this is a double update so it's update 1/2 please make sure to read the author's note at the end of the book,
ALEX
Wedding bells are tolling.
Ivy and I are officially getting married in 40 days and our twins are 6 months old.
We planned to have an August wedding and the past couple of months planning it has been the worst stress I've had to feel.
Ivy is absolutely insane when it comes to planning, she refuses to let anyone get in the way of that.
She follows the slogan if you want it done correctly you have to do it yourself which prevents her from allowing anyone else to step in and intrude on her work. It gets a little irritating sometimes honestly because she never allows herself a break.
"Ivy I'm telling you my father will hire the best planner in the state so you can just relax while they take over" I try to assure her.
"Why are we paying for a planner when I can do it?" She screws her face up at me.
"Ivy you're being irritating, we don't have a budget, you're gonna have to order everything, find all the people, and pay them, it's more work on you. Why do that when you could simply hire someone who's job is to do that? They have connections and probably get discounts for being a loyal customer, just let me handle it" I console her.
"I just don't want it to be ruined, I want it to be the most perfect wedding, everyone in America is practically going to be there" She exaggerates, it's going to be my family and her family and our friends but then again that probably is all of America.
"Ivanna, it won't be ruined you have control over everything you just have to communicate professionally with the planner and everything will be alright" I slightly laugh and she sighs finally agreeing.
As the weeks go by, I think I can definitely say it's been the most chaotic since probably since Ivy and I started dating, sometimes we'd go days without speaking, because she was planning or she was mad at me for not agreeing with her on something.
Honestly, I feel like half of the arguments that we had were unnecessary and could've been figured out but at the same time this is a really stressful process
now, with just a week left before our wedding, I don't know if the pressure is getting worse or if it's calming down
ivy's dress looks to be beautiful, even though I haven't seen it Everybody is raving about it, I've been so caught up in the wedding. I don't even think I remembered to write down my vows it's not like it'll take me forever to write them, but in the same breath, they're supposed to mean something and come from the heart.
"Alex, how are you with the vows" Sasha speaks up, just as I was thinking about them.
"Honestly, those have been the last things on my mind, I just need to make sure this wedding is perfect, Ivy has probably had 50 strokes and the highest blood pressure in America all while I'm trying to make this wedding less stressful" I sigh
"When was the last time you saw her?" He asks, he of course knows about the short periods we go without seeing each other.
"Last night, she's been at the venue and stores since this morning" It's 6 pm.
"Don't you guys have a planner?" Sasha adds.
"Yes but you know Ivy, she doesn't like anyone else in control but her, she hates when other people try to intervene because when she has a vision she aims for it"
"It's definitely working though because her vision is coming true, so far what I've seen in the venue and everything looks pretty good, almost exactly what she envisioned" Sasha responds, and that warms my heart because it makes me feel like all of this isn't for nothing.
"But I also think you should speak to her, she's gone most of the day, the wedding is taking away from the quality, and most couples realize they don't want to get married a week before the wedding" he adds.
"Yeah, but I've been letting her do her own thing because it's her vision, I want her to be happy" All I ever want is for her to be happy.
Just before Sasha can respond to what I have to say Ivy is walking in with bags on top of bags, followed by Kimani with even more bags.
Sasha and I immediately get up to help them, once the bags are sat on the floor I can't help but look at Ivy, and admire her beauty.
"Iv-" Just as she goes to speak she's cut off by Sasha.
"We need to have a conversation, as a family" She refers to our little group as a family, which only just warms my heart even more.
"What happened?" Kimani furrows her brows.
"You two, Ivy especially have been on a whole other planet and just left us behind" He speaks up and Ivy immediately looks at me.
"Do you feel this way or does Alex?" She immediately asks.
"No I feel that way too, Alex maybe just more so than me" Of course he threw me under the bus, he's still Ivy's little bitch.
She immediately looks at me confused, I'm not sure why she's confused though, she has been on another planet.
"Look Iv, the past four weeks we've done nothing but argue or not speak, and once the arguing stopped you just started disappearing, I don't see you anymore and I know that you want this wedding to be perfect but it can still be perfect if you take a step back as well, I miss my fiancée" I try to keep it as short and simple as possible.
"I'm sorry Alex, I really am, but you know with the arguing and stuff like that I just started going to solo missions with the wedding stuff because we can never agree on things and I didn't know that it made you feel some type of way." She speaks up.
"That's fine, you can go on all the solo missions in the world but I barely see you and it's starting to feel like our wedding stole my fiancée, it's supposed to be bringing us closer not farther" I rebuttal.
"I understand, and I apologize" Is all she says before getting up and hugging me.
As our relationship matured apologizing and talking out problems became easier and easier, maybe it's because we have support from the parent relationship Sasha and Ki, or maybe because we're just growing in general.
I V Y
For the next week, I decided to take a break from planning my own wedding, I left it up to the planner and tried my best to destress.
Ki and I went to the spa, and Alex and I went on a lot more dates, but just as I got comfortable with what was going on I got slapped in the face with our wedding.
It went from 6 months away to 90 days, to 60, to a week, and now today's the day. I am marrying Alex.
I didn't even figure out if I'm going to be a Davis or a Jones, maybe it should be hyphenated.
Ivanna Marie Davis-Jones or Ivanna Marie Jones-Davis.
I feel like maybe I should just fully take on Jones, as much as I want to keep my Individuality I like Jones a lot.
Maybe I'll- but my thoughts are interrupted by a voice.
"Open your eyes now" My tailor speaks, she's been fitting my dress for the past 10 minutes, perfecting it since I'm about to walk out in 5 minutes.
"No I'm too scared" I shake my head, this is really happening, I'm really getting married.
"Ivy come on" She groans, I can hear her stepping back from behind me.
I slowly open my eyes and I've never felt so.. so surprised. It's my wedding day, I'm in my wedding dress, one of three by the way. You know how I get.
My hair is done, My makeup is done, I feel like a princess, not even a princess, a queen at that.
(this is just what the dress looks like, not Ivy)
I have about two more dresses to change into but I wanted to go simple with the walk-out dress.
I didn't realize how long Iv been staring at myself until I heard a knock on the door.
"Iv" I hear Alex's father's voice from behind it and I walk to the door slowly opening it.
"Are you ready?" He asks slowly getting quieter pausing to admire.
"You look beautiful Ivy" He smiles gently, and I can only smile in response, If I speak I'll burst out into tears.
As I exit, I can already hear and feel all the people in the place.
The ceremony begins with soft violins in the background, my mother walks down with her lil boo and Alex's mother walks down on her own.
First, our bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down together, and the final ones walking out are Kimani and Sasha since they're the maid of honor and Best man.
Finally, Alex walks out but I don't peek my head out to see him because I want to be surprised. I have seen how the ceremony area looks but the reception venue, is where the real party is happening and that's what took up all my time.
The flower girl, being me and Kimanis daughters ride out on a little carriage being pushed by my aunt with the two rings sitting on a pillow between the both of them.
Finally, once they meet their point they're picked up and given to both me and Kimani's mom, once I hear the violins stop I know it's my turn.
I look at Alex's father and he just nods at me in reassurance.
Knowing what happened between my father and me, Alex's dad asked if he could walk me down the aisle and I couldn't help but say yes.
A L E X
I timidly wait for Ivy to walk down the aisle, my stomach in knots and my heart thumping.
I just feel Sasha pat my back in reassurance but nothing can assure me in this moment.
Finally, I hear the door open and I watch as She walks out, hand in hand with my father's hand, and I'm not sure what snaps in me but I immediately feel tears start to fall out of my eyes.
Everyone standing up watching her, this is the woman I am marrying, this is the woman I am spending the rest of my life with.
She pauses in the middle of the aisle and I want to walk up to her and grab her and hug her but I have to control myself.
My father stares at me, giving me a tight but joyful smile, after the officiator speaks a couple of words I finally get to walk up to her taking her off my father's hands.
After some more words are shared we finally get to the vows, and this is where I choke up.
"You have taught me that two people joined together with respect, trust, and open communication can be far stronger and happier than each could ever be alone. You are the strength I didn't know I needed and the joy that I didn't know I lacked." I start.
"Today, I choose to spend the rest of my life with you.
You have made me the happiest man in the world today by agreeing to share your life with me." I choke up slightly but keep going.
"I promise to cherish and respect you. I promise to care for you and protect you. I promise to comfort you and encourage you. I promise to be with you for all of eternity. I promise to love you for who you are, and for who you are yet to become. I promise to be patient and to remember that all things between us are rooted in love. I promise to nurture your dreams and help you reach them. I promise to share my whole heart with you and to remember to show you how deeply I care for you, no matter the challenges that may come our way. I promise to love you loyally and fiercely—as long as I shall live."
"Do you remember the very first day that we met? I knew the very first moment I saw you, under all of that tension that we would call hatred I knew we were meant to be together for all of our days. You have become my lover, my companion, and my best friend. There's no one else I'd want to build a life with. And I am beyond grateful that I get to have you by my side, my love, and my wife, for eternity." I end my vow and I can already see the tears threatening to fall out her face.
She takes a deep breath before beginning to speak her vows.
"I choose you and promise to choose you as my husband every day we wake. I will love you in word and deed. I will laugh with you, cry with you, scream with you, grow with you, and craft with you. To be your kin and your partner in all of life's adventures is all I could hope for in the world. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't yet know, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself, the good, the bad, and the yet-to-come. You love me in love and complete me in ways I never knew possible." I feel like a little bitch, I'm about to choke on my sobs if she keeps going.
"From this day forth, I promise to trust in you and learn from you, to support you and accept your support. I will celebrate your successes and mourn your losses as though they were my own. I will love you, my husband, and rejoice in your love for me for all of the years of our lives."
"Today, surrounded by all of our loved ones, I choose you to be my husband. I am proud to be your wife and to join my life with yours. I vow to support you, inspire you, and love you always. For as long as we both shall live, I will be by your side—for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. You are my one and only today and every day." She finished her vows and as much as it would be perfect to grab her and kiss her I know I can't.
The officiator speaks more words, we put the wedding bands onto each other, and before I know it he spits out the words "Now that bride and groom, have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. You may now kiss the bride."
Before he can even finish bride Im grabbing Ivy and kissing her, this kiss is passionate, loving, wholesome, and sensual, it's the most powerful kiss Ivy ever shared with her.
Maybe because now she's a Jones.
The ceremony continues for a little about after about thirty minutes everyone is headed to the reception.
The bridesmaids are in a limo with the groomsmen and Ivy and I obviously had to get a separate car for what's about to happen.
A/N: So uhh I am officially back from the dead, my new years resolution is to be more active, I've been struggling a lot with my mental health and with finding enough energy and time, and motivation to write, writing this itself took me hours because instead of shutting down when I ran out of thoughts I just kept going. There's one more chapter left of this book till it's completed, so this is a double update, I also have a big surprise, there's a playlist for the bad decisions books coming and I also have a new book in the works. I know yall are wondering girl why tf are you starting a new book when it took a few months to finish the book that you already started and I think sitting down and thinking about it it wasn't that I lost motivation to write but it's that I lost motivation to write this book specifically, I genuinely don't want the book to end, but I also have nothing more to add to it and I don't want to drag it on, so I've just been dreading ending this book series but I have to let go. This was my first book and I'm excited for new beginnings so tune in for my new book coming out soon, and I will keep updating on Sasha and Kimani's journey but I will take a slight break from that book until I figure out where I want to take it.