by Mya O'Malley
“I could use a glass of wine, how about you?”
Morgan stood to grab a wine glass and a chilled bottle of red wine. He raised his eyebrow at the bottle of wine.
“Still chilling red wine?” He smiled at her.
“You bet. I discovered that little secret with a special guy I knew a long time ago,” Morgan replied, leaning over to kiss Declan on the cheek.
“Oh really?” He laughed, taking the glass that Morgan offered to him.
The chilled wine went down easy. He had been chilling his own red wine at home the past few years, a custom that he didn’t break, especially since it had reminded him of his times with Morgan.
“You know, we’ve been through a hell of a lot together, you and I,” Declan said, a curious look on his face. “I mean a lot.”
Morgan seemed to ponder over his statement, silently agreeing by shaking her head. “And we’ve come through it together, after all this time.”
“True,” Declan agreed.
“And I bet that we can weather through a lot more and still stay together, what do you think?” Declan inquired, his dark blue eyes fixed on Morgan.
“I think it’s pretty certain.” She giggled, kissing him full on the mouth.
Declan grabbed her by the hand and guided her to his lap. She fit perfectly, but appeared uncomfortable about something.
“Am I hurting you?”
“Morgan, I’m fine. Tell you what, unless I complain that something you do hurts me, just assume that it doesn’t. I’m not shy. I’ll tell you.”
“Oh, you’re not shy.” She leaned down, kissing him again.
They talked for hours, catching up on each other’s lives over the past few years. D was fast asleep on the floor by their feet, softly snoring. They finished the bottle of wine before realizing that the sun was coming up. Declan pulled her toward the sliding glass door and opened the door to the deck. Standing together in silence, they gazed at the mauve sky.
“Ready for bed?” Morgan rubbed her eyes, leaned her head against his shoulder, and grabbed his hand. “It’s been a long night. Actually it’s morning.” Morgan giggled softly.
Declan stopped her, appearing serious. He swallowed, deciding to take the chance.
“I have something I want to give you, right here, right now.” He could see the confusion on Morgan’s face as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. “Where is it? Tell me,” he asked.
Morgan waited a moment, serious now herself. “It’s in the top drawer of my jewelry box,” she whispered.
“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
He walked to her bedroom, following her directions, and found it. He turned it around in his hand, a warm memory settling in — a fireplace, a restaurant, a beautiful woman, a long time ago.
She was still on the deck, looking adorable in her pajamas with the pink sky softening her long brown hair. As he got down on one knee, she cringed, looking at him.
“I’m fine,” he promised, trying to ignore the discomfort it placed on his knee. He had to do this the right way, after all.
“Morgan, I realize this is now, let’s see, the third time I’ve proposed to you, and each time so far you’ve said yes.” It warmed him to see her jump up and down, holding her hand over her mouth in awe.
“So, please, say yes one more time and make me whole. I was only half alive without you, and I need to feel whole again. Put this ring back on your finger where it belongs. I want you back where you belong, right here with me.”
Morgan guided him up, helping him stand. After placing the sweetest kiss she could on his mouth, she answered. “Yes, yes! A thousand times, yes!”
He drew her in for another kiss that almost lasted until the sun finished rising in the sky.
“Let’s go to bed now.” He raised his eyebrows.
“You bet,” Morgan responded with glee, pulling at his hand.
It felt right, being back in his arms. It was as if she were home now, after a long, strenuous journey. Heartache was something she never thought would completely disappear. Now she found peace and her heart was light once more, free from the weight of sorrow and the tangle of bittersweet memories.
Although Mike had promised not to call or text, she did receive one text from him days later, apologizing for breaking into her house, that he’d had too much to drink, and had been depressed about everything going on. Morgan had decided not to press charges, she figured the experience of being hauled off in handcuffs had finally registered the fact that he needed to let her go. He stated that he would be leaving her alone and even took some blame for lying about Declan’s call and letter. She felt as if that was closure for him and hoped that he would move on with his life and not contact her again.
The mention of the letter got her thinking about it again. That letter kept coming up in her mind. When she had inquired about it, Declan stated that he couldn’t recall exactly what he had written but that he pretty much poured his heart out, asking for her to forgive him. Most likely, Mike had tossed the letter. Knowing him, he had probably burned it.
Declan must have sensed that she was deep in thought as he remained silent, sitting beside her at the kitchen table. Morgan took a last sip of her coffee and hustled to place her mug in the dishwasher.
“Have a good time. I wish I could see the dress you pick, I’m sure it will be beautiful.”
“Thank you, honey.” Morgan reached up to kiss him gently on the mouth before she headed out to meet the girls in town.
Shopping for her wedding dress would be a different experience this time around. This time, there was not a speck of doubt; she was following her heart and nothing felt better.
Morgan planned for her wedding like the young girl who used to dream of becoming a bride. Amber was now here visiting Stephen, so she took full advantage of her visit, including both her and Elle in the fun of planning for her wedding. The women were getting along famously; somehow Morgan had a feeling they would. They were both pulling dress after dress off the racks, admiring them as Morgan shook her head at their choices.
“Hey, what do you guys think of this one?” Morgan pulled a classic, white, strapless gown from the rack.
It was just what she had imagined, not too puffy, just right. It was soft white in color with a long, ivory sash. Her eyes went wide, taking in the stitching. This was stunning; she hoped it looked just as beautiful on her as it did on the hanger. Morgan was thrilled that she hadn’t seen this dress when she had shopped months ago for her first dress. This was what she had been searching for. She had donated her other wedding dress to a worthy cause, a foundation that helped women who were experiencing financial hardship. A smile formed on her lips as she pictured another woman wearing the other dress. It wouldn’t go to waste; it had served its purpose.
“I like it.” Amber nodded her head thoughtfully. “Definitely try it on.”
“Wow.” Elle fingered the soft material. “Yup, this one looks great. Give it a try.”
The shop assistant approached Morgan, a bright smile etched on her face. “Oh, that’s a great choice, stunning, yet simple and elegant. Would you like to try it on?”
“Yes, please,” Morgan exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement.
With the joy of a child, Morgan entered the dressing room, almost afraid to try the dress on. It was that beautiful. All of the planning she had done with her last attempt at a wedding had felt half-hearted; this was what it was like to marry her best friend and soul mate.
The assistant helped Morgan ease the gown over her head and fasten the buttons on the back. She noted that it was a tad too big, but alterations could take care of the size. Spinning around in front of the mirror, she couldn’t contain her wide smile and squeak of happiness.
“You look amazing, beautiful…” The assistant nodded her head in delight.
“How’s it going in there?” Elle called out.
What would her friends think? She held her breath as she exited the changing room.
“That’s it. That’s the one. It’s positively gorgeous!” Elle squealed, watching Morgan spin around.
“But it’s the first dress I tried on. Do you think I should try some more on?” She loved it but wanted to test her friends, see what they really thought.
“No,” the women said in unison.
“Great, that’s how I feel, too.” She was sure of it. The price wasn’t too awful, so she made her decision.
“Wonderful, the fit is almost right. I would take a tuck here and there. Minimal alterations would take care of it all. You look beautiful.” The assistant beamed.
“I’ll take it,” Morgan announced.
She hurried back into the dressing room so that she could make the purchase.
The wedding was to take place at the beginning of August. She would still be off from work, which left them plenty of time for the honeymoon that she had been waiting so long to take with him. With the few alterations that would need to take place, the shop owner assured Morgan that the dress would be ready in time.
“How about bridesmaids dresses? Can I help you find anything?”
Morgan wanted to keep everything as simple as possible but she would like to have two bridesmaids at her wedding.
“What do you guys think? See anything you like?” Amber and Elle smiled at her then reached out to hug her.
“You know,” Amber started, glancing at Elle. “The bridal gowns are gorgeous here, but I bet we could get something much better for the two of us somewhere else.”
“She’s got a point, and it would be much cheaper. That is if you don’t mind,” Elle agreed.
They did have a point. Honestly, she didn’t care where they bought the dresses.
“Tell you what, you guys have free rein over your dresses. The two of you can decide on style, color you name it. I only ask that you pick the same dress.”
She would let them hash it out; she had too many other important things to attend to. Namely, having a cup of coffee right now.
“Who’s up for grabbing a cup of coffee?”
Both women agreed as Morgan finalized the details of buying her dress. It was a relief to have that crossed off her list of things to do. She and Declan had discussed their dream destinations and they had decided to stick with their original plan — they would book a trip to Costa Rica. He told her that she had enough to take care of and that he would be planning the entire trip, from start to finish.
As they made their way to the coffee shop, Morgan thought about how far she and Declan had come and how thrilled she was to spend the rest of her life with him.
“What are you so happy about?” Elle inquired, raising her eyebrows.
“Oh I don’t know. Just everything, I guess.”
“I have to agree you’ve got yourself a good guy.” Amber grinned.
They lucked out and found Morgan’s favorite table in the coffee shop; it was tucked away in a little corner near the window so they could gaze out the window and people watch. Elle offered to put their order in for coffees and cheesecake while Morgan and Amber settled at the table. There had been a lot of things on her mind lately and opening up to Amber was on her list of things to take care of.
“You know, when I first met you and found out that you had feelings for Declan I wasn’t too happy about it,” Morgan confided, watching Amber’s face go still. “But, once I got to know you, it was a different story. I was thankful that Declan had found a friend in such a good, loyal person.”
It was Amber’s turn now and judging from the smirk on her face, she had some things to get off her chest as well.
“I guess it’s my turn to be honest here. When I first laid eyes on Declan, I knew right away that he would be a very special person in my life. Yes, at first I thought that I was meant to be with him.”
Morgan squinted her eyes and clenched her jaw at that. It was never easy to hear that another woman had her sights on Declan.
“But then I grew to know him well, we sort of became friends, I might even venture to say best friends,” Amber admitted.
This earned another icy glare from Morgan. Perhaps there were things better left unsaid.
“I knew in my heart that he belonged with you. I encouraged him to contact you and try to talk to you.”
Morgan nodded. “I know that you did and I thank you for that.”
“Once I met you and saw how beautiful and sweet you were, I knew exactly why Declan never got over you, but I was a bit jealous of you too, if we’re going to be honest here. Not in the way you think, but I figured that you’d try to tear me and Declan apart, that you wouldn’t understand our relationship,” Amber continued.
The news of their closeness stung, but Morgan knew that this woman and Tach were largely responsible for getting Declan back on his feet.
“I understand now, I do.”
“I can see that and I appreciate it. You guys belong together. If we’re going to talk about fate here, I suppose it was my fate to meet Declan so that I could help bring him home to you,” Amber finished, wiping at a tear.
This woman was going to make her an emotional wreck before the wedding took place, but in a good way. Swiping away her tears, Morgan watched as Elle approached the table, carefully placing the tray of coffee on the table.
“Okay, what happened here? I was gone for what, five minutes? What did I miss?” Elle asked, glancing from Amber to Morgan and back again.
“Nothing, it was nothing,” Morgan stated softly. “Amber, I think there was another reason you were destined to meet Declan.”
She supposed she was a believer in fate once more.
“Stephen,” Amber finished for Morgan. Morgan nodded her head softly, glad that they had cleared the air.
“I guess things are getting serious with the two of you?” Elle questioned.
“I guess you could say that.” Amber grinned sheepishly, stirring her coffee.
“Would you say that wedding bells might be in your near future, too?” Elle giggled, taking a huge bite of the chocolate cheesecake.
“Maybe… you never know.”
“What?” Morgan interjected. “Did he ask you?”
“Not in so many words, not yet, but I think he’s hinting.” Amber sighed dramatically, taking her own bite of cheesecake.
“Well, I think that calls for a toast,” chuckled Morgan, raising her paper coffee cup. “To love.”
“To love,” the girls echoed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
DECLAN WAS IN THE meadow, under a huge tree that provided plenty of shade. About thirty guests were getting settled while he strained his eyes to locate her. Being superstitious and all, Morgan had refused to speak to him all day. That was fine with him; he had the rest of his life to spend time with her. This was what she had always wanted, a small, intimate wedding outdoors. He hoped that she would be happy with the day and that it would fulfill all her dreams.
In a million years he would never have thought this dream of his would come true. If Tach hadn’t climbed through his window and straightened him out, he would never be standing here today, back with Morgan. Fingering the piece of paper in his pocket, he was relieved that he hadn’t forgotten the vows that he had stayed up late writing the night before.
Glancing around for his dog, he saw that Cathy was sitting on one of the white chairs holding onto D’s leash. He was happy she was able to make the trip and get coverage for the shelter. Everything appeared to be in order, from the tent a few feet away where the reception would be held to the photographer and DJ. Luckily, the weather had cooperated as well, the day was mild, a breezy seventy-eight degrees, a perfect but rare temperature for an outdoor summer wedding during the month of August in New York.
His pulse sped up as the wedding march began. Tach stood at Declan’s side, offering him a smile. Stephen’s eyes were straight ahead as Amber approached. She looked so young that it seemed impossible she was a grown woman. She and Ell
e were dressed in elegant soft pink dresses. They carried loose flowers tied with ivory ribbons. The flowers complemented the field beautifully. Amber winked at him as she took her place, mouthing that she was proud of him.
After what seemed like ages he spied Morgan holding onto the arm of her step-dad. He was happy that her step-dad and mother were here for Morgan, regardless of Morgan’s relationship with her mom. He sensed that Morgan would grow to accept her mother and maybe even get along with her.
Morgan stole the show as she flowed down the makeshift aisle in a breathtaking gown that made her seem surreal. He had heard that every bride was the most beautiful on her own wedding day, but he would have never guessed just how amazing she could be. He found it interesting that she didn’t wear a veil like most brides, but a simple, elegant tiara encrusted with sparkling jewels. He made a mental note to inquire about that choice. God, he loved her.
As the music ended, the pastor cleared his throat and began the ceremony. It was time for the vows. It was his idea to write his own, and Morgan decided that she was also up to the challenge of creating her own vows. It was his turn first.
Declan composed himself before he began, his eyes shining with love for Morgan. Anyone witnessing would remember the look of adoration and pure love on Declan’s face as he gazed into his bride’s eyes.
“Morgan, I thought we would always be together. It just wasn’t possible that you and I could be torn apart by anything, even war, even my own stubborn pride. It took way too long and we went through way too many obstacles, but after all that time, we found our way back into one another’s hearts, with a little help. Some hearts are just not meant to beat without their other half, their soul mate. You, Morgan, are my soul mate. Now, forever, and always. It will be an honor to call you my wife and I will love and protect you from this day forward, in sickness and health, my love will be true, Morgan, God, I love you.”