Sarah heard Aiden saying that they are getting married and it sounded unreal, like it's happening to someone else, or maybe she is watching a movie. She rubbed her temples while staring at the scene in front of her.
Aiden touched Sarah's chin, making her look at him. "Don't tell me that you changed you mind."
Sarah inhaled few choppy breaths, but none were able to let her inhale enough oxygen. "I… Uhm… No, no… I… just…", Sarah stumbled over her words. She saw that Aiden frowned and that his mood dropped, and she quickly exclaimed: "Of course, not! You know that I want to marry you… I said 'yes' right here when you gave me the ring! I just didn't expect that it will be right now. Like now-now. You surprised me. I need some time to process this… How is it possible that everyone was in this and I had no idea?"
Aiden smiled smugly in response. If she knew how difficult it was to keep everyone mum about this (especially Ade, aka the chatterbox), and how it was nearly impossible to keep Elanor and Stella taking charge of the planning committee (how the two of them called it), eh… it was A LOT of work which included arranging everything in secrecy, getting everyone here, booking the hotel on the Lake Brienz for the guests, clothes, food, chairs, decorations, the after-party... But it's done. And it is a success. Sarah definitely didn't expect this.
Sarah inhaled sharply when she realized: "The party at our house on Friday was not for my birthday, was it?"
"It was for your birthday also. Do you approve?", Aiden looked at Sarah expectantly.
Sarah shook her head helplessly. "You are the craziest man on earth."
Aiden pouted. "What happened with the most amazing, romantic, lucky to have, and other nice stuff? … But you said 'yes', and you are stuck with me. If you want to change your mind, it's too late. I am your man. Crazy included."
He smiled brightly when he confirmed that she is not upset because of this wedding-surprise.
Sarah took a deep breath. "Yes, you are mine. I am stuck with you since you got me to work on that fake project of yours… and now… I am going to marry you."
Sarah and Aiden looked at each other, both grinning to the point of their cheeks hurting.
After some time in their lovey-dovey bubble, Sarah became aware of the commotion around them and she asked Aiden: "What would you do if I said that there is something else I need in order for us to get married?"
"I would prove to you that it's not necessary. Only the two of us loving each other are needed, and we got that covered.", Aiden said smugly and pulled Sarah closer and they kissed like it's just the two of them on the meadow.
"Hey! You need to get ready!", JoAnna hollered.
Sarah leaned her forehead on Aiden's shoulder and stifled a laugh. Only JoAnna would interrupt someone kissing.
"Before they take you away from me, there is something else…" Aiden paused while reaching into his backpack.
He held a thin jewelry box large enough to cover his palm. "Happy birthday, my love. I hope you will wear it on this special occasion."
Sarah accepted the box and opened it slowly. She held her breath at the sight of an exquisite golden necklace with intricate details which are forming a 'V' shape with numerous clear green gemstones. An ageless design. The gemstones in the necklace are quite large, and Sarah observed that the color is matching the green diamonds from her ring.
"Felix's design?", Sarah assumed because ring and necklace look like a set.
Aiden shook his head. "No. The necklace is much older. This one is made for the lady of the White family. My grandmother Deborah wanted three children. As a condition to marry Richard, she requested three necklaces worthy of his daughters or daughter in-laws. Richard set off on travels and two years later returned with three necklaces. Unfortunately, my grandmother had only my mother before she passed away and Richard decided to keep the remaining two necklaces for the future generations. Elanor has one, Anna has the second one, and this one… is yours."
Sarah looked at Aiden with eyes full of emotions while his words 'the lady of the White family' echoed in her mind. "Thank you. I hope that one day our grandkids will have such heart-warming stories to tell."
Aiden's eyes stirred with emotions. She mentioned the grandkids, which means their kids as well, and this is the first time she mentioned something like that since the incident in October last year. He nodded confidently. "We will make so many stories and they will have difficulties choosing which ones to tell."
"These go with the necklace.", Aiden gave Sarah one smaller jewelry box.
Sarah opened it and saw a pair of exquisite earrings. Each earring has a green diamond in the middle, surrounded with smaller clear ones.
Her butterfly-shaped ring, necklace and earrings are matching.
"I am speechless.", Sarah responded while observing all the jewelry which Aiden gifted her in the last half an hour. "This is all beyond beautiful."
Aiden was happy that Sarah likes it. "It is very beautiful, but it can compares only to a fraction of your beauty."
Sarah hugged him and mumbled into his chest: "Sweet talker."
"With this you have something old…", he pointed at the necklace, "…something new…", he pointed at the earrings and the ring, "…something blue…", his hand landed on her hip and he squeezed her gently (and she knew that he is talking about her panties which he picked that morning for her to wear), "…and you are missing something borrowed, but I think that Anna and Sophia got you covered there."
Sarah shook her head while thinking how this morning she was under the impression that he picked blue underwear for her to wear because he likes it. But now she knows that it's one of the four things for her to wear for her wedding day. Their wedding day. She didn't see it coming. She didn't see any of this coming. "You really think about everything."
Aiden smiled smugly. Yup, he will take this compliment.
"Are you two going to get ready?", JoAnna asked. She was only two steps away from them.
Sarah looked at Aiden. "Are we really doing this?" Part of her still can't believe that this is happening.
Aiden smiled and nodded in confirmation while his eyes didn't leave hers.
"Don't you dare change your mind!", JoAnna hissed. "Do you know how much trouble is for me to travel?"
Sarah paused and looked at JoAnna. Other than her, Sophia and Penny are also pregnant, and Penny's belly is quite big. Sarah knows that their flight here was not uncomfortable, considering that all of them came here with private jets (probably), but... "You hiked through the forest?"
JoAnna looked at Sarah with a 'you-got-to-be-kidding' expression and said smugly: "YOU hiked through the forest. We took the gondola. The stop is less than five minutes slow walking that way." She pointed behind Sarah, slightly to her left.
Sarah looked at Aiden and smiled. He really got her with a hike, but it does not matter. She had fun and at the end, they found the meadow, and everything is falling into place.
"We are going to get married.", Sarah said under her breath.
"Yeah.", Aiden confirmed with a big smile and pecked her lips before standing up and extending his hand toward her. "Let's do this. I am eager to give you another alias: Mrs. Aiden White."
Sarah took his hand and stood up. "That will be more than just an alias. It will be my main identity going forward."
Aiden grinned and nodded in approval.
Sarah glanced around and saw that everyone is doing something.
There are two large tents raised, one with ladies busying themselves around it and the other one with guys.
A bit further down the meadow Allen and Julius are holding onto the arc made out of white roses and watching Ade and Jamari who are squatting and doing something at the bottom of the flowery arc, probably securing it so that it does not topple.
Number of kids are carrying white foldable chairs and Stella is pointing where to place them. Masika and Imani are securing large light-green bows at the back of each chair.
There is a long table on the side, Oni, Nala and Zula are arranging drinks and trays under the guidance of Elanor.
"Keep it straight!", Melissa (aka Madam Kiani) reminded Wally and Bas who are unrolling a narrow white carpet, which starts from the flowery arc which Julius and Allen are holding onto and creates a path between the chairs… obviously for the bride (aka Sarah) to walk toward her groom (aka Aiden) who will be waiting for her at the altar.
It could not be more than ten minutes when all these people emerged from the forest, and the meadow already looks like a wedding venue.
It is happening!
Sarah felt that Aiden gently squeezed her hand. She turned to Aiden, got on her toes and kissed him. "See you at the altar."
"I will be waiting."
Aiden watched after Sarah (and JoAnna) who walked toward the tent which is set up as a styling station for the ladies.
"You need to get ready as well.", Jeff's voice came from behind Aiden.
Aiden turned toward the direction of Jeff's voice and saw Jeff and Steve looking his way. He took a deep breath before responding: "Coming…"
Aiden jogged toward the second tent with a spring in his step.
He was unable to stop smiling because: it is happening!
---
If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l .. c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.