Page 100 of Set In Stone

She grinned andwinked.

“I believe I told you to have a little fun. I never said anything about marriage,” she laughed and tossed me a wink. “Come now. Your husband-to-be iswaiting.”

The climb up the glass staircase seemed to take forever. With every step I took, warm memories of Alexander and I came flooding back. From our chance meeting at Wally’s, to the day Alexander proposed, to the endless nights entwined in passion – images of it all consumedme.

I also remembered the heartache. I recalled how empty I was when I left him. I could envision his face twisted with worry over my abduction and car accident. Then there was his controlling nature and my own stubbornness to give in, inevitably resulting in numerous fights and arguments. His nightmares, although now coming less and less frequently, would not be something I’d soon forgeteither.

However, Charlie’s trial was now behind us. Our relief finally came when he received a twenty-year sentence. It meant we didn’t have to worry for a long time to come. Our home was near completion and all the arrangements had been made to move Alexander’s mother. It still pained him to see her mental state, but it wasn’t enough to keep him away. After regular visits, she now recognized both of us, even if she doesn’t know who Alexander truly is to her. Justine and Hale’s relationship with Alexander was still slightly strained, but improving. Only time would heal the wounds enough so they could move past everything that hadhappened.

Despite it all, the heartache and stress paled in comparison to all the good Alexander and I shared. Even his possessive and domineering side was overshadowed by his moments of love and tenderness. I knew we were stronger together than we were apart and I welcomed a lifetime of accepting the good with thebad.

Until death do uspart…

I could barely believe that it was happening, that we had finally made it to this day, withstanding it all. I almost wanted to pinch my arm to convince myself that I wasn’tdreaming.

When I reached the top of the stairs, a white runner lined with chairs and guests came into view on the expansive open deck. I did a brief scan of the crowd, hoping the distraction would calm mynerves.

I saw Mr. and Mrs. Roberts and a few others from Wally’s. The staff from Turning Stone sat near the back with Laura Kaufman and Gavin Alden. Angelo and Maria Gianfranco were also there with their children, surprising me by closing La Biga so that they could all come. Stephen, Brian, Samuel, and Justine sat in the row behind my mom, Hale, and Vivian. There were also others that I didn’t recognize, presumably business associates of Alexander’s. Everyone stood when they saw me and my heart began to pound in mychest.

The pianist began to play “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, the song we chose for me to walk down the aisle to. We opted to skip the traditional wedding march since Alexander and I were anything but traditional. However, as my vision blurred with tears, I wondered if we should have stuck with the traditional and mundane. The song, while there were no vocals to accompany the piano, didn’t stop me from singing every lyric in myhead.

“…Take my hand. Take my whole life, too. For I can’t help falling in love withyou.”

I closed my eyes to blink the threatening tears. When I opened them again, my gaze settled on Alexander. He was standing on the far side of the deck under a trellis covered in thick ivy and whitelilies.

My breathing hitched and I faltered. It was as if I were seeing him for the first time all over again. He stood still with his hands clasped in front of him, his stance slightly parted, accentuating the broad span of his shoulders. His white tuxedo highlighted the golden tan of his face and near black hair. Even from where I stood, his blue gaze was piercing, devastating, just as it was on the day we first met. The man was a force of nature and he was waiting forme.

He stared down the aisle and our eyes locked. Gone were the people, the boat, the pianist. All I could see was him. His smile shown bright, beckoning me to make my way towardhim.

I don’t remember Frank taking my arm and I don’t remember walking down the aisle. Yet, I must have because, before I knew it, Alexander was directly in front of me and reaching for my hand. The way he looked at me caused me to tremble. I may have been covered in satin and lace, but his eyes burned so deeply that one could swear I was strippedbare.

“Angel,” he said in a huskyvoice.

That one word made my heart swell until it was near bursting, effectively banishing the nervous jitters that plagued me. Alexander was about to become mine, and I was about to becomehis.

The celebrant began the ceremony, but Alexander’s gaze never left mine. The only time we looked away from each other was when the celebrant cued us to collect our wedding bands from Allyson andMatteo.

“A wedding ring is a symbol of unity. It’s an unbroken circle that embodies a promise that wherever life leads them, they will always come back to each other. As Krystina and Alexander exchange their rings, they have opted to recite their own vows that they wrote for each other,” the celebrant announced. Turning to me he asked, “Krystina, are youready?”

“Yes,” I whispered, nearly sobbing tears of joy on the word. I stared into the eyes of the man I loved and began reciting the vows I had written from my heart. “I take you, Alexander, to be my partner for life. I promise, above all else, to live in truth with you and to communicate completely and fearlessly. I vow to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share in the silence when they are not. I give you my heart as a sanctuary of warmth. You will always find home within my embrace. As I join my life to yours, I vow to love you with all my body, mind, heart, andsoul.”

My hands shook as I slipped the platinum band onto his finger, but I never once pulled my eyes from his. When he began to speak, his voice was thick with emotion and it was as if the world stood still. All I could hear were hiswords.

* * *

alexander

Ilookeddown at the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on. I was about to make her my wife. My throat clogged as a surge of emotion welled up in me. I almost couldn’t speak. But then she smiled softly, her chocolate brown eyes so full of love, and my voicereturned.

“Krystina, I love the spark that’s inside you,” I told her. I reached up to touch her face with the hand that she just placed my wedding band on. “Your eternal glowing flame is my light in the darkness. You’ve taught me how to feel. Your mind stirs my soul, your touch soothes me, and your devotion gives me strength. My vows to you are not only my promises, but my privileges because you have chosen to give yourself to me. I enter into this life with you without reservation, without fear or confusion, but with a clear heart and sound mind. You are my past, present, and my future. When you accepted my engagement ring, it was more than just a diamond to me. For diamonds, like angels, are unique. They cannot be made, but only found. You aremyangel, my diamond in the rough, and I found you. I promise to cherish our love as a loveeverlasting.”

I vaguely remember the celebrant telling me to kiss her, but neither of us needed his encouragement. When we leaned into one another and pressed our lips together, we sealed our love with a fierceness that only Krystina and I couldunderstand.

It was a kiss that I’d never forget for as long as I lived. The Fates had tested us and brought us both humbly to our knees. But with our mouths molded as one, we proved that we could overcome their odds and create something trulymagical.

Together.

After the ceremony drew to a close, we posed for pictures and went through the traditional cake cutting. Before long, the reception onThe Lucywas in full swing. Krystina and I opened up the dance floor to everyone in attendance after our first dance, but that first dance ended up turning into many. We probably should have been mingling with our guests, but I couldn’t bring myself to break away from her. I wanted her to stay wrapped in my embrace, swaying to the music, all nightlong.

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