Chapter Seventy-one

Chapter Seventy-one
Harry moved close to me, looking at my eyes with a serious expression on his face. He parted my veil and smoothed it back. His hand went to my chin, and I heard the crowd screaming as he brought his soft pinkish lips to mine, kissing me long and tenderly.
As Harry let go of my lips, I threw the bouquet of flowers behind me. I didn't really mind who caught it, but as my eyes travelled to the rearmost part of the crowd, I spotted the mysterious man. My heart skipped a beat as my smile seemed to fall from my face. I had no idea who it was or what he was doing here.
"Georgia, are you okay?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I looked at Harry and then looked at the spot where I saw the mysterious man, but he wasn't there anymore. It was my wedding, and I didn't want to scare anyone or turn it into a Halloween party, so I didn't tell Harry about it.
The party has started. We danced to the music, and the people gave us cash. My father approached me, the two officers still following him. "Congratulations, Georgia, and to your husband," he said. "I can't give you anything but wishes. I wish you good health and a long life."
I smiled and wrapped my arms around my father. "Thank you so much for coming, Father."
"Of course I will. I wouldn't want to miss this special event before I die," he said jokingly as I take my arms off him.
"Please enjoy yourself, sir," Harry interrupted. He put one of his arms on my side. He was in a protective mood right now. Probably because he didn't want to see me sad on this special day because of what my father said.
I smiled, despite the worries and dark cloud looming in the background. "Yes, Father, please enjoy the drinks and eat a lot of food." I looked at the officers and asked, "Can you at least remove his handcuff, even just with one hand?"
"We're afraid we can't do that," said one of them in a deep, firm voice. "It's for safety measures. I hope you understand."
It was my wedding, and yet, I felt sad seeing my father this way. It was not that he'd run away if they uncuffed him because he had a disease, and it'd only be more dangerous for him to do that. Why couldn't they at least let him enjoy his remaining days on this earth? Was that too much to ask? It was a special day for me, and I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to cause Harry trouble either, so I just let them be. I shook hands with other visitors, while Harry was busy with those people taking pictures with him.
"Georgia!" Harry approached me.
"Harry, are you done with them?" I asked.
"Nope, not really, but I ignored them. They can have pictures with themselves. All I want to be with for today is you." He took my hand. "Come on, let's have some fun."
I let Harry make our way through the crowd. We met Sir Simeon, who congratulated us and greeted his nephew a happy 26th birthday. We were so focused on our wedding that I almost forgot it was his birthday too, so I greeted him. Magdalene and John also congratulated us and even offered drinks, but of course I declined. I didn't want to drink today. I wanted to experience this special day sober.
Matt, Ryan, and company were still playing. We thanked them for their service, and we took pictures together for souvenirs. We told them to enjoy themselves and not be shy about having drinks and eating food. They didn't have to hold themselves back since there were a lot of foods and drinks available.
The tailors and dressmakers, the flower makers, the bakers, Mr. Robinson from the cocktail factory and his workers, and even Darcy from Paradise Resort and her friends came a long way just to be here. We also had pictures together.
After a long, exhausting day, most of the visitors had already gone home, especially those who weren't related or acquainted with me and Harry. My father, who was still being followed by two huge officers, also said his goodbye. I wanted him to stay for a little longer, but the officers told us that his time was over and they needed to put him back in his cell before dark. I felt sad, but Harry told me it was okay, that we could visit him again soon, so I let him go.
Sir Simeon, Magdalene, John, and their friends also told us that they have to go. Harry and I thanked them for coming. The music suddenly stopped; Matt, Ryan, and Company couldn't play anymore as they were tired. Harry gave them some cash, and they were grateful to accept. I told them to eat and drink whatever they like first before going. I'm glad they weren't in a hurry, so they ate and drank a lot.
There were still a lot of foods and drinks left. It was such a waste. The wedding cake, which was five feet tall, wasn't even halved. I realized how many people Harry and I knew who attended. Most of them were unfamiliar, as if they only came for free foods and drinks and music, which I didn't really find wrong, for we welcome everyone as long as they wouldn't cause trouble, but still, we had overestimated their numbers.
Harry looked at me. "What should we do with the remaining food?" he asked.
"Please don't throw them away. There are a lot of hungry people in the streets who can't buy even a bread. We shouldn't waste the food and instead give it to the poor," I said.
"You're right," Harry agreed. "Let's give them to the orphanage. I'm sure the children will be happy."
And so, Harry and I asked the people around to help us pack the remaining foods. Arcelia, the owner of the cakeshop, asked us why, so Harry told her that we are going to give these foods to the orphanage, and she was glad to be able to help.
Soon, most of the foods were packed, and only a few were left. Then, we asked for Mr. Robinson's help, as he was the only one we could think of who had a large pickup truck. Mr. Robinson was willing to help, especially when he knew that we were doing it for the children. He asked his men to bring the packed foods in his pickup and deliver them to the orphanage. Harry, I, and some other people joined them, while the rest were left at the bar.
A few moments later, the pickup truck stopped and we stepped out. We were met by a bunch of poor children and some sisters who work for the orphanage. The senior sister asked us what we had brought. Harry told her that we've brought some food from the wedding.
"Really?" The senior sister asked.
"Yeah," Harry replied. "There are a lot of foods left after the wedding, and it's a waste to throw them away, so we decided to pack them and give them to the orphanage. Don't worry, these foods are still fine. They've been made and cooked in the morning."
"I see... We'll gladly accept them then. Thank you," the senior sister said.
The sisters of the orphanage helped us with the distribution of the packed foods. I knew Harry and I weren't supposed to do this after our wedding, but being able to help these children made me so happy. I remembered those days when I and my siblings were on the streets, trying to survive on our own. Helping these children felt like helping my younger self and my siblings.