‘’Those were my decisions, I know what’s best for me and nobody should try to tell me what to choose and what to do. I live in a free country and have freedom of speech.’’ Desiree said as she took his hand in hers and kissed it as the doorbell rang. ‘’They’re here!’’ She exclaimed as they went to open the door.
‘’You’re finally here! Come in I can’t wait to show you our home’’ Desiree greeted them as she hugged everyone.
‘’This place looks huge!’’ Alice said as she stepped inside and looked in awe at the place.
‘’Wait till you see it all.’’ She told her as she linked arms with her sister and lead the others through the house.
After they had seen it all, she had to admit that all of them were surprised by the house that they lived in. They hadn’t realized that Elliot was that rich.
‘’Are you hungry? Because I cooked dinner.’’ Desiree told them as her own stomach started to grumble.
‘’Starving, let’s eat!’’ Amber said as she walked into the kitchen, her favourite room in the house.
They all took their seats, her dad at the head of the table, Alice and Amber on either side of him and Noah next to Alice. Elliot hesitated on where he should sit and sat down a seat away from her mum so Desiree could sit in between them.
Desiree served them the salmon and vegetables that she had cooked and after they said their prayers they dug in without saying a word.
‘’Are you liking London?’’ Desiree asked in attempt to break the awkward silence.
‘’It’s amazing, I love it here!’’ Alice said.
‘’It’s alright, but Chicago is way better to live in.’’ Noah spoke as he looked up at her. ‘’Are you coming back anytime soon?’’
‘’No, I don’t think so. Elliot and I love it here.’’
‘’I wish that you could come back home Desiree and end this little adventure of yours. You have to open your eyes and see that here is nothing for you.’’ Rupert said.
‘’Dad, I make my own decisions and I know that this is where I belong and where I will stay.’’ She said. Elliot placed his hand on her thigh underneath the table to show her that he was there for her and if she needed him to step in all she needed was to squeeze his hand.
‘’Look at you, you have no respect left in you. You’re becoming like him!’’ He yelled.
‘’Rupert don’t start this again, please can’t we have a nice family dinner for once?’’ Amber said as she let out a sigh.
‘’Sir, I don’t know what I did to you to make you detest me so much. I love and respect your daughter and treat her like she’s a queen.’’ Elliot stepped in. He could feel his temper start to rise but had to control it in order to get somewhere with her father.
‘’You impregnated my daughter out of marriage!’’
‘’Dad, that was my own decision and it’s not his fault you can’t blame him.’’ Desiree yelled back at him.
‘’I have to agree that we don’t see eye to eye and we don’t agree on a lot of things, but all that matters is that I treat your daughter right. That’s what matter in the long run, that she’s not being treated badly by some men. I care about her so much, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t give two fucks about what you think about me.’’ Elliot said.
Her father didn’t say anything, instead he took a sip of his water and looked deep in thought.
‘’You know what, you’re right. Forgive me Elliot, I shouldn’t try to control your lives, you are both adults. It’s just that I still see Desiree as my little girl who I need to make decisions for. Please forgive me Elliot.’’ He said after a few minutes as he looked at both of them.
They all looked at him shocked since what he had just said was the last thing that they thought he would say.
‘’I forgive you and thanks for understanding.’’ Elliot told him with a smile.
‘’Thank you, for forgiving me it takes a strong person to forgive.’’ Rupert told him with a smile of his own.
‘’See, this is much better. For once we can try and have some peace in this family. Let’s toast for peace!’’ Amber said as she raised her glass.
‘’For peace.’’ They all said as they smiled.
Desiree took Elliot’s hand in hers and squeezed it. She knew that she could rely on him whenever she needed him. Arranging things between her father and him showed her one thing that she wasn’t certain about. He was the one.
‘’Sir, if you don’t mind I would like to speak with you after dinner.’’ Elliot told Rupert while they were having desert.
Desiree looked at him with confusion on her face, but he just winked at her and continued eating his strawberry cheesecake with a grin on his face.
44☕
❝We come to love not by finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.❞
The final day of the Locks and Noah quickly came. In the last two weeks all of them had grew closer and more comfortable with one another. Desiree and Noah even had some alone time where they talked about their very different lives. She was so happy for him that he had finally graduated as a vet.
‘’Dessie, honey wake up.’’ Her mother slowly nudged her.
‘’Mmm what time is it?’’ She grumbled as she turned on her side to look at Elliot, but to her surprise he wasn’t next to her.
‘’It’s ten o’clock sleepy head. C’mon the others are all having breakfast.’’ Amber told her as she pulled her out of bed.
‘’Jesus, what’s all the rush mum?’’
‘’This is our last day here in London and I want to spend as much time with you as possible that’s all.’’ She told her as she kissed her on the head.
Desiree walked into the kitchen and began eating her toast with scrambled eggs that was waiting for her. There was something going on, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
‘’Where’s Elliot?’’ She asked when she noticed that his seat next to her was empty.
‘’He went to buy some things from the grocery shop, he won’t take long.’’ Rupert answered with a smile as they continued to eat their breakfast.
‘’Finally you’re ready! You are such a slow eater sometimes! C’mon let’s go upstairs so you can change.’’ Alice exclaimed as she jumped off her seat and took Desiree’s hand in hers.
‘’You know I’m not a morning person!’’ She replied as they started to make their way up the stairs. ‘’Why are you all following us?’’ She asked as she spun around to face her parents and Noah who were following them.
‘’Just trust us Desiree.’’ Noah told her with a smile.
When she walked into her bedroom Desiree covered her mouth with surprise as she looked around her bedroom.
There were candles on every surface and white roses which filled the room with a sweet smell. The item that caused her attention the most where the photographs of her and Elliot throughout different stages of their relationship. As she walked around to look at each and every one of them she noticed that there were some of her alone that Elliot must have took when she wasn’t paying attention.
‘’Desiree.’’ She spun around to see Elliot emerging from the en suite bathroom as she run to him and wrapped her legs around his waist as she embraced him. She hadn’t realized that there were tears streaming down her face as Elliot brushed them from her cheeks.
‘’Desiree, I have something very important to tell you.’’ He started as he sat her back down on the ground and cleared his throat, he seemed pretty nervous as he ran his hands through his hair.
‘’I’ve been wanting to tell you what I’m about to say since the first day that I saw you. The first time that I saw you I knew that there was something different about you and when I got to know you I was completely under your spell. I want you to be the first person I see when I wake up in the morning and the only one I kiss goodnight. Because the first time that I saw these hands I couldn’t imagine not being able to hold them. But when you love someone as much
as I love you, getting married is the only thing left to do. So will you, um, marry me?’’ He said as he got down on one knee and held a dark velvet box in his hand.
Desiree was speechless as she stood there and looked down at him. He had proposed to her! He wanted her to be his wife! She couldn’t believe what had just happened, it was what she had always wanted. The fairytale ending to her imperfect life.
‘’Yes, definitely!’’ She exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms while her family clapped and cheered.
‘’I love you so much Desiree. You just made me the happiest men in the world!’’ He told her as he placed the beautiful princess cut ring on her ring finger and kissed her as hard as he could. He couldn’t believe it! He had never thought in a hundred years that he would get married, that he would even find someone willing to spend the rest of their life together. Desiree was his angel, his miracle from God.
‘’I love you too, Elliot. Forever.’’ She said as she kissed him back with the same passion that he had for her.
Her family and Noah where so happy for the two of them. When Elliot had asked Rupert for his permission to marry his daughter he had immediately accepted, he knew that Elliot loved her more than any man in the world ever could and when Rupert told Amber, Alice and Noah what he had asked him they were both happy for them, especially her mother.
She always dreamt of the moment when Desiree walked down the aisle to marry the me of her dreams, of course Amber had thought that Noah and Desiree would get married, but Elliot suited her daughter more. They were made for each other, and she couldn’t wait for the day of the wedding.
Epilogue☕
❝And you hold me in your arms
And all that I can see
Is my future in your hands
And all that I can feel
Is how long ever after is.❞
Seven months later
''Desiree, wake up!''
Desiree sat up in her bed immediately and looked around her bedroom to see Alice, Mia and her mum grinning at her, as they held two huge white boxes in their hands. That was when she remembered that it was her wedding day!
''I'm getting married!'' She exclaimed as she jumped out of bed. ''What time is it? Am I late? When is the makeup artist getting her? And the limo?''
''Fist of all calm down, here have a cup of tea.'' Her mother told her as she gave her the cup that she was holding in her hand. ''The makeup artist and photographer will arrive in about half an hour and we have to be at the church in two hours.''
''Go and get dressed now, I can't wait to see you in your dress!'' Mia told her with a smile as she handed her the box with the dress.
Desiree walked into the bathroom and unwrapped her dress. It was a beautiful white A-line covered with beautiful lace. As soon as she had tried it on at the shop she knew that it was the one. It looked absolutely beautiful on her and she hoped that Elliot would love it as much as she did.
As she stepped out of the bathroom in her dress, the three ladies looked at her in awe and her mother started to cry.
''Oh mum, please don't start crying, it's so early in the morning.'' Desiree told her as she hugged her.
''I'm sorry, it's just that you look so beautiful and this is your wedding day. My baby girl is getting married. I'm not ready to lose you yet.''
''Mum, you aren't going to lose me, I will visit you. Elliot and I are looking at this beautiful house we found here in Chicago so we can be both be closer to home.'' She told her with a smile.
''Desiree, it would be so nice if I could see you more than just twice a year. Thank you, for doing this.'' Amber told her as she wiped more tears from her eyes.
''I love you mum.''
''I love you too, Dessie. Now let's go downstairs, they are going to be here soon.''
☯
Desiree stood infront of the mirror, she didn't recognize the woman that was looking back at her. The makeup artist had enhanced her natural beauty and the hairdresser had curled her hair at the bottom. She had to admit that she looked beautiful.
''Are you ready to go and get married, Desiree?'' Mia asked her.
''Of course I am, I have been waiting for this day since I was a little girl.'' She laughed.
''I can't believe that you are getting married at only twenty, you still have time to back out if you want to.'' Her best friend joked.
''That's very tempting, let's run away!'' Desiree told her with a grin.
''Girls come on we have to leave now or we are going to be late!'' Amber yelled from the other room.
''Shit it's too late to run away now!'' Desiree pouted.
''Let's go, Desiree. You don't want to let your prince waiting for you.'' She told her as she took her hand in hers and walked out of the front door as the photographer snapped a hundred photos of them as they got in the limo.
In twenty minutes they arrived at the church and helped her to get out of the car. As Desiree got out she was met by her father who looked lovingly at her.
''My daughter I am so proud of you!'' He told her as he hugged her tightly.
''Daddy, I love you!'' It was at that moment that she realized what was really happening. She was getting married, in just a few minutes she would be someone's wife, Elliot's wife and her father's name won't be her last name anymore. She wouldn't belong to her dad anymore.
''Let's go, darling, he's waiting for you.'' Rupert told her as he wiped the tears from his eyes and took her hand in his. Mia and Alice took their place before them, since they were both the bridesmaids and her mother had walked inside the church already.
Desiree took a deep breath as the music started and Mia and Alice started to walk slowly down the aisle.
''Relax, Desiree. You don't have anything to worry about, he's a good guy.'' Her dad told her.
''I know, I'm just worried that I will fall infront of all those people.'' She told him with a smile.
''I will hold you every step of the way.'' He told her before they started to walked down the aisle.
When she saw Elliot waiting for her at the alter tears started to stream down her face. He looked so handsome in his dark grey suit, and the smile on his face was the happiest smile that she had ever seen. She was surprised to see him wiping his eyes, he wasn't a crier.
''You look beautiful, baby girl.'' Elliot told her as he held her hand and helped her up the stairs.
''You don't look bad yourself, Liot.'' She told him with a smile as he wiped away a tear from her cheek before the priest started the ceremony.
☯
''You may now seal your vows with a kiss.'' The priest told them.
Desiree and Elliot both grinned at each other before they kissed for the first time as husband and wife, while their relatives and friends clapped and cheered for them. The happy couple then walked back together down the aisle as they threw rose petals at them, before they got in the limo.
''Are you ready for the party, wife?'' Elliot asked her as the both got in the backseat of the limo.
''Of course I am, but I'm more than ready for the honeymoon, husband.'' She told him with a smile as he started to pour two flutes of champagne for them. ''Oh, um Elliot I can't drink any champagne.'' She stopped him before he started to fill the second flute
''Why not? This is a very sweet champagne I am sure that you will like it.'' He told her confused.
''I have something to tell you.'' She started as she turned in her seat to face him.
''Come on tell me, what's wrong? You don't regret marrying, do you?'' He asked her with wide eyes.
''No! That was the best decision in my whole life. I'm pregnant, Elliot.'' Desiree told him as she waited for his reaction. She wasn't sure how he was going to take the news. Would he be happy that they were going to have another baby or would he be mad that they won't have a lot of time alone as husband and wife?
Tea and Tattoos Page 18