Nicole
"Thank you for doing this, Mr. Lee."
He leaned down, just close enough to whisper into my ear. "We're not at work and we're supposed to be acting as if we're dating."
I raised an eyebrow in silent question: 'So?'
He'd read my mind. "Call me Jin."
"Nicole!" Jin jumped and stepped away from me as if we'd been caught doing something unseemly.
My mother was the owner of that voice and I scolded myself for not telling her before-hand about my plans to make Tony believe I'd moved on. I couldn't tell her here, her shock would be all too audible for the crowd of prying ears.
As she waltzed over, I attempted to prepare myself for any embarrassing comment my mother decided was entertaining enough to grace her lips.
"Who is this?" she questioned. Jin gave me a look before plastering the fakest smile I'd ever seen on his lips.
"Mom," I sighed, "This is my boss."
Jin cleared his throat pulling me to his side with one hand and holding out the other for a handshake.
"And Nicole's boyfriend." he said, grabbing my mom's hand to shake it.
I knew that this is what I'd asked him to do, but hearing him say that out loud felt strange.
"Excuse me!" the justice of the peace exclaimed through the microphone. "The ceremony will begin in a moment. Please take your seats."
The wedding was being held outside in a beautiful garden, filled with orange and white chrysanthemums, Eva's favorite flower. The wooden fold-able outdoor chairs were white and a big orange bow hung from the back of each of them. Jin and I took our seats with the family on the groom's side.
My cousin Andre, older only by two years, was getting married. I wasn't really sure that I was happy about it. I hoped that this marriage would last, but my cousin was a flirt. I'd never seen him in a relationship that lasted longer than two months. And suddenly he's getting married.
But maybe I'm wrong. I could very well be. Maybe he's changed and is trying to do better. Eva, his bride, is a beautiful woman. So beautiful she was hard to compare to any other woman. He had better not lose her. If he did, I'd smack him myself. Not only was she externally beautiful, but she was kind-hearted, down to earth, and put Andre in his place when he said something out of line.
Maybe it was possible for him to change because of her. Could a person really change another?
A violinist accompanied by piano began playing. Andre and his groomsmen began walking down the aisle. Soon enough the bridal party entered and then the music slowed in anticipation of the bride.
She was gorgeous. Her ivory dress had a lace flowered print at the top and was made up of sheer material at the bottom. The look was tied together with a small and elegant bow at the waist. She walked down the aisle confident, determined, and sure. Her eyes never left Andre's and Andre looked as if the sight before him was too much to take in. As if her beauty shone too bright and he was unable to process the woman walking towards him.
"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of two young individuals who have never been more in love."
The slow, muffled whine of a child begins building into an outrageous scream.
Take it away...
Unfortunately the child's parents didn't catch my telepathic message, so I decide to shoot an annoyed glare instead. I'm surprised to see some random woman holding Abigail in her arms and giving me an apologetic smile in response. They'd been sitting in the row behind us.
Abigail looked extremely uncomfortable. I looked at Tony, who stood behind my cousin, unable to move from his position in the ceremony. I turned and reached for Abigail, hoping she'd remember me. The lady handed her off to me with a sigh of relief and Abigail, upon sitting in my lap, settled down. I brought a finger to my lips and widened my eyes, daring her to make another sound.
Jin raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged. I'd rather keep her quiet than let some random woman Tony was sleeping with struggle with her and have Abigail's cries interrupt the ceremony.
"...room in the relationship for both of you to be your own people and yet of one mind and heart. So look at each other and remember this moment. For after these vows you will say to the world, thisーis my husband; thisーis my wife."
Jin wrapped his arm around the back of my chair and whispered into my ear. I couldn't help but notice how comfortable he'd gotten with me. It wasn't too long ago that he was ailed by the sound of my voice.
"Who's the kid, Nicole?" He was making a point of using my first name, as he hadn't before.
"Tony's."
He popped an eyebrow in surprise. "Careful, I thought you wanted to give off the impression you were over him."
"Well what else am I supposed to do?"
Jin shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to the ceremony, leaving his arm slung over the back of my chair and the tips of his fingers lightly resting on my arm.
"The couple would now like to exchange their own vows."
Andre's grip on Eva's hands tightened. "Eva." His eyebrows furrowed before he took a deep breath. "I have never been more sure of anything, than I am of you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so grateful that you and I were able to cross paths. And even more thankful that you've accepted someone like me as your husband. My heart feels like it could explode, when I think of just how much I love you and what you mean to me.
From the moment I saw you, I knew you were different. But there was no way I could have known just how perfect you were for me. And how deeply you could affect my life. You accepted my past. You gave yourself to me completely and I don't just mean physically. Your love, your time, your tears, your heart. I vow to never leave your side, because it would take a lifetime to repay all that you've given me within the short time we've been together. I don't deserve you, but I vow to spend the rest of my life trying to be the man that loves, protects, respects, helps, and cherishes you enough to deserve the love that you give so much of."
I could see his determination to keep those vows shine through his tear-filled eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in an attempt to restrain a flood of tears. He couldn't fake that. Some could, but Andre couldn't. And wouldn't. Even as kids, when he'd fallen from the tree in my backyard that he'd stubbornly climbed, even after mama shouted threats of belts and switches, he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood just to keep from crying in front me.
Now, in front of about two hundred people, his tears streamed freely. Not with his consent of course, he tried to stop them from coming. But the more he spoke the harder it got. "Please be my wife."
Eva slipped her hands from his only to reach for his face. She brought him close and smashed her lips against his. Andre didn't take his time to wrap his arms around her either. The crowd cheered and I laughed against the bulge in my throat forming, threatening to bring tears. Abigail clapped as well and bounced gleefully on my lap.
"Don't get too ahead of yourselves," the justice of the peace interrupted. "The bride still has something to say."
Eva separated herself from him and dabbed at her tears, being careful not to rub off her make-up. "Andre you've given me more than you'll ever know. The way you make me feel, about love, about life, and about myself has changed me for the better. You are such a bright person and you light up any room you enter. I sometimes get angry at you for not realizing your worth. And whether or not you realize it, we're so similar. Anything I don't like about you, I find in myself. And it's not difficult to understand you because of our similarities.
So I vow to love you, build you up, and add to your light for as long as I live. I vow to build a life with you and to make you proud to call me your wife. You are and forever will be my king, my life, my everything and even death will not part us."
"You may now kiss the bride."
The little flower girls beamed as they threw up the flower petals in Andre and Eva's direction. The sun illuminated for a small second once their lips touched. Andre could hardly finish the kiss before a smile broke out onto his lips. Their foreheads rested against each other and they held each other once more, before walking down the aisle as husband and wife.