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Mia
We arrived at the weddingsite later than expected and I hurried from the parking lot, following Mira toward a small souvenir shop.
"Where are we going?"
"This location didn’t have a place for us to change so I convinced the owner to let us use her back room as a changing room—for a fee of course."
We hurried into the cozy little boutique and a lady behind the counter perked up at the chime of the door bells.
"Ms. Venturi, welcome, welcome. This must be the bride to be." She grinned brightly at me.
"I am."
"Well, I am honored to have the future Mrs. Venturi use my humble shop. Please come with me. I took the liberty of clearing out some of my overstock clutter and brought a few mirrors I had laying around at home so you would have a proper place to prepare for your big day."
I glanced at Mira, surprised by the overly accommodating shopkeeper and Mira smiled sheepishly. "A rather large fee."
I laughed and shook my head before looking back at the shopkeeper. "That was very thoughtful of you, thank you."
"My pleasure."
"We better hurry. There won't be any time for pictures before the wedding, but we can get them all after." Vittoria hurried us into the back room to get dressed.
After a frantic couple of days, we were finally dressed and ready to head down to the spot the guys had found for the ceremony, set up on the edge of the deep, crystal water. As I made my way down the path, I noticed a familiar spot just off to the right of the wedding arch where the water toppled from the overhanging rock into the water below. It was the place where Teo had kissed me when we visited the gorge during that summer together.
I’d been filled with a mix of emotions, happy to be there in Teo’s arms, but sad that our summer was coming to an end. I’d wanted so badly to tell him then that I was falling for him and that I wanted to see where things would go if we gave our relationship a real shot, but I’d hesitated because I was afraid of being rejected.
How right it seemed that we would be saying our vows just a few yards from that very spot. I paused as I neared the foliage that blocked me from Teo’s view. Arman joined me there, offering his arm, and I took it. We waited as each groomsman escorted each bridesmaid down the aisle to the beautiful song flowing from the talented quartet and my heart leaped in my chest as the final couple found their place and the music shifted.
I moved to take my first step down the aisle when Arman gently held me back. “Wait. I almost forgot.”
He quickly reached into the inside pocket of his tuxedo and pulled out the small silver picture frame that he had given me back when I thought that he would be walking me down the aisle to marry Gio. So much had changed in just a few short months. I smiled at the small photograph of my father, while Arman wrapped the attached silver chain around the base of my bouquet so that my father’s charm hung just under the flowers.
“Now, he can be with you today, too.”
I smiled, gently running my finger along the frame as a small reminder that it was there.
“Ready?” Arman looked down at me with a smile.
I took a deep breath and nodded. I stepped out from the greenery and into the view of Teo and all our guests who stood on either side of the sandy aisle. As my gaze met Teo’s, each step grew easier as if I were propelled by some unseen force. His eyes never left mine and I found myself holding my breath at the intensity of his stare. He didn’t blink, not once, until Arman kissed my cheek and passed my hand to him.
Then he smiled, the look so filled with love and admiration that it stole my breath and tears sprung to my eyes from the overwhelming love I felt for him.
We turned to face each other and Teo took my hands in his before whispering where only I could hear. “I want to say that I’m sorry that it took us so long to get here, but seeing you, standing here on the bank where I first realized that I loved you, I just can’t lie to you like that.”
