Tenuta San Guido wine
7th of July. My birthday. The day before our wedding. I couldn't care less about my birthday, other than the fact that I would turn eighteen, and could legally marry you. Wasn't common, probably. I knew turning eighteen was a big deal to other girls and would have thrown the biggest party, but I didn't want it. My parents and brothers and family who had flown over had thrown me a low-key party, which was sweet, but my mind was already with the day that would follow after.
The day that I would become yours, and you'd become mine, only.
I hadn't seen you all day- we both were busy with the last preparations of the wedding. The preparations we couldn't see of each other, yet. Your suit. My dress. My hair. My make-up. Your grooming. And all that stuff. You were with your mother and Teddy. I was with my parents. I missed you. The days between the proposal and the wedding had been spent together mostly. Days, evenings, mornings. No nights- that was for marriage only.
We dreamed about everything, watched The Sound Of Music a couple of times more, gazed at more dawns and smelled loads of flowers and cooked food. I sewed you things, you wrote for me, gave me books you liked.
It all made us so much more excited for the future, when we could finally wake up to each other, step in our bed together, fully engulfing ourselves into each others' warmth and embraces. We fantasied about our wedding, how we wanted it to go. Low-key. We both didn't like huge parties, even when I'd have a bit of too much wines, I liked dancing to small live bands or parties of others whenever I'd come near a house with music that would make your eardrums vibrate.
We had decided on our friends and families only. Keeping it small and personal. We had chosen a location in an old, vintage barn, with nature sounds surrounding us and the smell of flowers lingering in the air, satisfying our noses. You had asked me many times if I'd not want to marry in Italy and truth was- I wanted to- but it was too expensive.
Every day, I longed for Italy. You knew that. And with small things, you'd always bring something Italian in our days. You'd find Italian recipes we could try out and cook, gave me Italian self baked cookies, put on an Italian playlist.. the little things, but they meant so much to me.
You and I had both worked hard, but we hadn't had enough money to marry there, invite all of our family members and friends over. It was less expensive to fly the remaining family of mine from Italy over to England. To make it up, we would fly to Italy after our wedding to spend some time together there. Teddy Wood, a hero. He owed us so much, didn't he?
The night on my birthday. The night before our wedding. I was in bed. Knitted something for you. I was almost done, when I heard something near my window. I had wrapped my robe around my body, shoved open the curtain but didn't see you. When I hung out of the window, my eyes met your big, chocolate ones.
"Happy birthday, Aurora." You showed your teeth as you smiled and I was engulfed in the love you beamed out. You had already sent me gifts- we both knew we probably wouldn't see each other today, which was more than reasonable, but you still came.
"Sole." I smiled widely, stretched out my hand, but we couldn't reach each other. "Amore."
"Principessa." I smiled at your English pronunciation, enjoyed the way you studied Italian words just for me. "Baby, I can't wait to marry you." Your face turned serious, you whispered loudly. You hadn't ever called me that, your mannered and polite personality never allowing you to do so. But it sounded amazing.
"Amore, neither can I." I whispered back, watched how the moon lit up your soft and smooth skin. Your hair were disheveled by the wind, but I could tell it had been groomed already.
You stayed quiet, I was used to the trait. You smiled at the ground, played with your fingers. Eventually, you took a folded paper out of the back pockets of your trousers. "Your Papà.. he told me about.. the Italian, kinda new, tradition of a groom and a bride.." You hesitated, and I teared up.
The way you invested in me. In my roots. It all proved the amount of love you had and still have for me.
"Aurora, my love.." Your hands were shaking. You read your vow word by word, looked up at me, smiled, mentioned you had to pee and ended your vow with; yours only, Zev.
"I cannot wait to call you my man." I whispered, as the tears streamed down my face. I stretched out my hand again, a moment later, you climbed up the downspout with a guitar on your back, stood on the roof of the annex, and gently held my hand.
You gave me another present. An acoustic, Italian love song. You had learned all of the words. Your pronunciation was funny, extremely off with some words, but the sweetest I'd ever heard. It was the first Italian song I'd ever let you listen to.
We exchanged a soft kiss on the lips and I told you to wait. It was fifteen minutes later when I finished knitting the socks, and you still stood on the exact same place, waiting for me. With all the patience you had. I handed you my gift. "Wear those on our wedding, please, amore. I promised you warm socks on your feet on our first date."
You laughed, admired the socks. "The Sound Of Music theme?" Tiny edelweisses.
I had smiled at you. Nodded.
We exchanged another kiss and you went back home, so we could both get some sleep before our big day.
I first saw you at the ceremony. Our mothers had decorated the old barn with eucalyptus, jute twine and ochre yellow and rust brown candles. Edelweisses laid on some chairs, white balloons hung on the ceiling, and wooden benches and chairs were scattered in the area. The doors of the barn would be open behind the place we would stand at for our ceremony. Through the open wooden door, we could see the meadows full of flowers. The one I'd start to love so much, after.
Soft music started playing. Papà held my hand, cried silent but happy tears when the door opened and he brought me inside. Beforehand, I had imagined saying hello to my friends and family I hadn't seen yet, but when my eyes had landed onto you, I couldn't look anywhere else.
Zev, my man. My heart bursted right there. It was too full of love. Emotions. The feelings you gave me. And when I think back, when I look at you now, playing a cow for Benjamin so he can catch you, my heart is only fuller, and will be fuller by tomorrow.
You wore a checkered Italian wedding suit, dark, with rust brown, something I hadn't expected, yet fitted you so extremely well. I wore a simple, elegant, vintage dress. Our eyes had met. Tears started rolling down our cheeks. You stood there, so timid, so gentle, so you. If it wasn't for the traditions, I would've ran all the way over to you, screamed out a yes and dragged you all the way to Italy so we could finally become one, physically and mentally, too. And not only formally.
Papà gave my hand to you, and you took it so gently. Brushed your fingers over my knuckles and whispered how beautiful I looked. I told you the same, smelled your cologne. Even Teddy had tears in his eyes when he looked at you. It softened the pain that appeared when you had told me your father hadn't reacted to your invitation, and wasn't here.
The ceremony had started, first we got married for the legal, civil registration, after a long speech he asked us the questions we had both longed to hear.
"Zevediah Malin, what is your answer?"
"I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I, Zevediah Malin, do take thee Aurora Giulia Moretti, to be my lawful wedded wife." Your voice was hoarse. Cracked almost by the intensity of the atmosphere and emotions.
"Aurora Giulia Moretti, what is your answer?"
"I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I, Aurora Giulia Moretti, do take thee Zevediah Malin, to be my lawful wedded husband."
You wanted to kiss me, but the man of the civil registry stopped you, to which you timidly and sheepishly smiled. "The rings! You forgot the rings. Then, you may kiss your wife." We both laughed at each other, I couldn't help but pinch your cheek. "Idiota." I whispered, to which you started laughing harder.
A little cousin of mine brought our rings. We exchanged them. Held eye contact for a moment before we turned back to the man who married us.
"Zevediah Malin, you may now kiss your wife." Our lips connected before he could even finish his sentence.
Next, we married for the church. Teddy was our pastor.
"I, Zevediah Malin, take you, Aurora Giulia Moretti, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life."
"I, Aurora Giulia Moretti, take you, Zevediah Malin, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life."
"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen."
Little did we know, Zev..
Little did we know what that promise actually meant.
After the ceremony, the church, the ordination of our marriage, the food, we had a party. It was low-key. We took photos, spent time with the people we loved most, drank some good Italian wine, and simply; loved. We played games, our family members held speeches and when the end was nearing, we became closer and closer, not wanting to let go of each other anymore.
We were young. I had just turned eighteen. You were nineteen.
Around two am, we waved at our families and Teddy drove us over to the airport. He smiled down at us, held my face in his hands, before he did the same to you. I could hear what he whispered in your ear. "That is what love feels like, boy."
When we had hugged him goodbye, we kissed each other. We got free drinks and foods the whole flight long, only because we were bride and groom. Just married. Just. Married. That feeling was indescribable. Still is. I was and am so lucky, marrying the man I still love so much.
The flight was short, yet it felt like ages. We both wanted to give our deepest, most intimate gift to each other; ourselves. When we arrived at the lake house, we admired the decorations my family had hung up before they left for our wedding. They were sweet. Balloons, flowers, and rose petals on the bed. You gazed at the moon and the lake. Smiled at me. I smiled back at you.
We both took a shower. I was done first. Had wrapped a robe around my body. I went through our gifts as I waited for you to be done. You came out in joggers. You were timid, but also secure about yourself, which I enjoyed watching.
"I can't believe I'm yours now."
"And I can't believe you're mine." I whispered. We shared kisses. Quickly after, they became deeper. We caressed each others backs. Lied down onto the bed and became closer. I squeezed your hand. You squeezed mine back. I squeezed yours again, you copied the gesture. We both laughed. I stroked your cheek, looked deeply into your eyes. "Amore. Give yourself to me. I want all of you."
Then I felt it. Those darned woolen knitted socks against my bare feet. My eyes widened, I had sat up in an instant and watched your feet in horror. "Amore.. Zev.." I had bursted out into laughter.
You sat up, too. Looked at me in confusion. "What is it?"
"You don't think I'm going to get all intimate when you have those on your feet, do you?"
"You wanted me to wear them on our wedding day." There it was again. That innocent, pretending- to- be- mad or offended expression on that face of yours. I could eat you up right at that moment.
"Yes, but not now!" I cursed at you in Italian, but it was all jokes. You knew. We both laughed. You jerked the socks off your feet. And then..
For a moment, I could admire the way God had woven you. Then, you admired the way God had woven me.
Finally, the moment came where we gave our deepest, most intimate, most personal gift of ourselves to each other. And after that moment, we had completely melted together in every possible way. Woven together. Melted together into the shape that were our hearts, our lives. Knitted together like those awful socks I had made you.
I cannot stop thanking God for that gift. The greatest gift of all.
You,
Zev.
You.
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Zev's and Aurora's wedding :'). How'd you like it? Hopefully it satisfied you.
What do you think of Aurora, the more you get to know her?
And what do you think of Zev back then compared to now?
I'd really appreciate votes and comments:)
Zev's suit