Page 175 of Begin Again, Part 2

He was almost tearing up now as he held her close. "You have no idea how I wanted to do this the whole day."

"Well, I did offer! But someone didn't want to tempt fate." She pulled him in for another slow kiss.

Steve cleared his throat and gently reminded them they were way off the program. "There'll be plenty of time for that later."

They reluctantly pulled apart, and Liam turned to his father-in-law and shook his hand. "Thank you. I'll handle it from here."

With that, he picked Eden up and carried her to the altar. Her slow pace would have taken way too long.

The priest opened the ceremony with his greeting, an opening prayer, and a sermon about marriage after Lois and Erica read the scriptures Eden had selected. A large part of the forty-minute ceremony was a blur for Liam. If he had to write a quiz about the priest's sermons, he would fail dismally because Eden was the only person in his orbit. But when it was time to exchange their vows, he was present in the moment. After all, the words he'd struggled to put down on paper were his solemn promise to her for eternity, and they had to be treated with the level of focus, commitment, and seriousness they deserved. At the priest's encouragement, Liam turned to Eden and took her hands in his.

"Princess," he said, losing himself in the russet pools of her eyes. "When I met you two years ago, I didn't know just how important you were to me. If I knew then what I know now, I would never have let you go, and I would have tried so much harder to find you and bring you home. You are my heart, my love, my hell, my paradise. And because of you, my world has become a little bigger, my days a little brighter, and my nights less lonely. You've shown me how to love, be brave, and be vulnerable. You've taught me what it means to love someone without reservations and expectations. Because of you and Aiden and our little warrior, I'm learning to be a better version of myself. So thank you for coming back to me—"

He wasn't done, but Eden stood on tiptoes and kissed him, her sobs rolling through the room.

"So in front of our family and friends," Liam continued when he pried himself from her. "I promise to be your shelter and safe harbour, and to love you and make you happy for the rest of our lives."

"You'd better." Eden kissed his hands and whispered her vows, her voice catching in her throat. "Liam, two years ago, when I met you, I was so heartbroken I didn't think I'd ever love again. My heart was so dark and heavy with sadness I never thought I'd be happy again. I was so disillusioned by everything I didn't want to trust anyone ever again. But you made me look at all my flaws and helped me fix the parts of myself I thought were broken and heal the scars I thought were too deep. You made me see there's always a second chance if we open ourselves up to the possibility. You ignite me. You challenge me. But most of all, you make me feel safe. My heart is full and light all at once because of you. You made me want to begin again. So, in front of our family and friends, I promise to be your rock, your home, and your fire. I will love you and make you happy for the rest of our lives."

Liam's hands never shook as much as when he slipped the wedding band on Eden's finger. But he was somewhat relieved to see that he wasn't the only one nervous because she also took long to slip his ring on.

The priest didn't have to tell him to kiss his bride. Eden was barely done placing his wedding band on his finger when he swooped down on her.

For a little while, it was just the two of them in the room as they cried and held each other close, only pausing when Aiden ran up from the front pew where he sat with Lois and Clarke to hand Eden a tissue because she was crying so loudly.

"Thank you, baby," she smiled and patted his head, and they watched him run back to his seat.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," proclaimed the priest, and Liam couldn't wait to carry Eden out of the chapel. He scooped her up amidst her giggly protests and ran with her down the aisle as everyone threw rice and daffodil petals at them.

"It's over," Eden said when he finally set her down in the dining hall.

"It's just beginning," Liam reminded her.

"No, dummy, I meant the ceremony," she rested her head on his chest, and he held her tight as she shook from relief. "I was so anxious. I kept thinking something would go wrong. I thought the Ivanovs would show up."

"Hey." He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. "We've used up all our bad luck. From here on, it's clear skies all the way."

Eden looked outside the window and pointed at the gloomy clouds.

Liam smirked. "Maybe not right now. But tomorrow, it's clear skies all the way."

Before Eden could say anything, music drifted through the overhead speakers as the guests began to file in and sit down for their decadent dinner prepared by Cassandra's staff and served by impeccably trained waitrons.

Liam held out his hand, "care for a dance, Mrs Anderson?"

"Say it again," Eden smiled.

"What?"

"Call me Mrs Anderson again."

And he did. For at least ten times, and each time, Eden giggled like a little girl, her eyes lighting up like the sky on New Year's Eve.

"Remember this tune?" he said as he drew her in his arms, and they began to sway gently to the music. "It's our song."

"We don't have a song." Eden shook her head.

"Yes, we do. This is it. It's the same song that played at Crush the night you came on to me on the dance floor," Liam reminded her.

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