Always next to you

Chapter Sixty-One

"How so?"

"He has my passports. I'm not allowed to go back to Japan,"

"No way!"

"He said he's really serious about having me next to him and I want to stay,"

"So, what's the problem?"

I saw a hint of fear flash through Oliver's eyes and I thought it would be best if I stopped asking. Even if he didn't say it, I couldn't forget the weird feeling I got from Jonas' Uncle at the first elite event I attended.

However, now that I was standing at the door waiting to be cued into my wedding procession, my heart was racing. The fear that Oliver spoke about was flowing through me.

This wedding was strictly by invitation to my friends and a few family members I had. Although I didn't care about them, my mother would be here as well as Aiden's father, whom I have only met once.

If they were all here, I should expect Jonas' mother to be here too. What if he was here?

"Nicole," I hear a voice call behind me.

When I turned around, I nearly tripped over my dress at the sight of my father. He was in a wheelchair that was pushed by my mother. After our argument, she never let me see him, but Curtis told me he was fine and decided to try living this time.

"Dad," I cried, rushing towards him.

My dress trailed behind me, and I was already crying before entering the wedding hall. Jessi would kill me if she found out. My dad also had tears in his eyes as he looked at me.

"You look so beautiful," he said, wiping the tears from my cheek.

My mother said nothing and she walked away from the wheelchair and into the wedding hall. There was still no word about fixing our issues, but she left me alone to live my life.

"You have stayed home and rested, Dad," I said. "I was going to visit you when I get back,"

"I wanted to walk you down the aisle myself, but the doctor said it would take at least six months for my limbs to wake up," he replied.

"I'll go in with you. Do you want to go with me?"

"Of course,"

I forced myself to stop crying and went behind my father's wheelchair. When the music started, I pushed his chair to the door, but Mia came out to help me.

"You're supposed to be inside waiting," I whispered.

"And you're supposed to walk beside your father," she replied.

She took over, pushing my father's wheelchair while my father held my hand. His hand was so warm that I never wanted to let go. I remember my childhood days when he would take me to school and people thought I was adopted because I mostly took my mom's genes.

My father defended me then and protected me. He never let me feel their racism because he loved me. These are the memories I had forgotten, but they were all coming back to me.

We walked together inside the church, and everyone was standing. Halfway to the altar, I saw Aiden and then Jonas, but my eyes went back to Aiden. He was too perfect to avoid.

The way he stared at me made me shy, but I had to complete this entrance as we had rehearsed. We didn't let him see me in the dress until today, and he was more than shocked at my appearance.

My father coming to my wedding was a huge surprise and Aiden's reaction was also a surprise. I prayed for all good surprises today in my heart as my father handed my hand to Aiden's.