The next morning, the big day had finally arrived. Jada had made Edmund stay at a hotel, so they would be reunited when he saw her in her gown for the first time. The tradition seemed a bit silly for people who’d been living together, but the night of the wedding would be all the more special because she’d be able to make such an impression on him.
The morning of the ceremony was joyful chaos. Jada’s family had all flown in to be there, including cousins she hadn’t seen in years. They were all joining her at her home to help her get ready and prepare for the day. Harry, the new assistant Edmund had hired, confirmed with her that everything was proceeding as planned. The cake, the flowers—irises, of course—the photographer, the music—all of it was being prepared at the reception hall as they spoke.
Jada was thrilled, and as her family gathered around her in their traditional garb, she was so overjoyed that tears began to flow. Edmund had agreed that her Qaresman heritage should be represented at the wedding, and it was at that. The red and gold of her ancestral country were on nearly every surface, and traditional dances were set to take place during the reception, right after the couple’s first dance.
Edmund and Jada had even chosen a Qaresman-inspired design for the cake, which had several different flavors over four layers. As an added bonus, Edmund had gotten Jada a special strawberry rhubarb pie, since his fiancée had never been particularly fond of cake.
The wedding celebrations were so important to Jada, and especially to her mother, and Edmund had helped her arrange the entire thing to perfection.
The ceremony itself took place outside, and for once, the glorious San Francisco sun shone down upon them all day. The traditional fire set for the ceremony was beautiful and danced in the light breeze. Jada, alongside her mother and father, walked up to the canopy that was set up, and her parents handed her to Edmund in a symbolic gesture of unity between their families.
Jada had wanted to include some American traditions as well, and finally the time came for her to speak her vows, the ones she’d written so long ago.
“Edmund, we haven’t been together all that long, but it feels like we’ve known each other forever. I’ve watched you grow so much since I met you, and being by your side through it all has been by far the best experience of my life. You are always there for me when I need you, and even when I say I don’t. You make me feel safe and accepted, even for the crazy mess I am. You love spicy food and wandering downtown with me. You told me not long after you proposed that you’d finally finished The Hero and the Crown, and I cried like a baby. I never want to be apart from you, and I hope I can spend the rest of my life showing you new things and taking you on adventures.”
Edmund’s turn came, and his voice caught as he began to speak. “Jada, I never thought I would say that I owe my life to the Qaresman government, but today I can say it proudly. The circumstances that led me to you were in no way normal, but because of a law I tried to break, I am standing here today marrying the woman I love. What more could a government do for a guy, right?”
Everyone laughed.
“I know I’ve changed for the better because of knowing you, and I vow to work my hardest, not for my company, not to earn more money, but to keep growing and changing with you until we’re old and wrinkly and I can’t remember my own name. I know we’ll be there together at the end, and I know that even if I’m left a senile old fool, I’ll remember your grace and the way you came into my life and opened up a heart I didn’t know was shut behind a bolted door.”
Jada was balling at this point, and even Edmund let a few tears squeak out. The couple then moved to exchange rings and a garland—a gesture of acceptance of one another—as was part of Jada’s traditions. Towards the end of the ceremony, Jada was also presented with a necklace worn only by married women in her family.
The officiant proclaimed loud and clear that Jada and Edmund were now pronounced husband and wife. They kissed like she’d wished they’d done the first time Edmund had dipped her low, imitating the first time they had actually kissed.
Her family was surrounding them, and their sweet faces smiled and cheered so loudly that Jada was sure the next state heard them. There was hollering in joy, and her aunt screamed “iii-eee!” at the top of her lungs. Flower petals rained over them as they ran to the limo that would take them to the reception hall. The pair was smiling and laughing as their family ran after the car with more handfuls of petals. Jada was giddy, and her husband was so overjoyed that he couldn’t stop kissing her.
The whole world was a loud, booming celebration of love and family.
Jada’s eyes burned, tears streaking from the corners of her eyes. It was done; the beautiful ceremony was complete. In the eyes of both the law and her family’s customs, Jada and Edmund were husband and wife. Jada’s gown, which hugged her beautifully, was glowing in the limo’s light. The ceremony must have taken a while, but Jada felt like it had only lasted minutes.
She looked over at Jackson and couldn’t stand not touching him. His face was a perfect display of happiness, exhaustion, and revelry. He was staring back at her as well. Out the window behind them, Jada saw the nearby beach, the waves lapping raucously against the shore. She looked down at herself and the beautiful flowers she’d chosen. The stems were wrapped in a purple fabric, and little rhinestone accents fell in a sweet line down the center.
The was the most amazing day of her life, and Jada couldn’t have put into words how happy she was even if she’d tried.
The End
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Fake It For Me - A Fake Wife Billionaire Romance Page 52
