Reine ran down the corridor of Palazzo Baldovini, passing a row of windows on one side and shut doors leading to the various rooms on the other. Her boots clacked on the gray Carrera marble floors as she slowed just enough to chug an ice-cold Mimosa from the champagne glass in her hand. Hastily depositing the empty vessel on a carved pedestal next to a huge arrangement of holly, winter-berry, and jasmine, she continued onward under the sixteen-foot ceilings decorated with Renaissance-era frescoes.

The cherubs peeking out from behind fluffy clouds no doubt were smiling today at her last minute scrambling.

She almost ran past the oversized, gilded door she needed - they all looked the same even after a month of living here - and her long, turquoise wool coat caught between her legs. Steadying herself on the door handle to keep from falling, she pushed down on the latch and burst through the door.

"I can't believe how late we are!" she exclaimed, slamming the door behind her. "The others left ages ago."

"Have they?" Noor said as she adjusted the faux-fur trimmed sleeve of her cream colored coatdress in front of a floor length mirror. "I guess if I have the prerogative to be late on one day, it would be this one." She smiled at her reflection.

Reine stepped behind her and peeked over the girl's shoulder. "True, but I doubt you want your friends and family freezing while they wait, so let's get moving. But first," she said, taking out a black, velvet bag from her pocket. "I have your wedding present for you."

Pulling the drawstrings open, she poured a double strand of pearls into her palm. Attached midway was a circular, smooth stone almost identical to the one hanging around her own neck. The only difference was that Noor's was of black opal and contained a miniature portrait of her soon-to-be husband, Malik Thompson.

Reaching around her friend's shoulders, Reine draped the jewelry around Noor's neck and fastened the clasp. "I commissioned this from a man descended from the artist who made mine, if you can believe it. Only in Italy can you find such continuity in craftsmanship, I guess."

"Oh, Rennie." Noor touched the pendant before turning around and embracing Reine. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for everything."

Reine cleared her throat to keep herself from crying and kissed the girl's cheek. "My pleasure, sweetie. Now, let's really go."

The duo exited the room and headed toward the grand staircase.

"Don't you want to peek in on the boys?" Noor asked as they began their descent.

Reine shook her head. "They'll fuss if they see me, and then we'll be even more late. Mathilde has it covered." She smiled, knowing the nanny who helped raise Amara was more than capable of handling the twins.

"I wish they were big enough to come," Noor lamented, holding the hem of her coat so she wouldn't trip.

"I know. Me, too." Reine sighed. "I'm just glad they were finally big enough to be allowed home. Those two months in the hospital were way too long."

Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, they passed through the massive living area that sat where the former courtyard used to be. Covered with a roof in the last century, the space replaced what was lost to the private art gallery that now took up the other half of the building. Even so, the residence was still much more than a family of five and their guests could fill.

At least the spare room was being currently put to good use, holding all of the shipping boxes holding the contents of Reine's Maryland home. Pennsylvania eXpress Logistics had just delivered everything a few days earlier and it was all waiting to be unpacked.

Heading straight to the main entrance, the women buttoned their coats as the attentive butler opened the wooden door.

"Thank you, Connor." Reine smiled at the older man as he handed her a small bouquet consisting of white roses, fir branches, and pinecones. Taking her much larger arrangement, the bride followed her outside onto the snow-covered sidewalk.

"I'm really starting to think that this was a bad idea," Noor said, eyeing the maroon carriage standing at the curb as she stopped next to her friend and waited for the coachman to disembark. Jumping down from the driver's seat and patting the nearest of the harnessed, gray mares, he courteously tipped his top hat and held open the door.

Steadying herself on the frame, Reine stepped up on the running board before climbing into the antique vehicle. "You know I had nothing to do with the arrangements, and Morgan apparently got inspired by the setting." She took a seat on the leather-covered bench and nodded out the window at the surrounding buildings. The historic center of Florence where Max's ancestral home stood was remarkably well-preserved; it was even declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

"But you were talking about the transportation, weren't you?" Reine asked, wrinkling her brows at the vapor cloud her warm breath produced in the cold vehicle. "Because if you meant calling off the wedding, then you have about five more minutes for that."

"Of course not." Noor sat down and playfully nudged her friend with her shoulder. "This is the happiest day of my life."

"And you're okay with moving back to Philadelphia, at least for the time being?" She couldn't help, but to still worry about whether the young woman was making the right choice about her future.

Noor patted her hand. "Why wouldn't I be? Max asked if I could inventory and catalog the furniture and artwork his company is storing. Apparently a lot of the owners haven't laid claim to their belongings in the required timeframe, so he's preparing to sell things off."

Reine scoffed at the news. "You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't?" Noor shrugged. "Oh, sorry. There's just been so much stuff going on, sometimes I'm not sure who I've told what. Now, relax. I already have one mother nagging at me for everything; I don't need another at the moment. Just be my maid of honor today, okay?"

Reine gave her a wink and thumbs up, and leaned back as the carriage lurched forward. The large, wooden wheels creaked on the snowy pavement as the vehicle pulled out into the sparse, holiday morning traffic.

Noor kept her eyes focused on the passing scenery as she fiddled with the satin ribbon around her bouquet. Reine stayed quiet, as well, letting her friend gather her thoughts before committing the rest of her lifetime to the man she loved.

A five-minute estimate for the duration of their trip may have been too generous. After traveling perpendicular to the Arno River for just a few hundred feet, they turned right at the end of the street and went only two more blocks before briefly stopping.

"I suppose freezing my booty off on the ride here might have been worth it for this," Noor whispered in awe, looking down the length of the Ponte Vecchio with its multi-story shops as they waited for two local policemen to remove the barricades restricting vehicle traffic. Max - with his endless connections - was able to get special permission for the carriage to enter the ancient bridge connecting the city center to the Palazzo Pitti on the opposite bank.

"This is so exciting!" Reine grinned, the magical atmosphere quickly dispelling her worries as the carriage began to move again.

Noor scooted to the edge of the bench, tapping her foot as they passed under the lit fairly lights, garlands of fresh pine, and colorful ornaments strung overhead. The shop windows on either side were all shuttered, with only their names hinting at their trade. Although centuries earlier they contained mostly butchers, this prime piece of real estate now housed high end jewelers, instead. When they reached a larger, open space at the center of the bridge, the carriage came to its final stop.

As soon as the door opened, Noor jumped out and hurried toward the small group of people waiting under three large arches. Reine followed, recognizing Mikey, Kenzi and Morgan. Two strangers joined them, but from Noor's greeting of the two men, she guessed they were Mal's father and the imam performing the ceremony, respectively. Standing across the square from the bust of sixteenth-century artist Benvenuto Cellini, they took refuge from the increasing snowfall in this unusually cold, Italian winter.

"Where's Mal?" Noor asked as she looked from one face to another, but getting blank looks and shrugged shoulders in return.

"What about Gabe?" Reine followed, but received the same responses.

"You mean no one's seen them since they got back from St. Moritz?" Noor's already large, brown eyes widened before she started mumbling to herself. "I knew that bachelor's ski getaway was a bad idea. And how come you're not asking about Max? I don't see him here yet, either." She turned toward Reine.

"Because I'm the dependable one. Remember?" Max's voice rang out from behind them. Walking up the bridge, he carried Amara in his arms and was joined by Noor's parents.

"Let's just call them." Reine was already dialing. After a few seconds of staring at the screen waiting for a connection, she turned her phone toward Noor. "Here, I have them on video chat."

The faces of the absentee young men appeared side-by-side on the screen. Wearing heavy jackets and goggles pushed over their hats, the duo grinned.

"Hey sweetheart." Mal waved to Noor.

The young woman skipped the formalities as she huffed. "Malik! Where are you? Everyone's here on the Ponte Vecchio. Did you forget it's your wedding day?"

Mal bit his lip and glanced at his partner in crime. "I . . . uhm, well we're going to be a little late."

"A little late?" Noor's tone elevated to a shriek, and she grabbed the mobile device out of Reine's hand. Moving the screen even closer to her face, she gritted her teeth. "What do you mean a little late? Gabe, what is he talking about?"

Reine could no longer see the video, but she heard Gabe's familiar chuckle. "What would you say if we said we kind of overslept and are still in Switzerland?"

Noor's hands began to shake. To keep her from dropping both the phone and her bouquet, Reine took both from the girl. Turning the device toward herself, she whispered at the screen. "Please tell me you're kidding, Gabe. Noor's about to faint over here."

Gabe looked off screen, just as Reine noticed someone out of the corner of her eye running toward them.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding, habibti," Mal yelled as his long legs carried him closer. Unzipping his ski jacket and removing his goggles, he threw the props on the ground before embracing his bride. "Please forgive me. We were just having a little fun."

Noor sighed. "I could kill you right now, Malik. You're just lucky I love you too much."

Mal kissed her cheek before pulling away. "I'm lucky indeed. And I say let's do this thing." He clapped his hands together and motioned for the group - who'd somehow had managed to silently watch the whole charade - to take their places. Gabe also emerged from cover on the other side of the square and tossed his jacket aside. Like Mal, he was impeccably dressed in a dark gray suit and vest, with a turquoise tie matching the bridesmaids' coats.

The bride and groom stood under the arcades in front of the imam. Reine, Kenzi and Morgan flanked Noor, while Gabe, Max and Mikey stood behind Mal in support. The three parents and Amara watched from in between, standing for the duration of the short ceremony.

It began with a brief Arabic benediction, followed immediately by the vows.

Noor handed Reine her bouquet and got Mal's ring in return. Taking his hands, her voice quivered as she spoke. "I offer you myself in marriage in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him. I pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a loving and faithful wife."

Nadya Hamad sobbed from joy as her daughter placed the symbolic jewelry on the young man's finger. Mal wiped a tear from his bride's cheek before pulling a platinum band out of his pocket, and taking Noor's left hand in his.

"With this ring, I promise to love and honor you for as long as I live." He grinned, realizing the possible length of the commitment given his inherent longevity as an immortal. "I also promise to support you in every way I can to make all of your dreams come true."

Noor's eyes were wide with excitement as the time came to accept her beloved's proposal. "Qabul, qabul, qabul," she repeated the word three times before Mal slipped the ring on her finger.

To certify their union, the couple signed the marriage contract on the table in front of the officiant. Ending the ceremony, the imam once again recited a Quranic blessing and offered the newlyweds a plate of dates to share.

The guests clapped and a brief chaos ensued as everyone tried to shower the couple with congratulations. After the requisite handshakes, hugs, and kisses, Max raised his hands to get everyone's attention.

"I have cars waiting right off the bridge." He pointed in the opposite direction from where the carriage arrived. "They'll take all of you to a catered brunch in the city's best restaurant. Morgan, if you don't mind watching Amara . . .." He ushered the little girl toward the redhead.

"Of course not. But where are ya' sneakin' off to?" Morgan asked with a smile.

"Now, you know better than to ask." He winked in return, wrapping an arm around Reine's waist. Waiting for the newlyweds to board the carriage and for the others to walk off, he finally turned to Reine.

"I have a surprise for you." He took her hand and led Reine to a weathered door tucked into the base of the archway. Pulling out a set of keys, he unlocked the door and turned the handle. It swung open to reveal a narrow set of stairs.

"No way!" Reine exclaimed, covering her open mouth with her hand as her eyes widened in anticipation.

Instead of replying, Max just smiled. "After you."

She ascended the steps, steadying herself on the wall. When she emerged at the top, Reine froze in the spot, and Max had to nudge her aside to let him also step into the room.

The long hallway was partially lined on one side with wavy-glass windows, while the other side was hung with a seemingly endless row of paintings.

"The freaking Vasari Corridor?" Reine jumped at Max, throwing her arms around his neck. "How in the world did you manage this?"

He shrugged with a sly smile. Nodding toward the portrait of a stern looking young man with bushy eyebrows, he added nonchalantly, "I donated that one." Taking a few steps forward, he pointed at a half-naked painting of a woman with hands in prayer. "And that one."

"Wow," Reine exhaled breathlessly, stepping between the masterpieces, not knowing what to look at first. "This is absolutely amazing, Max. Thank you."

"I thought you'd like it." He embraced her from behind and nuzzled her neck. "You can take as long as you'd like in here, but can you do something for me first?"

Turning around while still in his hold, Reine wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head inquisitively. "And what would that be?"

Stepping backward and pulling out his smartphone, Max scrolled until he found what he was looking for and set the device on the edge of a nearby pedestal. The soft melody of Louis Armstrong's unmistakable trumpet soon began to play.

"Will you do me the honor of dancing with me?" He smiled, extending his hand.

A warm shiver ran through her body and Reine giggled. "Of course."

Moving in harmony as Ella Fitzgerald sang the haunting words of "Dream a Little Dream of Me," the couple glided and twirled down the hallway lined with priceless artwork. Every step, every look, made Reine's heart beat a little faster and reaffirmed she'd made the right decision. When the last note faded, Max leaned forward, bending her backwards into an elegant dip.

"One more dance?" His eyes twinkled and his smile was full of mischief when a modern, Italian love song started playing.

Not wanting the moment to end, but also conscious of the day's significance, Reine pouted. "Shouldn't we be going to the reception?"

Still leaning over her, Max slowly shook his head. "I adore your loyalty, darling, but it's time you started being a little selfish. We have fifty - maybe sixty - good years tops, and I'm going to make every moment count," he said before closing the gap between them and covering her mouth with his.

~~ The End ~~