It’s finally our wedding day!

It’s finally our wedding day!
Freya
It’s finally my wedding day and I couldn’t stop staring at myself because somehow, against all odds, I am still standing, breathing and alive.
And today, I am going to be someone’s wife. Victor’s wife.
I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror, my hands resting gently against the fabric that hugged me like a second skin. My dress… God, my wedding dress.
Nia had done it. She hadn’t just made me a wedding gown, she made me feel like a woman again. A whole one… not broken, bruised and certainly not someone who had almost died in a pool of her own blood just a few weeks ago. But someone who was still capable of being beautiful, strong and loved.
She honestly did a perfect job with the dress. The satin was a rich ivory that glowed under the soft lights. The neckline was soft and romantic off-shoulder, hugging my collarbones delicately. The bodice cinched at just the right place, with intricate beadwork that curved like vines around my ribs. The lower part had layers of tulle that floated behind me and subtle slit for movement, hidden pleats that gave me ease, and the way it fell made it hide everything. No one would even know I was pregnant.
I turned slightly, looking over my shoulder at the subtle dip in the back. It didn’t show too much, just enough. The veil was clipped gently into the curls that Stacey helped style this morning. It was half up, half down, soft and elegant.
And yet, even with all the beauty… even with all the excitement… My eyes still welled up because beneath it all, I still remembered my dead baby boy.
I lost him before I even knew him. I never got to hold him but I still mourned him. I still felt like he was supposed to be in my belly with his twin sister, kicking with excitement that mom and dad are finally getting married.
“Not today, Freya. You can’t fall apart on your wedding day.” I muttered to myself while blinking and pressing my fingers gently under my eyes so I wouldn’t ruin my makeup.
Darla’s picture popped up in my head as the scene replayed in my head again. How I opened the door and she stabbed me and left me bleeding out there like I was nothing.
I felt like ripping her to shreds with my bare hands. The old me would have planned my revenge so cold and calculated, she wouldn’t even see it coming. But that part of me… whatever was left of it, died in that hospital bed.
Now all I want is peace. I just want to marry the love of my life and enjoy our happily ever after with our daughter.
“This is it, we made it.” I whispered as I looked back at the mirror and smile softly at my reflection.
“Sweetheart?” My dad let out as the door creaked open and I turned.
The moment I saw him, all the breath I’d been holding scattered, and the tears came like a flood.
He stopped in the doorway, dressed in his suit, looking sharp but emotional, holding a small white rose boutonnière in his hand.
His eyes went wide when he saw me.
“Freya…” he said, breath catching in his throat. “Oh, baby girl…”
I covered my mouth with one hand, the tears already blurring my vision. “Dad…”
He walked towards me slowly, and then pulled me into a warm that made me break even more.
I sobbed into his chest, quietly but completely. All the emotions I’d buried since it all started rushed up like a wave, and he just held me. His big, steady hands rubbing my back.
“I miss her,” I choked. “I wish mom was here.”
He held my face, tilting my chin up. “She is here, Freya. She’s been with you this whole time. When you were in that coma, when you came back… when you almost gave up. I know she was there. She’s proud of you, baby. I promise.”
I nodded, wiping my face again. “I hope she knows I’m okay now.”
“Of course, she knows you’re more than okay. You’re her daughter and she knows you to be brave and beautiful. And you’re about to marry a man who’d go to war for you.”
That made me laugh through the tears. “He already did.” I replied while he smiled.
“I see the way he looks at you. The way he held your hand every day through it all, like it was the only thing keeping him sane.”
I breathed in, slow and deep. “I just want a quiet life now. I want to love him. I want to raise our daughter when she’s here. I want peace.”
“You’ve earned it, all of it.” He said softly and just then, the door opened again, and Stacey peeked her head in.
“Okay. Sorry to ruin the emotional moment, but it’s time.” She let out and then stepped in fully, eyes glistening when she saw me.
“You look like a freakin’ goddess.”
“I know right, Nia is a miracle worker.” I replied with a smile.
“She’s crying on her Instagram right now,” Stacey said, grinning. “She posted a sneak peek and said she’s honored to have dressed a queen.”
My cheeks warmed. “I don’t feel like a queen.”
“Well, you’re about to marry a king,” she said, slipping her arm around my waist. “And we are not going to be late. Let’s get you to that altar.”
Dad offered his arm and I took it, heart pounding now with a different kind of emotion.
I looked back one last time at my reflection and this time, I didn’t see a bride. Al I saw was a survivor… a mother who had seen the edge and came back stronger.
I smiled and we all walked out. The drive to the church was a quick one. I got busy with my thoughts and only came back to life when Stacey tapped me that we had arrived.
I had a mixed feeling as my dad helped me out of the car and we made our way in but the moment I stepped through the church doors, everything else fell away.
I couldn’t hear the music. I couldn’t hear the guests. For a few seconds, the world just… paused and then I saw my man.
Victor was standing there in the deep navy designer suit that I helped him pick. The lapel glistened ever so slightly under the light, a silk sheen that made him look like something straight out of a magazine. But it wasn’t the suit that stopped me, it was his eyes. The way they widened when they saw me, like he forgot how to breathe. Like for a second, he forgot we were in a room full of people and saw only me.
I saw his lips part and I saw him try to smile and fail because it looked like he was caught between being dazzled and being completely overwhelmed.
“He’s gone, baby girl. Completely knocked out.” My dad leaned in gently, whispering with a smile, while I laughed under my breath and tightened my grip on his arm as we kept walking.
The aisle felt so long, but I kept my eyes locked on Victor, his hand already outstretched to take mine. I could feel the stares, the gasps, the soft murmurs from the guests, but none of it mattered. It was just us.
When we finally got to the altar, I leaned in ever so slightly and gave Victor a small nudge. He blinked out of his trance, and I saw his lips curve again. It was slower this time and more deliberate as his eyes traced every inch of my face.
“You look like you’re not even from this world… like you fell out of the sky just for me.” He whispered and I blushed, shaking my head softly.
“You’re going to ruin my makeup before we even say ‘I do.’”
“I’ll ruin more than that later,” he murmured under his breath, just low enough for only me to hear.
“Victor!” I gasped, my mouth falling open as I swatted lightly at his arm while he chuckled and took both my hands.
The ceremony began, and I tried to focus on the readings, the pastor’s words, the music swelling gently around us, but my attention kept pulling back to Victor. The way he kept squeezing my hand gently every few seconds. The way he kept stealing glances at me like he couldn’t believe I was real. Like he was afraid I’d disappear.
Then came the moment for the vows. Victor reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a folded sheet. But then… he just stared at it for a second and folded it again. I tilted my head slightly, curious.
“I wrote it down,” he said aloud, glancing at the crowd before looking back at me, “but it doesn’t feel right to read something I rehearsed. Not when everything I feel right now… is right here.” He said, placing a hand on his chest and then he looked me in the eyes.
“Freya,” he began. “The day I met you, I thought you were trouble.”
There was a ripple of soft laughter from the guests.
“I thought you were too bold... too sharp and independent. And I was right. You are. You’re all those things. But what I didn’t realize was that I needed that kind of trouble in my life.”
I smiled, blinking fast.
“You challenged me. You softened me. You taught me that strength doesn’t always look like control. Sometimes it looks like surrender. And loving you… has been the most powerful surrender of my life.”
He exhaled deeply. “You’ve seen me at my worst, and somehow, you still stayed. You’ve fought battles I can’t even begin to understand and you still love with your whole heart.”
I bit my lip as tears slid down my cheeks, no longer caring about the makeup.
“I love your heart, Freya. It’s soft, and gentle and it’s the best thing I’d ever gotten in my life. And today in front of everyone, I vow to protect it with everything I have. To be your peace, your partner, your anchor. To never take you or this love for granted. To raise our children with honor and to love you in all the ways you deserve, even when life tries to break us.”
He paused and added, softer now, “You are my miracle, Freya. I gave up on love but yours found me when I wasn’t even looking. I don’t ever want to spend another day without you, baby.”
I was so overwhelmed I could barely breathe. I forgot the crowd and even forgot my own lines. My hands were trembling slightly as the pastor asked me to say my vows but I still found some words.
“You changed me too, Victor. You made me believe in love again and I will stand by you through every storm, every scar, every silence. I will give you all of me, and not just the easy parts, but the messy ones too…”
When I was done, everyone was in tears. Even Stacey was dabbing her eyes not-so-secretly behind me.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the pastor finally said.
Victor leaned in, smiling with his lips just an inch from mine, and that was when I saw it. Something about it was different and it was tugging at me but I couldn’t place what it was.
“Baby,” I whispered while I held in there for a second, eyes locked with his.
“Yeah?” He paused.
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” I didn’t even mean to say it. It just… fell out and the look in his eyes told me I wasn’t wrong.
His smile faltered, just for a second. It was barely a twitch but I saw and felt it.
He leaned in again, brushing his lips against my cheek, close to my ear.
“I did what I had to do, baby” he whispered, his voice low and careful.
“For our family and that’s all you need to know.” He asserted while I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes again.
They were still as warm and loving as ever but I saw the hidden secret behind all that…
And I just knew something had been done… Something I might not want to hear. But even if I wanted to, he wasn’t going to tell me now or here in front of everyone.
I had two choices… press him now and ruin this moment… or trust him. I chose the latter so I took a deep breath and nodded.
“Okay, but someday, you’ll tell me.” I whispered while his smile returned.
“Of course, I will... when you’re ready.” He replied and then kissed me while I also kissed him back deeply.
I’m married to the love of my life and that’s all that matters. Whatever the secret is… we’d face it together like we always do…