my wife

chapter 47

The droor creaks open.

I see all those people stand up and turn their heads towards me.

Dozens of eyes are filled with tears.

The music starts playing.

Emilio's eyes lighten up.

My mom cries.

My brother smiles.

Dad and I start walking down the aisle.

I can't stop looking at him.

He is the only thing I see.

We reach the aisle.

I look at my dad and he nods.

"Go, Eliana.", I kiss my dad's cheek as goodbye and he hands me over to Emilio.

"Hi.", I step up.

"Hey, you look... breathtaking.", he literally stopped breathing.

"You look just like always.", I shrug. He looks at his shoes trying to hide his smile. I can see how he recalled the conversation before our first date.

"May we start?", the wedding speaker asked.

"Yes.", Emilio and I say at the same time. He reaches out for my hands, his hands are wet and shaking. I try to hide my smile.

"Stop laughing, this isn't funny.", he sounded kind of offended, but didn't even bother to hide his smile.

"Of course, I apologize."

"Ladies and gentlemen. Today, we're here to celebrate the connection of two families. A connection of love. Love may have many meanings, but I think that each one of us associates love with warmth, happiness and joy. I want us to define what love means for us personally. Let's think about it for a moment.", he says.

Love, a very difficult thing for me, romantic love I mean.

But in my eyes. Love, means looking out for one another, taking care of each other, protecting each other.

Love isn't an emotion. It's the things you do, the things you feel that you define as love. It's irrational and conditional.

And the love I feel towards Emilio, feels like home.

"Now, we move on to the vows.", the man breaks the silence.

"Mr. Romano you go first."

"First, I want to say that I have no vows prepared. Eliana and I wanted to do it differently.", Elio hands him the ring.

"The first time I saw you... you were unbelievable. Beautiful, hard-working and man you're strong. It was love at first sight. And yes, I know, it sounds so stupid and childish, but sometimes I fear that you might've cast a spell on me. The impact that you have on me, even after one year is really something else. You are something else. You're special, strong and god you're stubborn. And despite your morning grouchiness and that you always want to do everything on your goddamn own, I love Eliana.", he puts the ring on and kisses the back of my hand.

"Now, it's your turn Mrs. Bello."

"Okay, Ivy could you hand me the ring?", she gives me the ring and I try to sort my thoughts.

"I don't really have good memories of my childhood. It was really hard for my family when we had lost everything, and I haven't settled ever since I've lost my home. Emilio, you are my new home. You have protected, cared and looked out for me. You are the best thing that has ever happend to me. And if there's one thing that you need to know is, I don't love you for the way you look or the things you do for me, but because of the way you talk, the way you think and the way you are with our family. Looks are ephemeral, fleeting, evanescent, but you aren't. You are you and I love you for you. I love you, Emilio.", I slip his ring on and squeeze his hand.

"Now that you have exchanged the rings, the bond between the two of you is invincible. Marriage is about being together, going through thick and thin, through sickness and health, through sunny and rainy days. Whatever may come, you two will be together, until death do you apart. You may kiss the bride."

Emilio lets go of my hands and attacks me with a kiss. I'm so happy right now, I don't even know how to put it into words.

My entire family is here and we're officially married now. Not only on paper.

I'm just too lucky.