🌸The Promise 🌸[18+]

Chapter 57

I wake to find two faces peering over me. One filled with freckles and dark brown eyes, and the other with soft creases surrounding her pale blue eyes.

"You do know it's rude to stare," I say sleepily as I turn over with a smile. The words reminding me of Xavier.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!" Angeles exclaims throwing herself on top of me, I yelp and giggle, turning to my back as Angeles small frame is laying over me dramatically. "You had us so worried!" Angeles small body hugs mine awkwardly over the covers tucking her head on my chest. I pull out my arm from the covers and rub her back soothingly.

"I'm okay Angeles," I say peering down to see her eyes are full of tears.
"But I owe you a sincere thank you. If it wasn't for you - waking up Xavier and informing him that I had stupidly gone with Toby...well, I'm not sure what could have become of me." My words linger in the air, filling the room with sadness.
"Shh, it's okay Angeles." As I kiss the top of her head. Her little body sobbing on top of me is making my eyes sting. I look to Trudy, who seems to be battling something internally, watching Angeles and then me with sorrow in her eyes. But before I can speak, she lets out a breath as her chin wobbles and bends to sit on the bed, hugging me and Angeles with each arm. 

Laying on the bed with Angeles and Trudy both hugging me overwhelms my soft heart. Never have I felt such pure motherly and sisterly love and care for my wellbeing than I do right now.
This is what I've always wanted, a mother and a sibling, to love and cherish. To feel like a family I've so desperately craved over the years, to not be alone.
Now I have it and whatever life throws my way, I will always fiercely protect these two till my very last breath.

*********

"I daresay you've found the one!" Mrs Rosie Smithers gleefully claps her hands. "Pure white just as Queen Victoria - God rest her soul - wore on her wedding day! Truth be told ever since then, women only want to marry in white! But I thought I would give you a choice with the colour. Although this one is certainly the one!"

Mrs Rosie Smithers came hurriedly into the bedroom this morning with boxes upon boxes of wedding dresses, due to the eagerness of Xavier wanting to marry me, it didn't leave much time with preparations and I expected to marry in one of the dresses I have already, but obviously Xavier had other ideas as a rather flustered and out of breath Mrs Smithers appeared a few hours ago. Luckily the wedding won't be till later on in the afternoon, for guests to arrive with such short notice.

I smooth out the dress and walk towards the free-standing mirror. Beautiful white lace and frills, spill out widely from my hips to my feet. With a tight bodice clinching me in from my waist to my bosom area. A thin lace layer covers my cleavage with only a hint shining through. The dress is heavy, and I have to hold the full skirt to move. But I've never felt more beautiful.

"Oh Nova, you look like a Princess!" Angeles says coming towards me and running her hands over the frills of the skirt. "You look so beautiful, Nova."

"Thank you." I grin back to her, although wearing this extravagant dress is making me nervous. Today is the day that I finally marry Xavier, and my nerves are getting the better of me. Especially as Trudy seems to be giving me disapproving looks and sad stares. But she doesn't know Xavier as I do. I know he would never purposely hurt me. I love him and he loves me and that is what I keep reminding myself. His past is his past and that's where it should stay. We have a future to think about, and I'm finally going to have a family and a permanent home. I know my mother would want this for me, no matter what Trudy feels. I love Trudy but I need to make my own decisions, I know she only wants the best for me but this is what I want.
I want to be Mrs Xavier Laywood, whatever that entails with it. He's a good man inside, yes he's done somethings I wish he hadn't but haven't we all?