Jade sat cross-legged on the bed, her notebook open on her lap. A pen dangled loosely in her hand as she stared at the blank page in front of her. The excitement of the wedding, now just a day away, was tempered by her growing frustration. The vows she had imagined so vividly in her head refused to translate into words.
“How hard can this be?” she muttered to herself, tapping the pen against the notebook. “I love them. I know what I want to say… don’t I?”
She sighed and tossed the pen aside, leaning back against the headboard. Her thoughts swirled as she tried to articulate the feelings she had for Milan, Enzo, and Thiago—each of them unique, yet equally important in her life. How could she possibly capture all of that in a few lines?
From the other room, she could hear Mia humming as she worked on the flower arrangements. The sweet scent of roses and lilies wafted through the open door, a constant reminder of the approaching day.
“Jade!” Mia’s voice called out, cheerful and slightly teasing. “Stop stressing and come help me decide where these tulips should go. You’re the bride, after all!”
Jade smiled faintly, grateful for Mia’s lighthearted energy. “Give me five minutes!” she called back, though she doubted five minutes would be enough to crack the code of her vows.
Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, the sound of raised voices echoed through the house.
“I’m telling you, I should get the first dance,” Thiago argued, his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m the one who taught her how to waltz in the first place!”
Enzo, seated on the edge of the couch, shook his head, his tone calm but firm. “It’s not about who taught her what. I’ve known her the longest. The first dance is mine.”
Thiago rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Enzo. You’re just being territorial.”
“And you’re being ridiculous,” Enzo countered, his dark eyes narrowing. “This isn’t a competition.”
“Well, it feels like one,” Thiago shot back, though his lips twitched with the hint of a smile.
Milan entered the room, his icy-blue eyes surveying the scene with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “What’s going on here?” he asked, his voice calm but commanding.
“They’re arguing about the first dance,” one of the house staff whispered to Milan with a small grin.
Milan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Are you two seriously fighting over this?”
Thiago threw his hands up. “I’m just saying it makes sense for me to go first.”
“And I’m saying that’s not your call to make,” Enzo replied, his tone clipped.
Milan walked to the center of the room, crossing his arms. “You’re both missing the point. The first dance isn’t about you. It’s about Jade. And I’m sure she’d want all of us involved.”
Thiago and Enzo exchanged a look, and after a moment, Thiago shrugged. “Fine. How do you propose we do that?”
Milan smirked. “We rotate. I’ll start, then Enzo, then you.”
“That’s… not terrible,” Enzo admitted grudgingly.
Thiago grinned. “Alright, I’ll take it. But only if I get the last spin.”
Milan shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. “You’re impossible.”
Upstairs, Jade was still wrestling with her vows when Mia poked her head into the room, a tulip tucked behind her ear. “Alright, what’s the hold-up? You’ve been up here forever.”
Jade groaned, tossing the notebook onto the bed. “I can’t do it, Mia. I can’t put into words what I feel for them. It’s like… everything I write sounds wrong or not enough.”
Mia stepped into the room, sitting cross-legged on the bed beside her. “You’re overthinking it. Just write from your heart. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about them?”
Jade thought for a moment, her brows furrowed. “That they make me feel safe. And loved. And like… I’m enough. Even when everything is chaotic, they’re my calm.”
Mia smiled. “There you go. That’s your start. Write that down.”
Jade hesitated, then picked up the pen and began to scribble in the notebook. The words came slowly at first, but as she wrote, her thoughts began to flow more freely. She wrote about how each of them had changed her life, how they’d stood by her through the worst of times, and how she couldn’t imagine a future without them.
By the time she finished, she felt a sense of relief. “It’s not perfect,” she said, handing the notebook to Mia. “But it’s honest.”
Mia read over the vows, her eyes misting slightly. “Jade, this is beautiful. They’re going to love it.”
Jade smiled, a weight lifting from her chest. “Thanks, Mia. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Probably cry into a bottle of wine,” Mia teased, earning a laugh from Jade.
Just as Jade stood to help Mia with the flowers, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She picked it up, her smile fading as she read the message: “Tomorrow is your big day, but don’t get too comfortable. Weddings don’t always end happily ever after.”