The wedding
Their surrogacy process was faster than typical, so much so that, on the day of the wedding, their surrogate was four months pregnant with Myra and Cal's baby.
Myra sat in the bridal lounge with Jess and Donna, who were both her maid of honor and bridesmaid respectively.
Although this wedding was relatively small, it was beautiful.
She was getting married to Cal on the hilltop he found her two years ago during the photo shoot, and she was wearing a much simpler dress than she had worn that day.
A white satin dress that clung to her hips and softly draped down to her feet, but with a diamond-studded veil that was 200 inches long.
She turned to her mother and gave her a small smile.
It was such a pity they did not have a normal relationship, so Myra chose to keep her distance.
The woman had become a shadow of herself after her husband fled the country, and not even Greg, her favorite son's reappearance, had helped.
Tyson Shaw was her love and her God.
“Myra.”
She turned to the door to see Greg peeking in.
She nodded, and he walked in, stretching his hands out.
She smiled, stood up and placed her hand in his.
It had taken a lot of effort, but she finally forgave her brother.
Although she was not sure that she could ever blindly trust me, she could rest assured with the knowledge that he had her back. MOSTLY.
The number of times his timely tip-off had saved her was just too important to turn a blind eye to.
“You're the most beautiful bride I have ever seen,” he said, looking down at her dress.
“Please tell me you've seen at least ten.” She made a face, and he laughed and hugged her.
It still felt so good to be hugged by him, but now she knew why.
This was her brother, her Irish twin, her best friend since she became conscious of her own existence.
He finally let her go.
“Ready?” he asked, and she nodded. She glanced at their mother to see her watching them, and then turned back to Greg.
She was not sure their mother-son relationship was like the old times anymore, and she could not even blame Greg.
She was not the child whose mother had agreed to lie about the circumstances of his death and put him out on the street, all to save her husband's reputation, but she had all this anger in her heart.
Yea.
She would never even forgive her mother if she did that to her.
Greg took her hand, and as they walked towards the door, he said, “Don't panic Myra,”
She raised her eyes up to meet him. What now? This was her wedding, what could want to ruin it?
“I am only telling you so you don't get surprised when you see her.”
“Who?”
“Aiden's mother is here.”
“What?”
“She is a part of the decor team,” Greg said gently.
Myra frowned, barely believing this was happening. “Has Cal seen her?” She asked.
Greg quickly shook his head.
“I don't think he knows she is here. I would have sent her away, but I did not want to create a scene since your guests are already here. But if you don't mind, I will.”
Myra could only stare.
Why the hell did these kinds of things always happen to her?
Why the hell would the woman who claimed to have had a child for her soon-to-be-husband, the woman who had been almost her mother-in-law, be at her wedding?
This was why she did not want to hire out this smaller wedding to an event planner. But Cal insisted he did not want her stressed.
If she had made her wedding arrangements herself, something like this would never have happened.
She would not have given the job out to the company where her ex's mother was the manager.
“You're sure Aiden is not here? I don't like this.” She shook her head.
Aiden had lay low in the past few years, and she suspected it was only because of her status as a congresswoman.
But now that she has stepped down?
She did not put it past him to come cause trouble on a day like this.
“No. The guys have their eyes peeled.” Greg leaned in to kiss her temple. “You don't think I will let that jerk around my sister.”
Myra smiled a little at the knowledge that her former colleagues were never far from her.
~ The guys ~ were always just around the corner when she needed them.
“Should I send her away?” Greg asked again, moving his face back to stare in her eyes.
She shook her head, she did not want to cause a scandal at her wedding, or walk down the aisle with a frown.
The decor people are not even supposed to be here anymore. The wedding is about to begin, so she should be gone any minute.
“Walk me down the aisle first. If she's still here, ask her to leave.” She reached out and righted Greg's bowtie, and he nodded.
“Time to meet your professor?” he teased, and Myra blushed as she looked away.
It was just crazy how far she and Cal had come.
“Myra,” she turned, and saw Nova running towards her.
“Stop running, baby.” She stretched her hand out as the girl ran into the bridal suite.
“Do you like my hair?” the six-year-old, now, asked. “Nanny says I have to wear it down.”
Myra giggled and leaned down to peck her cheek. “My pretty princess can wear her hair anyway. I like this one more.” She fluffed her ponytail.
“You're pretty,” Nova said, giggling, looking up at her and Myra blushed.
Nova's compliments were the ones she would always eat up.
“You're prettier.” She caressed her face, and showed her in to sit with Jess and Donna.
“You'll be an excellent mother,” Greg said as Myra straightened up, and she smiled.
“Thank you, six more months. Can you even believe that?” She giggled in excitement.
–---
Later, as she walked down the aisle, she winked at her surrogate who sat next to her mother among the guests.
She and Cal's baby was growing in that belly.
As she turned away, her eyes caught something and she frowned.
She took a second look at her mother's bag and looked away with a frown.
Then she chided herself.
Jesus Christ, Myra. She could not be playing detective at her wedding while walking down the aisle.
But even as she continued walking, her mind seemed to be shifting, like a child was playing with a television remote control, hurriedly switching between channels.
She closed her eyes and inhaled.
“Myra, are you OK?” Greg whispered in alarm, and she shook her head.
She was supposed to only be able to see her groom, Cal, who was standing ahead now, and was wiping tears off his eyes, but her mind was shifting.
But her world came into focus again when Greg finally placed her hand in Cal's, and she felt that surge of current that never went away.
“I want to kiss you.” Cal whispered as he lifted the veil off her face, and she blushed at him.
He had just taken her hand and was about to turn with her to the priest when they heard the explosion that shook the very floor of the hill.
Cal was hugging her tight to himself as they crashed to the floor, even as her eyes scanned everywhere for Nova.
“Nova. Nova,” she whispered, looking around as the guests screamed and took cover.
She finally found her safely wrapped in Greg's arms as her former colleagues descended on a man, tackling him to the ground.
“I came to save her. I came to save her,” the man screamed. “Get off me.
Myra gasped, her eyes wide in shock even as Cal was patting her body down and repeatedly asking if she was OK?
“Aiden.” She mouthed. “That's Aiden”. She jumped, and was running towards the scene where they were pulling him up in handcuffs.
“Myra,” He said in relief when he saw her. “I came to save you.”
She walked up to him and slapped him hard.
“Why won't you just back off! Leave me alone!”
Cal and Greg were beside her in a second, pulling her away.
But Aiden moved forward, struggling from the grip of the people holding him.
“I came to save you, I came to save you,” he said repeatedly.