6 Months Later
The blinding stage-lights shone across the entirety of the room, disabling my eyesight temporarily. I squinted, trying to focus on the overexcited interviewer. Her happy persona made me want to vomit, but I had to keep the "Nice" facade going, or my manager would have my head.
The crowd clapped as we came back from the commercial break, and I crossed my legs, taking a deep, calming breath. I'd been on other shows before, making it on news stations all across the country, but every time my anxiety skyrocketed.
Even Ellen Degeneres was a huge fan of my work. Regardless, it didn't help with my nerves. Ace claimed it was the pregnancy hormones, which earned him a slap upside the head. He was very supportive over these passed months, holding my hair back as I had morning sickness, driving to the nearest fast-food chains in the middle of the night when I had cravings.
When I had gotten Braxton-Hicks contractions last month though, his chill demeanor changed into a complete freakout. We rushed to the hospital in pajamas and forgot the overnight bag in the kitchen. Needless to say, we were very unprepared.
Now he's carrying the damn thing everywhere... ready for everything. I eyed the front row, noticing Ace smiling proudly as the spunky interviewer began to introduce me.
"Welcome back to Talk, Talk, Talk ladies and gentlemen! I'm your host Jain Romano and today we are here, with New York Times bestselling author, Danny Accola!"
The audience applauded again, and I scanned over them, waving and grinning politely. Ace was the loudest, sending a loud whistle that echoed throughout the large area. I rolled my eyes, shooting him a death glare, which only made him louder.
"Hi, It's so awesome to finally meet you!" Jain laughed, shaking my hand vigorously.
"Same to you" I smiled, internally screaming with annoyance.
"So Danny... let's get right into it, shall we?" she beamed, organizing her question cards.
"Yeah, of course" I responded, which quieted the crowd. I shifted slightly in my seat, feeling a sharp pain erupt from my belly.
"First of all, I'd just like the say I am such a fan of your books. They are so passionate and... descriptive... and hot! I think I speak for all the ladies out there when I say you are so incredibly, talented!"
There were whoops from some of the fans, which made me giggle. But another sharp pain shot through my stomach, and I bit the side of my cheek to keep from crying out.
"Anyways, what's in like being so young, yet so successful?" She reached out and took a sip of her water while the question baked in my mind.
"Well... erm... It's honestly a dream come true. I'd always wanted to become a writer, and having so many people... especially my family," I stole a quick glance at Ace, who winked and mouthed the words 'I love you'. I bit my lip before continuing "... support me, and stick by my side through everything was... amazing"
Jain smiled, and nodded approvingly, before flipping her card and asked another question.
"So obviously we all know your pregnant, and you look absolutely gorgeous by the way, but can you tell us how that happened... and who that sexy man is over there who is staring at you with puppy- dog eyes?"
The audience broke out in laughter, and I plastered on a fake grin, jelousy spiking through me. Did she really just call Ace sexy right in front of me?
"That's my fiance, Ace Mitchell." I took a long pause before continuing, watching her face fall. "We met during my sophomore year in college. At first, we hated each other..." I turned my head towards him, my heart swelling when he blew me a kiss. "... Well, long story short, now we're spending the rest of our lives together, with a baby on the way"
Jain regained her composure and snapped at one of the crew members, signaling for them to get Ace.
"Let's get him up here, shall we?" She smirked and waved my fiance over to us, the crowd clapping lightly. He walked up the steps, carrying our hospital overnight bag. I rolled my eyes and giggled, pecking his lips as he sat down next to me.
"Hello, love" Ace whispered, relaxing against the bright red sofa.
"Okay, first of all, what's with the bag?" Jain practically yelled, ogling over Ace. I scoffed and sighed, letting him explain our situation.
"Actually Jain, this is our hospital overnight bag. Dan had Braxton hicks about a month ago, and ever since I've never have left the house without it-"
"Which is so unnecessary, Ace" I chimed in, elbowing his side playfully. Chuckling echoed through the room, and we stared at each other relentlessly, giving one another "The look".
I gasped suddenly, feeling liquid flood into my underwear.
"No fucking way" I mumbled, holding back laughter. Well, this is ironic.
"Danny, there is no swearing on live" Jain whispered, and Ace watched me expectantly. I chewed at my lip and nodded, shutting my eyes to calm my nerves.
"Holy shit" I heard him whisper, and he immediately took action, demanding for a wheel chair. Crew members yelled for a commercial break, bustling around chaotically. Another excruciating pain exploded from my belly, and I furrowed my brows, breathing shakily. "It was unneccasry she said, it'll be useless she said." Ace mocked, stroking my hair lovingly. I slapped it away and stood, only to take a seat back on the wheelchair.
As I was rolled to our car, people clapped and cheered, congratulating me on the birth. I wasn't due for another two weeks, but labor is unpredictable, I guess. Another contraction panged, this one more painful then the last, and I cried out, trying to control my erratic breathing.
"Oh, I know baby, you got this" Ace encouraged, helping me into the car.
"Shut the fuck up, you did this to me, bitch" I snapped, groaning irritibly as he buckled me in.
"Dude, to be fair, neither of us thought to put on a condom... how long have you been having contractions?" He asked suddenly, starting the engine and speeding to the nearset hospital.
"Umm... like two this morning? Maybe later. I thought it was just Braxton Hicks, Ace... AHH!"My entire body ached and throbbed with pain. This was an absolute nightmare.
"Oh my god... love, why didn't you say anything?"He asked concerned.
"I JUST SAID I THOUGHT THEY WERE BRAXTON HICKS" I shouted, fury coursing through my veins. "I'm sorry... just stop talking to the women in labor, I never know what's gonna come out" I mumbled, earning a chuckle from Ace.
"We're about to have a baby" He whispered excitedly. A smile broke through my lips, and I rubbed circled into my huge stomach.
"We're about to have a baby"
********
14 hours later
"Here's your baby girl!" The nurse said in a hushed tone, handing the small child to Ace. My eyelids fluttered closed as exhaustion took over my body. I was completely drained and sick of labor.
"What I don't understand is why God made childbirth so painful... and why he made vaginas so small" I grumbled sleepily, sweat pouring down my face. Ace pressed a cold towel against my neck and forehead, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
"Love, before you rest, you need to look at our baby. She's absolutely breathtaking" his voice was laced with so much love and adoration. I squinted and began to cry, watching our baby stick her tongue out aimlessly. Ace gently placed her on my bare chest, and she stopped crying almost immediately.
"Oh, wow" I laughed, wiping the tears from my cheeks. My heart soared as I stared at her rosy cheeks and adorable, tiny nose.
Once we had arrived at our hospital room, I had stripped naked in an instant, becoming too restricted with clothing. The staff didn't seem to care... even when I was cursing rather violently.
"What's her name?" The nurse asked, grinning happily. She walked over and dragged a cool cloth over my drenched hair.
"Amelia Skye Mitchell" Ace and I spoke in unision, and he leaned down to passionately kiss my mouth.
"I love you"
"I love you"
*************
7 Months Later
I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, finally satisfied with the light makeup and beautiful braided updo. My blonde strands were loosely curled and coiled around my head in bubbly dutch braids, covered by a long lace veil.
"That dress is absolutley gorgeous" Skye breathed, snapping her camera at me. I rolled my eyes and smiled, staring at the low cut lace V-line. The bottom of the gown was thin and plain, accenting the beautiful lace top. Skye reached for my exposed back, her cool palm rubbing soothing circles into my spine. The gown accenuated all my small curves, which was a godsend.
"Right?" I breathed, biting my lower lip.
"He's gonna love it" She grinned, taking another picture.
"Oh, would you stop!" I laughed, pushing her away. She giggled and smoothed out her blush-pink dress. Skye always looked beautiful, but today she made sure to try really hard, claiming "the scrapbook would thank me", whatever that means.
"Dan, your parents are already seated, and Amelia's starting to get fussy, you better hurry." She blurted out, as if suddenly remembering what she came here for.
"Got it, I'll be out in five" I shouted as Skye rushed out, preparing to photograph everything. She had finally decided on majoring in photgraphy, and took every waking moment shooting random pictures. Lucky for her, It was Ace and I's wedding day... and were having a small ceremony at the Lakehouse.
We both hated the idea of a wedding, and had orginally planned on going to town hall... but Mom had other ideas. After days of arguing, we settled on having a wedding just for my parents... and Skye. Ace also invited Anne, his hometown best friend. Funnily enough, she's his best man, and arrived at the house dressed in a fancy suit.
I mustered up all my courage, and walked out the backdoors, seeing my father waiting to walk me down the "aisle", or more accuratley, our dirt pathway to the dock.
"You look stunning, my baby girl" He whispered, and I hooked my arm around his. Tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
"Thank you, Daddy" I managed out, kissing his cheek.
I glanced at Mom, who had Amelia on her hip, wearing an adorable baby-blue dress and matching bow. Giggling, I waved playfully at my baby, crossing my eyes and sticking my tongue out . Amelia laughed heartily, showing me her pink gums.
My gaze shifted to Ace, who wore a very sharp, navy-blue suit, tailored to perfection. He tilted his head and smiled, trailing his eyes over my figure.
"Hey sexy" I whispered as Dad let me go with a final kiss. Ace took my hand and squeezed it tightly, the smile never leaving his face. He leaned in slightly, brushing his cheek against mine.
"You look absoutley stunning, Love... although I prefer you without the dress"
A tingle shot down my spine, but before I could react, the minister had interrupted us.
"Well guys, welcome to the wedding of Danielle Accola and Ace Mitchell. I was asked if we just get straight into the vows so... who would like to go first?"
"I will" Ace blurted out, excitement evident on his face. Amelia began blabbering and clapping her hand together happily, making my heart swell.
"Hold on" He paused, inhaling deeply. " I have to catch my breath to believe this is real, that I'm marrying my true love, my heart's desire, and my best friend. You are my world, Danny Accola, and my reason for living. I promise to love you, not just for this moment, not for an hour, or day, or year, I will always love you. I promise to be here to wipe away tears of sadness, to elicit tears of joy, and to cry out to everyone who will listen to how much I love you. I promise to be there for you, in cold winter mornings, to warm you, on soft springs to watch our love grow, in our summers to play in the light of the sun, and in our autumn to kiss your fingers and say, it has all been worth it - every moment of our love." I bit my lip, trying to stop the tears from flowing. He laughed and squeezed my hand again, knowing how emotional I was being. "I promise to... I promise to always respect your choice of music in the car when you are driving... no matter how crappy it is. I promise to get up and get our remote from across the room, even if it was not I who placed the remote so very far away. I promise not to drink your drinks, even though I am thirsty and your drink is literally right there. Danny, Let's be dumb together - just plain stupid. Make bad choices, eat the wrong things, take the bad turns, and then let's tell great stories, the same ones - for ever and ever until no one can stand us but each other...... until death do us part, kiddo"
My loud sniffles sprouted laughter from Skye, and I slapped her side, making her quiet.
"Ace, you are the Luke to my Loreli, and the Uncle Jesse to my Aunt Becky" I started, my heart beating speedily. "I am so happy you nagged me relentlessly during college, letting me hate your guts for at least a few days... before I fell madly in love with you. I vow to love you as you love me, through all hardship, darkness, and pain to reach for our joys, our hopes, and always with honesty and faith. I've listened to my heartbeat, felt it trapped in the cage of my ribs. But now I think of it like a dove - flying to you - to be joined with you, my heart soars with yours. Together our hearts take wing. I stand by you, a rock to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, a pillow to rest your head. I promise that you will be as important to me as coffee, as chocolate, and as all the episodes of Grey's Anatomy put together." Ace let out a low whistle, and chuckled. "I love your stupid face and vow that I will put up with whatever you can throw at me - if you think you can put up with my mess. As one volcano said to the other, "I have a dream I hope will come true that you'll grow old with me and I'll grow old with you - I thank the earth, sea - the sky I thank too - I lava you." Ace... Let's be the only people to get each other's jokes."
Everyone laughed, including Amelia. We gazed into eachother's eyes, waiting for the minister to announce the next sentence, anticipation almost too hard to bare.
"Well, without further adew, I now pronounce you husband and wife... you may kiss the bride."