour later, we were seated in the dining room and dinner was served along with happy chatter and loud chuckling.
Clara insisted that I go to sleep early and get some rest after leftovers were put away and the table was cleared off; I knew better than to argue with her and I felt exhausted as well, so I bid everyone a good night and slowly made my way to my bed, struggling to not yawn with every step I took up the staircase. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.
I woke up the next morning to a clear blue sky filled with bright sunshine and butterflies in my stomach. Paul and his groomsmen had stayed the night at Leo's house where they would get ready for the ceremony without having to stay out of Clara’s way as she fussed over last minute details for the reception. As soon as I had a light breakfast, I was whisked back upstairs where Sky and Lola began working on my hair and makeup.
"How are you feeling?" Sky asked as she began to curl and pin up my hair.
"My stomach is in knots and I can’t tell if it’s butterflies or morning sickness." I joked, trying to keep a straight face. “Seriously, I’m excited to marry my best friend, but I’m anxious about being pregnant during the ceremony.”
“I know.” Sky bobbed her head in understanding.
A ping from her phone on the nightstand behind us pulled her away and I watched in the vanity mirror as her expression went from confusion to shock. Before I could ask her what was wrong, Lola stopped rummaging through the makeup and leaped from the ottoman placed at the foot of the bed.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Lola exclaimed as she walked into the closet and returned a moment later with a small box. "Paul wanted you to have this."
I took the box from her outstretched hand and carefully removed the lid; a small white card with my name and a short message printed on one side stared at me.
“‘Jade, I know it’s not the same, but I had to honor her somehow. Love, Paul.’” I read out loud as Sky came over to stand next to me, patiently waiting for me to remove the tissue paper from the box.
Tears started to well in my eyes and I gasped
softly, taking out the necklace nestled underneath the tissue paper. A single snowflake hung from a thin chain, the silver shining in the sunlight as the rays hit the diamond in the middle just right, casting a tiny prism onto my skin.
"It's beautiful." Lola said as Skylar looked at me, both of us smiling sorrowfully.
“It’s for my mom. She loved snowflakes,” I set it back in the box and put it on the counter.
"I'll put it on after your hair is done," Sky said as I turned to help Lola pick out what makeup to use; sitting back down in the chair, I stilled myself as she carefully started to work on my face and Sky finished fixing my hair.
Making sure they didn’t mess anything up, Sky and Lola swiftly worked together as they helped me into my dress, tugging the material into place so the skirt and train fell just right. Sky reached for the small box on the counter where I left it and carefully clasped the necklace around my neck. As soon as they were satisfied that I was done, the girls went to their own rooms to change into their bridesmaid dresses.
We had picked out the dark green for them, the color reminding me of a live Christmas tree. They also had holly red sashes to match mine. Sky and Lola were putting on the finishing touches of their makeup at my vanity while I sat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed when Clara and Ava came into my bedroom.
"You look absolutely beautiful," Clara said, smiling at me, then Lola and Sky. "All three of you do."
"Thanks," we said in unison before bursting into giggles.
"Let's get going," I said once we calmed down enough to compose ourselves. “We should get there before the guys, so Paul doesn’t see me.”
“You heard the boss lady!” Sky joked, motioning to Lola to help pick up the train of my dress as we headed downstairs.
As we got into the limo Uncle Leo arranged to take us from the house to the church, Ava climbed over the seat to me. She grinned as she sat next to me, her dress a pretty cream color with a matching red bow attached around her waist.
"This is it," I told her as Clara ushered us up the church steps and into one of the prayer rooms the pastor had set up for us to wait for the ceremony to begin. "Mommy and Daddy are getting married. Do you remember what to do?"
"Sprinkle the flowers on the floor up to Daddy, then sit with Grandma," she said confidently as she swayed her body to make her dress flare out at the ends.
"Good girl. Mommy loves you, baby girl."
“I love you too, Mommy.”
"Come on, Ava. It's almost your turn." Leo walked her up to the door and gave her a gentle nudge as the music from the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy began to play.
One by one, the girls walked down the aisle, leaving my dad and I in the front room. I took a deep breath of the red roses in my hands, the other representation of my mother. Dad held out his arm and I looped mine through his.
"Ready?" He asked, his hand patting my arm comfortingly in an attempt to soothe any nerves.
"Ready." I smiled back, taking a deep breath.
We pushed the doors open and my eyes wandered over the crowd standing between me and the altar. Almost instantly, my gaze was drawn to three men positioned near the aisle in the front pew reserved for the immediate family of the bride.
I gasped as I recognized the sly grins on their faces, donned in matching dark gray suits and ice blue ties. Dad tightened his grip on my arm as I nearly collapsed against him, tears streaming down my face.
“Surprise.” Dad murmured, a grin breaking out across his face.
“How did you get them to come?” I whispered.
“It was your mother’s dying wish.” He paused for a moment. “And they wanted to come see you.”
As we passed them, my brothers reached into the inside pocket of their jackets and pulled out a single white rose to add to my bouquet; a sign of honor for Mom that we had agreed on when we were kids. It was also our way of letting each other know that things between us were okay. Silently thanking them through the tears, I turned back toward the altar and my eyes instantly found Paul.
A smile appeared on his face and it almost looked like he was in tears. As we got closer, I realized he was crying which caused a fresh round of tears to flow down my cheeks. Dad took my hand and placed it in Paul's, the traditional sign of giving the bride away. Paul pulled me next to him and we faced the pastor together as Dad took his place beside my brothers.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Paul Centofanti and Jade Corbett in holy matrimony. Before we begin, if anyone objects please speak now or forever hold your peace."
There was a slight pause as our friends and families looked around the room, smiling at each other and the pastor before he continued.
"Do you, Paul Vincent Centofanti, take Jade Michelle Corbett to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish in sickness and in health, through the good and the bad, until death do you part?"
"I do," Paul said proudly, beaming at me. The pastor turned to me, his eyes soft.
"Do you, Jade Michelle Corbett, take Paul Vincent Centofanti, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish in sickness and in health, through the good and the bad, until death do you part?"
"I do," I said confidently, my voice heard clearly through the church.
"By the powers invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the pastor smiled. "You may now kiss the bride."
Paul kissed me deeply as everyone erupted into cheers, clapping and cheering loudly. Breathless, we broke apart and turned toward our family and friends, grinning as they continued to cheer. After going through what my mom always referred to as the "congratulations line", we took pictures of the bridal party and the families inside the church.
The limo that brought us to the church was waiting at the curb to take all of us back to the Centofanti family mansion, where Clara was throwing the reception in the ballroom. I didn't even know there was an actual ballroom since Clara normally threw all of her parties in the spacious backyard, but I honestly wasn't surprised; the woman was full of secrets. There was a DJ set up in one of the corners who announced us as we came in.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Centofanti!”
Making a dramatic grand entrance into the ballroom on cue, Paul and I waved as the room broke out into congratulatory applause and whistles. Tugging me towards the dance floor, Paul nodded to the DJ as he pulled me into his arms and swayed in a circle, the beginning notes of our first dance song floating through the air.
“Did you know my brothers were coming?” I asked my now-husband as he twirled me. Paul grinned sheepishly, nodding his head.
“Your dad called me last night and made me promise not to say a word to you about it,” he admitted. “Were you surprised?”
“Very.” I smiled back at him as the song ended. “I haven’t seen my brothers since Mom’s funeral.”
“And that’s mostly our fault,” a voice spoke behind us.
We turned to see Gio, the oldest of the Corbett kids, standing at the edge of the dance floor; Theo, the second oldest, was right behind him with an equally guilty expression on his face.
“Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere a little more private?” Nathan suggested as he walked up to us, smiling weakly at me. “Hi, big sister.”
“Hi, little brother.” I gushed, wiping away tears with the back of my hand.
“I’ll show you to the library.” Paul directed to my brothers and they nodded, allowing us to pass by first.
Once we were all inside, Paul shut the door behind us and walked over to stand beside me as I sank into one of the chairs to give my feet a break from the heels Clara had picked out. Gio, Theo, and Nathan stood near the fireplace, each man looking a little guilty as they shared side glances before Gio cleared his throat.
“We,” he started, gesturing between our brothers, “want you to know that we’re sorry for everything, and it wasn’t fair of us to abandon you during your pregnancy. You ne
eded us the most, and none of us can forgive ourselves for not being there to help you.”
“It wasn’t our place to tell you to involve Paul,” Theo added, placing a hand on Gio’s shoulder as he met my gaze. “You had your reasons, and we should have respected them.”
“And we’ve really missed you,” Nathan grinned. “It’s weird not talking to our only sister.”
“I’ve missed you guys too… and thank you for coming today.” I beamed at them. “I want us to move past this squabble and be a real family again… I want you to be a part of Ava’s life, and the baby’s.”
“Consider it forgiven and forgotten.” Theo smiled as he came over to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. Gio and Nathan followed suit, the three of them squeezing me in a warm hug as gently as they could muster.
“Shall we head back to the reception?” Gio asked, helping me out of the chair. “I believe a dance is in order for the bride and her brothers… as long as the groom doesn’t object.”
“Be my guest.” Paul laughed. “I think Jade could use some quality sibling time tonight… I got forever to dance with my wife.”
Thank you, I mouthed as Gio led me back into the ballroom and spun me onto the dance floor while the other two bounded to the DJ to request a song. I laughed freely as the opening notes of Mom’s favorite 80s dance song began to play and my brothers broke out into the choreographed dance we made up as kids, dancing around me as Dad recorded the whole thing, tears in his eyes.
CHAPTER 18: A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
"Mommy! Daddy! Santa came!" Ava jumped onto the bed and landed on Paul's chest. He woke up with a groan as I laughed, setting down the book I was quietly reading on my nightstand.
"He did?!?" I asked, tickling Ava’s stomach as I pulled her off of her dad. "Well, let's go see what he brought you!"
Paul helped me out of bed and held out my robe so I could slip my arms through the sleeves before we followed Ava downstairs to the living room. Everyone else was either in the kitchen drinking coffee or hanging out in the living room, waiting for us to wake up.
A Heart of Gang (The Centofanti Gang Book 1) Page 14