Fated (A Chris Evans Series)

Perfect

Dodger ran ahead while Chris and Denise strolled behind him, fingers interlaced, across the stone footpath on the pristine lawn where each blade of grass looked as though someone had personally trimmed it with a pair of scissors. The location checked all the boxes. It was romantic, it was simple yet somehow still extravagant, and it was capable of accommodating all their three hundred and fifty-six guests. It was no wonder the venue had been in such high demand, the wondrous thing was how Chris and Denise got the venue despite their wedding being planned in such short notice.

When Luca called the first time, it was already the 17th of August. She knew their chances to acquire such a popular venue were zero to none, so she'd anticipated the 'no' received. There were backup venues but the private property Chris and Denise were currently strolling, that was their first choice. They decided they couldn't give up on their preferred location without at least trying to get a 'yes', they arranged a meeting and drove down to Malibu to see if a negotiation could be had. They weren't planning on using Chris' name to get what they wanted, but they also weren't planning to complain if the owners became more accommodating after seeing who the groom was. Surprisingly, it wasn't the groom they needed to see but the bride instead.

Denise gasped when she saw her little savior, Jack, running around the front yard with his Captain America action figure in his hand. Suddenly, it all clicked. The boy's last name was D'aria, The D'aria Mansion was the wedding venue. Fate had once again done its magic. Denise turned to Chris and explained, "that's Jack. He's the one I helped at the airport, he's the reason I'm still alive." She also informed him that little Jack believed Captain America was real and that it would be best if he remained in character around the boy. Jack lost his mind when he saw Chris and Denise get out of their car, barreling towards them screaming with excitement.

"You brought Captain America!" He jumped up and down excitedly, drawing smiles from Chris and Denise with his cuteness. "I can't believe it! Can I hold your shield?" His eyes were so wide with eager Chris felt bad telling him he didn't have it with him. Thankfully Jack was understanding, he dropped it with a "can I hold it next time then?" It was a question Chris happily nodded to.

As it turned out Denise had chosen to help the right little boy, the world was a lot smaller than it seemed and the property was actually owned by his paternal grandparents. When George and Annie found out Denise was the Denise their daughter-in-law and grandson had raved about, they immediately offered to cater for their wedding. They didn't even ask for a date, they simply stated "whatever works for the two of you, works for us." It was an amazing offer, that they took up. But not without thanking them for Jack first. Denise felt slight guilty that they didn't know Jack helped her more than she did him. Chris explained to them that without their grandson, he wouldn't have had Denise, or a wedding, or a child of his own. Regardless the story didn't change their minds, it only strengthened their want to cater their wedding. "It was fate that we were brought together," Annie asserted. Whatever it was that did, Chris and Denise were incredibly grateful.

Chris could not stop admiring Denise while she admired the landscape. She giggled at Dodger, who was having as much fun sniffing the flowers as she was watching him do it. She was so preoccupied with the silly dog to notice the look Chris had on his face, only returning her attention to him when he kissed her cheek. She giggled because after being with him for two years and nine months, his beard still tickled her face.

"I can't believe we're getting married today."

"And becoming parents," she added, resting a hand on her stomach.

"Yeah," Chris smiled. "We are starting the next chapter of our lives."

Their gazes met and their smiles widened as they thought about the life they were bringing into the world, and how it was going to change theirs. Marriage itself was already a bold step to take with a lot of changes to embrace, now they had parenthood to add to the mix. The puzzle of life was piecing itself together faster than they'd envisaged, Denise wasn't sure if she and Chris had really processed any of it yet.