Wedding Plans

Wedding Plans
Rhys

Alice and I rise, along with the rest of the crowd, and applaud the very talented pianist who has just concluded his final piece. It isn’t the same theater where she performed that night I had to pull that bastard Sam off her. Instead, we chose a different venue. The last thing she needed was reminders of that awful night. 

“Bravo!” she calls out, her smile wide with appreciation for the performance. 

We didn’t intend to stay this long. This is simply a test of her ability to be in a crowd of humans without overwhelming cravings, a requirement for the large wedding we’re planning with both human and vampire guests. But she so adored the music that we decided to stay, though she is constantly checking in with Gio and Naomi for updates on James. 

She has practiced her telepathy daily in the months since our son’s birth in anticipation of these moments away from him. 

The curtains close, and the audience begins pouring out of the theater. I take her hand in mine firmly as we exit, not because I’m concerned about her stability around humans. We have worked up to this event slowly, and she has never shown an uncontrollable craving. 

Right now, I just want to feel her warm hand in mine after a mutually enjoyable evening.

Her eyes glisten under the streetlamps once we step outside. “Can we take a walk through the park?” she asks. “It’s lovely out tonight.”

“Absolutely.” 

She loops her arm through mine, and we stroll leisurely along the sidewalk, a short distance from the park. The moon tonight is a waning crescent, and as we move away from the lights of the theater, the sky lights up with stars. 

“His performance was amazing,” she says as we walk along the well-trimmed hedgerow that leads into the city park.  

“It was well done, but it lacked the emotion of your performances,” I tell her. “He seemed guarded in his keystrokes.”

“Perhaps it was his training,” she suggests. “Still, it was wonderful to hear a different pianist. I think we should do this more often.”

“I fully agree.” I walk her toward the back of the park, to a more secluded area. “How did the crowd make you feel?”

She gazes around nervously, holding her answer until she’s sure there are no humans around. “I did feel something,” she admits. “But it’s just as easy to control as it was when I was pregnant.”

“Excellent,” I reply. “I don’t believe we have anything to worry about for the wedding.”

“I hope not,” she says, a lilt of humor on her tongue. “I have the dressmaker scheduled for tomorrow.” She turns to me. “Do you think it’s all right, bringing her to Duskmoore?”

“I’ve had many human guests there,” I assure you. “We simply prepare for the occasion, and the humans don’t know the difference. They generally assume we’re rich snobs.”

She giggles. “You, maybe,” she says. “But I hope this woman doesn’t think that of me. I’m looking forward to seeing her designs. I’ve heard she is amazing.”

“Only the best for you, my bride,” I say. 

We continue to walk and chat, the cool evening breeze refreshing after the crowded theater. Crickets chirp rhythmically from the greenery as we pass, adding to the serene atmosphere. 

After a while, we stop for a kiss. Her lips are always soft and delicious, but tonight, there is a ribbon of excitement rushing through her life force that adds an extra hint of spice.  

“Let’s get back,” she suggests when we pull back.

“A splendid idea,” I agree. 

But hopes of romance and time alone fade the moment we walk into Duskmoore. Needing little sleep other than periodic short naps, James is wide awake and demanding his mother’s attention the moment we walk through the door.

“Thank you for watching him,” Alice tells Gio as she scoops James up into her arms.

“It’s my pleasure,” Gio assures her. “It’s good to be around his young energy.” 

“Energy is an understatement,” I tell him with a chuckle.

James has developed quickly, as a vampire child will do, compared with a human baby. He is rapidly moving beyond crawling, having discovered how to pull himself into a standing position on the furniture. Walking is only days away, and I hope Duskmoore can withstand his level of adventuring.

Naomi steps in from the kitchen with a crimson-filled bottle. “How was your night? I was just about to offer him more blood.”

“It was fantastic,” Alice tells her. Naomi hands off the bottle, and Alice quickly gets our son settled down on the sofa to feed. “I didn’t have any trouble at all.”

“Oh, how I wish I had been pregnant when I was turned,” Naomi says. “I’m still fighting the cravings. I’m afraid I’m going to have to watch your wedding from afar.”

“You’ll still be my bridesmaid,” Alice insists. “When the human guests leave, we’ll have our own private party where you can wear your dress all night.”

“I’m so excited,” Naomi says. “I’ve never been a bridesmaid.”

“You’re going to look beautiful,” Alice says, then she turns and laughs at the way James gulps down his blood quickly and goes right back to practicing his walk.



“You have a lovely home,” the dressmaker, Ms. Chandler, says to us when we bring her into the parlor.

“Thank you,” I tell her. “I would love to stay, but I’m afraid I’ve been banned from seeing any form of the wedding dress before my lovely Alice walks down the aisle.”

Both women chuckle. “I should say so,” Alice agrees. “Though I may consult with you on the price.”

I shake my head firmly. “The sky is the limit,” I insist. “Create the gown you will cherish forever.”

“We will,” she assures me.

I excuse myself and walk upstairs to my office where Ti waits to discuss our latest project. I’ve been working to expand the business over the past months, more determined than ever to leave my son with a company that is positioned for the future—for many hundreds of years.

Alice and I have spoken about the possibility that James won’t be interested in the business, but if that is the case, I’ll appoint a proxy when I’m ready to retire... or perhaps another of our children might be interested in the industry. 

The idea of expanding our family tantalizes me. Alice loves James so dearly, she has already been hinting at the possibility of having more. 

It would be wonderful.

“Thrown out of your own parlor, eh?” Ti teases. “How long are you stuck up here with me?”

I shake my head and settle into my leather desk chair. “She can take as long as she wishes,” I reply. “We get one wedding, and this is going to be everything Alice ever dreamed of.”

“As it should be,” he agrees. “Does the dressmaker suspect anything?”

“If she does, she isn’t affected by the situation,” I reply. “She’s getting a fortune to sew this dress, so I doubt she minds a few vampires hovering about.”

He laughs and lowers himself into the chair across from my desk. “I’ll do my best not to hover. So, have you decided on the expansion?”

I push all thoughts of wedding and honeymoon plans out of my mind for the moment so we can discuss business. 

Alice is happy, and that’s all that matters.



“You seem tired,” I tell Alice the next day. “Go sit. Relax.” I scoop up James and redirect him before he runs clear out of the room. 

She sinks into the sofa. “I am a little overwhelmed,” she admits. “It’s so much work to plan a wedding. And I hadn’t been prepared for James to be quite so rambunctious this soon. I did read about it in the books Dr. Lombardi gave me, but the reality is quite exhausting.”

“We have plenty of time for wedding decisions,” I tell her. “Don’t overwork yourself. I can arrange for more help with the baby if you need it. We have a network of vampire nannies who can assist. Just say the word.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think we need that,” she tells me. “I’m here all day, and Naomi is a huge help.”

“Still, you should have more breaks,” I insist. “You need time alone and some quiet moments to enjoy your piano playing as well as being a mother.”

“I’ll think about it,” she says. “The good news is that I’ve decided on a dress design. That takes some of the pressure off. It will take months to make the gown.”

“I’m glad,” I tell her. “And I’m happy to assist with any of the decisions going forward. Of course, I want this to be everything you’ve ever dreamed of, so don’t just go with my choices.”

I sit beside her, and she pulls me in for a quick kiss. “I’m marrying you. Of course, it will be everything I’ve dreamed about.”

“Mama.”

She gasps as she pulls back from me and turns to James. “Did he just say… mama?”

“He did.” A wide smile turns up my face. She draws our son toward her and encourages him to say it again. 

I watch them with awe, my bride and my son. I never imagined this life for me. I always believed I’d be the king of industry, always focused on business, always succeeding. 

But this woman and this little boy have changed me, in a profound way, forever.

I cannot wait until I make Alice my wife.