by L A Moore
“It was all you, all I did was provide the material!” Ari said in response and then kissed her head.
The next few weeks were spent with Poppy and Ari spending most of their days by the fire and a couple of times a week they would make the trek up the mountain to take more photos, once even taking photos of a sleeping bear in its den and playing with its cubs who Ari had pulled from the den so that Poppy could photograph them and hold them. It never ceased to amaze her how magical nature was with him.
Chapter 96
Yule came all too soon and Poppy busied herself decorating every room in the house. Ari said it looked like Yule had exploded in their house, but that is what she wanted. There were garlands hung and twisted about the bannister, and mistletoe hung by the door. The kitchen cabinets sported little wreaths of greenery and holly, and the chairs and windows sported bright red curtains. The bathrooms had pinecone candles and goofy little moose soap dispensers, and rugs. Their bedroom sported a brand new red comforter with flannel red and green sheets and a string of lights hung over the bed. In the living room by the fireplace was a larger than life tree, decorated with everything from bird ornaments to crystals and red and green balls; and was totally covered from one end to the other with lights. The couches sported plush new cushions in red and green and she had conned Avianna into crocheting her a red and white afghan with a large red bird on it. Above the fire place was hung her favorite picture of the birds she had taken her first trip back out with Ari, and along the mantle were various candles that, when lit, made the whole house smell of wassail. Under the tree was so many presents that they spilled out and were stacked along the walls. Poppy just couldn’t help herself, Yule was one of her favorite holidays beside Samhain, and she adored every bit of it. She loved the sights, the smells, the colors, and the feelings of joy and merriment.
Yule morning came, and Poppy made a large breakfast with pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice, and cinnamon rolls. Ari went over while Poppy was finishing up breakfast to help Avianna across the way and help carry her gifts over. Just as they finished, Poppy finished setting breakfast on the table. They ate with gusto and when it was done, cleaned up the kitchen and began opening gifts.
It took them an hour to go through it all but, in the end, one gift was left and it was from Avianna to Poppy.
Poppy took the package all wrapped in red and tied with white ribbon and pulled the top off. Inside was her wedding gown, all finished, and Poppy cried. “It’s so beautiful Avianna! It’s better than I imagined! Thank you so much! I just… I can’t begin to thank you.” Poppy said, sniffling. The dress was her dream dress. It was a long sleeved, Victorian inspired, wedding gown with chiffon sleeves and chiffon overlay with a beaded v neck embroidered top with pearl buttons. The silk underneath would lie loosely against the skin and the chiffon overlay would come out further, forming the embroidered and beaded train. It was the most beautiful thing that Poppy had ever seen. “I didn’t think you would finish it this soon, with so much going on and you crocheting me that afghan.” Poppy said astounded.
“Well, I have a lot of time on my hands and, to be truthful, I began working on the dress while you were in recovery. I’ve had it done for weeks now.” Avianna admitted, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m so glad you like it. I was worried that I wouldn’t get the idea you had just right and you wouldn’t like it.” She added.
“Not like it? I love it! It’s perfect, just simply perfect! Come on and help me, I have to try it on right now, and you’re as close as I have to a Mother and Ari can’t see me in it till the wedding day.” Poppy said, getting up.
“Ok” Avianna said, her smile getting even bigger. She liked that Poppy thought of her as a Mother and she was just as excited to see her handiwork on Poppy as Poppy was to try it on.
They went to the bedroom and Avianna helped Poppy to undress and then to put the dress on and when she was done, she stood back and asked “How do I look?”
Avianna thought she was as beautiful as a picture in a bridal magazine. “Oh Honey, You’re beautiful, just stunning! You’re going to knock Ari’s socks off!” Avianna gushed.
Poppy went to the bathroom and admired herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she looked into the mirror and saw the exact image she had first had in her head come to life before her eyes. “OH Avianna, it’s amazing! I look beautiful!” Poppy said. After a few moments of swishing back and forth in the new gown, she reluctantly went back into the bedroom and Avianna helped her to remove the gown and redress in her jeans and sweater. “I hated to take it off, it looked so nice!” she said as they came back into the room.
“Well it won’t be long now, and before you know it, you will be putting the gown back on once again, but I’m sure that you will look stunning because you are beautiful and you make everything look stunning.” Ari said, kissing her
They spent the rest of the day playing games and drinking wassail and singing songs and eating the amazing feast that Poppy and Avianna cooked for their dinner.
Chapter 97
The weeks passed, and soon spring was just beginning to show its lovely face. That’s when their lives turned into a mad house of last minute planning.
“I thought you had the wedding planned; why are we having to make these decisions now?” Ari asked, confused.
“I explained this to you already; I couldn’t order the flowers until spring, I only knew what colors I wanted and most of our wedding is planned around nature, of which is sort of still doing its thing. Now please, just pick some flowers with me, please!” Poppy begged.
“Ok, ok, how about the peonies?” Ari asked.
“Peonies are good. Thank you!” Poppy said, grateful he had finally chosen something.
Their house had become wedding central and the phone never stopped ringing. There were boxes piled in every nook and cranny and gifts were pouring in from well-wishers. Finally the week of the wedding came, and Poppy could hardly sit down for preparing this and that and Ari was being driven mad with moving trees from all over the forest to form benches for the altar. Not to mention her having him shape a circle out of branches to form the altar, and then there was the carrying all the boxes outside into the field for the caterers to set up the table for the reception. All he wanted was some time for him and Poppy to be alone, without all the stress of the wedding. So two nights before the wedding, he kidnapped her just scooped her right off her feet and carried her over to his truck and put her in and drove off, leaving half a dozen stunned party planners, assistants, and caterers to stare after them.
“What are you doing? Where are we going?” Poppy asked angrily.
“I am taking you out. I’ve had it with this wedding I just want my wife, is that too much to ask?” Ari answered.
Poppy laughed. “Yeah it is, because I’m not your wife yet! You goof! But I love that you are already thinking of me as your wife. Now can you please take me back so I can finish preparing for our wedding?” she asked.
“No not yet. I had Mom step in, she knows all your plans, anyways and she agrees you need a break. When was the last time you ate?” Ari asked her.
“Well… let me see, I think it was dinner, two nights ago.” Poppy said honestly.
“What? You haven’t eaten in two days? This is… no, you can’t marry me if you are not going to eat.” Ari said angrily.
“Are you seriously cancelling the wedding now, because I didn’t eat?” Poppy asked angrily back.
“No, yes, maybe. You have to eat and then I’ll tell you.” Ari said and pulled into the local pizza place he had taken her to on their first date.
They shared a pizza and a salad and had a glass of wine and laughed and by the time they were done, it was closing time. They had been gone for hours.
“Oh, Avianna is going to kill me!” Poppy said. “That is, if you’re still going to marry me.” She added.
“Mmm, I thought about it and I’ve decided I can’t make you my wife without I
t so I guess the only thing to do is to get married.” Ari said, flirting with her.
“Then in that case, I suppose we should get married.” Poppy agreed.
Chapter 98
Avianna was waiting on them when they got back, but it wasn’t because she was mad. She wanted to make sure they were ok after being gone so long, in typical mother fashion. “You had me worried!” she complained.
“I’m sorry I worried you Mom, I just needed some time with my bride.” Ari explained.
“You could have told me that; instead you said ‘take over, we’re getting out of here’ and the next thing I know you’re carrying Poppy off and you don’t come back for hours. Do you know what I thought happened to you?” Avianna complained.
“We’re sorry Mom; we got to talking and time just slipped away from us, but thank you for taking over for us. We couldn’t do this without you.” Poppy said; placating her soon to be mother in law.
“You know I was happy to help; I just wish you had called me is all.” Avianna said and walked home.
“Next time, I promise Mom!” Poppy called after her and then giggled and pulled Ari into the house behind her.
There was nothing slow about the way they made love. They came together like an explosion of first passions and fireworks. He slammed her against the door, kissing her hard, and stumbling through the house and around boxes, they made their way, removing clothes and touching and kissing as they went to the bedroom. By the time they made it to the bedroom, both were naked and Ari didn’t bother with the bed, he slammed her against the wall and slide into her in one fast movement which made her suck in her breath and bite her lip. In a frenzy, they finished lying on the floor.
“Wow!” Poppy said.
“Yeah, wow!” Ari echoed.
They woke the next morning to the final preparations being made around them as Avianna led the way. She tossed them a bag of doughnuts and winked at them as she went through the house with the wedding planner, issuing orders and checking off on details.
“Looks like Mom has everything under control.” Ari said, taking a doughnut from the bag and passing the rest to Poppy.
“Yeah, it looks like.” Poppy said taking the bag and taking a doughnut out. “My favorite, managers special!” she added and took a giant bite.
Chapter 99
That day was a whirlwind and one that neither of them really remembered; all they could remember was falling into bed that night, exhausted and sore. The next morning, Ari went to his Mothers to get ready while Avianna and Poppy took over his house to get ready. Soon, hairdressers and makeup artist were knocking on the door and setting up shop in the kitchen and living room. By the time they were done, she had been polished and shined to a T. Her hair was an intricate coif that was pinned with pearls; she had decided against a tiara and instead, chose to go with a simple veil that Avianna had embroidered for her to match her train with a simple garland of flowers to hold it down. She wore diamonds and pearls as her jewelry, and her makeup was so natural that she barely saw that she was wearing anything at all but, after an hour under the makeup artist careful hand, she knew she indeed was wearing makeup. They had told her they used blush tones to accentuate her eyes and lips and cheeks, but the effect was so soft she could barely see it. Her dress fit her perfectly ,despite her lack of appetite recently, and the gold heels fit her perfectly, even if they were purely unpractical, but Ari had thought of everything and had laid stones for her to walk on down the aisle at the last minute last night so she wouldn’t sink in the dirt.
Avianna had had them do her hair and makeup too and, where they had kept Poppy’s makeup neutrally they went all out with an elaborate eye shadow and played up her cheek bones and lips. She wore a short soft rose pink dress with a diamond brooch pinned just below her breast on the sleeveless attire. She wore matching soft rose pink heels and pink crystal earrings and necklace.
Secretly, Poppy wished they had made her up a bit more, but everyone told her that she was the picture perfect bride so she hadn’t said anything and, just like that, it was time to walk down the aisle.
Poppy would not allow Avianna to walk her down the aisle, instead she chose to give herself away and likewise they had chosen not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Like with everything else, nothing was being done to anyone’s expectations. Instead of an elaborate wedding, they were having a simple hand fasting in the forest and, to their surprise, everyone’s delight. Everyone thought it was romantic and perfect for them. Of course, everyone included most everyone that Ari knew and only a few guests she had wanted to include, including her first friend in town, Willa and her family, and her teacher, but that didn’t matter to Poppy. All that mattered to her was that she was getting married.
The service was over so quickly Poppy hardly had time to realize they had been married before the photographer was pulling them away for pictures while their guest filed out of the woods and towards the field for the reception. With pictures out of the way, they were whisked to the reception by the wedding planner and instructed to cut the cake, which they did with much applause from their audience and then it was time for dancing. People stayed until the sun began to set and then left, leaving the two of them very hungry and very alone. Hand in hand they walked into the house to find a dinner for two sat up for them, lit by candlelight with a card from Avianna.
There’s never enough time to eat at these event’s, so I took the liberty of making you a plate. Enjoy!
`Love, Mom
Ari and Poppy couldn’t have been more grateful. They sat down and lifted the lids on their plates to find an array of foods from the wedding and a slice of wedding cake for dessert; there was even a bottle of champagne and their glasses that Poppy had painstakingly picked out. She had thought of everything.
That night, unlike their previous night, they came together slowly, enjoying and savoring one another and then had fallen into a deep sleep.
Chapter 100
Spring came and went and business was good. Summer was upon them before they knew it and it was just such a day that Poppy surprised Ari with a picnic. She took care to pack only his favorites. Then they had hiked up to their special spot and had sat by the stream on a blanket.
“Here why don’t you unpack everything while I take some pictures?” Poppy said, taking up her camera. She walked around, shooting him from different angles as he unpacked the sandwiches and the drinks and finally a box.
“What’s in the box?” Ari asked ,shaking it. “Did you get me something?” he asked, wiggling his eye brows at her, being silly.
“Sort of, why don’t you open it and find out.” Poppy said, getting down on both knees so she could get the next shot.
Ari was used to her taking dozens of pictures of him, so he had long learned to ignore her and let her do her thing. So he thought nothing of it when she aimed her camera once again in his direction. He slid the top of the box off and there, nestled among the silk, was a sonogram picture with the words ‘hello daddy’ typed bold faced onto it. Tears came to his eyes and he looked up at her and grabbed her, hugging her to him and kissing her face all over. “I’m the happiest man in the world!” Ari said and lifted her up and spun her around.
Emberliegh Avaliena Mooreland came into the world that following February, weighing in at six pounds and six ounces and twenty one inches long. She had her Mother’s hair, eyes, and lips, and her Father’s nose and ears.
“She’s perfect.” Poppy said while looking at her daughter as Ari held her.
“Well of course she is, she’s my granddaughter!” Avianna replied with a laugh.
Other Acknowledgements
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