Rome was a wonderful place. No wonder he had chosen the same for their marriage destination. Others joined them too on the very eventful day. Today was the day Forrest can finally marry the love of his life.
However, Reva was still feeling like she was doing something wrong. "Why the frown Reva? Today you are going to be united with the one you love." Disha asked. "Am I doing the right thing? What will happen with Ange?" Reva asked. "She will understand we will make her understand. Now don't think about it much alright?" Reva nodded looking at them.
She looked at her hands. Upon his request, they filled her hands with henna. Pia gave her a small silver case filled with vermillion. "Tell him to put it on you after you take the vows. I know you both will be very happy with each other." Pia whispered and then walked away.
Reva looked at herself finally. She was dressed in white, and today she is his bride. He is fulfilling his wish; she is giving her love to him. Christopher walked inside and held her hand. "It is time he is waiting for you Reva," He said looking at her. She stood up and took his hand walking towards Forrest.
Reva looked into his amber-colored eyes. He was waiting for her as he told her. She was nervous not because she didn't want this to happen. But because in the circumstances this all is happening. She can never imagine that she will elope with someone this way far away from her country, far away from the place she had called home for a year and a half now. She never wanted to get married in these circumstances.
Somehow, she thinks she is forcing him into this union and he feels he is responsible for her condition. But it wasn't so, she consented and they made this little life growing inside of her together but he seems so afraid that he somehow will fail to become the father his child wants him to be. She walked up to him and they took the vows together. And he placed the ring on her finger.
"Now I pronounce you husband and wife and you may kiss the bride" He pulled her closer to him and pulled her veil off. All she can look at was his eyes, they looked so afraid and so vulnerable. She wanted to assure him that all will be alright. But she herself wasn't sure how true her statement was.
She herself wasn't sure if she can ever become something, he wanted her to. And then he placed his lips on her kissing her. Though he had done that many times still, this felt something different. Something new, and he liked that new.
Though the thought about tomorrow scared him a lot. The fact that he is going to be a father of the little thing growing in her made him more nervous than excited. He didn't tell her why he was afraid. There were many secrets that he kept, those he was ashamed of. But in his mind, he was dreaming of a perfect utopia for himself and her.
He knew the perfect life he wished he has will never be possible and the fact that his whole family had once rejected him and his wishes to become a doctor, doesn't add up to the fact how much messy his life actually was. But this is something he can do.
He can begin a new life with her. With his newfound wife, Reva who had unknowingly became the light of his life. And she had sacrificed everything for his happiness. She had sacrificed her own happiness. She never asked for anything nor did complain at all. How can he just let her go? he needed a chance to show her that he was listening. He knows her better than she can ever know herself. "It is time for the first dance." They looked at each other and he took her hand leading her carefully to the dance floor.
And then the song came. And he carefully moved on the beats careful not to hurt her. She smiled at his attempts and in fact that he was the only man in her life and the only one she has given enough power to destroy.
He did destroy her for good, for she can see no one but him around. She wanted no one but him, and it had destroyed her completely from within knowing she may never have him for herself but she didn't expect him to do this. She didn't expect him to get married to her just to prove a point.
But he was the heart specialist he had known her heart very well but she didn't. Not even after six months of being together, she knew even a little ounce of his heart. She only wishes she could understand all those unspoken words of him someday she might. Someday she might become a heart specialist just for him. He wiped her tears kissing her forehead.
"Not any more little birdie, I do not want you to cry anymore for me, ever again, I do not wish to see tears in those eyes." He whispered. And he meant that sentence with all his heart. He never wished for her to shed any tears. She had done that enough already.
That night they were surprised by their friends as they booked them a grand suite. It was all decorated in red. Reva was waiting for him to come. She was very much nervous, more nervous about tomorrow when they return back what will happen to them? They had married in secret and that is a huge secret to keep. She heard his footsteps and looked up into his eyes. "Forrest" She whispered and he placed a finger on her lips silencing her.
"Tell me little birdie how many days have passed since I held you close?" He asked looking into her eyes. She looked down. "I know you are counting because I was little birdie, one month fourteen days twenty-two hours thirty-nine minutes and whole lots of seconds. I do not wish to miss another counting."
Reva saw the desire in his eyes. And something else entirely, it was an emotion that shook her to her core. She can see love, for her. Something she had only imagined happens in fairy tales but no, it was real, very real. "Forrest, what will happen tomorrow?" She asked. "We will start a new life together little birdie and build a nest of love. Now we were bonded for a lifetime but I am thinking beyond, way beyond that." He slowly rubbed his nose against her and she giggled.
It warmed his heart as he was not looking for anything less. And then he touched her flat tummy. And they both looked into each other's eyes somehow, she can understand all that he hasn't said yet. She can understand his wishes, his hopes, his dreams.
The night was like a new dawn in their lives. One that brought them closer than they were ever before. And again, he wasn't expecting anything less than this to happen tonight. He knew what he had to do now and he will do everything in his power to protect the one he loves.
"Forrest, can you keep my one request?" She asked. "Anything for you my little birdie." She stood up from the bed and walked towards the table. She took out the little silver case and walked back to him. "Here put this here" She pointed to her scalp.
He took the case from her hand. "Why just tonight, I want to put this on you every day. I saw Pia doing it for Chris, and Chris he loves to do this" She looked at him confused. He took some vermillion and put it on to her scalp. Reva closed her eyes.
"You look beautiful," Forrest whispered as she opened her eyes. He couldn't still believe that he is married to her. "Pia told me that as it is our first night as husband and wife, it is a tradition that I give you something. So, I bought you this." He opened a box with a pendant of a bird in flight.
"So, you never forget that your wings are here with you." He put it around her neck and clasped it. "Thank you. Forrest, I mean it was thoughtful." He pulled her closer. "Now that I have you, do you know what I wish to do to you?" She looked away shyly. She has a pretty good idea.
"Look at me Honey, I want to see those eyes." She looked at him shyly. "Don't shy away from me beautiful. I can look at you this way now. Now you belong to me. And I belong to you. Only to you, like I always wished to." She felt his fingers under her chin. "Tell me what do you want from me?" He asked her. "You have given me everything that I ever wished to Forrest, you are my first love, how many people have the privilege to marry and spend the rest of their life with their first love?" She asked.
He held her hand. "Then it would make two of us. You and me both. We must be the luckiest people alive." He kissed her forehead. "Sorry for kidnapping you, tell me where you wish to go for your honeymoon? I will take you anywhere you wish to." Forrest offered. "First, we need to find out who is after you. Then we can go on for a honeymoon." He nodded. "Do you want to sleep?" He asked not wanting to give her more discomfort.
"Today is our wedding night." She mentioned. "That I know Mrs. Reva Forrest Lyte. But you are pregnant, and already awake for more than twelve hours straight. So, it is only fair that I let you sleep tonight." "You don't want to though do you? You said yourself it had been long since you have been this close to me." He pulled her closer into his chest. "Yes, and all I need is to feel you against my skin. You know how I sleep right?" He asked. She stood up from the bed and he followed.
He slowly unzipped her gown. "Why do you always choose such complicated contraptions?" That made her laugh. He hasn't heard her laugh in a while. He was fairly concerned about the tears he had been making her shed for the past month. "You have such a beautiful laugh." He commented.
"Thank you, Mr. Lyte." He felt his fingers on her shoulder pushing the dress away. It pooled down on her feet. "I am sorry that I have pushed you away my love. Never again I am going to do so." Forrest looked at her illuminated skin that was basked into the glow of the candles. She looked so unearthly. He cannot believe she was finally his. His wife, his everything. How could he have let her go?
"Promise me Forrest you will never ever going to try to harm yourself?" She asked pulling him closer to her. "Never again, I promise. I promise to love. Now, you are not only my wife, but you have a part of me in you." He bent down and placed a kiss on her abdomen. "My children, I am going to be a dad. I cannot say no to this pleasure in my life can I?" he asked himself. Then he looked at his newly found wife. "What do you expect from me now Reva?" He whispered.
"It is not why we are here, to talk is it?" She asked. "I want to talk to you, I haven't in a while now." He took off his shirt and the rest of his clothes till he was in his boxers. Then he sat down and pulled her into him. "No, I rather make love to you, but it had been a while since we have talked like this. I missed it. I missed lying on your lap and just talking." He took off pins from her hairs one after another. "So, what are we going to call our little ones?" he asked. "I haven't decided yet. Maybe after we go back we could look together?" She asked in a timid voice.
"We should and there is much left to do, build a nursery, shop for clothes, babyproof the house. Adopt a dog" She looked at him surprised. "Adopt a dog?" She questioned. "You want a cat? Dogs are better companions than cats for babies. I had one when I was little." She held his hand.
"We live in a penthouse, not very ideal place for a dog, if it doesn't have open space." She said looking at him. "Hmmm, I think we need to buy a house, to raise a family together? Maybe closer to the hospital so we can do both things together. I mean, you will not be doing all the work." He stroked her hair.
"Thank you, Forrest," She whispered. "For what love?" He asked slowly drawing circles over her back. "For not giving up on me, I tend to push people away. I tend to get defensive. I do not fight for anything," She whispered.
"I have seen it. I have seen how hard it is to convince you of the same. But if in future you try this with me, I am going to tie you up to our bed until it resolves and then we will have a mind-blowing..." She placed her lips on his. He kissed back.
"I love you" he whispered. "I love you too Forrest more than anything." She said placing her head on his chest. He doesn't know what lies ahead but Forrest knew he has to do everything to protect his family.
Word Count: 2330 Words