BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

THIRTY-EIGHT MONTHS LATER

Valerie’s POV

With a frustrated groan, I give up on the dress as I watch myself in the mirror, thinking of what to do about this mess.

The seamstress should be blamed for this but I am not in the mood to blame anyone at the moment. What I want and need right now is another dress that fits in and can accommodate me and my big belly.

The knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts and the seamstress comes in with another beautiful white dress, making my face light up and my worry vanish into thin air.

She smiles back at me when she notices the relief on my face.

My makeup is done.

My hair is done.

My shoe is ready.

My jewelry is on.

What is left is my white dress.

Just then, the door opens again as noises fill the air and Kayla and Kyle stroll in pushing each other playfully.

Kayla is dressed in a Floral Bow Tulle Ivory Cap-Sleeve Princess Pleated Ball Gown while Kyle is in an Ink Blue Stanford Suit makes me smile broadly.

My wish and that of Ryan came to pass.

When I was in labor, I was desperate to get the baby out without bothering about the gender. I was in so much pain to even care whether it was a male or a female. I thought less of my wish then. I just wanted my baby to come out.

The baby came out and I thought it was time for me to rest, and regain my strength while I watched the nurses clean up the baby but then my legs were spread wide again and I was asked to push.

I was confused. I didn’t know what was happening.

Fear jumped into my heart.

Then my heart skipped a beat and my breathing became ragged until it dawned on me that I was having another baby.

I was having twins.

Kyle was the first to come out but I didn’t even know until later. Kayla came out next which made me shed tears of joy and happiness at the sight of the two babies.

Ever since their birth, I have been so excited about this day.

I never wished for twins. The thought never crossed my mind but I always wished to have a wedding with a little bride and a little groom.

My wishes finally came true. It is coming true today.

“Mommy, Kayla says she wants to get married too”, Kyle’s soft voice jerks me back to life. The seamstress places the white dress carefully on the bed, far away from the kids so they won’t tamper with it.

I rest my back on the wooden chair in front of my dresser and fold my arms, looking from Kyle to Kayla.

“Who brought the idea?”

Kayla is gentle but Kyle isn’t. I know Kayla would never say a thing like that. She is too young for that but Kyle acts way older and loves talking. I don’t know what’s up with him and who put such an idea in him.

They are too young for this.

“Not me, Mommy”, she replies sweetly, then smiles at me.

The door opens again and the head maid comes in. “I have been looking all around for you guys. Come on, let’s go.”

Kayla and Kyle turn back and follow her out, giving me room to go back to my dress. I examine it from the bed and nod in satisfaction.

“This will do.”

****

Ryan’s POV

Nervous is an understatement of how I feel. This isn’t the first time Valerie and I are doing this but it feels like the first time. It feels like this is what will determine our forever after. It feels like a dream too and I can barely think of anything else other than to get this done with.

“Hey, relax man”, Richard chuckles as he throws a Rolex wristwatch at me. I catch it and heave a deep sigh of relief.

This isn’t a big deal, I remind myself. This isn’t a big deal.

We are renewing our vows and this is what makes it a big deal to me.

“Are you ready?” he shouts from outside the curtains.

Still fixing the wristwatch on my wrist, I nod intermittently and exhale deeply.

He claps his hand as a signal for me to come out. I take a quick step further and another until I am outside where my groomsmen are lined up waiting for me.

They are all dressed in black suits while I am wearing a three piece Blue Wedding Suit.

The piano begins to play and I don’t have time to process everything when Richard announces that the bride is here and we need to get into the hall before her.

With Richard’s orders, I take long strides toward the lined-up men and stand in front of them before we begin to make our entrance into the big event hall.

We are welcomed with a standing ovation and it makes my heart swell with joy because I am happy and my eyes filled with tears because I wish Mother was here.

Suddenly, Kyle appears in front of me as the little groom and I almost laugh out loud. He takes a long confident stride towards the podium as if he knows what exactly he is doing or as if he has done this before.

The announcement of the bride’s arrival fills the air as I take my position on the left side of the podium, waiting eagerly for my bride to appear.

With my hands clasped behind me, I compose myself and wait until another round of applause fills the air.

The song changes into a slow one and it takes a lot of courage for me to look sideways to catch a glimpse of her.

The veil is covering her beautiful face and her right hand is entwined with her Father’s. A bouquet is on her left hand as they both take slow steps toward us with our little bride in front of her and a long line of bridesmaids behind her.

Richard is my distant cousin. We got to know each other after the news of Mom’s death reached the ears of her relatives.

I knew him from childhood but I forgot all about him when I became an adult because they no longer visited us. I became friends with his friends and acquaintances and his fiancee is Valerie’s maid of honor.

Her friends are Valerie’s bridesmaids.

Her father helps her to the podium and I blink to be sure this isn’t a dream. She smiles at me and I know instantly that it’s real.

Even though we already have two kids and another one coming, I still want us to go through this. I want us to be together forever till death do us part and this renewal is the only assurance that my wish for us to be together till old age will come to pass.

I never want to leave her side. I never want to argue with her till it becomes heated and we have to ignore each other. I just want to bicker words with her till I end up shutting her up with a hot kiss.

I just want to trust her with everything that I have. I want to sleep next to her every day of my life without the fear that she would be gone the next minute.

I want her to bear me more kids so we will have lots of children running around the house like Mother would say.

I want us to never stop loving each other. I want to be attracted to her forever. I want to kiss her and have a feel of her body on me all the days of our life.

Most importantly, I want her to be the only one I have sex with till the very end.

As we exchange vows, my eyes do not leave her because she looks more beautiful today with her gorgeous dress and big bump.

When she slips the ring on my finger, it dawns on me that this woman before me is mine.

She has always been MINE.

And will forever be MINE.

“You may now kiss the bride”, the priest says, pulling me out of my reverie.

I didn’t hear anything else but the word KISS rings a bell in my ears and I move close to her. I take off the transparent veil hiding her face and my mouth is about to touch hers when she lets out a loud gasp.

My eyes widen in fear. I watch her look down to see water soaking her white dress and I panicked.

“Ryan”, she mutters softly, “My water just broke.”

Cold shivers run down my spine, then a jolt of excitement that the baby is coming today. Just before I can do a thing, she lets out a piercing scream and I quickly grab her so she won’t fall down.

“The baby is coming!”, I shout, focusing on Richard. “Get the car!”

The crowd is in an uproar and I am sure half of this audience will follow us to the hospital to welcome the baby that came on our anniversary day and vow renewal day.

If only Mother was here, it would have been so perfect.

“My water broke. My water broke. My water broke.” she continues to say as I help her to stand up straight while Richard’s fiancee untangles the transparent veil attached to the down part of her dress.

Carefully, we help her out of the hall and into the car. Richard takes the wheel and his fiancee gets into the seat beside it.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Valerie is laying at the back of the car so I get in and close the door only to receive a hot slap from her.

“My water just broke, Ryan!” She screams but I can’t find my voice until Richard and his girl burst into laughter while Valerie continues to scream and repeat the same statement about her water breaking over and over again, making me remember the same kind of drama she exhibited when she wanted to have our first babies.

This is what it means to be a husband and a father, right?

I hold her hand tightly to assure her that everything will be fine as I smile at myself.

And I endure the pain that comes with the slap.

THE END.