You are enough

Bliss

Nathalie’s POV
I glanced at my reflection in the mirror of my old room; that mirror that had given me as many hopes as nightmares, the mirror that had offered me the best reflections of my beauty and the most terrible wretched images, the stained glass that had witnessed my hopeless love for Gabriel… the wicked object that had captured every faint blush, every lip biting, every rushing heartbeat as well as every single tear I shed, my incurable decay, and my wrecked heart.    
I lowered my sight at my ring finger and let out a long, painful sigh. The butterfly ring had been there for six months already, the same amount of months since my dear friend departed… the very same day I took her husband as my fiancé. I hugged my waist as a demonstration of self-compassion, but there was nothing that could put my mind at ease. Emilie’s ghost haunted me, I heard her voice, I felt her anger, I perceived her jealousy, and I feared her. 
“I’m terribly sorry, Emilie… I did as much as I could… as much as Gabriel allowed me to do… and he loved you, Emilie… I’m sure he still does… you are irreplaceable.” 
The dense atmosphere lightened a bit and air refilled my lungs. 
“Nathalie! Are you ready?” I heard Adrien’s insistent voice at the door. 
“Almost!” I applied some last bobby pins to my bun and adjusted my veil. 
I took a last moment in front of the mirror to admire myself: I wore a blue laced trumpet cut dress, with a heart-shaped cleavage and long sleeves. 
“Okay, Nathalie,” I mumbled. “You are getting married.”
I bit my lip and smiled. I was not only marrying; I was marrying the man of my dreams.

I got out shily, Adrien was waiting for me outside with a big smile. 
“You look gorgeous, Nathalie. Wait until my father sees you.” I blushed violently. “Come on,” He said, offering me a hand. “He is waiting for you in the garden.”
I approached the window and saw Gabriel standing there looking at his watch impatiently, the few guests imitating his gesture. 
Adrien helped me to get down stairs until I was on my way to the aisle with a bouquet of red roses and forget-me-nots. I took a deep breath and walked down the endless carpet with my mind lost in my own thoughts. Would Emilie agree on this? We had chosen to believe she would, we led ourselves to think she would have wanted our happiness over her own… I felt like an impostor, I had befriended her husband, fallen in love with him, laid with him and now I was about to take her place as Mrs. Agreste. That thought struck me like a bullet. Me? Mrs. Agreste? No… I was Nathalie, just a loyal assistant. 
My breath began to cut, a severe cough took hold of me and some loving arms caught me before I fell. 
“Gabe,” I smiled.
“That’s fine, Nath. It’s alright to have cold feet… after all… it’s your first marriage,” he whispered as he caressed my cheek. “But look, you’ve made it down the aisle… now you are here with me, nothing else matters,” he said as he helped me stand in front of the mayor.
Gabriel squeezed my hand and Mr. Bourgeois began:  
“Family and friends, thank you all for coming today to share in this wonderful occasion. Today we are here together to unite Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur in marriage.”
He cleared his voice and continued:
“Do you, Gabriel, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” he replied, smiling with a loving glow in his eyes. 
The guests let out a big “aww”, which made me giggle. 
Then, he proceeded:
“Do you, Nathalie, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” I said blushing. 
They all sighed again. I chuckled.
Then, Adrien brought a cushion with platinum twin rings, extremely similar to those which had belonged to Gabriel and his late wife, safe for the names and nicknames we added on the inner face. 
The Mayor said:
"Nathalie and Gabriel have chosen these rings to exchange with each other as a symbol of their everlasting love. As you place this ring on Nathalie’s finger, please express your vows:
"With this ring, I, Gabriel, wed and pledge you my love now and forever. You have proven your undying loyalty in the past, and your unconditional love. I am more than grateful to receive you, my partner in crime, as my wife."
He smiled of pure happiness as he stared deep into my eyes. 
I felt my face turning crimson as I heard the Mayor’s words: 
”Nathalie, as you place this ring on Gabriel’s finger, please express your vows: 
“With this ring, I, Nathalie, wed and pledge you my love now and forever. You have proven to be a persevering, loyal and caring man. I have no doubts about our union and I am more than grateful to finally join you in marriage and take you, my partner in crime, as my husband.”
Tears of joy threatened to roll down my cheeks after I pronounced those three lines that had kept me awake for the past month. 
We signed the papers and the Mayor proclaimed:  
“By the authority vested in me by the Paris Department, I now pronounce you husband and wife!” He exclaimed. “Congratulations, you may kiss the bride,” he whispered to us. 
I chuckled as Gabriel embraced me and pressed his lips against mine. It was a light kiss, but it meant the world to us.