by Claire Adams
“We can tell her together in a bit. She is on her way here.” Aria smiled nervously. “Sorry, I just texted her, I couldn’t resist.”
“Okay, you guys plan this out. I have a meeting in an hour that I need to be in the office for. Don’t worry about unpacking, Aria, I’ll get someone to do it for you later,” I said. I walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Are you happy?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she said radiantly.
“I love you,” I said and kissed her. “Now, work on planning the wedding of your dreams.”
Chapter Seven
Aria
It was my wedding day! It was also Christmas Day, but that happened every year. But it was my wedding day on Christmas Day! I squealed the moment I woke up in the most comfortable hotel bed I had ever slept in. After much consideration, Fiona and I had reached the conclusion that we would keep the wedding ceremony itself really small and personal. It was literally just going to be Zayden’s mom, my mom, Nick and Stacey, and we were holding off on the big party at The Plaza with the enchanted forest theme for the reception. It made more sense to me because I wanted our wedding to be personal, and the thought of a whole audience hearing my vows to Zayden made me feel uncomfortable. Very few people in the world deserved to hear that, so I had decided that was how it was going to be.
The private wedding ceremony would take place in Central Park, and The Plaza would be reserved for the reception. This was a last minute decision I made after visiting Central Park two days ago. The place took my breath away. New York in general managed to do that. You see things and places on TV and magazines and get mesmerized. Somehow, you never expect that reality would look better than your fantasies. Yet, that was New York. Everything about it was better than any camera could realistically capture. Times Square actually glowed at every step, and there were tiny flakes of glitter spread across the sidewalks. People in the most extravagant and colorful – and sometimes rather inappropriate – clothing zoomed around the place as though they were characters from a movie rather than real people. Happy tourists chattered alongside every corner, and I could see fellow first-time New York visitors have the same reaction to the extravaganza as I did and I felt a crazy sense of solidarity. I had managed to purchase almost everything sold at one of the myriads of gift shops and currently owned an “I <3 NY” shirt in every shape and size possible.
What truly took my breath away, however, was the serenity of Central Park. The fact that it managed to keep its sense of nature and natural beauty in the midst of a city so loud and happening was shocking and awe-inspiring. It was quiet and beautiful and as far as I was concerned, the most romantic place in the whole world. So naturally, I had decided that my wedding ceremony would take place there.
I rolled around the enormous bed in delight at the thought of what was to come for the rest of the day. Zayden had taken a different room, in favor of being somewhat traditional and separating the bride and the groom the night before the wedding. That didn’t stop me from being sorely tempted to walking over to his hotel room in just a robe and nothing else and sliding it off. We had been abstaining from sex for the past week, so that our wedding night would be truly exceptional, but it had been so much harder than I had expected, considering we slept in the same bed every night.
And Zayden had the body of a Greek God.
But it was okay. It was all okay because we were going to get married today. Nothing would ever be able to keep us apart from each other ever again. I looked at my enormous ring once more and took a very deep breath. This was really, truly happening. By the end of this evening, I would become Mrs. Zayden Sinclair. I squealed like a little girl once more and then got up to take a shower. Stacey, Fiona, and my hairdresser would be here in half an hour.
---
“Okay, we have five hours to get you ready,” Fiona said in a businesslike voice when she arrived. “You are going to get ready for the ceremony and subsequent reception, so Fabio here will do your hair and makeup so it lasts the next 12 hours,” she said pointing to a slender and flamboyant man she had brought along. “Is your dress ready?” She eyed the room looking alarmed. “I don’t see it anywhere.”
“I hung it up in the living room of the penthouse. I won’t be wearing it until all of this is done, so I wanted to keep it safe.” I smiled.
The truth was that the wedding dress made me very nervous, and not just because it was the most expensive thing I had ever purchased – and it was, it had tiny bits of actual diamonds studded across the hem – but because it reminded me of everything that was going to happen today. I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle the joy and excitement it brought me.
“Good thinking,” Fiona said curtly.
She was a rather interesting woman. Everything was business to her, even the tasting of the varieties of cake Stacey baked for us one afternoon. We were literally just chilling and having some beers at my old apartment while Stacey tried out different combinations for colors and recipe and décor. It wasn’t very different from the usual evening we used to spend goofing around at the apartment, except for the part where this time Stacey was baking my wedding cake. Fiona somehow managed to make it formal and businesslike by constantly taking notes after every tasting, flipping her binder non-stop, and refusing to partake in the beer drinking. She did bring her own champagne, so the last part must have been just a matter of preference.
That said, I had taken quite a liking to her and felt excited by the notion that she would be joining us again next year for Stacey’s wedding. There was something about her that reminded me of myself. Perhaps it was her sheer dedication to her work. She was much older than I was and I felt like I had been learning a whole lot from her about running a business as a woman.
I watched her direct Fabio in admiration before getting seated for my hair and makeup.
Stacey came halfway into my makeup and exclaimed, “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!” we all exclaimed back.
“But more importantly,” she said, sitting down next to me. “Happy wedding day to the best best friend in the whole world!”
“That would be you.” I smiled, which made Fabio give me a stern look. I was supposed to be sitting still. “Can I have one moment, Fabio? I want to look at my maid of honor.”
“If you must,” he said reluctantly.
“Stacey, you look amazing!” I exclaimed upon turning around to look at her. She was wearing a bright purple dress of her own choosing – I didn’t believe in subjecting my maid of honor to a hideous dress of my choice – and her hair was tied up in a neat bun.
“Nothing compared to the bride of course, you’re going to be turning heads in all of Central Park today, mark my words.”
I beamed delightedly. “We will be,” I said, reaching out both my hands to grab hers. “I can’t believe this is happening, Stace. I am actually getting married today!”
She joined my squealing, which made me feel a whole lot better about me acting like a little girl all morning.
“Now let Fabio finish getting you ready so you can go get married.”
---
When Stacey, Nick, and I arrived at Central Park – we had a separate limo sent to us than Zayden’s – nobody was there except an old lady with bright blonde hair dressed in a designer red outfit.
“You must be Zayden’s mother,” I said brightly approaching her. I realized it was the lady I had met at his house that one morning.
“You must be his newest play toy,” she said with a fake smile. “Good for you, hun. Make sure he gets to play well, since you’ll be getting quite a lot of monetary advantage in this situation.”
“That is incredibly rude,” I said with a smile still plastered to my face. “And under any other circumstances, I would have responded with equal - if not more – sass, and believe me I may look small, but I am capable of a lot. However, it is my wedding day and you are the mother of the most important person in my life, so I will be
nice. Look, Mrs. Sinclair, I understand you have your own little preconceived notions about who I am and what I want from your son. And you know what, in a way, it’s oddly endearing. It means you care about him in your own little weird way. But make no mistake, I care about him too and I will not have anybody questioning my intentions. Of course, I can’t expect you to change your mind based on my words alone – anyone can claim anything, after all, as you witnessed from the whole disaster with Gina, a woman I believe you did in fact approve of for your son. All I ask of you is you reserve some judgment until you get to know me. After a month or two, if you still feel like I am using your son for money and don’t actually care about him, feel free to hate me.”
“Bold. I like that. I should have known Zayden wouldn’t be marrying some wussy,” Mrs. Sinclair said with an awkward – but what I suspected to be genuine – smile. “And pretty too. Very pretty,” she said those words with a sternness that almost felt like an insult. “Well, I guess I can reserve judgment after all.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to sound softer. Somehow, her approval of my boldness made me soften towards her a little. She was an old woman and the thing that mattered most was that she cared about Zayden. “I, on the other hand, don’t need to reserve any judgment,” I said smilingly. “You seem to care about Zayden, which wins my approval of you.”
“I don’t recall asking for your approval,” she said in a stern voice, but seemed somewhat amused.
“You didn’t have to.” I grinned. “Now if you excuse me, I have to go get married to your son.”
I turned away, realizing a little too late that the effect couldn’t have been as grand as I had hoped considering that Zayden had yet to even arrive. I simply sat down on one of the benches by the tree where we were holding the ceremony and admired the breathtaking view. Getting married on Christmas Day was a stroke of pure genius, for New York City looked like it had been embellished with the joy that I was feeling.
All the trees in Central Park were covered in Christmas lights, and the buildings on the edge of the horizon appeared to be glowing in celebration of my big day. Everything was bright and shiny. The crisp winter air of December didn’t even bother me – despite wearing a sleeveless dress – because the happiness of the moment was enough to keep me warm from within.
When Zayden’s limo pulled in and he got out of it, I was sure my heart stopped for a few moments. He looked just like a movie star in his tuxedo and I took a deep breath, unable to believe that this was the man I would soon marry. The look on his face mirrored my awe, and I could swear I saw the hint of tears in his eyes. He wasn’t supposed to see me yet, but since we were getting married in a park there was nowhere to hide.
My mother walked me down the aisle, something I was very happy about. She had, after all, been both my mom and dad for me the last few years, and she deserved this honor. I hadn’t even thought to look for my dad to invite him to this wedding. He had decided to run away and with that, lost all my respect. But mom looked radiant and proud as she took my hand and walked with me right until I stood face to face with Zayden. Nick and Stacey were next to me while Ned stood cheerfully behind Zayden.
The minister began the ceremony and halfway through asked if we had written our own vows.
“Yes,” we both said. And I went first, because I didn’t think I would be capable of speaking after I heard what Zayden has to say.
“Today I am fortunate enough to be entering a union with the love of my life, and I doubt there is a single person on this planet that is as happy as I am. I love you Zayden Sinclair, and even though I ignored your advances at first, somehow I feel like I knew this since the moment we first met. You have the wits and charms to win over the heart of any woman in the world, yet you chose me and fell for me, making me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. You are as kind as you are handsome, something not many people get to see because they haven’t spent as much time with you to know you like I do. You practically saved my family and never asked anything in return. You go out of your way to do little things for me, which in turn are things of great value. The amount of time you spent going over my homework with me. And submitting my paper to that journal. Things you had absolutely no reason to do, except that you thought somehow they would make me happy, and you were right. I have learned so much from you, Zayden, just from a few months of our time together. I yearn for our days ahead when I will only learn and grow more from your incredible company and our love, both personally and professionally. You have made me feel like the luckiest woman on this planet, and I want to return your love by making you feel like the luckiest man every single day, every single hour, every single minute for the rest of our lives. I love you, Zayden Sinclair, and on our wedding day, I vow to always love you just as much as I do right now, and a little bit more with every passing day, as we build a life together and grow old together. And live happily ever after.”
Zayden beamed delightfully, as Stacey and my mom began to sob into their handkerchiefs. Even Zayden’s mom looked reluctantly moved. I found myself tear up as well, from the sheer power of the words I had spoken. Because they were true and because we were in love and because this was the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to me.
By the time Zayden spoke his vows, his voice was trembling.
“Aria, Aria, Aria. I feel like there are very little words I can say that can describe just how ecstatic I am to be here with you today, ready to make you mine forever. I think I have spoken enough of why you are so extraordinary – which no one can argue that you are one in a million – and of our past and how you made me fall in love with you so hopelessly. Today, I want to speak of our future. Oh the beautiful, magnificent future we are going to build together, Aria. I wish I could show you the things we are going to be doing together, extraordinary things, both in terms of business and our personal lives. I can’t wait to build my perfect family with my perfect partner. We will have as many kids as you want and can have. They will all take after their mom and be adorable little feisty troublemakers. We will buy a house in every state – and country – you desire, so you are never bored of a place again. Your mind is too grand to be stationed in a single town. You are capable of so much, Aria. I look forward to being your business partner almost as much as I look forward to being your husband – which is still not nearly close enough, cause God, I have never looked forward to anything in my life as much as I look forward to being your husband – and I know you will take my life to its highest points and my business, too. You will get everything your enormous heart desires, before you even ask for it, before you even realize you want it. I will take care of all your needs and always love you with everything I have, more every day than the last. Even when we are old and wrinkly and blind. No matter what. In sickness and in health. You are right, Aria, this right here is exactly what fairy tales are made of. You are right. This is our happily ever after.”
Everyone burst into applause, as I started bawling as hard as Stacey and my mom. Even Nick was tearing up and Zayden’s mom’s eyes seemed rather twinkly. I was so overcome with emotion that for a moment, I had even forgotten where I was, until I saw that hundreds of onlookers were gazing at our wedding. Strangers dressed in bright and colorful Christmas outfits were clapping from meters away and tearing up, and it was just like all my favorite weddings from my favorite movies had coalesced into one fantastical ceremony. Except the ceremony was mine and I was the heroine and in about three seconds I would be married to the love of my life.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister said at last. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Zayden and I wasted no time in embracing each other as tightly as we could and kissing deeply, lovingly, with all our might, as the crowd continued to cheer from every corner into the visible distance. It was done, it had happened, it was over. I was now and will always be the wife of Zayden Sinclair.
Chapter Eight
Zayden
The wedding ceremony had g
one perfectly, and I was rather thrilled that Aria wanted to keep that part small. It made it easier to let my emotions run wild. Her vows were still sending shivers down my spine. It felt so surreal to be loved so deeply and earnestly. It was hard to believe that a girl so small could harbor that much love. And for me!
---
We were at the reception at The Plaza and it was as grand as could be. Hundreds of guests – all of my colleagues and business partners and all of Aria’s friends from college and her extended family had arrived – were admiring the fantastic decorations Fiona had put together. The hall really did look like an enchanted forest, mixed with Christmas lights. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen anything quite so beautiful before. Except my wife, of course.
I looked at her standing across the room and talking to my mother. It had only taken a few hours for them to start getting along. Of course, I should have thought that it would from the get-go. Aria wasn’t exactly an amateur at charming someone. She had done such a fantastic job with me. My mother was hardly tougher than I was. I felt a great sense of pleasure watching them chatter delightfully as I grabbed a glass of champagne.
The DJ was playing all of Aria’s favorite romantic songs, and I realized it was time for our first dance together. I motioned to the DJ with a nod of my head and he understood.
“Ladies and gentleman,” the young looking guy said. “The bride and groom will now have their first dance as a newly married couple.”
The song “You and Me” by Lifehouse began to play as Aria and I slowly began walking towards each other, with everyone watching in awe.
When I held her, she put her chin against my shoulder, standing on her tiptoes in the most endearing way. We began moving together to a song that seemed to perfectly describe our moment as it was happening.