The early morning sun peeped from the horizon, casting its warm yellow shades over the quiet courthouse in downtown States.
The lovely couple, Ryan and Anne, could sense the butterflies in their stomachs unwinding as they slowly paced closer to the entrance, hand in hand.
Ryan could hardly comprise his exhilaration as today marked a momentous occasion in his life. Having fallen in love with Anne during their university years, he was eager to begin a new chapter with her as husband and wife.
The icing on the cake was that they had decided to hold a secret marriage ceremony in a quaint courthouse, adding a touch of mystique to their amorous journey.
The air felt electric, surging with the anticipation that enveloped the couple. As Ryan gazed into Anne's eyes that flickered a wondrous azure blue, he was reminded of the endless intensity of their love.
Anne's eyes shone just as bright, reflecting the incredible happiness that filled her to the brim.
As they exchanged a warm and knowing glance, the enormity of the moment struck them. This was it -the day they would become lifetime partners, unified by their love and unwavering ardour for each other.
As Anne stepped across the hall clad in a simple white gown, her breathtaking beauty utterly entrance Ryan. Her smooth auburn curls framed her face and cascaded down her shoulders, while her lips were dotted with a faint, rosy brush.
Ryan, who appeared dapper in his crisp, immaculate suit, was an English gentleman personified. The pair made a dashing couple, and their lives were about to become remarkable intertwined.
Anne's best friend and yet faraway friend, Serena, arrived promptly, wearing a flowering, soft lavender dress that fluttered in the gentle wind.
"You came, Rena." Anne uttered with glints in her eye as they sparkled in gratitude for her friend. "You kept to your promise."
"Why won't I?" Serena cited simply. "I have no reason not to attend my best friend's once in an entire life union, you know."
Her arrival stuffed the couple's heart with immense gratitude as they knew amidst the secrecy of their nuptials, they would have only one witness from among their loved ones.
Sadly, that morning, another place was left empty: that of Ryan's mother. Being fervently against her son's courting with Anne, she had voiced her disapproval several times before whenever Ryan tries to bring up the talk of the two of them getting married and had vowed never to witness such day if it ever come to pass.
"Don't you dare think you will get married to her someday because that day will surely not come -not sooner or someday..." His mother's voice was adamant, ruling against Ryan's chronictone.
"But mom..."
She cut him off, probably because she only paused for a few moment."-and if that day somehow come to pass, I'll never honor your union with my presence." She had told him with a fearsome look.
Ryan knows she mean every part of her words -holding a secret court marriage with out his mother's consent was never his wish to start with but he has to and also, the public shouldn't be aware either.
Of it's ever found out that he divorced Ciara to marry another, it might cause a chaos -not only to his mother only but to himself as the new owner of Lemmer's companies and other assets.
The heartache of her absence was enough to lingered with in Ryan's coronary heart, threatening to cast a shadow on this positive day.
Shakily, he permit a tear escaped his eyes, however as he felt Anne's delicate hand on his shoulder, he braced himself to stand the day with courage and determination.
"It'll all be over quickly, Ryan." He heard her soft whispered which was enough to bolster his susceptible self, Ryan could only give her a nod in reply.
The trio entered the court house and were led into the modest room where they would finally make their lifelong dedication official. They both couldn't wait any longer, most in particular Anne.
The judge, an aged and stoic man, managed, with quiet restraint, to deliver a welcoming gentleness as he led them through the rite.
Glancing at each other, Ryan and Anne spoke their vows, their voices unwavering in spite of the raw emotion that coursed through their veins.
"I take you, Ryan, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and hold from this day onward." She uttered, gazing directly into his eyes.
Ryan said, "I provide you with my troth, Anne..."
The judge then proceeded to pronounced them as husband and wife, as they traded gleaming gold rings and their boundless love with a passionate kiss.
******
Outside the courthouse, the newlyweds emerged amidst a smooth showering of rose petals, strewn by Serena in a awesome display of warmth and support. The smile on her face was unending as it was wide enough to attain her eyes.
The faint fragrance of roses crammed the air, lifting the couple's spirits even more. In that moment, the world seemed to paused, as the two lovers surveyed their small ceremony with profound love and admiration for one another.
Eventually, reality beckoned, drawing them from their reverie as they rushed off to begin their new adventure together.
"Let's take a stroll down the street, Anne..." Ryan proposed soon after Serena left. "We can at least have a normal life and do simple things newly couples enjoy, I'm starting to forget how it feels to take a walk with you."
Smiling, she nodded curtly in reply. "I'll love to, Ryan."
They stride through the streets of States, basking in the warm glow of their love, knowing that the rest of their lives lay waiting for them.
That evening, the small party adjourned to lavish yet intimate dinner at a fascinating local bistro. Toasting to their newfound union, a heady feeling of bliss overcame them as they raised their champagne flutes in tribute to the couple.
As the elegant crystal shimmered in the candlelight, Ryan raised his voice, heart swelling with profound gratitude -the type that his heart could barely comprise.
"To our beautiful future together, my dear wife..." He proclaimed, his eyes sparkling brightly with an untold emotion.
He was looking at her differently in admiration. The blazing stares and the not so melting glaciers that was once in his eyes when he stare down at Ciara weren't there in his eyes anymore -in fact, they look like they were never in his eyes to begin with.
In reciprocation, a vivid and joyous smile illuminated Anne's face as Ryan revelled in his newfound happiness, an great feel of wholeness suffusing his spirit.
He knew there was no love effective than the one they shared and that by making this bold, daring decision, they were truly embarking on a lifetime partnership.
As they left the bistro that night, hand in hand, a brighter world awaited them: a world filled with love, companionship and the promise of future dreams.
Having overcoming the heavy burden of his mother's disapproval, Ryan felt a newfound liberation through his union with Anne.
The boundless capacity of their life together kindled a spark of desire and excitement in his soul as they traversed the dimly lit streets of London.
Hand in hand, they embraced the night with abandon, exhilarated by the adventure they had embarked upon, as the constellation star above shimmered in agreement. Ryan could not be more prouder...