by S. J. West
“It'll heal in a little while,” he says, brushing it off as if it's not enough damage to worry about.
“But what happened?”
“The boys and I just had a little competition.”
“A competition?” I ask, not finding this any better of an answer. “What were you fighting over?”
“We all wanted to walk you down the aisle since Andre can't be here. Since we couldn't come to an agreement, we decided to make it a contest.”
“Why would you fight over something like that?”
“Mostly just for fun, really,” he says, a bit embarrassed that they used my wedding as an excuse to have an all-out wrestling match with one another. “I know. It's juvenile and we're old enough to know better, but sometimes it's just fun to have a good fight. Plus, we couldn't come to an agreement. So, we decided a brawl would be the fairest way to decide.”
I stare at Jered's swollen face for a moment before I lose myself to laughter.
“I'm sorry,” I tell him. “But you make quite a picture standing there in your tuxedo with that face.”
“Wait until you see the losers,” Jered says with an awkward wink of his good eye that does nothing but make me laugh harder.
“The next time you guys decide to fight each other let me know,” I tell him. “I would love to see how you all fight one another.”
Jered bends at the waist. “As you wish, my lady.”
I hope Jered remembers my request because seeing a group of angels fight has to be a sight not many people get to witness.
“So, Empress Anna Greco, are you ready to make Malcolm the happiest man on Earth?” Jered asks, holding out his arm for me to take.
“Absolutely,” I tell him, accepting his escort to the chapel.
Once we reach the polished wood paneled doors that lead to the interior of the little chapel in Malcolm’s home, Millie kisses me on one of my cheeks.
“I’m so proud of you, Anna. You finally found the man you are meant to be with. There aren’t many people who can say they did that in their lives, you know.”
“Thanks, Mille.”
“Now don’t be nervous,” Vala says to me, using her nose to push Luna through the crack between the double doors leading into the chapel.
“I’m not nervous,” I tell her. “I’m more ready for this than anything in my life, Vala.”
And it’s true. I’m not sure if it’s because my soul has been prepared for this union since it was created, or if it’s because I knew Malcolm was meant to be mine the moment I saw him. The reason really doesn’t matter. Either way, the love Malcolm and I share for one another is an always and forever kind of love which not even death will ever sever.
Vala nods letting me know she understands how I feel before she follows Luna into the sanctuary. Millie follows in after her and closes the doors.
As I wait for the doors to open, I simply try to concentrate on my breathing. What I told Vala was the truth. I’m not nervous, but my heart feels like it’s about to race out of my chest from excitement.
The dulcet tones of the wedding march begin to play inside the chapel on a finely tuned piano. Brutus and Desmond, both dressed in nice tuxedos, soon swing the doors in front of me inward. They both manage to smile at me, even though their faces look about as swollen and bruised as Jered’s does. I don’t have much time to ponder the state of their physical well-being because my attention becomes wholly riveted by the man standing before God waiting to make me his wife.
My lips stretch into a smile so wide my cheeks begin to hurt but in a good way. It’s not only because I’m overjoyed to see the man I love again. It’s also because he kept his promise to me about wearing his formal Watcher outfit one day. He simply chose our wedding day to keep his word. The black feather cloak hangs from his shoulders like it’s a ceremonial robe made for a king. His chest is bare and his black leather pants are tightly fitting all the way down to his matching boots.
Malcolm’s hands are resting on the shoulders of our son who is standing in front of him dressed handsomely in a black tuxedo. Lucas' little face beams with joy when he sees me, and I faintly wonder why he's there with his father. I notice that he's holding a single white rose with both his little hands around its stem.
When I look back at Malcolm, I know the perfect brilliance of his smile has to be a match to my own. My heart skips a beat not only from the happiness I see on his face, but also because of the love I see in his eyes. It’s a love that’s only for me, and I silently promise to cherish the gift of him for the rest of my life.
Jered slowly begins to walk me down the aisle. His stride is even and steady, as it should be for such a momentous processional. Unfortunately, it’s just not fast enough for me. I pick up my pace, which makes him have to pick his up too or be left behind. There are a few chuckles from the few family and friends we have present, but I don’t care. All I can think about is getting to Malcolm as quickly as possible and walking slow is just wasting time better spent.
Malcolm’s smile grows broader as he watches me race down the aisle towards him. Once I'm standing in front of him he winks at me and whispers, “What took you so long?”
I giggle and roll my eyes at him. Our son soon captures my attention as he lifts the single white rose he holds up to me. I kneel down on one knee before Lucas and accept his gift, tucking it in the middle of the roses in my bouquet.
“Lucas would like to say something to you before we begin,” Malcolm tells me, looking down at our little boy.
“What would you like to say to me, sweetie?” I ask.
Without saying anything, Lucas instantly wraps his little arms around my neck and hugs me tight. I wrap my free arm around him and close my eyes because I’ve never felt so much love in one place before. It's not only the love of my son and Malcolm that brings tears to my eyes. It’s also the love of our family and friends in attendance that makes me feel a happiness not many people get to experience in their lives.
Lucas pulls back from me and takes in a deep breath before speaking.
“I know my dad is gonna promise you a bunch of stuff in a minute,” he tells me. “And I wanted to make a promise to you too. I promise to be a son you can be proud of. I promise I'll always eat my vegetables, keep my room clean, take a bath every night, and never argue with you about anything. I promise I'll always protect you and the babies, and I promise I’ll never give you a reason to regret becoming my mommy.”
I pull my little man back into my arms and hug him so tightly he doesn't have any doubts about my feelings for him.
“I love you, Lucas,” I tell him.
“I love you too, Mommy,” he says back, hugging me as tightly as he can before letting me go.
Malcolm ruffles Lucas’ hair. “Ok, my turn. Why don’t you go take your seat?”
Lucas holds his hands out.
“I can hold those for you,” he says, looking at my bouquet.
I hand him my flowers, and he walks over to take his seat on the front pew by Millie.
Malcolm holds his hands out to me, and I place mine into his as we stand before God and all our family and friends.
“Today is a special day in the lives of Anna and Malcolm,” God says as I keep my gaze solely fixed on Malcolm. “Who gives this woman to this man so that they may be wed before me?”
“We all do,” I hear everyone in attendance say, which makes me smile. I love knowing that those closest to us recognize Malcolm and I are meant to be together.
“The meeting of two souls,” God says, “and the sharing of one heart between two people is a sacred event. It is not something that should be entered into with any reservations. The commitment you make to one another tonight is a holy and eternal one. Do the two of you come to me this evening with open hearts and a firm desire to be united as husband and wife?”
“Yes,” Malcolm and I say in unison, neither of us doubting that we are meant to be of one mind, heart, and soul.
“Malcolm, please make your sacred vow
s to Anna and know that what you say is an everlasting promise to her.”
Malcolm looks into my eyes with a seriousness that he doesn't display very often, and I know he is choosing his words to me carefully.
“Anna,” he begins, squeezing my hands ever so gently, “you are my one true love. I gave up on ever finding happiness like this a long time ago. I never could have dreamt that I would be given the chance to experience a love like ours with a woman like you. I'm sorry for the way I treated you in the beginning and find it a miracle that you still accepted my love even after everything I did to push you away. I didn't deserve your forgiveness for being such a dolt.”
I hear someone cough, “Amen.”
I know who it was without even looking. It was Jered. He witnessed first-hand Malcolm's efforts to push me away when we first met. It's something Jered will probably never let Malcolm forget.
Malcolm chooses to ignore Jered's agreement and continue his vows to me.
“I've been thankful every day afterwards that you love me enough to accept me even with all my flaws. During our life together, I'm sure there will be days when I do things you disagree with, but I hope you'll always know that I only do them because my love for you is all consuming. I will do everything within my power to protect you and our family from forces we can and cannot see. I promise to give all of myself to you and to our children so that you will always know and never doubt how much you're loved by me. I will stay true to you physically and emotionally so that you never second-guess my commitment. You are my one and only love, Anna. I will strive to be the man you need in your life from this day forward on Earth and in Heaven. Death will never separate us because no matter where we are our souls will always find one another. I hide nothing of myself from you, and I hope you will continue to accept me as I am. I'm not a perfect man, simply one who loves you with every fiber of his being and will always stand by your side no matter what life throws at us. I will support you in any endeavor you attempt to undertake and help you succeed in all the goals you set for yourself and our family. I am yours, Anna, forever and always. Will you accept me, flaws and all, to be your husband?”
I nod my head. “Yes. With all my heart, Malcolm, yes.”
“Anna,” God says, “would you like to make your own vows to Malcolm as a declaration of your love for him?”
I nod my head again. “Yes, I would.”
I look deeply into Malcolm's eyes and squeeze his hands even more firmly than he squeezed mine.
“Malcolm, you know from the first moment I saw you that I loved you. I think that was the first night I truly knew what it meant to be alive. Just being near you gives me strength to want to make a better future not only for our family but also for the world we live in. There is nothing in my life that I would want to do without you by my side. You're not the only one in this relationship who has flaws. I'm stubborn and strong willed. I’m certain that we'll end up having fights about things, but I want you to know that I promise to always listen to your side of the argument. I won't dismiss your words of wisdom out of thoughtlessness or pride. I will always respect your opinions and take to heart your concerns. The life I see for us is a bright one, filled with endless possibilities and at least a dozen children.”
There are a few chuckles from our attentive audience at my promise.
“When I lived in Cirrus, I knew there would come a time in my life when I met the man who was made just for me to love. I have absolutely no doubts that you are that man. I'm so grateful that we found one another, but I don't believe our destinies would have allowed us to stay apart. We are meant to change the world for the better, Malcolm. I believe that with everything that I am. You are the caretaker of both my heart and my soul. Until I met you, I never realized half of me was missing, and now I can't imagine my life without you in it. I vow to you that I will never take your love for granted. I will cherish it in this life and in the next. Malcolm, will you accept me as your wife and love me for who I am?”
I expect a simple yes, but Malcolm pulls me against him instead and kisses me soundly on the lips in front of God and all our friends.
God clear his throat to regain our attention, but Malcolm doesn't let me go. If anything, he deepens the kiss.
“Well,” God says, sounding amused. “I suppose that's Malcolm's answer, everyone. Anna and Malcolm, may you stay strong in the love you have for one another during the times to come and always find refuge in each other’s arms when those times seem impossible. It is my great pleasure to now pronounce you man and wife.”
Our friends and family begin to clap their congratulations, but it's a distant sound inside my mind because my husband has captured my full attention.
As well he should...
Chapter 10
As Malcolm continues to kiss me, I know I'm experiencing the happiest moment of my life. At least, up until this point in our wedded bliss. I plan to experience many happy moments with my husband during our life together, and I promise to do my best to make each one happier than the last. But right now, I'm simply enjoying this one perfect moment in time and basking in the love of my husband.
Malcolm eventually pulls his lips away from mine to look into my eyes.
“I love you,” he whispers for only my ears.
I throw my arms around his neck and whisper back, “And I will always love you, Malcolm.”
He wraps his arms around me and hugs me close. I've always felt that Malcolm was meant for me, but in that moment, I feel he is truly mine and mine alone. Nothing will ever tear us apart, and I will keep true to the vows I made to him forever.
When we finally do pull away from each other, we face God together hand in hand.
“Thank you for coming here to do this for us,” I tell Him. “It wouldn't have felt real without you marrying us.”
“It was my pleasure,” He tells me, smiling proudly at us.
God's eyes narrow on me slightly. Just from that one look, I can tell He knows what happened in Hell. He knows about Helena, and He knows what she wants from me. Not that it comes as any great surprise that He would know. God is omnipotent after all.
“Always be truthful with one another,” He says, but His words sound more like a warning meant for me to hear. “Never keep secrets because they will always be found out in the end.”
I nod, letting Him know I understand what He's really saying.
“No secrets,” I promise.
“Am I missing half of the conversation here?” Malcolm asks looking between his father and me.
I look over at Malcolm and smile reassuringly. “I'll tell you everything later. I promise. It's nothing to worry about right now.”
“All right,” Malcolm says, not sounding exactly like he wants to wait that long for an explanation, but he recognizes now isn't the time for a serious talk.
“If you need me,” God says to us both, but seems to be giving me a meaningful look, “just pray for me to come and I will. Right now, I believe your family and friends would like to celebrate your union with you. Enjoy this night together because it will only happen once in your lifetimes. I love you both. Please remember that.”
God phases away.
I soon learn that Malcolm and the others spent the day not only decorating the chapel for the wedding, but also preparing a wedding feast for us to enjoy afterwards.
I almost feel guilty for not wanting to partake of the festivities they worked so diligently to provide for us that evening. All I really want to do is get my husband alone in either my bedroom or his. It doesn't matter to me which room it is as long as there’s a bed. And to make matters worse, Malcolm is extremely attentive with his touches and casual kisses all through the meal as we sit and eat with our friends and family. To take my mind off the hand he has resting possessively on my thigh, I decide to talk to Gladson and Barlow about our little project of rebellion within the cloud cities.
“How is the video coming along?” I ask them, trying to ignore the way Malcolm's hand is gliding u
p and down my thigh underneath the table.
“It's almost ready to broadcast,” Gladson tells me. “Barlow's brother was able to hack the satellites we needed to get the footage you wanted us to gather. Plus, he can use them to transmit the video when the time is right.”
“So,” Jered says, “this footage is of the conditions the down-worlders work and live in, correct?”
“Yes,” I tell him. “It's just as we discussed after that attempted ambush by Levi's men when we left Celeste's house. Gladson used his contacts to make sure we knew what needed to be shown from each cloud city's down-world. Hopefully, it’ll wake some people up and make them force their leaders to change things.”
“Don’t get your hopes up too high,” Barlow says to me, looking dubious about the plan. “People in the cloud cities might not care as much as you think they will. When you’re not made to see the conditions those less fortunate than you live in every day, you forget about them. It's the out of sight out of mind syndrome. Not everyone has a sense of morality like you do either, Anna. A lot of them will continue to think that as long as the poverty they see doesn’t affect them personally, why should they care? It’s the way the world has been for a very long time. I’m not sure a video is going to make those people change their nature.”
“I understand that,” I tell Barlow. “But at least it will get them talking. People like us will have to force change to happen. You at least need to make people aware of things first. This is only a first step, not a solution. It’s going to take a lot of patience and time to alter the way things are done. I’m willing to dedicate my life to this endeavor. Are you?”
Barlow grins at me. “You know I would follow you anywhere, Anna. I believe in you, and I believe in what you’re trying to do for not only our down-world but all of the down-worlds. As long as you don’t give up, neither will my people or me. We will do whatever it is you ask of us.”
“And so will my faction,” Gladson tells me. “The number of people joining our little rebellion continues to grow every day. People in some of the other cloud cities who want to become a part of the movement have even contacted me. Moreover, I agree with Anna. A revolution won’t occur overnight. There are many complacent people in the world. But, change has to begin somewhere, and I think we’re making a good start.”
