“Oh my God, can you all just stop with the go Brisa shit,” she huffs then the door slams.
He looks back at me, and I can’t even utter a word.
The door opens again. “Just saying, we’re running late, and the ministers waiting at the—”
Eyes searing into mine, he says calmly, “We’ll be just a minute. Ask your father to come.”
“Sure, whatever.”
“And, Brisa?”
“Matteo?” she says shortly.
“Lo siento.”
“Do you speak English or not? I’m so freaking confused.”
He steps back, and I grab his shirt. “Please, don’t go. Please, forgive me. Please—”
“I will ask your mother to come in and help you fix your makeup, even though it is unnecessary. While you’re doing that, I’m going to get changed.”
“I shouldn’t change then? You still want to marry me?”
“You should not change, and I am going to marry you now, not tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I nod then begin to cry. “Okay.”
“Hush now,” he whispers. “Everything will be fine.”
“But I—”
“Nothing matters but our love. Nothing.”
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
“When I see you smile as you walk down the aisle, nothing in the past will matter, only our future. Mine and yours.”
“So, change of plans, huh?” Dad asks from behind Matteo.
“Yes,” Matteo says as he pulls my head forward and kisses the top of it.
Within seconds, Mom is in the room, and Dad excuses himself to go change and to ask Uncle Cyrus to make an announcement.
The First Day of Forever
Tris
Standing next to Dad, my arm linked through his, I allow myself to take in my surroundings for the first time, through my own eyes. Eyes that are clear because Matteo is a better human than I gave him credit for.
The sun is setting in the distance, light growing darker, yet still the sun is not lost. The vineyard I chose is perfect, unattached to anyone I know, family-owned and run, rustic but clean and classy. The leafy vines full of grapes and foliage, living and breathing. The ground beneath my heels, hard parked and a rich brown.
I can’t see the ocean from here, but I smell it, mixed with the sweetness of the grapes and the tiny, white tea roses wrapped in leaves and vines.
The music begins, and Dad leans down, kisses the top of my head, and whispers, “He loves you, kiddo.”
I look up at him and smile as I whisper back, “I love him, too.”
“I know.” He winks.
“And I love you.” My throat grows thick, and I widen my eyes, hoping to dam up the tears. “I know I have put you through—”
“Don’t,” he cuts me off. “You may have been the most challenging, Tris, but ask me if I’d give away even one of those times, and my answer would be no. Each has brought us closer when it could have torn us apart.”
“I tried to—”
“You tried to hide your hurt by pushing us away.”
“I won’t anymore.”
“You will. You’re the little baddy of the bunch, and I will walk through whatever fire you start to get to you.”
“But I’ll be married. Not your problem and—”
He leans down so he’s eyeball-to-eyeball with me and narrows his eyes. “That man waiting just beyond these vines up there gets a piece of you, yeah. He gets to love you. But I made you, and I loved you first. You’ll always be my little girl.”
He hugs me, the kind of hug that I would normally pull away from because, like he said, I’m the baddy, but this time, I don’t. I hug him even harder.
When he chuckles, I look up at him smiling down on me, his smile as big as the sun, but today, I will not seek the shade.
“Sometimes, it takes being loved in a different light to be able to let others in to see your true colors. Spoiler alert: I’ve always seen them, and I’ve always thought they were beautiful.”
“Brisa’s the beauty queen.” I smile as I step back.
“You get pictures back for this day, take a good hard look at you and me. Gonna suck looking away. Gonna have to force yourself to do it, though.”
The wedding march begins, and he stands to my side and seems to grow a foot.
“What does that even mean?”
“You look like me. We’re hot as fuck, Tris.”
I laugh so hard that I snort as we step out from under the covered roof.
Dad gives me wink. “Let’s strut.”
“Oh my God, shut up.” I laugh-snort again as we walk onto the path.
“Like a runway,” he whispers.
“Seriously, you’re—”
“Sexy, and I know it.”
“Dad, stop.” I laugh.
“Should we dab?”
“No, no, we shouldn’t.”
He whispers, “Do the stanky leg?”
“Stop it.”
“Hit the Quan?”
“I’m ignoring you now.”
Smile on my face that I’m sure matches Dad’s, I stand at one end of the aisle and Matteo at the finish line. When Matteo smiles, my breath is lost for just a moment, and Dad gives me that moment before we begin to walk.
Each step closer takes away an entire day of the past week at a time, and when I finally get to him, he doesn’t take my hands like I know he’s supposed to; he wraps his arms around me, hugs me, and whispers, “Forever starts now.”
~~~
“Come with me, Mrs. Arias?”
“I’m never leaving your side again.” I laugh as he drags me behind him.
He hurries us around the main building, where the family is pulling together a reception a day early, and toward a building. Ranger is standing at its door.
I start to panic, thinking maybe Marc has come. “Is everything okay?”
“All clear.”
“Keep it that way, yes?” Matteo asks.
“Yep,” Ranger grumbles then walks away.
Matteo opens the door, and my nerves are stirred for another reason.
The flowers from my room are placed around a pile of blankets and pillows. Matteo holds the door open and waves his arm, motioning for me to step inside.
Shutting the door behind us, he says, “Forgive me, but I don’t think I can wait another moment to have you alone. And if you tell me no, in fear your dress will get rumpled, or your hair—”
“I’ll never tell you no.”
“We haven’t much time before the others will—”
I look over my shoulder. “Unzip me.”
He turns me around. “I want to see your eyes.” Pressing his forehead to mine, he wraps his arms around me and beings unzipping me slowly, in no hurry as he presses soft, gentle kisses on my lips, eyes wide open.
Once unzipped, he uses his thumbs to push the thin straps of my dress from one shoulder then the next, and my dress slides down my body. He steps back and loosens his tie, slipping it over his head, eyes still on mine as he tosses it to the side and shrugs out of his jacket.
“Your body is stunning. I can’t wait to paint you.”