I looked at myself over and over. I was searching for anything that looked off or wrong.

I couldn't stop tracing my fingers over the fabric of my dress. I probably looked it over 100 times, and tried to readjust it just as much because I was a frantic mess.

The brightness of my dress was not helping, as well. Don't get me wrong it was a beautiful white lacy dress that flowed to the bottom of my body, and laid onto the floor behind me.

It sculpted my body perfect, clinging to my hips, chest, and waist. It was also long sleeved as well. The sleeves were covered in white elegant designs, that were found throughout the whole piece

My hair was in beautiful body curls that framed my face well, and reached just below my back, and my makeup was done to perfection matching my jewelry, and silver high heel shoes.

I was perfect, nothing was wrong of how I looked, but on the inside, I felt like I was crumbling. And the brightness of this dress was just adding on to my stress because of the headache it gave me.

I peeled my eyes away from the mirror and turned around. There were bodies everywhere in my dressing room.

People searching for things, organizing things, yelling over things, and just loud and distracting, and I didn’t even know half of them.

Asher’s mom hired so many people to make sure that this wedding will be perfect, and I'm thankful for that. I just feel like it's too much, and it's not helping just seeing them scatter around in the room where I very well should have privacy in.

"Natalia, you okay?" I heard a voice in front of me.

I looked at the person and it was Julia. However, I felt like I couldn't speak.

"Natalia!"

I looked around frantically, with my mouth still close.

"Okay, everyone out please. Give the bride some privacy!" I heard Julia shout over the busy people.

I looked over and saw the pause for a second before they quickly walked out of the room.

When I saw the door closed, I collapsed in the chair near me, and released a breath that I've been holding for a while.

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I kept breathing in and out and clenching my chest trying to find a decent rhythm. I felt Julia's hand on my arm rubbing it soothingly.

"Deep breaths Hun in and out." She said breathing with me.

I breathed with her for a minute before I found my own rhythm. She gave me a glass of water that was on stand near us.

I took a long sip, and felt the water down my throat cooling me down a little.

She grabbed the half empty glass from my hand setting it down on the table.

"Wedding jitters?" Julia asked chuckling a little bit.

"Yes, I guess." I said finally speaking with shaky words.

"That's normal Natalia, but there's nothing to worry about." She said while holding my hand, and giving me a bright smile along with it.

She was a beautiful bride’s maid, and a supportive one at that. Julia and we have gotten so close over the years.

She was like a sister to me, right next to Tracey. I was so close with them both.

We spent so much time together these past few years. They have been there for me through so much. They are the few people that I can really count on.

"I know I just-" I said cutting myself off.

"You just what?" She questioned.

"I'm just nervous about the whole thing. I'm actually getting married to someone that I love and adore. I just feel like I'm going to mess it up. Or something bad is going to take place."

"Natalia don't you worry about that-"

Julie was cut off mid-sentence by the door being opened.

"Oh, no what happened while I was gone?" Tracey asked while closing the door.

"Can you please talk to her Tracey. Give her at least some comforting words." Julie asked with pleading eyes.

That was thing with Julie she was kind of like her brother and she wasn't good when it came to words really.

Tracey was the one that was so sensitive, caring, and comforting when it came to the two of them.

We all balanced each other out from our personalities all the way to who we were as individuals. I loved it though. I wouldn't change my friendships for the world.

"Oh, Natalia you really don't have to worry. Julie is write nothing is going to happen. You deserve happiness. You are finally getting your happily ever after. "

She grabbed my hand from my lap and held it tightly.

I smiled at her a little reassuring myself that I will be fine until...

"And besides if he tries to run off, I'll shoot him myself." She said chuckling a little bit.

At this comment I was a mess all over again. He's going to run off just like Julian. I can't go through the wedding.

I stood up with wide eyes, and ran behind the dressing curtain.

"Oh, Natalia I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that or make it worse-"

"I can't go through with the wedding. I'm calling it off!" I yelled behind the curtain.

"Look what you done, now we have a frantic bride, and a doomed wedding!" Julie angrily whispered.

"Well, how was I supposed to know she was going to call off the wedding. I was just trying to comfort her like you told me too!" Tracey whispered back.

"Yes, I did because you’re the one who’s good with words, and knows what to do when it comes to this stuff, but apparently not!"

"Well then you-"

"What's going on?"

I froze behind the curtain, and the bickering between my maid of honor and bridesmaid stopped when he spoke up.

The only person that causes me to have chills till this day by only his voice alone.

"I have people outside, wedding planners to be exact saying that they have been kicked out of the dressing room." He said with anger in his voice.

"Yes, brother they have, because your wife to be seemed like she was going to pass out from the chaos that these stupid wedding planners cause. I was just trying to help." Julie said snapping back.

"Pass out, where is she?"

The room was silent for a while until I heard a door close, and my name being called.

"Natalia?"

"Yes?"

Once he spotted my voice and located where I was at. I heard his footsteps come near the curtain.

"No, Asher don't come in. I don't want you to see me in my dress." I said while bunching the curtain in my hand.

"Natalia, I want to see if you’re okay? Why are you even behind the curtain anyway?"

"I'm okay really-"

"Cut the crap, I know when something is wrong. Now tell me or I'm coming in." He said in a low voice.

I was silent for a while, hoping that he would just go away but of course he didn’t.

"Alright I'm coming in-"

“I'm afraid okay. I’m afraid that something might happen. Or that you'll leave me, or that the wedding is going to ruined. Or that it's just not real, and-and that this is all a dream."

I said while putting my head against the wall. I watched his shadow come closer towards the curtain looking straight at it.

“You don't think I'm nervous or even afraid baby? I'm afraid that I will fail you in this marriage. I'm afraid that I will lose you sometimes. I'm afraid I will lose this amazing family that I have been granted with. I'm afraid that you will just disappear." He said with his hands in his hair.

"I have all those fears Natalia, and we're not even married yet." He said with a chuckle.

Which I joined in with him a little. After are chuckles subsided he moved his hand in the curtain asking for mine.

I hesitantly place my hand in his and held it tightly.

"All I'm saying is I have those fears even before marriage, and we'll have even more fears, road bumps, twists and turns even when we are. However, I choose you to overcome all those things with. I choose you to go through all these things with."

At this point I had tears in the brink of eyes ready to roll down my cheek. He arranged my hand further out the curtain and kissed the skin on my hand.

I left my eyes closed and soak in the feelings of his lips on my hand.

"So please my love for my sake, don't let your fears or even yourself get in the way of walking down this aisle and becoming my wife." He said while caressing my hand.

I looked at his shadow through the curtain, and saw him patiently wait for me to speak.

I want this

I want him

I want us forever.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I said in a whisper.

"Are you sure, because I'm giving you an out right-"

"Shut up." I said while laughing at his comment.

"Yes, I'm sure. I can't see my life without you in it. I want you to be by my side forever. "

"Then I will see you at the altar my love." He said with one final kiss to my hand.

I heard him shuffle his feet to the door, and open it up for Tracey and Julie to come back in.

Once the door closed they spoke up.

"Natalia, you okay?" Tracey said through the curtain.

I took a breath, and opened up the curtains slowly. I walked out a little, and looked them both in the eyes.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

************************************

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I please present Mr. and Mrs. Beacon to the dance floor!" The MC said through the microphone.

Asher took my hand and twirled me around the dance floor, until he grabbed me close into his arms.

I put my hands around his neck, while his hands were settled on my sides.

He leaned his forehead against mine, looking in my eyes.

"Mrs. Beacon, I love the sound of that." He said with a smirk.

"Mmmh I don't know-" I said looking in the air in fake disapproval of the name.

"Well deal with it, because you’re stuck with me for a very long time."

I looked in his eyes, and searched his whole face before I my eyes landed on his lips.

I stepped forward and captured his lips between mine in a sweet and slow kiss.

After I heard applause and hollering from all around us. I separated quickly from him.

"Just because your shy when it comes to these things, doesn’t meant I won't take you in my arms and kiss you. However, when we get home it'll be a different story."

He said in a whisper in my ear. I bend my head down and hid my face in his chest, and laughed a little.

I felt his hand lift my chin up, and he confessed my cheek into his hand.

"You are so beautiful."

"I love you." I said while squeezing his neck.

"Not as much as I love you Natalia, I finally got my happy end and another chance with someone that I know is real, and with that regard I have a surprise for you. "

I perked up a little and looked around.

"Surprise? What is it?"

Before I knew it, he stood right behind me and put his hands over my eyes.

After a while I was kind of getting anxious of just looking at darkness that his hands created over my eyes.

I also wanted to see what the surprise was.

"Okay, open your eyes"

I peeled my eyes open, and almost fell to my knees when I saw him.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I yelled while practically jumping on Asher in excitement at the gift that he gave me.

My brother.

"Dave!" I said running towards him.

He caught me in his arms, and held me tightly. I heard his deep laugh rumble in through his chest.

I peeled back and got a good look of him. He basically looked the same last time I saw him.

Brown eyes, black hair, and tall. The only difference is he was actually growing his beard out.

"What, How, and When did you get here?" I said shaking his arms.

"Like today." He said with a low chuckle.

"Today!?"

"You didn't think I will miss my sister’s wedding, did you?" He said with his eyebrows raised.

I smiled at him and shook my head.

"Well correction I made it to the reception. So, miss my sister’s reception I should say." He said looking around.

"No, no at least you’re here. Thank you so much Dave. I missed you so much." I said while grabbing his hands in my own.

"I missed you too, why didn-"

"Uncle Dave!"

Miya came running down the dance floor towards my brother.

He picked her up and threw her in the air. They both had big smiles stitched onto their faces.

I even smiled big, the last time my child and her Uncle shared a moment has been a while they've seen each other.

And the reason for that was... Well because it was the both us.

I mean it was hard for me to visit him and go back to the place where tragedy was around me, even when I moved I rarely visit. As many times as, he asked me too.

While he never forgave me for distancing myself from the place, but I guess in the process I was kind of distancing myself from him.

Hey, honey I'm going to talk to you in a second okay? Let me just to talk to your mom."

She nodded here head silently, but ran away anyway near Asher.

I turned my head towards him when he began to talk.

"Why didn't you call Natalia?"

"Dave, I'm so sorry-"

"I know that you’re sorry. I heard it times before. I understand why you needed to leave. I get that it was better for you and Miya to move. I get it. "

He looked at the side with pain in his eyes.

I breathed in and out trying to search for an answer.

"I wanted to call you so many times. There were so many times where I picked up the phone, but I didn't. I guess it was too painful to talk, hear or to even see anyone who reminded me of our parents. I wanted to get away from it all. I love you so much Dave, and I want us to have a close sister and brother relationship that I always wanted. So, I'm sorry from the deepest part of my heart I truly am."

He looked at me for a minute, but nodded his head in understanding. He looked to his right towards Asher and Miya then back at me.

"He would've been so proud of you. You have a family, a husband, and growing life ahead of you. I know they are proud, and for that I'm happy that you are happy." He said with a genuine smile.

"I miss them so much Dave."

I looked at Miya and Asher as I said the words.

"Yeah, me too. "

We both looked at each other with a tiny of sadness in both of our eyes, until he spoke up.

However, I know Dad wouldn't have you mop around. He will be asking your hand in a father and daughter Dance. But because he can't be here right now..."

He stretched out his hands towards me.

"May I please have this dance sis?"

"Yes, you may." I said with a smile.

**********************

"Asher, stop you can't even wait until we get home?" I said with a little giggle.

Asher was currently kissing on my neck, and his lips on my skin was driving me crazy.

"Nope I can't actually, you're pretty addicting if you ask me." He said with his husky voice on my neck.

I titled my head back a little more, all of sudden he stopped kissing me on my neck and sat up in alert.

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot some papers that I needed for tomorrow for a meeting. "

"Asher, really that's on your mind right now?"

"I know I'm-

"No, it's fine, we can go and get it." I said with a light smile.

"No, babe you go home, and I'll get the papers tonight."

"Asher it's fine I'll go with you it's not a big deal. Miya’s with Jane, and you'll be done in a little bit and then we can head home together."

"Edward can you take us to National Elect Industries please?" I asked our limo driver.

"Yes, mam."

I nodded my head and looked towards Asher, but he was already staring at me.

"What?"

"Have I ever told you I loved you."

"Mmmh… maybe once or twice." I said with a smirk on my face.

He shook his head with a little chuckle.

************************************************************************

We were now in his office, and I was waiting for him to be done with some papers.

I was sitting on the same chair that I have been in over two years now.

The same chair that I actually took the interview at.

The same chair that I have looked at the same man that is now my husband.

"You ready?" Asher asked while gathering some papers from the desk.

"You know I never thought I would be here." I said while looking around.

"What do you mean?” He titled his head a little, while looking at me.

"I mean everything. Having this job here, meeting you, living with you, and being with you."

I said looking down at the floor. However, the last thing I said I looked up into his eyes.

"Let alone fall in love with you."

He looked at me with intensity in his eyes. He put his papers down and walked towards me.

Once he stopped in front of me, he bent down his body where he was a little below eye level.

He put his hands on my knees and looked me in the eyes.

Oh lord. I couldn't breathe

It was such a weird scene. I was still in my wedding dress, and Asher was in his tux.

"Well, I'm beyond happy that all those things happen, even if it wasn't the most exciting or appropriate situations. I don't regret anything, not for a second. "

He took his hands from my knees and grabbed my hands in his, and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Because I wouldn't be right here with you in this moment as your husband."

He gave me a lingering kiss on my forehead before he said the words that made my insides twist in knots, and butterflies explode in my stomach.

A feeling that I felt since the begging of time when I’m with him.

“I will love you forever and always."

***************