My Weakness

by Alison Mello

  Zoey takes a seat and lets Lucii get to work. Tina has already done her hair and it looks so soft and elegant. I’m truly glad Zo recommended both Tina and Lucii, they’re amazing at what they do.

  It’s time to step into my dress. I look at it on the hanger and see all the little details that made me fall in love with it. It’s a mermaid style dress, which I’ve been told flatters my body shape. I tried on lots of different styles, but when I saw this one, I fell head over heels for it. I knew it was ‘the one’.

  The sweetheart neckline is covered over with a sheer piece of white fabric so that you can still see the neckline of the dress underneath, but this way, I’m a little more covered up. It has one strap over the left shoulder that turns to flowers trailing down the back. Those same flowers cover the rest of the dress and it all ties in perfectly. I love the back too, the long train and the lace that makes it look a little like the back of a corset—Sophia Tolli really knows how to design stunning gowns.

  Zoey and Lucii help me into my heavenly dress and Zoey tightens the lace a little. It looks better on than it does on the hanger.

  I turn to look in the mirror and swear I’m not looking at myself. If I thought the hair and makeup made me look different, the dress certainly does.

  As I slip into my shoes, a gorgeous sparkly pair of Louboutin’s that Zo bought for me, I take in the breath-taking view in the mirror. The woman before me sure looks ready to get married.

  My heart rate increases and I struggle to hold back tears. I can’t believe this day is finally here.

  When I gave birth to Grace last year, I knew there and then that it was one of the happiest days of my life and today I cannot compete with that, it’s a whole other ball game, getting married. They’re both amazing for different reasons. When Grace was born, I felt unconditional love wash over me. She’s part me and part Reid, a man I have loved for a very long time. I will always protect her and love her. Now it’s finally time to marry her daddy and I am a nervous wreck. What if I mess up my vows? What if I stumble in these heels and Liam can’t catch me? He’s going to have to hold on tight as he walks me down the aisle.

  There’s a knock and Zo peeks her head round the door of the Bridal Suite to check that it isn’t Reid.

  “Hey, let me in, I want to see my gorgeous bride!” Liam says as he barges into the room.

  He stops dead in his tracks as he looks at me. Breaking into a mega-watt smile, he rushes to take me in his arms and holds me close.

  “You look so beautiful,” he whispers.

  “Thank you. I’m giving you fair warning that I might trip in these heels. I haven’t worn heels since Grace was born, except to practice walking in these once or twice.”

  Liam guffaws at me, a proper belly laugh and I nudge him in the ribs for being a dick, which makes him laugh harder.

  Once his laughter subsides, Liam straightens up and looks serious.

  “Do I look like a penguin in this suit?”

  “What would you do if I said yes?” I ask, trying to sound serious.

  “I’d still wear it because you chose it for your big day, but I’d probably trip you down the aisle on purpose.”

  He sticks his tongue out at me and I laugh. It’s a good job he’s here. I wouldn’t want to do this without him.

  “It’s not as gorgeous as the suit you wore when you married, Jason. Mr Marks, but it looks damn good on you.”

  “Thanks. If I were straight, I’d do you. That’s how stunning you look today!”

  His words warm my heart. Every girl needs a best friend like Liam Marks. He’s the most wonderful person. I trust him with my life and that of my daughter, hence why he’s her godfather.

  I’m sat on the bed staring at Bertie, the bear that the staff left on the bed for us. He’s so soft and I love the blue hoodie he’s wearing that has the Blakelands logo on. I stroke him as I think about the journey I’m about to embark upon. In a short while, I will be Mrs Kara Marks. That frightens me in some small way—I’ve always been fiercely independent and I don’t want being a married woman to change that in me—but I know Reid will be by my side and support me in everything I do. I know he’d never want to take my independence from me. Things are going well at the store and I’ve made Liam the manager while I take my maternity leave with Grace. I’ve opted to take as much time as I need and only go back when I feel ready. Jason and Reid’s business is also going well, they’ve taken on a major construction contract recently. I guess we are both independent of each other in some ways, but co-dependent in others.

  “Time to go,” Zo says as she taps her watch.

  Those three words pull me from my reverie.

  “Oh man, I’m not ready.”

  “Yes, you bloody are, woman. Get your arse out there and marry your second best friend. You can’t marry your first best friend, for one, he’s married already and that would be bigamy, and two, he’s gay. So you’ll just have to marry the man who’s waiting at the bottom of that aisle,” Liam says as he steers me towards the door to exit my suite.

  “You’re a clown, you know that?”

  “Come on, Kara, you’re going to be late, and not in the fashionably late sense,” Zo pipes up.

  “Oh hell. I’m really doing this,” I say as I reach for my bouquet.

  Pretty off-white calla lilies with the stems wrapped in blue and silver ribbon to go with our theme, make up my bridal bouquet. Zoey carries a single calla lily, I didn’t want two bouquets of them because they’d look too alike.

  We leave the safety of the suite, and I wish I’d brought a sick bag. I don’t know where these nerves are coming from. I’m about to marry the man of my dreams, the man of my reality, all I’ve ever wanted. But my palms are clammy and my pulse is racing like a formula one driver on the track.

  Liam holds my arm, and Zoey walks behind me to make sure my train doesn’t trip me. As I walk towards my future, I think of my past.

  Once upon a time, I lusted over Reid from afar. He was meant to marry my best friend, but fate intervened and sent them both on different paths. Zoey’s led to Brock and Thea, Reid’s to me and Grace. How things have changed. I can’t say I’m unhappy that everything happened like it did. We may have had some obstacles in our way, but Reid is my soulmate and he finally found his way to me. If things hadn’t happened the way they did, then I wouldn’t be the woman I am today. The past moulds us into who we are. The ups, the downs, everything made me stronger.

  It seems like forever, but at the same time, no time at all, before we’re standing at the door to the future. I hear the “Wedding March” begin to play and the door opens into a very regal looking red and gold decorated room. The open fire is a beautiful touch to a very classy room. But the best thing about it is actually in the form of my fiancé, stood in front of the registrar, waiting for me.

  Liam is at my side, holding my arm in his as I begin my walk down the aisle. Looking around at the faces of our family and friends, tears begin to blur my vision. I pull myself together until I see Jason holding Grace. A single tear finds its way down my cheek, so I raise my hand to brush it away.

  Before I know it, I’m stood next to Reid. Jason stands beside him as his best man, and Zoey is to the other side of me as my matron of honour.

  The registrar welcomes everyone and says a few words which I don’t really hear because I’m so focussed on the face of my groom. I feel like I’m grinning like a loon, and I see Reid has his own Cheshire-cat type smile as he looks at me. Looking into his eyes, I notice unshed tears glistening. They make his eyes sparkle like the brightest emeralds.

  It’s time to say our vows and my throat is suddenly as dry as the Sahara.

  Reid is first to speak. He looks me in the eye as he holds my hand in his.

  “Kara, I’ve loved you since the moment we met. For me, it was love at first sight. You were the most beautiful girl in the world, until Grace came along. We’ve always had a chemistry between us, even when we were just friends. I am like a jigsaw puzzle,
you and Grace were the last pieces that complete me. Your love strengthens me in ways I never knew possible. From the day you stole my heart, I knew I’d never want to take it back. We may have had obstacles in our path, but we’ve overcome them together and that’s what matters. We are more than the sum of our parts, together we are whole. You and Grace are my world, and I would give you anything and everything your heart desires. To get to spend the rest of my life with you will make me the happiest man alive. We have a future to look forward to where anything is possible. When you have a love like ours, nothing is impossible.”

  I look into his eyes and see the glistening of unshed tears. I find it hard to swallow past the lump that’s formed in my throat. He continues to recite his vows and my heart feels happy and light.

  “There is so much I want to say to you, I’ve rewritten my vows a hundred times. I could never find enough words to express my love for you. My whole world is right here in front of me and I can’t wait to explore it with you as my wife. To be called your husband will be the biggest honour anyone could bestow upon me. With all that I am and all that I ever will be, I pledge to love, honour, respect and worship you forever and beyond.”

  The tears in my eyes finally fall free as the last word comes out of his mouth. The entire time he spoke, he held my gaze with his. Reid’s own tears are falling silently now and he smiles at me, a smile that touches his eyes and my soul.

  He places the gorgeous white gold band on my ring finger and I marvel at its elegant beauty for a moment before looking at him and beginning my own vows.

  ***

  Reid

  Kara’s eyes glisten with tears as she begins to speak. I dry my own tears with my free hand as she holds the other in hers.

  “Reid Marks, I remember the day I met you. I saw you and fell hopelessly in love. You weren’t mine to love, but I couldn’t help what I felt in my heart. You worked your way under my skin and left a blazing trail across my soul. When we finally started dating, I was overwhelmed with emotions that I cannot begin to describe. The day you proposed is emblazoned on my mind forever. I love you with all that I am, and all that I ever will be, from now until my dying day. You and Grace are my whole world. With the two of you by my side, there is nothing I cannot do. They say nobody is perfect, but you are perfect for me. I want you, all of you. Your flaws and imperfections. Your kindness and love. The best kind of love is one that makes you a better person, and Reid, you make me a better person. You’re the first thing on my mind every time that I wake, the last thing on my mind as I lay down to sleep. As I keep loving you and you keep loving me, the rest will fall into place. We have the rest of forever to explore the depths of our love and I can’t wait to explore it with you.

  You’re my best friend, my lover, my soulmate, and from this day forth, you’ll be my husband—something I never thought you would be. How I ever got lucky enough to deserve your love, I do not know, but I’ll never let it go. I promise to always cherish you, to remind you each day how much I love you. All that you are is all I’ll ever need, and I vow to prove that every single day. In front of our family and friends, I vow to always be the woman you see before you today, only changed by the love you give me, changed for the better, not the worse. You complete me and a piece of your soul will always be ingrained in me.”

  A few tears escape from her beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that look right into my soul and see the real me. I will never again hide my love for this woman. I will show her every day of our lives that my heart made the right choice when it chose her to love.

  I look down as she places the ring on my finger. The hearts engraved into the band are exquisite. There’s one to represent Kara, one for Grace, and one for me.

  We’re finally pronounced husband and wife, and at long last, I am allowed to kiss my bride. My wife.

  I take Kara in my arms and claim her luscious lips with mine. It’s a soft kiss, but Kara has other ideas, and she slips her tongue into my mouth. I’m lost in a haze as our tongues dance together and I pour all the love in my heart into our first kiss as a married couple.

  Liam wolf-whistles and we break our kiss. I look at Kara and see she’s blushing slightly. She’s never looked more beautiful.

  We walk over and sit at the table to sign the register, making our marriage legal and binding.

  A few minutes later, the wedding photographer takes some photos of us with a dummy register, as you can’t photograph the real thing.

  ***

  We walk into the Blakelands barn and I am blown away at how amazing it looks. I knew that Kara and Zoey were thinking of a Winter Wonderland theme, but this is just…I don’t have a word for it. I’m gobsmacked. The walls are draped with a fabric that shimmers blue and silver. There are snowflakes dangling from the ceiling. White tablecloths cover the ten tables and they seem to be sprinkled with crystals, a bit of fake snow, and some snowflakes. I pick up a place card which has a silver snowflake on the left side and the guest’s name handwritten in silver. I recognise the writing and realise Zoey must have had a cramp in her hand by the time she got through with the hundred cards she had to do. I put the card back down and take Kara’s hand as we walk to the top table. I notice every table has a beautiful centrepiece, and I stop to take a closer look at ours. It’s a clear glass vase filled with fir cones sprayed with fake snow and a few sprigs of green that look to be pine needles. There’s navy blue and silver ribbon around the top and three large white snowflakes glued to the vase. It’s placed on a mirror that is sprayed with yet more fake snow; the effect is so pretty.

  “Zo and I spent hours making all of those,” Kara says as she notices where I’m looking.

  “You made these by hand?”

  “Yes, why? Do you not think we’re capable?”

  She tries to hide her smirk but I see the corners of her lips turn up.

  “Of course you’re capable, Mrs Marks. I wasn’t suggesting you weren’t. Merely making an enquiry because they look professionally made.”

  “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  I pull my wife into my arms and place a chaste kiss against her lips. I inhale her scent and notice she’s wearing my favourite of her perfumes.

  “You most certainly should take it as a compliment, darling. They look amazing, as does the rest of the room. This Winter Wonderland thing has turned out to be more elegant and beautiful than I could have imagined.”

  “You haven’t seen the best bit yet,” she says as the guests start to enter the room.

  Everyone appears to be looking around in astonishment. And so they should. I hope we get a lot of photos of this because I never want to forget what my wife and her matron of honour pulled off.

  Kara was very hands-on when it came to the wedding. She isn’t the type of woman to let a wedding planner do the job. Zoey was more than pleased to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever she could. I’d often see the pair with their heads together. They even made a model of the room with Styrofoam tables so that they could plan everything to the minutest detail.

  “What’s the best bit?”

  “That’s a secret for now.”

  Kara smiles at me and my heart melts. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I can’t believe she’s all mine.

  As everyone is seated, I look to see the servers coming out with the starters and flutes of champagne. Suddenly my stomach growls and I realise I am starving. I had an entirely different type of hunger on my mind until now.

  Kara had asked everybody for their preferred food option before the wedding so that it was more efficient and we were served more promptly.

  We both have beetroot and feta crispy risotto balls with orange and tarragon salad. I take my first mouthful, unsure what to expect. It simply melts in my mouth and is a flavour explosion. The caterers have surpassed my expectations.

  When the plates from the starters are cleared, they bring our main meal of shoulder of lamb with seasonal vegetables in a mint pan gravy. If I thought the starter
was tasty, then this is simply divine. The lamb is so tender and just falls apart at the touch of my cutlery.

  I look to see if Kara is enjoying her meal and she gives me a huge grin when she sees me watching her.

  The main course is polished off rather quickly, so I guess the guests must have enjoyed it as much as I did. When the dessert arrives, I see what’s called the Death by Chocolate Trio, which is made up of a milk chocolate and raspberry mille-feuille, a dark chocolate and orange delice, and lastly, a white chocolate and Bailey’s mousse.

  When I am full to the point of bursting, I sit back and look around the room at our family and friends. They all seem to be smiling and chatting away. It fills my heart to see so many of our loved ones here, celebrating our special day.

  “Hey bro, that was some meal, huh?!” Jase exclaims from next to me.

  “It really was. I’ve never known you be so quiet, so you must have been enjoying it,” I say as I grin and slap him on the back.

  “The dessert was like a piece of heaven itself,” Liam pipes up from the other side of Kara.

  “It was. There were some hard choices to make when it came to pudding. The caterer gave me so many options,” Kara says.

  I take her hand in mine, resting it gently against my thigh.

  “Wait until you see the surprise, Reid,” Zoey says from the other side of Liam.

  “I can’t wait. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be exquisite.”

  ***

  Kara

  We enter the barn for the second time this evening only this time there’s a few differences. The DJ is set up and waiting for us. There’s also a small ‘wish tree’ with bare branches, ready for the wishes. In a box on the table next to it, there are some heart shaped cards with a piece of blue and silver ribbon to hang them on the tree. Every guest is going to write something and tie it to the tree. Later on, those wishes will be collected and put back into the box as a keepsake for me and Reid.

  I look at Thea as she toddles over to the tree, and I can’t help but smile. She’s eighteen months old now and she looks like a little doll in her dress the same colour as her mommy’s. The groomsmen all have ties to match. The men are all wearing white calla lily boutonnieres to match my bouquet and I love how they look.