CASSIUS
Three Months Later
Deira made a beautiful bride.
Watching her walk down the aisle toward me, with all our family and friends present, I knew that I had made the right choice in asking her to marry me. In fact, I knew that every choice I had made since that moment I decided to step into that steam room, despite it unexpectedly being occupied, had been the right choice.
It was a simple ceremony, because once I'd proposed and she'd accepted, we both wanted things to move quickly. Neither of us saw a reason to wait. So, our whole wedding party was just three people. Scott was my one groomsman, and Dani was her one bridesmaid, and Makayla was the flower girl. In fact, Makayla was something of a flower empress, having demanded to be put in charge of all the floral decisions for the wedding. When that happened, Deira just laughed and looked at me.
"She gets this from you, you know," she had said, smirking.
For my part, I thought she had made great decisions. The flowers looked beautiful, and she charmed everyone, walking down the aisle in the flower crown she'd picked out for herself, scattering the rose petals she'd chosen. As she made her way towards me, I wondered if anything could top that moment, watching my daughter so happily celebrate her parents' wedding. But then Deira had appeared at the end of the aisle, in a dress fit for a queen, and I was so stunned I could hardly breathe. There was something about the way she walked towards me that made me a little in awe of her. Her hair was all done in golden curls that hung around her face like a halo. The way she glowed reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
It wasn't until we had finished our vows and exchanged rings, and the officiant said I could kiss my bride that I realized what it was. That beautiful, vibrant glow-it was the way she looked when I first laid eyes on her. She was vivacious and warm and beautiful. Knowing this was how she looked on the day she was marrying me filled my heart in a way I'd never felt before. I felt honored that I was the person who could make her feel that way.
If the ceremony was a series of perfect moments, the reception was a blur, full of dancing and talking and shaking hands and trying to get a bite to eat. A little before it was time for us to leave, Deira disappeared. I found Dani and asked if she knew where she'd gone. She grinned.
"She's upstairs, getting changed. She said if you asked to tell you that you could come up."
The reception was in the grand ballroom of the estate where we'd gotten married, and everyone had gotten ready earlier in the rooms upstairs. I went up to the room where Deira had put on her wedding dress hours earlier. The door was slightly ajar. I knocked and called through the door.
"Deira?"
"Wait, don't come in just yet," she said.
"Dani said you were changing. Are you almost ready? We have to leave soon to catch the flight."
We had two weeks in Hawaii planned for our honeymoon. Makayla was very excited for her first long term sleepover with her new grandparents.
"Just a sec," she replied. I waited, leaning against the wall in the hallway.
"Okay, come in," she called.
I pushed the door open and walked in. She was standing in the middle of the room in a very different dress than the one she'd worn for the wedding. Still white, this one was a mini dress, just long enough to be decent but still showing off her shapely legs. She twirled.
"What do you think?"
I nodded, barely able to speak. She looked gorgeous, the dress hugging her curves in all the right places. I couldn't wait to take it off of her later. The drive to the airport and flight to our hotel in Hawaii now seemed unreasonably long.
I walked her downstairs to where all our friends and family were waiting to see us off. We were driving away in my favorite car, a restored red convertible from the 50s. Scott had been in charge of the sendoff, and had gotten someone to put the roof down and strewn red and white roses across the back seat. I picked up Makayla and told her to pick out one red rose and one white rose.
"Okay, give the red one to Mommy," I whispered in her ear. She held it out to Deira, who took it, smiling. I captured that moment in my mind, the image of the two of them in the bright sunlight, Makayla in her flower girl dress and Deira in her honeymoon outfit, placing the red rose in her hair.
"What about this one?" Makayla asked, running back to me and holding up the white rose. I crouched down to her.
"That one's for you, sweetheart," I told her. Her face lit up.
"Thank you," she said, jumping into my arms to give me a big hug and kiss. I hugged her back and then put her down and held out my hand to Deira.
"Mrs. Reade, we have a flight to catch." Everyone oohed and ahhed at me calling herMrs. Reade, and she blushed and took my hand.