It's all Cupid's fault (The Holidaze Book 2)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28
One year later
Mia couldn't hide the deep satisfaction from her face when she arrived back in the Holidaze. She taunted Cupid with a shaking finger and a tutting noise.
“I told you I had it right. Those two might fight until the cows come home, but they love each other. We can go back and check on them in a few years and all you see is a fantastic happiness,” she told Cupid as she tapped a finger on his chin.
“I'm happy to return and to see the divorce they both shared,” Cupid teased.
Mia rolled her eyes, “you say no such thing,” she huffed.
“Let's make another match who we both agree on,” Cupid tucked a hand around her shoulder and steered her into the office area.
“Fine.”
Mia leaned in and distracted him with a kiss, which Cupid returned wholeheartedly. Cherubs flew around them with their harp song at the ready. Mia didn't find them so distracting anymore. She shared a few more delightful kisses with Cupid before returning to work.
They sat together with the normal pile of paperwork and a handy Match-a-Matic to help them choose. Mia found her gaze drifting to Cupid, who always distracted her just by sitting there and looking pretty.
Being a God, he hadn't changed since the day she met him, but neither had she. As usual his blonde hair flowed around his face as if a delicate breeze constantly followed him around. That strong jaw, perfect cheekbones and glorious lips enticed her more. It was always his eyes and the soul penetrating blue of them that stole her breath.
“Are you ever going to concentrate, Caramia?” Cupid said as he tossed a Match-a-Matic from hand to hand.
“I wonder if we still match everyone in the world?” Mia pondered.
Cupid stared at her for a long moment, not understanding her question. This was the first time she had confused him in a long time. Nowadays they were in sync with each other a lot of the time. Sometimes he could even tell what her next words were going to be.
“Could you explain further?” Cupid asked.
“We have a match to everyone in the human dimension, correct?” Mia returned his question with one of her own.
“Now you've really baffled me, but yes, we do.”
“I just wondered if the Match-a-Matic would still show that, especially when we are in a relationship.”
“Why can you never manage to say we're in love?”
Mia ignored his question, especially because she knew that he could answer his own question. As much as she knew she loved him, she struggled with saying the words. Being the Goddess of Love didn't change the human woman who had suffered such rejection in her human life.
Instead, Mia aimed the Match-a-Matic at Cupid and turned it on. She stared down at the gadget, her eyes slowly growing wider. When a smile filled her features, Cupid grasped hold of the device.
“Turn it on me,” Mia whispered.
Cupid did as she asked and found a joyful surprise awaiting him. For a moment he stared at it before turning to Mia.
“Did it say what mine said?” she asked.
“You never told me what yours said,” Cupid reminded her.
“It told me all about my perfect match,” she said as a sheen of tears filled her eyes.
“Did it now and who did that happen to be?”
“It was you.”
“Funny that, as you are mine as well,” he said as he reached over and chucked his knuckles under her chin.
“Maybe we had all the matches with the world until we met each other,” she mused.
“Makes sense.”
“In the human world it means a big old wedding and a lifetime commitment. I'm not sure what it means here. I guess I'll never get the wedding of my dreams,” Mia sighed and picked at a thread on her outfit.
Cupid didn't know what to say. He knew the importance of marriage in the human world. He also understood Mia’s desire to have a deeper connection, something permanent that she'd never had as a human.
“There is a ritual done in Santa's Village and you even experienced it with Meri,” Cupid encouraged.
“The key to your heart ceremony?” Mia said as she did indeed recall seeing Meri and Sander form their bond with golden keys. It had given her such happiness to see her friend find her love.
“That's the one!”
“I think that's a Santa's Village tradition and I'm not sure if it would work the same here,” Mia said with a small shake of her head.
“We have just as much magic here, so I'm sure it would work,” Cupid assured her.
Mia said nothing. How could she ever explain that a wedding was her idea of ultimate commitment. It was the reason why she became a wedding planner. It had been something Mia had secretly held close to her heart for her whole life.
She wanted a band of diamonds around her finger to symbolise their love for each other. The need to walk down the aisle towards Cupid would be a wondrous sight to behold. The perfect dress and shoes. The flowing veil, perfect hair, and makeup. She wanted all of these things and she wanted to experience them with Cupid.
Mia had it all spelled out in her head. The dream wedding that she had always craved and now she had the perfect partner. She finally had the man that she loved, and she wanted to marry him, not some key to your heart ceremony that had no symbolism for Mia.
“I know this will sound stupid, but I don't need anything magical. All I want is the marriage I've always envisioned,” Mia told him.
“That's very… human of you. I thought you had embraced your Goddess of Love,” Cupid said.
“I have, but the little girl in me, the one who always dreamed of her wedding, needs this. Golden keys hanging somewhere in this place wouldn't be as symbolic to me as a ring on my finger and one on yours. That to me shows a commitment more than linked keys.”
“Okay, looks like I've got a bit of stuff to organise.”
“Huh? We’re working. What are you talking about?” Mia stared at him.
“Once in a lifetime proposals don't just happen, Caramia,” Cupid said with a sparkle in his eye.
Mia sat there flabbergasted. Did Cupid actually mean those words? She had just sat there and spilled out her dream wedding without much thought. Was he really considering giving into her wishes?
Her heart began to flutter madly in her chest, but she had to ask, “you’ll propose, and we’ll have a wedding as if we were just normal people?”
“Anything for you, Caramia. You are already my life, my love, and my heart. A ring on my finger for your happiness is the easiest of feats.”
Cupid bowed at her before clasping her hand in his. He kissed the back of her hand before sweeping his arms into the air. The way his wings appeared with effortless motion made her catch her breath. Cupid really was a magnificent God.
Mia continued sorting through the many matches they could make in the human dimension. When her mind found itself distracted at the thought of her dream wedding, she gave up her search.
Mia wandered out of the cottage and over to the lake. She loved sitting here and watching the mermaids splashing about. Even better was when she sat on the heart-shaped chair at the end of the jetty with Cupid. She found herself walking out to take a seat with a broad smile upon her face.
So many memories she had had with Cupid out here. They were such wonderful memories too. She had found her happiness here and no longer regretted the actions of the Higher Gods. The Goddess of Love was always her destiny, nothing had changed or would change that fact.
“I wondered where you had disappeared too,” Cupid’s voice made her turn from where she had stared out over the Lake of Love.
“I found way too much distraction in all that wedding talk,” she admitted. “The Lake of Love managed to lure me away from the job at hand.”
She smiled up at him and his return smile filled her with the usual delicious warmth. The way he radiated joy always increased her own happiness.
“The Lake of Love did an excellent job. This is the perfect place, both magical and as breathtaking as you are, Caramia,” Cupid declared.
Mia fluttered a hand against her face, “compliments will get you everything you ask for,”
“That's very good to know, but first I have a question for you.”
Mia’s heart began to pound. Was Cupid intending to pop the question now? She couldn't hide her delight at even the thought. She had waited forever to have this question asked.
“Don't let me stop you from asking,” she waved him forward.
“Caramia, my dearest love, it would be my honour,” he once again bowed to her.
Mia watched as he stepped in front of her and then dropped down onto one knee. A chorus of cherubs flew down to surround them with their harps playing the loveliest of harmonies.
Mia found her throat clogging up at this perfect moment that she could have never envisioned. It almost felt surreal to have Cupid kneeling at her feet.
“Caramia, Goddess of Love, my one and only love, would you do the honour of giving me your hand in marriage?” Cupid asked in a deep and loving voice
He beamed up at her with the most wondrous smile. Those fathomless blue eyes filled her with warmth as he produced a stunning diamond ring with a beautiful golden band made of cherubs holding the diamond.
“That's exquisite,” Mia whispered as she leaned forward.
“You haven't answered my question so you can't have it until you do,” Cupid closed his fist around the ring.
“Whoops, sorry about that. You flashed that ring too early, Cupid, you should have awaited my answer.”
“You still haven't answered,” he teased
“Of course, I'll marry you. There's nobody else out there who's my partner more than the God of Love. Now show me that ring,” she demanded
“I think I need a kiss to seal the deal first,” Cupid tapped his lips.
“That would be my pleasure,” Mia said as she leaned down and gave Cupid a most satisfactory kiss. “Now show me the ring.”
A throaty chuckle escaped Cupid as he opened his hand to show her the ring. She threw her arms around him to hug him close at his thoughtfulness. She giggled joyfully ppl that he went out of his way to make this proposal so special.
This was the man she loved, and she knew for all his thoughtfulness that she was so very lucky. Cupid was a romantic who loved her and wanted to cater to her human dreams. Cupid, of all people, needed to know exactly how she felt about him.
“Cupid, God of Love, not only will it be my pleasure to marry you, but I love and adore everything about you. I love you, Cupid," she declared as she squeezed him closer and sealed the deal with a kiss.
“As I love you, Caramia. Let's join our lives together and get hitched before I knock you up.” he added a twang to his tone, and she giggled.
It looked like Mia would get her dream wedding after all. Now all she had to do was organise it and find the dress of her dreams.