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To her surprise, Tanner was the one who answered her and gestured to her to follow him. “I would like to show you something.”
With Aaron still in her arms, she followed him into his office where he opened an old wooden box on his desk.
“Blake looked into the traditions a human wedding follows and has found that the bride is to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. He has asked me to give you one for each.”
Niev carefully stepped closer and looked inside the little wooden chest. She let out an awe-filled breath as she saw what was inside. There was a beautiful silver necklace with a single pendant covered in what looked like tiny diamonds.
“The necklace belonged to my mother and was a gift from my father for their commitment ceremony. It hasn’t been worn since, and I would like you to borrow it for yours.”
“Tanner, I can’t wear that,” Niev said, her voice shaking. She quickly sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk. “What if I lose it or break it?”
A warm smile spread on Tanner’s face. “I don’t believe you will.” He set the chest aside and pulled out two jewelry boxes. “We also have a tradition. As your father-in-law, it’s my honor to present you a gift to welcome you into the family. I’ve struggled for quite some time to find something for you, but when Blake enlightened me about your tradition, I knew exactly what I should gift you.”
He opened the smaller jewelry box and revealed a pair of blue earrings. They were small, silver, and had a blue stone in the midst of them.
Tears stung her eyes as she looked down on them, and Aaron seemed to like them too as he reached for them. Tanner quickly handed Aaron a toy that was laying on his desk that instantly went into his mouth, distracting him from the jewelry.
Niev inhaled a deep breath to calm her emotions and whispered, “Thank you Tanner. They are very beautiful.”
“We would also like to give you this.” Mayra stepped next to Tanner and showed her a little hair pen with a rose on it. “It belonged to my mother, and she used to wear it for all the celebrations we were having. I think it’s only fitting for you to wear it during this special day.”
Before Niev could say anything, Tanner opened the second longer jewelry box. “That only leaves us with something new. Blake assumed that the rings you’ll exchange during the ceremony will not count as such, so he got you a gift from himself.”
Niev looked down and saw a silver bracelet. The bracelet itself was simple, the pendant though was what struck her deep in the heart. Mayra leaned forward and took Aaron out of her arms so Niev could reach for the bracelet. With shaky hands, she lifted it out of the box to take a closer look. The pendant was a small, beautifully crafted wolf. The tears started spilling as she lifted the wolf closer to her eyes, turning it in her fingers to admire it from all sides.
“It’s beautiful.” Niev looked up, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. “Everything is so beautiful. Thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome.” Tanner smiled and straightened his shoulders. “Now that I’ve done this, I better get going and supervise the preparations beneath Selene’s tree.”
“Not just supervise! You’re supposed to help everyone,” Mayra scolded him.
Tanner grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Of course, my love. Everything will be as you’ve instructed.” He turned back to Niev. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” Then he left and walked out of the front door.
Niev took a few moments to calm her emotions and looked at the tiny wolf pendant in her hand. Inhaling a few deep breaths, she looked up at Mayra who was still holding Aaron in her arms.
Her face was beaming. “I have a few snacks in the kitchen for you and the girls are already getting dressed upstairs. Join us whenever you’re ready.”
Niev nodded and watched Mayra leave the room. Everything was much more than she’d expected, and the fact that Blake organized all of it filled her heart with pride. He knew nothing about weddings, yet he’d sat down and learned about them so she could have an extraordinary day.
She stood up, her legs feeling wobbly and walked into the kitchen. Eating a sandwich and following the voices and laughter, she entered one of the bedrooms.Layla was sitting on the bed feeding Aaron. Lyliann was standing in front of a tall mirror braiding her hair, wearing a beautiful light blue dress.
“You look great, Lyliann.”
She turned around and smiled. “Not as stunning as you will. Mayra laid your dress out in Blake’s room. Will you need help getting in it?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Just shout for us if you do.”
Niev turned around and walked to Blake’s old room. Every time she walked into that particular room, her eyes instantly glued to the beautiful picture of Blake and his wolf. It was her favorite painting in the whole world, and probably the only one that showed both his sides in one. She stood there for a few moments and admired the painting, letting it calm her. Then her gaze fell on the dress that Mayra had laid out for her. She stepped closer and picked it up, letting the soft lace skirt fall to the ground in all its beauty. It was a soft, long dress. It wasn’t a typical wedding dress. It was less formal with a beautiful lace skirt, cut-out back, and see-through lace sleeves. The skirt was high waisted, giving her growing bump enough space to breathe.
She stripped her clothes and pulled the dress over her head, letting it fall over her body. It ended perfectly just beneath her ankle, enough to cover her feet but not so long that she would trip. She reached for the zipper in the back, but was unable to reach her lower back. Peaking out of the door, she looked down the hallway.
“Lyliann?”
Almost instantly, Lyliann appeared followed by Mayra. “I’m coming!”.
They both gasped at the sight of her.
