Song: "Till The End" by Jessie Ware
**
It was nicer that I got the hang of things at some point in this pregnancy. But one of the things I wasn't getting the hang of was the nosiness of the press.
Will was frustrated as news of the pregnancy circulated. He knew I didn't want this. A few people were fired in the next hour but I was certain it wasn't his employees' fault. Someone has spilled the tea, and spilling it made my blood boiling for some heads to be ripped. Unfortunately, ripping heads isn't my forte.
"I'm sorry, my love." Will had his hand on his heads as we were having breakfast with the news on. My poor husband.
I walked over to his side and pulled him close to me. "They're bound to know soon anyway." I said and he lifts his head up, surprised at my words. "I just wanted to enjoy this moment with you and some close people as long as we could. I don't know if your family is considered close though."
"I promised you this news will stay with us as long as we can hide it from public, but I failed you." No, no!
"You did all you can, Will. The least we can do right now is find out who actually spread the word to the press. We've had NDA's, Will. We can easily trace who it was."
"Unless..."
"Unless what?" My eyes widen as my brows furrowed. What has he come up with?
"I am positive this spillage came from my side. I just need to confirm it. But I am 100% sure this is from my side"
Even if my gut tells me he's right, I am guilty because he is being so hard on himself. "Hey, we don't know yet." I put my arms around his torso. "It's okay. We can adjust to this situation." I half-lied. It's school I'm worried about.
"I don't want you to stress about the press and every living nosy person in your way, Mads. This is not okay. If it's someone who signed an NDA, they will definitely be--'
"I know, Will. But since this is already here, all we can do is cope up with it." I tried smiling but lately, this isn't a trick that works no matter how hard I try. "Will, in a week, we'll be getting married. Even if we have secured to have this privately, there's a chance that our wedding can be caught as well."
"Can you go to school with this happening?" he asks with full concern.
"I don't have a choice, Will. A few more days won't hurt, I guess." A few days in hell all right.
----
Aside from the more intense murmurs and loud whispering that disappear whenever I am walking down the hall with George, everything seems to be the same. Though I am quite thankful for those who minded their own businesses. That meant a lot.
I was having lunch with Gigi and I had George have his lunch as well so maybe he's in the car for all I care. I told him I'm fine with Gigi having an eye on me. Then I saw Amy and Owen looking for a table to sit in. "Hey!" I called out for them and they smiled the moment they saw me, of course with a few nasty stares from other students. Maybe they're thinking why they would sit with me, the billionaire's harlot.
"Thanks so much! We literally checked everywhere for a seat." Amy said as she took her seat.
"Well, the losers still get to have their own space." Gigi comments and I laugh.
"I seriously don't know how you could handle this kind of crowd, Mads." Owen comments as he digs in on his mac and cheese.
"It's not worth my time. My focus right now is keeping this baby healthy and myself safe." I bite into my apple.
"Did they have apples today?" Gigi asks in a panicked tone. What's this about?
I shrugged. "Yeah, why?"
"I'd rather have an apple than a pear." Gigi holds out her pear by the stem with a disgusted look on her face. I don't get it. "I'm just gonna go and have it exchanged into an apple."
"Me too!" Amy was on her feet in a nanosecond and went with Gigi to get their fruit changed.
And I'm the picky pregnant woman here.
"So, Mads. Rumors are true then." oh, yeah. I'm left with Owen now.
"Which one?" I joked as I sipped from my tumbler of water.
"Your pregnancy, and the billionaire husband and father."
"Do I have a sign on my head saying that I am proudly telling other people in this school about my life?"
Owen laughs contagiously with what I said. Really, people can't keep their noses in their places. "Are you happy though?" he suddenly asks me and my laughter fades away.
"Of course I am!" I replied and continued eating my apple.
"You don't sound that happy." he comments, and my thoughts drown me once more. But I know within myself that I wanted this. This makes my mom and Will happy. That alone makes me happy.
"Really, I am, Owen. Thanks for your concern." I smile, and like on cue, Gigi and Amy were back with red apples in their hands.
Life and rumors continued on throughout that week. There were stories that also circulated that Will raped me into this, and another was that Will was using this to take advantage of me. Of course, we all know that at the end of the day, even if this baby was well-planned into this world, this baby is well-loved by both loving parents.
And of all days our little one would make itself known into the world, it had to be on our wedding day. Will and I decided that we go on separate places for the night before the wedding. He said that I should enjoy the night with my mom and my sister, while he stayed at a penthouse he also owns but that was very thoughtful of him. However, I called him to come home to see my mysteriously popped belly.
Mom and Megan gave us some time to be with each other. "No sex tonight. You only have an hour." Megan reminds us and Will laughs as we both lay on our bed.
"You can keep the door open if you want to." Will cockily said.
"I don't want to see you two exchange tongues, so no thanks." Megan winks as she slowly closes the door.
The moment the door was closed, Will's lips were already on mine with my face in his hands. I could wake up everyday for this. Oh, right, I definitely will! "I love you." he tells me after we pull apart.
"I love you more." I reply and Will positions his hand on the hem of my satin button up top and pulls it up, revealing what seems to be a small bump below my belly button especially when I lay down.
He places his hand over it, hesitant at first, but I think he knew he couldn't hurt me. He slowly caresses his hand over the bump and I saw his eyes light up. "It's amazing how it wasn't like this in the morning. Now it's like you ate a tennis ball but swallowed it whole!" he says in full amazement.
Just seeing him bonding with our unborn baby makes my heart thaw. "Now I feel quite pregnant. Looks like our little one will be walking down the aisle with me as planned by your seemingly romantic proposal." I say and suddenly he's an inch away from me after giving my bump a quick kiss.
"Have I mentioned that you're such an amazing woman?" his eyes burn into mine.
"No. And I don't feel like it, why?" I tried pulling my shirt down but he stops me.
"Because you are. You make dreams come true and people happy. You're selfless and giving. I'm proud to have my child having you as its mother."
"Have I mentioned how good of a father you are already?" I asked in return.
"No." he bluntly replies.
"You already are. You do your very best to take care of the both of us. You may not see it now, but you will."
He smiles and then looks at his watch. "We still have 45 minutes."
My eyes widen and my laughter was louder than I expected. "Will!"
"Kidding!" he kisses me once more, tenderly. "Tomorrow night and the rest of your school break, you're mine."
"I already am."
Will left after a few more minutes of cuddling...and kissing before he left for the night, leaving me and my family all together, in matching pajama sets, in another room. Because why would I let my mom and sister sleep in a bed Will and I just love copulating in?
I was in the middle while mom was on the right, Megan on the left. No one said a word, but I was savoring each moment I was with both of them, especially mom. I won't be with them during our honeymoon, and no one knows when mom may leave. We fell asleep, all three girls in an embrace.
The next day, we woke up almost at the same time and we just started to laugh for no reason. All of us laughed our hearts out and mom embraced us but it caused us all to fall back down in bed.
"I'm going to miss this." she says.
Megan and I look at each other, then at her. I had no words to say, but my body led me to her arms in an embrace.
"My darling girl." she just says.
----
As we get ready, I allowed mom to put on the colorful wildflowers in my hair as I decided not to wear a veil. My hair was simply curled and then the sides tucked at the back. It looked beautiful with wildflowers inserted. My bouquet of flowers were matching. But the flowers in the ceremony and in the reception, I decided to be in the different shades of white I didn't know existed.
Even with a huge white tent at reception, we wanted our wedding to be as rustic as it could get. Wooden long tables and chairs, a lot of dangling lights and candles. And at the end of the ceremony, everyone will have sparklers lighted as we pray and honor those who battle cancer in every corner of this world.
"Mom, I'm gonna faint." I say as I hear the mini-orchestra of strings play a bridal march.
"You can do this." she says lovingly with that beautiful smile etched on her face. She looks so beautiful in a beige dress, almost similar to mine. "You've done so much already. This is nothing compared to all of those. I'm very proud of you, remember that. At the end of everything, that man right there at the end will become your world. It won't be me anymore, but that's okay. I taught you to love and appreciate other people, most especially those who don't feel the love our family has."
The curtains open, and it was now or never. I was walking down the aisle with my mom by my side, to the man I love. I've never seen Will this handsome in my life. He was in a black tuxedo. He trimmed his hair but left his growing five o'clock shadow stubble that I just love seeing him with. Then I saw something I don't see everyday. A tear or two coming out from his eyes. It was so contagious just like his smile that I felt tears wanting to flow down as well, but I did my best to just smile.
I didn't know who the guests were, but I guess they were powerful people as well. But that didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that Will is at the end of the aisle awaiting me...even if I caught my eye on Margaret for a split-second.
Will kissed my mom's cheek and then my mother has officially given me away. "I never thought you would be this beautiful today." he whispers in my ear as we climb up the platform with a giant wreath at the back.
"You don't look bad yourself." I whispered back.
"Dearly beloved, we are all gathered..." Reverend Daniels started, but I was entirely impatient the entire time he had started the ceremony. I just wanted to skip to the 5 magic words as soon as possible. But then I realized, those weren't the words I was supposed to look forward to. They were Will's vows.
He lets out a nervous huff as he gets his piece of paper filled with words that was adorable and funny at the same time. The guests thought so too. "Madison. Where do I start? As I was trying to write it accordingly, but I couldn't write it the way I imagined it would be. That's how you are. You're the woman who entered my life and ever since then, you kept turning my world upside down for the better. You are like the most exquisite fireworks display on a daily basis even if you're just preparing dinner, or studying for a challenging exam. You are the woman who is my personal referee in life. You tell me when to stop, when to go on, and when to just pause and think. That's something I am very grateful of, and I'm sure everyone in the office agrees to that. But most of all, I just want to tell you, and everyone else in our event, that you are the woman my mother always told me to find. My mother told me, 'Will, look for a woman who loves her family more than herself. Someone who's willing to help those who are in need most. Someone who can be the most wonderful mother to your children. And someone who will make you a better person. '
"Madison, up to this day, you still don't believe that you've given so much of yourself for other people, but allow me to love you this time. You deserve as much love as you give to others. There was never a day I didn't thank God for you. I vow to love you in the good and in the bad, cherish you even in times of desperation, be a better equal to you, a supportive husband, and now the most amazing father to our Little One, until death do us part."
Will slides on a beautiful platinum ring with small diamonds surrounding it, and it matched my first ring. That was when I realize, I was a faucet once more.
"Sorry, pregnancy hormones." I laughed as I wiped my tears away, and everyone laughed. "William, you have no idea how much my life has also drastically changed because of you. All my life, I never thought of myself. But then you made me realize that even the strongest people are the weakest behind closed doors. The most hardworking people are those who are already tired. But you changed me too. You taught me to value my own self. That was the one thing I can never admit. I am the luckiest woman to be here in front of you, to love you until our last breaths. You've given me a hope that I was looking for. I vow to always tell you I love you, to be the support system no one could ever give, to unconditionally love you through the most desperate times, to fight for our love, and be the best wife and mother I could be knowing that I have you always by my side.. This I vow before God and before everyone here to witness this moment we waited."
I slipped on his ring, and then I realized, there was really no turning back now.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. William, you may now kiss the bride." Reverend Daniels said and Will didn't waste his time, our lips locked and a roar of applause went on and on and on.
The reception was amazing. One reason was that Margaret and Caliyah were drinking their hearts out at the champagne fountain Will requested entirely for that reason.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asks me as we dance in the middle of the dance floor.
"I've never enjoyed a single day this much before. Nothing can top this...yet." I smiled and we kiss once more.
"Wait until the Little One gets here. We'll see what day is the most enjoyed then." he says.
"That's why I said 'yet', husband." I chuckle on his lips as we steal another kiss from each other.
"Let's cut the cake, and the sparklers, and let's get out of here. I'm too greedy today, wife."
"Okay, let's go." I say and then as Megan prepares the sparklers, Will and I cut the cake and distribute it to the guests.
After everyone had their cake, we asked them to go outside the tent for the sparklers and fireworks.
"Can I have everyone's attention, please." Will said and everyone instantly had their focus on us. "Thank you. First of all, we would like to thank you all for coming to one of the most important days of our lives as we are now, officially husband and wife. This is just one. As you all know, news have circulated that Madison is pregnant. Yes, we are exactly 12 weeks expecting."
Everyone had their 'aww' and applause. All happiness for the news.
"Aside from that." Will continued. "Madison and I decided to also give back at this momentus event. All your gifts, monetary and in kind, will be donated to cancer patients and single mothers in our area. So thank you to all your generous hearts."
I keep seeing how people are reacting to Will's speech. They look surprised but in the best way possible. When he suggested this, I was surprised as well, and my heart was swollen. I knew Will had a huge heart.
"The reason why this idea was conceived, was that this is a tribute to Madison's remarkable mother, Elizabeth Philips. She's been battling cancer for some time now, and she's been a single mother for the same length of time. It reminds me of what my mother always used to tell me. Life may seem cruel to us, but we just don't see other people dealing with life's cruelty. And with that, we remember those who continue to fight the vicious disease, and those who feel as if they're alone in this world in raising children and be the best person they can be."
"As we light our sparklers and enjoy the rest of the night, let's have a moment of silence to pray for those who are struggling with cancer because there are things in life we wish we could control, but we couldn't. And let this be a reminder to everyone that everyone is stronger than they look. We all have our own battles in life, we just have to have a grateful heart." I say and we start lighting the sparklers.
It's amazing how in silence we could also appreciate the beauty and the light these things emit. And as our sparklers die, the fireworks are set off, filling the dark night with beautiful colors.
As I was saying goodbyes to my family and friends, Will was getting our car ready. Thankfully, all the stuff we need for our honeymoon are there.
"Hey, congratulations!" someone behind me said.
I turn around in laughter from a joke Heidi said when it died in a snap. "Owen? What are you doing here?"
"I'm Will's stepbrother." he says.
**
Author's Note: I KNOW!!!!!
Hello, loves! this is it! the wedding chapter! ugh! you guys don't know how much this makes me happy.
Life update: I started to have my practice teaching and I have class in 6 hours and yet here I am updating hahahahaha! That's okay as usual! I'm actually blessed to be sent to an international school because not everyone can have the opportunity to enter so this is a wonderful challenge the Lord has put me in, and this is way beyond my comfort zone. Do pray for me on this.
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LoveLots,
WanderingDancer x
(December 4, 2018 12:45am)