Taking Chances (Official Second Draft)

Epilogue {10 Years later}

"Look at how beautiful you look." Lily says as she puts the last flower in my hair. I stare at myself in the mirror, my wedding dress fitting my shoulders perfectly. My hair falling onto my shoulders with beautiful curls.

"Thank god you went to cosmetology school. I don't know what I'd do without you." Her long brown hair falls to her shoulder blades now. Complexion is just as perfect as my mothers. She took after her looks almost completely. After her surgery we had a ceremony where we took my mother's ashes and spread them across the small bay next to our old house. We both agreed that we would make the best of our lives, not only for my mom, but for each other.

"Mom would be so proud of you." Lily whispers softly as she slowly adds my veil. I chuckle.

"She probably would be a blubbering mess."

"That too....okay what do you think." She stands me up and walks me over to the full size mirror. My wedding dress falls to the floor flowing out as it flows over my stomach and sprawls out at the bottom."

"I- wow...I just can't believe the day is finally here. You did an amazing job Lily. Thank you."

"You know I'd do anything for you. She hugs me from behind." She turns around.

"Here, you can't forget this." She hands me my bouquet. "I added something to it." I look at the beautiful flowers and see a small locket. I opened it and saw a photo of my mother and me when I was younger. Tears brim my eyes.

"Where did you get this?"

"Hey, no crying. You'll ruin my masterpiece." She grabs a cotton ball and taps my face. "Thank god I used waterproof makeup....I got the locket from mom's lock box in the house. The one they gave us when we left the hospital."

"You kept it for ten years?"

"I kept it for this day specifically. I know you wanted her here so bad. We both did, but at least she can be close to us." I hugged her once again. She looks down at my stomach.

"Is she awake?" I smile at her and place her hand over my stomach. A little kick that felt like a butterfly in my stomach erupted.

"She always wakes up for you."

"She knows that her aunt is going to spoil her for the rest of her life...you know because I'll be the cool aunt." We both giggle. Mr. Pearson comes in and clears his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies, but It's time." Lily smiles.

"Show time! I'll meet you out there." She winks and grabs Matt's ring, heading out of the room.

"Thank you for walking me." I say to him softly.

"You're my daughter-in-law and a member of this family. There's no need to thank me." I smile at him. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you sir." He puts his arm out for me, I link it together. We walk out of the room and approach two large oak doors. I hear soft music playing. I hold tight onto Mr. Pearsons arm. I can see him smile out of the corner of my eye. The doors open and a gust of wind tickles my face. I can hear everyone standing, but my eyes are only focused on one thing. One person. Matthew. He sees me and I can see him put a hand over his mouth. Tears already escaping his eyes. He wears a sturdy black tuxedo with a blue tie. I walk down the aisle slowly, my dress dragging on the floor behind me as the music plays. The closer we get, the more my heart races. We eventually reach the altar. Mr. Pearson smiles and hands me to Matt. He grabs my hand and pulls me up in front of him. Lily standing next to me has tears in her eyes. A close friend of Mr. Pearson and Matt's family stands next to him. I hand Lily my bouquet and she smiles.

"Thank you all for joining us for the celebration, full of love, hope, and life." David stands in front of us. Matt and I both agreed that we wanted him to marry us, right after we attended his wedding with Hunter. He got certified as soon as we asked him.

Matt takes my veil and moves it over my head.

"It's time for the vows. First, Matthew." David says confidently. Matt looks into my eyes. He lets out a big breath, and wipes his tears.

"Naiomie from the very first day I met you, I knew in my heart that I loved you. Everything about you, I was head over heels. The way you scrunch your forehead when you focus on something, the way you tilt your head when you're writing, even the way you twitch softly when you begin to fall asleep. You saved me from my darkest times, and still to this day you save me. Everytime I wake up and see you, it hits me all over again that I am the luckiest man in the world." Tears stream down my face. "I am the luckiest man in the world to get to live the rest of my life, have a beautiful daughter, with someone as perfect, beautiful, and lovely as my sweet, passionate Naiomie. I wouldn't want my life to be any other way. I wouldn't want my life with any other person. I want to keep living a life with you, until death do us part. Forever and always, my precious love. I love you with every fiber of my being." He squeezes my hands. Clapping comes from the audience of the church. I mouth a 'I love you' to him. He brings his hand up to my eyes and softly wipes my tears.

"Matthew.." I pause trying to hold myself together. "The love I have for you is so deep, so rooted within my soul, that It's hard to put into words. But, the words I speak, I will never stop speaking them. Each day with you is a priori. A euphoric experience that reminds me just how blessed and lucky I am to have you. We are like two perfectly fitted puzzle pieces. When we first met we were looking to complete our puzzle, and we finally found each other. We finally completed the puzzle of our soul, creating the most beautiful piece of artwork." I hear sniffles from the audience as I take a breath. "We have waited a long fourteen years, going through the most difficult of times...but in the end we overcame everything together. I want to keep doing that until the end of our lives. Our baby girl is going to have the best daddy in the whole world, she will be just as lucky as I am to have someone as wonderful as you. There is no other life I want to live in, if It's not with you. My silly idiot, my knight in shining armor, the love of my life. I love you with all of my heart, body, and soul." Tears roll down his face. David smiles as claps once again come from everyone. Once the room falls quiet David asks for the rings. We turn and grab the rings. We both stand quietly, staring into each other's eyes.

"Do you Matthew Robert Pearson take Naiomie to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he asks.

"I, Matthew Robert Pearson take you, Naiomie Sky Lee, to be my wife, to have an behold, from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, until death do us part." Matt slides the ring onto my finger slowly. David looks at me.

"Do you Naiomie Sky Lee take Matthew to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I, Naiomie Sky Lee take you, Matthew Robert Pearson, to be my husband, to have and behold, from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, until death do us part." I slide the ring onto Matt's finger. I look out into the audience to see Matt's parents crying in the pews of the church. An entire police force sits behind them, friends from work, everyone all sit in awe. I look to the balcony in the church and see my mother standing there smiling. I smile wide at her. She was always with me. 

"I now pronounce you both Mr. and Mrs. Pearson. You may now kiss the bride." Matt smiles at me and kisses me passionately. The world around me is spinning, fireworks in my heart explode, almost as if this was the first time he was kissing me. For the rest of my life, I have the one person I need the most. For the first time in my life, I am and forever will be happy. Matt releases me from the kiss. 

"Forever and always?" 

"Forever and always Matt."