It rains on their wedding day.
It wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't wanted an outdoors wedding.
Feraye isn't proud to admit that she freaks out. A lot.
Hazal, Güneş and Bade are there for her throughout but all she can think about is that they must be cursed. Why could nothing just work out for them? She wants just one thing to go right once, without any obstacles. She starts to tear up and Hazal notices instantly. Her best friend's eyes widen and she starts to shake her head. "Oh no, no no no, you are not going to cry and ruin your makeup, Feraye!"
"It's raining, Hazal! If my crying doesn't ruin it, the rain will!"
She takes a deep breath. "Okay, we need Ateş. Bade, can you-?"
There's a knock on the door, interrupting her.
The four of them turn to look at who it is, and Feraye only cries harder when she sees Ateş poking his head in. The smile falls off his face immediately as he crosses the distance between them and gathers her in his arms. "Feraye," he says her name quietly, like a prayer, and she instantly feels a calm wash over her. "I'm working on it, Okay? We'll have the ceremony inside, baby. You know dad's house is big enough. It's gonna be okay, I swear."
She nods, but doesn't stop crying.
He pulls away and looks her right in the eyes, smiling softly, adoringly. "I love you, and all that matters at the end of the day is that I'll get to call you my wife, and this time, it'll be real."
That just makes her cry harder as she nods.
"You're right," she whimpers, then leans down to kiss him, just once. "I love you." Feraye then manages to pull herself together, then, and takes a deep breath. "I love you, but I need you to get out now so I can get ready."
He suppresses a smile. "Yes, maam." He stands up, heads for the door. "I'll see you in an hour?"
She blows him a kiss. "I'll be the one in white."
♦️
They get married inside the Bakırcı mansion, and it is beautiful. This time, when the officiant asks her if she wants to marry Ateş, there's a wide smile on her face, and when they stand up and turn to each other, she lifts up her foot and firmly presses it onto his, making him yelp quietly before he chuckles and kisses her forehead.
They have their first dance as a married couple, and it's perfect because the melody is uplifting and raw and perfect. Everything falls away, and when Feraye closes her eyes, there's only them.
When the song changes, Ates moves aside to reveal her father behind him. She immediately tears up and all but falls into his arms. "Will you do me the honor of dancing with me, kizim?"
"The honor is all mine," she half-sobs, half-laughs, sitting on his lap like she'd done countless times as a little girl. He moves the wheelchair in tiny jerky movements, and though it's a bit awkward with the big dress in the way, it still means the world to her because she never thought she'd get this with him. "I love you, baba."
In the corner of her eye, she sees Yagmur tug on Ates' suit jacket, watches as he crouches down to her level to listen to what she has to say. Then, to her delight, he lifts her up into his arms and starts to sway with her. Soon enough, Bade and Vural join them, then Gulfem and Dede- who's having a good day so far.
Fathers and daughters, she thinks, leaning her head on her dad's chest and listening to his steady heartbeat.
Her eyes meet her husband's- and god, she is never going to get tired of saying or thinking that- and they share a grin.
They made it.
They actually made it.
♦️
Feraye's eyes are closed, the early morning breeze riffling through her hair as she clutches her mug of herbal tea. She doesn't hear him coming, but she doesn't startle when his arms come to wrap around her from behind- she merely lets herself fall back into him, trusting that he'll hold her weight as she goes boneless.
"Good morning, hayatım."
