One Night in New York

Chapter Twenty-Eight

They tell you to breathe. When nerves strike, all you need to do is breathe. That's exactly what I did as I heard the news that my bride had arrived. I had never imagined that moment as Natalie had, preferring to fantasize about making it big, but she was an unrealized dream I had never known I wanted to come true. The old me would never have been there, would never have considered marriage or having children because I was always focused on myself. I was really selfish, and Natalie made me realize that there is more to life than what we want. What we need is what makes us complete, and I needed her. I just never knew it until I met her.

Then I was about to meet her for the first time again. That was the first time I saw my wife, and it all hit me at that moment. There was a reason I was placed there that one night in New York City one year ago to the day. I was exactly where I needed to be so that my life could finally have meaning and be complete. I felt led there to meet the woman who would change my life, making me realize what I had been missing all along: her and our daughter.

So there I was, waiting for her to descend the spiral staircase and meet me halfway. As she was ushered in through a back entrance, all of the guests were seated. Natalie desired that her big reveal be a surprise for everyone present, including myself. The museum's layout was magnificent. The ceiling was draped with netted lighting that was suspended from the top and illuminated those seated below.

To ensure that everyone could see the entire event, all guests were seated in a semi-circle around where we would say our vows. I stood near the bottom of the stairs, waiting for my father, best man, and groomsmen to arrive. A blown-up photo of my mother stood next to the groomsmen, as she could only be present in spirit. She would have taken her place in an empty chair with a single rose. I asked my father to stand up next to me because I knew sitting next to where my mother should have been would be too difficult for him.

The piano began to softly play as Clair De Lune rang out beautifully, escorting the bridesmaids down the spiral staircase. The groomsmen greeted them one by one, followed by Angie and Clarissa, who held the tiniest living angel I'd ever seen. As soon as she saw her father, she reached out to me. My heart melted as I gripped her and she rested her head on my chest. For a brief moment, I swayed with my daughter in my arms, causing everyone in the room, including myself, to cry. I kissed her soft head before handing her back to Clarissa.

The wedding party took their places on their respective sides as they entered; the trumpets began to blare, followed by the string instruments as A Midsummer Night's Dream- Wedding March began to echo throughout the building. As I caught sight of her, slowly making her way down the stairs with her arm tightly wrapped around her father's, the vibrations of the trumpet radiated the room once more. She was like a painting, pure perfection, and I couldn't take my gaze away from her. It was as if God had sent an angel down to me at that precise moment. My eyes were only on her, and she was stunning in every way. Everyone else in the room seemed to vanish, leaving just the two of us at that moment. My feelings for her grew stronger as I realized she was about to become my wife, wanting only me for the rest of her life. I gave her a soft grin, expressing my love for my bride as she approached where I stood. She returned my soft smile while visually absorbing all of me and only me.

As she got closer, tears started to fall down both of our cheeks. I was about to say I do to my wife, and she was about to say I do to her husband.