Between Us

Special Chapter: Second Wedding

Alianna

"Bet you a hundred bucks that she'll cry," Mackenzie tells Jacen, her expression filled with pure glee at the thought of her sister's tears.

"I'm not sure," Jacen replies. "I reckon she'll hold it together. I'm betting tears in her eyes but no more than that. Your brothers and Sapphire aren't going to let Max cry, they'll crack some stupid joke to take the edge off."

"Damn it," Mackenzie snaps. "You're probably right."

I don't think I've stopped smiling all day, and I have the two of them to thank for it. "Come on," I tell them. "Help me into my dress."

Mackenzie glances at my wedding dress in awe as she takes it off the hanger carefully. It's my grandest design yet, even though it's so simple. It's a tight fitting trumpet dress with a deep V and a ton of very intricate beading. Max doesn't know it yet, but I'm not going to let her take this dress off me until she finds every single thing I've hidden in the design. It took some time and it's incredibly hard to see, but I've hidden a cupcake, the letter A, a raven, and so much more in the beading.

A knock sounds on the door shortly after Mackenzie and Jacen finish getting me ready, and my father walks in, a smile on his face. He pauses in surprises and shakes his head. "Wow," he whispers. "Sweetheart, you look beyond beautiful." He sniffs as tears gather in his eyes, his hands trembling as he reaches for me.

Dad gently touches my hair, his touch reverent. "I still remember the day I first held you. I thought I loved you then, but as you grew up to become the amazing woman you are today, my love for you grew with you. I wish I didn't have to give you away, Alianna. I wish you'd always stay my little girl."

I blink back my tears and hug my dad tightly as tears drop down his face. "I always will be, Dad. That will never change."

He tightens his grip on me. "This time it's different," he whispers.

"I know."

"You'll tell me if you aren't happy, won't you? If you don't want to come home, I'll buy you a whole new house. It doesn't matter what happens, sweet girl, you will always have."

"Of course I will, Dad." I pull away to look at him. "But you don't have to worry about that, okay? For the first time in my life, I'm truly happy."

He nods, his expression filled with reluctant understanding. "Okay," he says, more to himself than to me. "Okay," he repeats, more firmly. "Let's do this, then. Are you ready, beautiful?"

I nod, and we watch as Jacen and Mackenzie head out, walking down the aisle ahead of me. Max and I decided to get married in the same place she proposed in, and Mackenzie made the property look almost unrecognizable. She transformed the land around the cabin into a floral oasis, complete with a separate reception area that has a dance floor, and so much more. I thought that I'd love planning my own wedding, but what I actually craved was the connection the wedding brought with it, the togetherness during the planning stages. Leaving most of it in Mackenzie's hands is the best thing I could've done.

Dad and I reach the end of the aisle, and I spot Max before she sees me. I watch as Atlas leans in and whispers something in her ear, the same way she did the first time we got married. Max's eyes flash with anger, and she grits her teeth. I have no doubt Atlas just told her something unreasonably offensive, just to took the edge of her nerves.

Max looks up, and her eyes meet mine. It's like everything else fades away, her expression transforming into pure awe. As Mackenzie and Jacen expected, his eyes fill with tears, and she swallows hard. Her brothers chuckle and elbow her, but she doesn't take her eyes off me for even a single second.

The last time I walked down the aisle I was filled with fear and insecurity, but this time I'm feeling nothing but love. Dad and I walk slowly, his steps reluctant, and I take a moment to glance at him in reassurance. I thought I'd miss having my mother and sister with me today, but surprisingly, I don't. I've come to realize that what I miss isn't them — it's the roles I wished they'd fulfill in my life, but they never did. Even if I were to invite them back into my life, they wouldn't fill the hole in my heart they created.

I catch Abuela's eyes as I reach the front, and she looks at me with such love that my own heart overflows. I may have lost some of my own family, but I gained a new one that's given new meaning to the word family.

Dad hesitates before he places my hand in Max's, keeping his hand on top of mine. "You take good care of my little girl," he warns, his voice wavering.

Max smiles at him reassuringly. "I will. No matter what."

Dad nods and takes a step away as the officiant starts the wedding ceremony, the garden filled with only those we love most. There's no press, no guests we don't know, no whispers or rumors. The air is filled with nothing but love.

"You look breathtaking," Max whispers.

I smirk at her, my heart pounding. I don't think I've ever felt happier. "You look alright too, I guess," I murmur.

"Only alright?"

I smile and bite down on my lip. "It's okay," I reassure her. "I can fix it."

"Is that so, baby? How?"

I try my hardest to be discreet, but the way I'm smiling no doubt gives me away. "I'll just have to take away all this nonsense that's covering my favorite parts of you."

Max bursts out laughing, and I can't help but smile back at her. "I love you, Mrs. Lim. More than anything. You are my every dream come true, and more. My love for you will never fade. It will never waver. You're it for me, Alianna. Forever."

My heart starts to race as I look into her eyes. We aren't meant to do vows, and even as we're whispering to each other, the officiant is reciting her lines over us, but it's perfect. Everything about today is perfect. Throughout the years, we'd always find our own little moments no matter where we were or who we were with, and this is no different.

"I love you more, Max. I've loved you through the worst parts of our lives, and I'll love your through the best. I can't wait to grow old with you and make countless memories we'll look back on fondly. I will always love you, Max. No matter what."

The officiant turns to us, ready for our official vows, and we repeat after him dutifully. Our true vows, though? They're in every heartbeat, every smile, every single way we found our way back to each other despite the odds.

If time has showed us anything, it's that the bond between Max and me is unbreakable. No matter what.

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