The Grean Household

30: Marrying Into Money

When Sarah learned that Henrik was adopted by the O'Laughlin family, she almost asked if he was joking. He assured her he wasn't.

His adoptive father, Ryan O'Laughlin, had a manor passed down to him by his parents. Wealth ran through the blood of his younger brothers. Ryan O'Laughlin had married Andrea Chire, a woman who came from an equally, maybe more, wealthy family. Though, it wasn't arranged. It just happened.

Henrik would tell her stories about how, when he was adopted at 11 years old, back in 2015, he saw how young their love still was. Sarah would listen to him chuckle about how he looked almost identical to Sammy when he was younger, with the same fascinated stare and everything.

They were planning the last bits of their wedding, knowing to have it during the spring. The weather was going to be beautiful during that day, and Sarah found herself looking forward to meeting his brothers and his adoptive parents. What she was really looking forward was Willow and Sammy, now 12 years old, meeting their many uncles.

Sarah was still anxious, though it would be calmed down by Henrik's assurance. There was a part of her that still believed she was doing this for his money. It seemed like a punch in her gut- the leech that seemed to be conditioned to fit into her identity. Paranoia made her think about the possibility that she was manipulating Henrik without her knowing it.

It was always her anxious thoughts that made her shy away, but it was always his assurance that he knew she loved him that always kept her going along. There was nothing rushed, not like her last ceremony. No quick rush to kiss her and get the certificate of marriage. Henrik wanted to take the slow steps, always with her hand in his. During these months, it was the first time Sarah saw him second-guessing himself. It was the first time she noticed that he was anxious and was always asking for her help.

It was when her friends that she made along the way in her career were helping her pick out a dress that made it worth it. It was when she saw her daughter in the dress, and her son in his small suit that made everything she was doing worthwhile.

It was when she was in that back room, fluffing out her pure white dress, stomach doing backflips did she begin to feel hesitant. Then, she thought about the people that showed up, her children who were prepared to start throwing pedals-to which Sammy grabbed the basket and switched his role with Willow, but she wanted to do it as well, and Sammy worked it out with her that they'd do it together.

It was the thought of Henrik out there, anxiously waiting for her in front of his family. But that's not what she was worried about. There was nothing to worry about.

Sarah was walking down that aisle, like she was practicing in her spare time, holding her breath. She had done this once before, but this truly felt like a fairytale. Henrik stood there, holding his own breath as if to keep himself from shuddering. Maybe it was his anxiety or the angel he managed to find again.

What was beginning to make sense in her mind when she stared up at Henrik, holding his soft hands, was that he was right. She did love him, not for the money, nor for the success of his young career, but because he was so good at being himself. It felt good for Henrik to slip on her ring and feel no rough edges underneath. No name that symbolized her as an object to that specific family. No, there was nothing but their vows and past promises to treat each other as equals and to always be there for each other, no matter the circumstances. At first, Sarah was nervous about her ability to hold up to it, but when she noticed how Henrik never doubted her, she began to believe she could live up to her promise.

The kiss was longer than any one she shared with him. It was slow, not a peck like how hers and Oliver's was. Not a sloppy signing of a contract that was never agreed to by her. But this, this long committed promise, was something that she would agree to ten times over. This finalizing of their commitment to each other seemed to never end. Not the euphoria, not the touch as they looked out into the crowd. Henrik squeezed her hand, almost as if he were saying "we did it."

It was the pictures and extra glances she shared with her husband that made her heart full. Especially when she finally met his adoptive mother. Sarah noticed how Andrea looked her up and down, inspecting her carefully. Henrik was right by his bride's side, holding her other hand as she shrugged. His mother seemed fine with Sarah.

Andrea painfully reminded Sarah of her own late mother- her mother, who was constantly on her mind, wondering if she would've been happy if she knew that she finally found love. Sarah's anger had long since cooled, her newfound happiness extinguishing any hateful thoughts towards her mother. She soon came to accept that what her mother did was what she thought was best, even if majority of her thought process was on herself.

Sarah met Carlisle, instantly noticing how he seemed charming and slightly-overly- sarcastic. Carlisle glanced up at Henrik, cracking a cocky grin. 

"Never expected you to get married so early, Henrik." Sarah glanced up at her husband, noticing how he simply rolled his eyes.

"You got married to Anna when you were 29." Carlisle recoiled back gently, rolling his eyes back at Henrik. 

"Okay-okay, touché." If Sarah were remembering correctly, Henrik had told her Carlisle was a year younger than him.

What surprised her was that Henrik's entire family was there, including his younger brothers whose age reached as young as 8 years old. The three youngest ones, who had similar faces, all had completely separate personalities, which Sarah used to identify them. The oldest of the three seemed to take after Carlisle in his sarcasm, and after his mother in the way he would stare at people- with an analytical stare and a careful glance around their figure. The middle seemed to be copying Henrik's movements, seemingly taken notes about how he acted, which Sarah found as oddly adorable. The youngest acted like a separate person, instead imitating his father who was seen as a cold man with cash and a warm heart behind his facade.

Sarah watched as Carlisle emitted the same soft demeanor Henrik had when he first met Willow and Sammy. They seemed to learn this softness from a source, and Sarah soon realized who they learned it from- their mother. Andrea was soft, yet witty with the young children that recognized her as their grandmother, including Carlisle's two young children. Sarah noted that her mother-in-law wouldn't coddle the children, yet instead would have a gentle sternness to her, which painfully reminded Sarah of her own mother.

The family that revolved around her, all tending to their separate branches of their own building family, was brewing a sense of wholeness inside Sarah. A feeling she never felt until she met Henrik. Sarah repeated a phrase to herself, watching as the children settled down in the seats.

We can make this work... Was what she spoke into the air when she noticed how willing Henrik was to fill in the role of his unknown fatherhood. Sarah smiled.

We made this work.