Maeve
seven years later
"Everyone is ready. They are all waiting for you!" Isa tells me while patting my back.
"Jesus Christ. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm getting married!" I say, burying my face in my hands.
"You're going to mess up your makeup!" my best friend scolds me.
There's a knock at the door, and we both turn around.
"It's me," Jack says from behind the door.
"Come in, dad," I say, letting out a sigh.
I've been calling Jack 'dad' for a good time. After he and my mother got married, we got even closer, and one day when I was looking for him in the house, I accidentally called him 'dad'. He cried for almost an hour after he heard me.
"You look amazing, kiddo!" he compliments me, and I don't miss the tears that build up in his eyes.
"Thank you"
I turn around and take a final look in the mirror. The dress seats perfectly on me. After months of looking, I found the one that makes me feel like a princess. It's strapless with a corset covered in flowers that extend on the top of the trail. This is exactly how I imagined my look on my wedding day. For the hair, I went on with a half-up with little flowers spread along my waves.
"Let's go," I say as I grab onto Jack's arm.
So much happened since I finished high school. I didn't get into NYU, but I got into Harvard. Who would've thought that I could get into Harvard? I remember how my brother and the boys were so proud of me. I don't even need to get started with Atlas. He was the happiest person on earth. When he finished high school, he actually went to NYU. I'm not going to lie both of us being in college in different States was a really hard step for our relationship. I finished business school three years ago and since then I've been working on my own business with a little help from Atlas.
After I organized my mother's wedding, I fell in love with the idea of organizing different events, and after I finished college, I took the opportunity and I started organizing parties for Atlas's business. His father offered him the CEO position of the company, and he accepted it after I had to step in and encourage him. Now, Atlas owns his own hotel chain that he started working on around two years ago.
Our businesses work out really good and we have a great outcome, we also moved in together after I got to finish college. We own together a beautiful apartment in Manhattan, New York. Our parents weren't quite happy about us moving to New York, since we won't be able to visit, but they know they can't change our minds.
I walk down the stairs with Jack and Isa behind me. The aisle is right around the corner. Oh god, I can't believe I'm doing this.
Isa is my maid of honor and Grey is Atlas's best man. The boys are all sitting on my side of the aisle, it was hilarious when they told Atlas they want to be on my side at the wedding. I managed to convince Isaac to be Atlas's groomsman with Michael since it will look sad for Atlas to not have someone on his side.
We are currently in Capri, Italy. Everything around here is beautiful and I have to admit it's quite hot for March. I was so surprised when Atlas remembered where I wanted to get married.
I let Isa walk first down the aisle and I grab onto Jack's arm with one hand while I hold in the other my beautiful light blue bouquet.
"Thank you for everything," I say turning my eyes toward Jack.
"Christ, you're going to make me start crying again."
"Thank you for being a dad to me and my brother, I never thought I'll ever experience a father-daughter relationship," I tell him, and a small tear rolls down my cheek.
"Thank you too, kiddo. Thank you for being the daughter I always wished for" he says before giving me a tight hug. Now let's go, your husband is waiting for you"
Butterflies swirl around my stomach at the thought of Atlas being my husband.
I hold Jack's arm and we start walking together down the aisle.
The guest rise to their feet and look at me, I hear gasps and murmurs, but I only look at him. He is standing right next to the altar with my brother on his right. His lips are slowly parted as he looks at me with pure adoration in his eyes, I don't miss the tears that stream down his face even though he brings his hands up to wipe them away.
I get to the end of the aisle and climb the three-step stairs so I can sit in front of Atlas. I hand Isa my bouquet and grab Atlas's hands.
"You're so beautiful" he whispers and I smile.
"You are handsome too"
He is dressed in a black suit with a vest underneath and a white shirt. His curls sit perfectly on his forehead. Every time I look at him, I fall in love with him all over again.
The marriage officiant starts speaking and everyone stops talking.
I glance down at the guests and see my mother next to Jack, Eleanor, and Alexander looking at us smiling. The boys' families.
I turn my attention back to my future husband.
"Welcome, loved ones. We are gathered here today to join Maeve and Atlas in holy matrimony." The officiant says looking down at our guests.
I tighten my grip on Atlas's hands. The officiant talks about marriage and our future life together, but all the words disappear behind me as I'm completely lost in Atlas's eyes.
"If you prepared you may now say your vows." The officiant speaks up.
"You go first," I tell Atlas and he lets out a chuckle.
"I'm a little nervous to say all I want in front of so many people" he starts and the guests laugh at his introduction "I never thought the love of my life would be my best friend's annoying little sister, but here I am sitting at the altar saying my vows during our ceremony. You came into my life like a storm, you made me feel a lot of emotions I never thought someone could feel. I am happy to say that I've found a person who can be my best friend and lover at the same time. The person I'm the most comfortable around. The person that means the most to me." He finishes wiping a tear off my face.
"Atlas, you came into my life at the most unexpected moment. A moment that I can't say was the best one. I never thought I'll ever be able to find a person who could love me for who I am, or just love me, but right when I was thinking the world had nothing to offer me you appeared out of nowhere. We had our ups and downs, like every other couple, nothing can be perfect in a relationship, but all that matters is that we got the best out of ourselves and managed to keep this relationship going. I am happy to admit that I found my person. The man I know will always love me, care for me, and the one I know I can go to whenever I'm not feeling well."
I hear sniffles and a few sighs from next to us and I remember that we are in front of our guests. For a second, I thought it was just us.
"That was indeed special, now please, allow us to move forward with the ceremony. Do you Atlas Graham, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?" the officiant questions.
I look up at Atlas and find him having a big cheesy smile plastered on his face. "I do." He speaks, his voice is hard and loud.
"Do you Maeve Elizabeth Avery, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," I answer staring into my husband's eyes.
"The rings," the officiant says and Michael hands him the rings. We decided to go on with white gold simple bands.
"A ring is an unbroken circle, with ends that have been joined together, and it represents your union. It is a symbol of infinity, and of your infinite love. When you look at these rings on your hands, be reminded of this moment, your commitment, and the love you now feel for each other." Atlas and I grab the rings from the black velvet pillow.
"Atlas, place the ring on Maeve's finger and repeat after me: Maeve, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge: to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever."
"Maeve, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with pledge: to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever" Atlas repeats sliding the ring up my finger, his hands shaky.
"And now... Maeve, place the ring on Atlas's finger and repeat after me: Atlas, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge: to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever."
"Atlas, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with pledge: to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever," I say, my voice shakier than usual. My emotions got the worst out of me.
"By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss your bride!" the officiant says.
Atlas sneaks his arm around my waist pulling me in for a kiss, one hand resting on my cheek. Everyone cheers around us as we hungrily kiss each other, exactly like we used to when we were teenagers.
We pull away from each other and turn toward our guests, holding hands while we raise the ones with the rings up in the sky.
We walk down the aisle together as husband and wife. I never thought I'll ever get to call Atlas my husband when there was a point in my life, I hated him so much.
I guess I got the happy ending I never thought I deserve.
~THE END~