¿QUÉ MÁS QUIERES?

THE POWER THAT YOU GIVE ME

That damned day had approached. Today was it. Today is the end of the Villamizar family.

That's what Daniela kept telling herself as she looked in the full-length mirror in the room the sisters waited in before the ceremony. Her eyes gazed down at her dress, it was short and white with high socks. When she went back up to her face, she couldn't help but think the white bow in her hair was obnoxious, but it was too late to change it now. She felt unrecognizable to her own eyes. Never would she have thought in a mere week her life would be flipped upside down like this, her own fiance being the source of it all. He ruined it all for her.

Did he really?

"Daniela!" Paulina snapped her out of her internal monologue, "Are you ready? I mean... you are physically... but... mentally?" She slipped on the long bright pink gloves that matched her dress, then checked herself in a different mirror to make sure they fit her correctly.

Daniela thought over the question for a couple of seconds, she debated if she wanted to be honest with her sisters. She did still sincerely love Vito, no matter how much he wronged her. That's what she learned last night at dinner. Could he have actually done that? Even if he truly was who her sisters thought him to be, could she even go through with the action of him being put behind bars? "I don't know..." She mumbled.

"Oh come on, you can't have us go through all this trouble just for you to say that you can fix him." Paulina rolled her eyes, unnerved at Daniela's words.

"Well- I just don't get how he could be a bad person... " Her shoulders sank, the memories of all the nice things he had done for her plagued her mind. "He didn't seem like he had any sinister motive yesterday..." But that isn't to say that she hadn't remembered all the times he'd forgotten about anniversaries, dates, and even herself at times. "It's nothing, I think." She shook the thoughts away, Daniela understood she'd have to prepare herself for the wedding and keep her polite demeanor towards her fiancé up a little while longer.

"I'm sure you'll be okay, Dany. Besides, we're here to help, you know." Alejandra put a hand on her eldest sister's shoulder.

"I know." Daniela nodded and took a deep breath.

The girls walked out of their room and were about to enter the church. Paulo and Alex stood on Paulina at Alejandra's sides, Paulo tried to link arms with the red-headed sister, to which she shoved him away instantly. It nearly caused him to fall over, which Paulina desperately wished had occurred.

Alex didn't bother to provoke Alejandra. They mutually respected each other, even if the two were never naturally friendly. Alejandra was almost sad that he'd be put behind bars along with his miserable brothers,

Almost.

Music began from inside the chapel, and the doors slowly swung open. Vito stood there in his plain white and black suit with a fake and cheesy grin all over his rotten face.

Paulina walked down along Paulo, she desperately looked forward to the moment when she'd no longer have to stand next to him.

Alejandra and Alex followed, not linking arms, but they didn't have to fight an urge of a brawl in the middle of the aisle. That's what the condescending side glances were for.

The parents of the Villarreal sisters walked out. They never had a second guess on Vito because of how nice he had been to them and had no clue of the crimes he had committed against Daniela, but tonight that would know. All of them will know.

The Villamizar parents walked out, their smug and prideful grins projected onto other people. A familiar look to the sisters because it looked just like Vito himself's ludicrous smile. The apple must not fall far from the tree.

The generic organ music stopped, and a somber and gentle yet romantic piano tune filled the room. Daniela emerged from the doorway, across the room from her future husband.

He looks so happy.

She had to push down that thought as she walked down the aisle slowly, but Daniela couldn't tell if the tears that pooled in her eyelids were real or fake. Once she had reached the stage, she turned to Vito. Reluctantly, Daniela held out her hands for him to grasp. At the touch, she immediately felt at home. It felt wrong to hold his hands after everything, yet it felt so comfortable. The priest spoke, yet she paid no attention, only thinking about the sight of him in handcuffs that would lead him into a stone-walled cell with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him entertained. It was something that she never wanted to see, yet at the same time she craved the image to be real.

Speeches. Speeches were next. Paulina handed Daniela her card, and she looked at the words she had written weeks before all of this even happened. Words she had printed onto this piece of paper long before she was betrayed. It felt like she read another person's speech, she'd never say these things about Vito now, but to tell herself that would just be a lie.

Her throat cleared, "Vito..." She tried to compose herself, not show any sign of conflicting visceral hatred she held towards this man, even if she had her doubts, "You have been the best person I could ever ask for in my life. Your kindness and big heart are always welcomed into my family, and I can not wait to be welcomed into yours." The tears welled up in her eyes, she didn't want to see him go... "You felt like a breath of fresh air, treating me like I was a goddess and not just another girlfriend you'd throw in the trash when she had nothing of value anymore."

'Yikes, that did not age well.' Paulina discreetly covered her mouth to keep her small laughter concealed.

"You loved me when I thought nobody else did, and I think that's a blessing. Not just to me, but to my sisters, because now they don't have to hear my problems all the time." The room held a subtle sound of laughter at Daniela's words, "And I hope that we keep going up from here because there's nothing that could separate our love."

Daniela brought the card down back to her side, her hands trembled from the nerves that were built up in her system. She couldn't believe that after all of this, she really said those things about Vito. Never in a million years would she regret the words she had recited from her card.

She didn't pay attention to Vito's speech, because she knew if she did, it'd just make her love him more. Just a little more time to push through, and then she'd be able to let it all go.

She thought of it all one more time. The dates, the gifts, the proposal. All of it wouldn't be worth it in the end. Vito would be nothing but a distant memory by the time she laid down to sleep, but deep down in her heart, she didn't want it to be the end.

His speech closed out, and the gentle applause returned. Daniela flashed a fake smile for Vito, even a few tears that she still couldn't tell were real or forced. She turned to the right, seeing the ring-bearer holding the pillow. The silver rings were gorgeous. Vito's contained many tiny diamonds surrounding the outside, and Daniela's had a diamond in the center that was the size of a corn kernel.

Vito picked up her ring and proceeded to examine it. He whispered, "Gorgeous, isn't it?"

"Yes," Daniela spoke at his volume, then took hold of his ring. "Your ring is... just as gorgeous."

Vito noticed Daniela's unease in her voice, which made the nervous feeling in his stomach grow. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"What? Nothing's wrong Vito-" Daniela's sentence was cut off by the priest as he began to say the vows to her. She repeated the words he was telling her while she held back even more tears in her eyes. Not tears of new beginnings, but tears that feared the end of a chapter that was said to last forever.

The priest moved onto Vito, and he said every word fully from his chest. It would be hard to believe this man was nothing but a weasel for money. The way he spoke, made it sound genuine.

What if it was genuine? No Daniela, don't think about it.

What if I was lied to? Your sisters would never lie to you.

Vito is innocent. No, he isn't. He couldn't be.

I can't do this.