204. DOWN THE AISLE

204. DOWN THE AISLE
SELINE
“You did what?” Layla shouted from the other side of the phone.
I sighed, “Kade and I decided to get married.” I whispered. “Again.”
I don’t think she heard the last part.
“I am too busy.” She said.
“We don’t want to make it a big affair. So we were thinking—”
“No.” She warned. “Don’t you dare think anything without including me. You are my best friend. I thought you were my best friend. You can’t get married without me.”
“I am already married.” I reminded her. “I felt like we both ruined our two weddings. So—,”
“You did shit. My jackass brother ruined it because he keeps his brain in a refrigerator sometimes.”
I sighed again, “Yeah. I want you to know that—,”
“That you are getting married without me?”
I shook my head. But she can’t see it.
“No, Layla. I am informing you—”
“But you are not inviting me.” There is an accusation in her voice.
“That’s not what I'm trying to say. I—,” Honestly, I don’t know anymore.
Layla is the first friend I have made in this life. I want to share our dramatic proposal. At the same time, she would make it a big affair and stress over it even though she has a lot on her plate.
“I am telling you that you don’t have to stress yourself about this. It’s enough if it happens with just me and Kade.”
There is a pause.
Pause is not good.
“You are pregnant.” She started slowly. “Who will help you when you want to throw up after wearing your wedding dress?”
She didn’t give me the chance to reply.
“Me. And you don’t even have a dress. We need to go for shopping. I need to—Oh god—there is a lot to do. It’s a godamn wedding.”
“Whose wedding?” I can hear Lilly’s wedding in the background.
“Layla, don’t.”
But she already answered, “Your uncle Kade’s wedding.”
“But, he is already married!” Lilly exclaimed.
There is a pause. She is probably thinking of making up her own logic.
“I get it now. He forgot to come to his first wedding. He didn’t like his second wedding. Because he is half-uncle, he did everything half. Now, he wants a full wedding?”
I don’t know whether to cry or laugh at her words.
“We will talk in person,” Layla said after a minute, probably explaining to Lilly what exactly half uncle means and cut the call.
“How did she take it?” Kade asked me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
“She is flying here.”
He let out a groan in response.
A very long groan.
The kind of groan that came from a man who had survived gunfights, kidnappings, assassins, and Bernan politics, yet somehow considered Layla planning a wedding his greatest challenge.
“We should have eloped.” He says.
“We are already married.” I reminded another person.

The front door opened.
Not opened.
Burst open.
Storm immediately jumped up from his spot near the couch and sprinted toward the entrance.
“Uncle Kadeeeee!"
Lilly's voice echoed through the entire house.
A second later, she came flying into the living room at full speed.
Luna followed.
At a significantly slower speed.
Mostly because she was carrying snacks.
And Luna refused to run while carrying snacks.
Behind them came Layla.
Then Zaley.
Then Kai.
Then what looked like three exhausted bodyguards, questioning every life decision that had brought them here.
"You are getting married again?" Lilly demanded.
No hello.
No greetings.
Straight to business.
Kade looked at her.
Lilly looked back.
Neither blinked.
Finally, Kade sighed.
"Apparently."
Lilly gasped dramatically.
"You hated your first wedding?"
"No."
"You hated your second wedding?"
"There wasn't a second wedding."
"There was."
"There wasn't."
"There was."
"There wasn't."
"There was."
Kade looked at me.
I shrugged.
He was on his own.
"You married her twice."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Kai suddenly interrupted.
"He did."
The room fell silent.
Kade slowly turned toward his father.
"Betrayal."
Kai looked completely unbothered.
"You signed papers twice."
"That's not helping."
"I wasn't trying to."
Lilly pointed at Kade.
"So this wedding is because you finally learned how weddings work?"
"I know how weddings work."
Lilly looked unconvinced.
So did everyone else.
Even me.
Especially me.
Then Luna suddenly spoke.
"I no wanna give fwowers."
The entire room turned toward her.
Luna folded her arms.
"Fwowers pwetty. I no becoem fwowew gul."
She nodded firmly.
"They mine."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then Lilly groaned dramatically.
"You don't keep the flowers."
"I do."
"No."
"I do."
"No."
"I do."
Luna looked ready to fight.
Actual fight.
The tiny dictator had chosen violence.
Layla rubbed her temples.
"Why are we arguing about flowers?"
"Because they mine."
"They're not yours. First of all, we don’t have any."
"They're gonna be."
Kade looked genuinely fascinated.
Like he was watching a rare animal documentary.
"What if we buy you flowers?"
Luna immediately shook her head.
"No."
"What if we buy you lots of flowers?"
"No."
"What if we buy you an entire garden?"
"No."
Kai leaned back in his chair.
"She's negotiating."
"She's four."
"She's winning."
That was unfortunately true.
Luna pointed dramatically.
"I no give."
Lilly stared at her for a long moment.
Then—
"I'll give you my Iron Man toy."
The room went silent.
Every head turned toward Lilly.
Because Lilly loved that toy.
Loved.
It.
Luna froze.
Her eyes widened.
She gasped.
An actual gasp.
"You serious?"
Lilly nodded solemnly.
Luna looked conflicted.
Deeply conflicted.
The flowers.
The toy.
The flowers.
The toy.
The internal battle was visible on her face.
Finally—
"Okay."
She nodded.
"I give fwowers. I become fwower gul."
Lilly immediately grinned.
"I knew it."
"I want Iron Man."
"You'll get Iron Man."
"I want him today."
"You'll get him today."
"I want snacks too."
"That's not part of the deal."
"It is now."
Kai laughed so hard he nearly choked.
Luna pointed at Kade, “Get mawwied. I geeve fwowers.”
Kai was laughing, “Lilly sure knows how to negotiate. She is just like Kade.”
Every single person in the room looked at him.
Even Storm.
Especially Storm.
Kade sighed.
"Fine. Maybe a little."
"A little?" Zaley repeated.
"A lot?" Kade corrected.
"A terrifying amount."
"That's fair."
Meanwhile, Luna and Lilly were now negotiating what appeared to be an international peace treaty involving flowers, toys, candy, and a suspicious amount of chocolate milk.
I rested my head against Kade's shoulder.
The chaos continued around us.
Layla was already planning ten thousand wedding details.
Zaley looked so grim as if we stole his girls’ time. I think we did, and he didn’t like it.
Kai looked strangely pleased by everything.
Lilly was arguing
Storm had stolen somebody's shoe.
Slowly, Kai walked towards me.
“Would you let me give you away?” He asked.
Kade and I were surprised at his words.
“What?”
“Would you let me walk down the aisle?” He asked, smiling—with his eyes.
I never thought about it till now.
“Her answer is no,” Zaley answered for me.
“I will walk her down the aisle.”
“No one asked you.” Kai snapped.
“That’s the thing. No one can dare to ask me. I decide.”