Amaya's POV:
I smoothed down my beautiful dress as I glanced once more in the mirror. I looked blissful and I was happy. The dress that I was currently donning was made of pure satin and the hem just barely grazed the floor. There wasn't any extra beading; it was just a simple dress, but it's simplicity is what made it absolutely beautiful.
In my hands I held a bouquet of fresh, white garden roses alongside an abundance of soft, blush-colored orchids. The bundle of flowers, not only looked stunning in my hands, but also set an elegant tone.
I was nervous about walking down the aisle. Knowing my luck, I'd trip in these ridiculously high heels and fall on my face in front of the hundreds of guests that had decided to attend.
Instead of getting myself even more upset, I took a deep breath and shakily exhaled. Today was a huge and extremely important day, so the last thing I wanted to do was embarrass myself or Theo and his family. But I also knew I didn't have time to back out, it was now or never.
I held the bottom of my skirt as I scrupulously walked toward the entrance of the church. I stood behind the last bridesmaid in line and closed my eyes.
I gave myself a silent but confidence-boosting chant on how this would all turn out alright. I just needed to get to the end of the aisle.
My ears perked up when I heard the tall, oak doors swing open, giving a direct view of all that was inside. Thankfully I didn't have to walk first, but from my standing point I could see the church was packed to full capacity, only making my nerves skyrocket more.
I breathed in and out numerous times, and in what felt like no time at all, it was my turn to walk down the aisle.
As soon as I made two glides out the door a large flash went off beside me. I hadn't been expecting it and slightly teeter-tottered in my shoes. Luckily, I saved face and caught my balance. I took a relaxing breath and refocused my attention to the front of the church.
Theo was silently watching me from the front of the church as I clumsily made my attempts to walk my way forward, but he didn't show any signs of disappointment or embarrassment. He just had his usual mega-watt grin plastered on his face, like I was the only person in the room.
Like it was instinct, a smile lit up my face upon seeing his and I felt my breathing immediately decelerate. My chest no longer felt constricted as I concentrated solely on him and it was as if I was suddenly floating on air toward him.
Keeping my eyes on him, I blocked the rest of the world out. It was like we were the last two people on earth. Love radiated on his face as his eyes wrinkled with happiness as I drew nearer.
When I finally made it to the three steps leading to my place, I let out a sigh of relief. No more high-heeled walking. I carefully scaled those solitary steps and found my place directly parallel to Theo.
I readjusted my dress and straightened my shoulders before I lifted my face to see Theo already watching me. Bu the look on his face I could tell he was speechless as he saw me up close. I could say the same about him.
He looked so handsome. His tuxedo fit him in all the right places, hugging around his trimmed, athletic frame. The crisp white undershirt laid tightly against his chest, showing off his buff muscles from all those football workouts. The fresh, jet black suit jacket fit perfectly around his strong arms. Theo looked so professionally put together. Hell, even his tie was in a flawless bow.
I inwardly chuckled at that little bow. The night before Theo was in a complete rant on the phone about how he had to wear a bow tie rather than a regular tie. I remember exactly how I responded.
~~ The Night Before ~~
"No matter if it was a bow tie or a regular tie, you couldn't tie it if your life depended on it." I laughed as I snuggled deeper into my bed.
Sleeping without Theo had always been something neither me or my body adjusted well to. As cheesy as it sounds, I couldn't fall asleep as fast without having him there to hold me.
"Well that's what I have you for." He admitted.
I rolled my eyes at his comment, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a small smile cracking it's way onto my lips. I guess I am part to blame since I always tied his ties without question.
"You're 24 years old. You'd think you'd know how to by now." I chuckled.
"Well Ethel always used to do it for me, then I met you and you always do it for me. I've always had someone to do it for me. It's a true life of luxury I live in."
At the mention of Ethel, I was excited. She was attending the wedding and it would be my first time seeing her since Christmas at Theo's mom's house a few months ago.
"That you do." I smiled but it faltered a bit when I rolled over to an empty bed side where Theo should've been. "I miss you."
I heard a hearty chuckle from his end of the conversation before he spoke again. "You'll see me tomorrow."
"So? Doesn't make up for the fact that I can't fall asleep tonight."
"You know I wished I was there, but my dad really wanted me to stay the night with him before the big day."
"I know. I know. Graham's always stealing my man." I joked as I flipped over again to look out the extravagant window which was currently overlooking the city of Rome's night skyline. Hotels sure did an amazing job of luring you into a sense of homeyness but never could fulfill it completely.
"I'm sorry, princess. Tomorrow I'll be right back at your side. I promise." He said on the other side of the phone, sounding slightly guilty.
"I know you will be." I smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I love you, Theo."
"I love you too, Mya."
With that I hung up the phone and shut out my bedside light as I once again rustled around trying to find a comfortable position. An hour later I was barely awake, staring at the ceiling as I was slowly drifting into a much needed slumber.
My eyes were finally about to shut for the night when I heard someone swiping their card key and twisting at the door handle.
I had only given my key to one other person. I lifted my sleep mask and peered into the darkness of my room.
"Theo?"
"Yeah?" He answered back.
A smile took up my face as I flicked the lamp back on. My eyes immediately squinted due to the sudden brightness and adjusted to find Theo walking towards me.
"What are you doing here? I thought your dad wanted you to stay with him." I pondered aloud.
"Yeah he did, but he must've heard our conversation because he told me to come be with you and just to meet him in the morning." He admitted as he kicked off his shoes at the end of the bed.
"I'm not going to question it. Just get in bed so I can finally sleep. This time change has really been messing with my sleep schedule." I admitted as I lifted the blanket and patted the spot beside me.
Theo laughed at my actions and slid off his jacket and socks before climbing into bed beside me. His arms immediately looped around my waist and pulled me as close as possible. I immediately snuggled my face into his chest and my eyes fluttered shut.
I looked into his eyes as I felt his hand soothingly reach up and run his fingers down my hair and back. My breathing soon became a pattern as Theo reached over to shut the light out.
"Can you believe tomorrow is here already?" Theo whispered still astonished.
"Hmm-mhm." I muttered back sleepily as my eyes fluttered shut once again.
Theo quietly chuckled as he continued to smooth over my hair. "Goodnight, princess."
That was the last thing I remember before the morning sun was blinding my eyes. Theo's spot in bed was empty and cold by the time I woke up to someone beating on my door.
I grumbled as I stumbled to the door, only to open it to a jaw-on-the-ground Theresa.
"This is what Camilla gives me to work with? Did you just wake up, darling?!" She was fuming. "I've been knocking on your door for nearly ten minutes!"
She pushed past me and immediately started unpacking her little suitcases full of makeup.
"Good morning to your too, Theresa." I chuckled as I shut the door and moved to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
After I rinsed my mouth and washed my face for the morning I returned to the living area to find Theresa all set up and directing me to sit in a chair.
"Oh. Here, darling." She dug into her back pocket. "I believe this to be yours. He left it at the front desk for me with specific directions to deliver it to you." She handed me a folded up paper and I immediately opened it.
'Mya,
See you later hot stuff! I'll be the sexy one in the tux.
Love,
Theo'
I chuckled at his silly signing and began to gain excitement about seeing him in his spiffy little tux. It felt like I hadn't seen him in anything other than his workout clothes and football uniform since he made it to the NFL.
He loved it so far and as luck would have it, he was now one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
"You've got yourself quite a man there, miss Amaya." I heard Theresa say from behind me.
I smiled to myself as I refolded the letter and stuck it inside my bag before sitting in the chair, facing the mirror in front of Theresa. "I really do, don't I?"
"I've seen you from the beginning up until now. I feel like I'm watching a damn romance movie."
"Yeah you've seen us through so much. I still can't believe you haven't met him yet."
"I know. It's like watching a movie with the main love interest missing. You know how hard that is?!" I watched her in the mirror as she dramatically threw her hands in the air, resulting in a laugh from me.
"You'll meet him tonight for sure!" Thankfully she was invited. I mean after all the hair and makeup she had done for the family she deserved to be there.
I noticed she was already done up for the wedding, so she wouldn't have to worry about getting ready after me. Typical Theresa. She'd always been such a planner.
"It's about time! It's only been what? Four years?"
"Yeah it's crazy isn't it? Time sure does fly." I admitted as I folded my hands together.
In no time at all Theresa had my hair in a elegant updo and had turned me around to start on my makeup. Just when she was putting the final touches on my eyeshadow, there was yet another knock at the door.
I got up to answer it in only a robe and my face only half done. I hope it wasn't anything important. I swung the door open without even thinking to check through the peephole and there stood Annalee and Tucker.
Anna was guzzling a bottle of water as Tuck was holding a rather large bottle of champagne.
"Hey, girl. You're looking fiiiine." Tuck clicked his tongue as he walked around me into the room.
I chuckled as I watched him checking the room out and stepped further back to let Anna in. I tried to give her enough room to maneuver around me with her ever-growing baby bump. She was nearing 6 months by now.
"Gracie's been missing you since you've been away with all this wedding stuff." She admitted as she hugged me.
"Yeah I'm sorry I had to drop her off so last minute. I was planning on mom and dad watching her but they won that cruise so last minute. I'm so glad they'll be here for the wedding though. Thank you for taking care if her. Did she make it to the dog kennel okay?" I asked. It might've only been four days, but I'd really missed my little fluff ball.
"Oh no. That's okay. Gracie is always such a good girl. Danny insisted on walking her with me every single time. He wouldn't let me do anything Gracie-related alone except give her a treat afterwards." She rolled her eyes at Danny's actions.
They'd always been such a cute couple together. From the moment they told us they were dating in the spring of my freshman year, up to the moment they announced they were expecting a baby.
I remember Annalee telling me how they met and how there was just an immediate spark between them. They had met while I was away for Christmas that fateful holiday.
While Theo and I were having one of the worst holiday seasons on the face of the earth, Annalee and Danny were meeting for the first time. Danny came over asking for a hoodie Theo had borrowed and instead he found the love of his life.
I smiled at the sweet moments that I had experienced between the two of them. From the beginning, I knew they were meant to be.
Seeing Tuck poured us each a glass of champagne, with exception of Anna, brought to the hotel room.
"I don't know why we have to celebrate with the one thing I can't drink. Like why alcohol? Why not cake or something?"
We all chorused laughs around her as I set back in my seat for makeup. "You can have any of the food from the fridge, Anna."
She didn't have to be told twice as she hurried to the kitchen and dining area of the room. When she made it to the refrigerator, she practically ripped the door off its hinges. I laughed as I watched her in her fancy dress bent down as low as she could and shuffling through the various items that currently crowded the fridge.
"Oreos dunked in key lime yogurt. Interesting combo." I chuckled from the other side of the room.
She quirked an eyebrow as she pulled the Oreos apart and started filling them with yogurt.
"Anna that is so disgusting." Tuck covered his mouth as he watched from afar in pure horror.
"Don't be such a baby. Don't you have your husband to annoy?" She rolled her eyes as she continued to eat a whole sleeve like that. You wouldn't catch me coming between Anna and her food. That was an unsaid mistake and I just knew it.
"No. You know Micthell is overseas right now." He said back just as sassily.
I remember meeting Mitchell for the first time. He was blindingly beautiful with his blue eyes and suave black hair. After four months of a mopey Tucker recovering from the Sam breakup, I figured this guy was a start.
It ended up being way more than just a start. It was the beginning of something truly beautiful. Tucker and Mitchell married on a December night two years after they met. I remember it like it was yesterday. Mitchell was clad in his military uniform and Tuck wore a stylish, cream tuxedo. It was a small but memorable ceremony.
I remember how upset Tucker was when he found out Mitch wouldn't be home to attend this 'wedding of the century' as he put it in his own terms. To make him feel better I insured him a seat three rows away from the alter.
~~~
Back to the present, in my place at the alter, I sent him Tuck a smile and he waved back crazily from his seat. The wedding was about to begin and I gave Theo one last smile before the wedding march began.
Down the aisle the beautifully carved wooden doors swung open to reveal a bride clad in all white and on her arm was a handsome Will.
Theo's older brother was dressed in a jet black tuxedo accompanied with a pink tie that his mother bribed him into wearing by pulling the 'it's my wedding' card.
I glanced at the groom as the mother-and-son duo began gliding down the aisle in rhythmic steps with the music. The groom was standing tall but you could see just how much the entrance of his soon-to-be-wife was severely affecting him.
His eyes were crinkled around the edges as they stayed on his fiancee in her beautiful gown. Theo really was the spitting image of his biological dad.
They shared the same chocolate eyes that sparkled whenever they saw someone they loved. Their father-son reunion was definitely one for the books. There was a lot of yelling and bitter remarks, but overall it ended in happy tears and warm embraces.
Camilla was undeniably still in love with the man. You could tell from the very second she laid her eyes on him. The spark was still there after nearly two decades and they surely weren't waiting another twenty years to be together. They started dating six months after they had reunited. A couple short years later and they were engaged.
I smiled as I watched their romantic reactions towards each other and I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a bit. Camilla had been a true thorn in my side from the moment I met her, but when she finally told the truth, the air between us began to clear.
I guess it helped a lot when I learned that she practically paid out of her own pocket to assist in my dad's full recovery. It really showed how she was changing as a person and finally becoming someone I could admire and connect with. We grew closer over the years which is exactly how I, Amaya Dawson, wound up as Camilla Kingston's maid of honor.
I watched as she effortlessly glided up the steps that had given me so much trouble with Will on her arm. She stopped her ascent as soon as Will placed her hand in her groom's with some words.
"Take care of her." He warned.
Graham grinned and looked to the beautiful Camilla. "Always."
Will smiled at the answer and made his way down the steps and to his seat in the front row. As soon as he was seated he immediately wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.
I watched with a smile as he took Ellie from his wife, Cecilia, and set her in his lap. Will noticed me watching and sent a wink my way. After knowing him for years now we were closer than ever. From the very first moment I met him, he had always felt like an older brother to me.
I was drawn away from the lovely scene when Camilla turned to hand off her boquet to me. I admired the beautiful set of flowers that appeared to be three times the size of mine as she placed it in my hands before she smiled to me. I watched as she turned back to her soon-to-be husband's gaze and held his hands in her own.
The wedding ceremony began immediately and I listened in, with Theo constantly popping into my mind as I watched the love affair. I got wrapped up into the romance of it all as I listened to the tailored parts of Graham and Camilla's ceremony.
The fact that Theo and I were able to experience and be involved in the wedding of people we knew truly loved each other and people so close to us would always resonate as a perfect memory in my mind. The ceremony seemed to breeze by and it wasn't long before we were listening to the vows.
"Do you, Camilla Kingston take Graham De Luca to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
She smiled a perfect and pearly grin as she happily chuckled. "I do."
"Do you, Graham De Luca, take Camilla Kingston as your lawfully wedded wife?"
He grinned with happiness oozing from his chocolate-brown eyes. "I do."
And with that I watched as a tear of pure happiness slipped down Camilla's smooth cheek, but it wasn't long before her husband reached out and swiped it away.
They exchanged their rings in a haste, showing that they couldn't wait to be official.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!"
Without a second's hesitation, Graham wrapped his arms intricately around his new bride and dipped her down before placing his lips on hers. It was a truly historical moment. These two have went through hell and back and were finally crossing the ultimate finish line.
The church immediately exploded into what felt like millions of cheers, including my own.
Their journey back to each other reminded me of the man standing directly across from
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