CHAPTER 104 - HAPPY EVER AFTER
Lace.
The small church is packed with our closest family and friends. Alison and Zane are sitting in the front row with their twins. Alison is radiant in a butter yellow dress she probably designed herself. I cannot wait to tell her about my television show with my mother. Amethyst is my maid of honor. Honey accompanied Dean and his father as they walked down the aisle. My father is ready to walk me down the aisle. This is it. I will leave this church as a married woman. Dean glances at me every now and then from the front of the church. I blow him a kiss and giggle. Amethyst nudges me.
“You shouldn’t be doing that inside our church,” she says.
“Okay,” I say with a naughty grin.
She nudges me again as the first strains of my bridal march fill the church. Our guests rise. My earlier mischievous mood is replaced by overwhelming emotion. Everyone present smiles as I walk down the aisle to my future husband. I acknowledge our guests with a slight nod as I walk toward Dean, my soon-to-be husband.
The next few moments pass by as in a dream. Dean wrote his own vows for me.
“Lace, I fell in love with you from the first day I met you. You accepted me for who I was at that time – a spoilt brat who had never worked a day in his life. You welcomed my dog wholeheartedly and never judged me even when you learned about my past. You stood by me, helped me find a job, supported me, celebrated me, and you were never fazed even when I said or did something stupid.” He pauses to take a deep breath.
My eyes well up with tears.
“Lace, I cannot wait to put this ring on your finger and for you to become my wife. I pledge to be the best husband I can possibly be and to share everything that happens in my life, no matter how good or bad, with you. I hope that I will never disappoint you, and to always make you happy.”
There is not a dry eye in the church. There were collective ooh’s and ah’s every now and then while Dean spoke. Silence falls inside the church when Father Philip smiles at Dean after he is done speaking.
“If there is anyone present here today who has any objections to this marriage ceremony, please speak now or forever hold your peace,” the priest says.
I don’t know why I let out a relieved sigh when silence fills the church and the wedding ceremony continues.
“Dean, please repeat after me,” Father Philip says and begins reading the wedding vows.
“I, Dean St James, take thee, Lace Higgins, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
My chest fills with happiness when Dean slips the most beautiful, engraved wedding band on my finger.
“Lace, please repeat my after me.”
“I, Lace Higgins, take thee, Dean St James, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
My fingers tremble a little as I slip a solid gold wedding band on his ring finger.
“You have declared your consent before the Lord and all witnesses. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen. Dean, you may now kiss your bride."
Our guests burst into applause as Dean pecks my lips and whispers, “I love you.”
***
Dean.
The moment Father Philip pronounces Lace as my wife will forever remain etched in my memory. We change into different sets of clothes for our reception after posing for photos in the church garden. I hold her hand tight as we walk out together to the Elite Crane for our reception.
My phone rings after our first dance. Lace is dancing with my father. Our mothers are busy chatting, and a few of my cousins are mingling with Lace’s siblings.
“Hello?” I greet after making sure I have eyes on everyone I hold close to my heart. I don’t check the caller ID at all.
“Dean, this is Dan. How are you?”
My heart skips a beat. “I just got married,” I tell him.
“Congratulations. Why did you take my call if you are still celebrating your marriage?” Dan asks.
“I thought it was important,” I reply honestly.
“It is,” Dan says, “Jason was sentenced today.”
I cross my fingers. “And?”
“He didn’t get life but he will be away for a long time,” Dan says.
“How many years?” I ask.
“Thirty,” Dan replies.
“Thank God.” I only pray that he doesn’t get parole early for good behavior.
“Congratulations once again,” Dan says before ending the call.
I wish Jason had got a life sentence but I am happy he is behind bars. Only God knows what he might have done to Lace if he hadn’t been exposed in time. I will also be eternally grateful to Alison for setting Jason up and helping the police catch him.
“Hey.” Lace places her hand on my wrist. “Is everything okay?”
I cannot lie to her. I gesture for her to follow me outside so we can have some privacy. “Dan called me.”
Her smile fades. “Was it bad news?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Jason was sentenced to thirty years in prison.”
“It would have been better if he got a life sentence,” Lace says.
“I know but at least he will be away for a long time,” I remind her.
“Yeah.” She hugs me and rests her head on my chest. “Maybe by then, we will be on a different continent altogether. Or we could erase all traces of our existence, change our names and keep our circle really small.”
“That is an excellent idea. If we ever become fearful of Jason coming after us again we will change our names and move away where he cannot find us.” I kiss her forehead.
“All is well,” Lace says.
“Yes, all is well.”
***
Five Year Later…
Lace.
“Mom, may I please hold Laura?” Halle, my five-year-old daughter, asks me.
“Sure, Honey.” I help my daughter sit next to me on my bed and then help her cradle her week-old sister.
“Hey, how are my two favorite ladies doing?” Dean asks walking into our bedroom with a breakfast tray. He kisses me on my lips, kisses Halle’s head, and sits on his side of the bed.
“I’m not a lady, Daddy,” Halle says, giggling but not once taking her eyes off her sister.
Dean gently takes out daughter from her while I ruffle Halle’s hair. My heart is so full right now. I gaze at my husband, my two daughters and then at my husband again. I love them with all my heart and I thank God every day for keeping us all safe. My phone rings while Dean puts Laura in her cot, and takes Halle to the kitchen to fix her lunch.
“Hey, Alison.”
“Hey, bitch,” Alison greets.
“Aren’t the twins around?” I ask her.
She laughs. “Nope. I have the house all to myself. Zane took them to their swimming lessons.” Alison moved to New York two years ago. Zane was headhunted by the New York basketball club to manage their team.
“That’s great,” I tell her. I am also grateful for Dean leaving me alone in the house every now and then. I appreciate the quiet time.
“How does it feel knowing our book series is being turned into a television series?” she asks me.
I sigh delightedly. “Like a dream come true,” I say.
“I still cannot believe it,” she says, “seeing our book come alive is so surreal. And the money doesn’t hurt either.”
Alison and I started working on a new book series three years ago and that also raced its way up the bestselling lists throughout the world. “We make a fabulous team, don’t we?” I tell her.
“And you and your mom make a fabulous team as well,” she says, “your cooking show really took off. When are you getting your own show?”
“I want to work with my Mom for as long as I can,” I tell her, “I had no idea how much I missed her until I visited her after my wedding. Ever since that day, I promised myself that I would spend as much time as I could with her. And if the cooking show is one way of doing that then I will milk that show for as long as I can.” It is the truth.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I hang out a lot with my mother too ever since I got married. It’s like our relationship got much better after marriage and babies. How’s Dean’s job going?” Alison asks.
“He will be working from home for the next two years,” I tell her.
“Wow! It is good to be your own boss, isn’t it?” Alison laughs.
“Yeah, but his father is still very much involved in the business,” I remind her.
“We have fared pretty well for ourselves, haven’t we?” Alison says.
“Yeah, we have.”
And as I continue our conversation with Alison I realize that we have come a long way since the day I first met Dean. We are both living our best lives and celebrating our happy ever after.