Her Value. ( BWWM).

chapter 11.

As I stood before the mirror, my reflection shimmered in a beautiful A-line wedding dress. It was a perfect choice, gracefully flattering my figure and concealing any areas of insecurity. Delicate petals adorned the chest, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to the gown.

A slow smile, genuinely my own, began to form on my lips. My happiness, a vibrant force, yearned to burst forth from my chest, but I held it in check, just for a moment. Yet, the joy was too immense to contain; my smile stretched, pure and unbidden, into an ear-to-ear grin that radiated straight from my heart.

I glanced at the door, and my mother walked in slowly. The second her eyes landed on mine, she stopped. I stood up and turned to face her, trying to stop myself from smiling, but I couldn't. Her eyes got watery, and she took slow steps towards me. Her hands came up to hold my face, and she immediately kissed my forehead.

I fought hard against the urge, but I couldn't stop the tears from falling; they streamed down my face. Without a second thought, I pulled her into a tight hug, not caring at all if my makeup would be ruined.

"No, no, don't cry, my dear, your makeup will be ruined, and it'll take ages to fix it," she said, gently pulling away from the hug. She knew exactly what I was thinking - mother for a reason.

"I'm so happy, Momma!" I squealed, my voice high with uncontainable joy. "I can't believe I'm getting married today, and to-"

"Zoltan Agha!" Momma interjected, her expression instantly serious, though a small smile still played on her lips.

"I miss Chetachi, Momma," I murmured, a pang of sadness mixed with my elation.

"I'm sure if he were here, he'd be so happy." She didn't seem to pay much attention to my words.

"You always liked Zoltan, didn't you, Theodora?" she asked, her direct question making me freeze, suddenly rigid on my feet.

I could only manage a slow nod at first.
"Momma, I think I love him. No, I don't think so-I do love him. I always did. He's... just... I don't know how to describe it, but I always wanted him, and I always will."

"You know, Momma, when Mrs. Agha confronted me that day after she saw the wallpaper on my phone, I thought she'd be furious. I was so scared she'd never let me near Zoltan or Ecrin again. But look at me now, standing in a wedding dress, about to be his bride." I sank onto the dressing chair, completely lost in the overwhelming thought of Zoltan finally becoming my husband.

"You do know he was married before. Ecrin is his deceased wife's daughter," my mother said, her tone laced with a hint of worry.

"As much as I love him, I love Ecrin even more. She's magic. For a moment, you might think I said yes to this marriage because I want Zoltan, but I want Ecrin even more than I want him. All these days, taking care of Ecrin, I never realized how precious she'd become to me." I grinned to myself, looking down at my dress, my eyes repeatedly drawn to its shimmering fabric.

"I always knew you liked Zoltan!" Momma's words made me snap my head up, my gaze locking onto hers. "I just never confronted you about it. I always knew you felt something for him, and I wanted to stop it-stop whatever you thought or felt for him, but..." She trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging in the air.

"I even tried to stop myself, Momma, but I fell even deeper. I accept everything about him, Momma. From the bottom of my heart. His past, his present, his future." My smile refused to fade; it widened even more as I spoke of his future, which would now be intertwined with mine. "His happiness, his anger, his sadness, his family, his house. Everything, Momma, everything. I promise you, Momma-" I took her hands in mine, "-I will always love him. I will always take care of him. I will always keep him and Ecrin happy. I will be a good wife, like you are to Dadda, and I will be an even better mother, no matter who Ecrin's mother was before. I will accept and treat her as my own child."