Chapter 49

Minerva’s POV




“It’s about to start!”

            The maid of honor is more excited than the bride, than me. “I see handsome Darwin the billionaire waiting at the end of the aisle and he’s just as nervous and anxious as you!” She wiggled my nose before handing me the bouquet of flowers which consists of red roses, violets, lavender, pink carnation, and purple orchids. Gosh, I felt like holding the heavenly garden in my hands.

            “Go, marry him now,” Mariella did come back to me just to whisper that in my ear. “If you don’t, I know plenty of women, both young and old, who would.” I cackled, making my make-up artist frown for almost ruining her masterpiece in my face.

            Fifteen minutes later, as I was standing where we rehearsed yesterday. The priest finally came out and asked everybody to stand.

            All eyes are on me, which made me have another internal screaming episode.  The flower girls lined the path with pink rose petals as the music started. I only took five steps before I was greeted by Damon, the one who played the role of my father in this wedding—as he had always been one. My eyes began to be watery as he escorted me down the aisle, which seemed longer than I have seen in television series and movies. He became my strength, without him I would faint in overwhelming joy. 

            So this is how pure euphoria feels like, tastes like, seems like, I said to myself.

            The guests looked at me, of course. They took pictures of my exclusively-designed-for-me wedding dress. Others waved at me, some smiled. Though no one made a single sound.

            Hoisting my lovely head, there, standing, I saw him. The love of my life, the man who continued the story that me and Derrick have started—Darwin Dennis Gray. Handsome. Billionaire. Charismatic. Proud. Sexy AF. And of course, my future husband and my life. He was everything that I was not. That I was.

            He stood taller, towering before Lushan and Kevin and Raymond. His eyes were on me. If I wasn’t mistaken, I could see tears begin to fill his eyes. Good—because I wasn’t the only person who was goddamn crying.

            At the end of the aisle, Damon, my father hugged me. “I ‘m proud of you, Minerva,” he said. Then, without further ado, he presented me to my groom, to his son. Damon placed my hand in Darwin’s and smiled. I grinned back.

            As a couple, Darwin and I stood in front of the priest.

            Before my Damon walked away, he patted Darwin on the shoulder then glanced at me. “Welcome, daughter,” Damon said in a voiceless manner. That was his way of welcoming me into the Gray family at last while I stood next to my love.

            The wedding ceremony almost consumed an hour until we reached the exchange of vows.

            “I, Darwin Dennis Gray, take you, Minerva Miriam Miller, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad times, and in joy as well as in sorrows. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.” I cannot stop gaping when he said that to me in my very face, before a crowd of friends and family. And of course, to His Holiness above.

            I smiled first at him as it’s my turn to say the marriage vows. “I, Minerva Miriam Miller, take you, Darwin Dennis Gray, to be my lawfully wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad times, and in joy as well as in sorrows. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

            The time for the ring bearer to bring the rings has come. Darwin handed me a sapphire ring, the color of the windows of my soul. I secretly screamed on the inside as he slid it on my finger. When it’s my turn, I slid a ruby finger—symbolizing his fiery dominance and charismatic essence—in his finger and pressed his hand for a second. Darwin then grinned at me like a Cheshire cat.

            Yes, this is it. This is indeed happening. I will now be Mrs. Gray.

            Twilight has come, then dusk. After a few wedding rituals, the priest finally comes to the point I anticipate the most. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” So we did. 

But because of the eyes of the crowd, it was just a soft kiss. A soft kiss that felt like his lips just landed onto mine then pulled away without digging deeper. Everyone cheered for us. However, I barely noticed it. My full attention rested on Darwin, to him and to him only.

            The night has finally awoken, a sea of stars hovering above us. Soon after, we did the whole candle symbolizing thing where my stomach rumbles and the priest just secretly holds his laugh at me.

            As soon as the ceremony ended, Darwin and I hurriedly left the scene because I was beyond hungry. I was ravishing that I can no longer hold the smell of the redolent scent of lobsters and crabs and grilled pork belly.

            The guests followed behind us. But Darwin, whose arms wrapped around my waist, pulled me beside a tree.

            The people just continued walking while a few smirked at our direction as if they, too, knew what would happen between the two of us.

            He was so hot and thirsty for me. Darwin didn’t think twice in kissing me deeply compared to our wedding kiss earlier. He kissed me hungrily, sensually. Erotically. Like how a wife should be kissed. Like how newlyweds should kiss.

            So I gave him all the authority; even if my stomach rumbles for the second time.