The Marilians

by Beth Worsdell

  There was a middle aisle, which we began to walk down, and on either side of the aisle were tables and chairs, beautifully decorated with shells of all shapes and colors. The shimmering light from the mother of pearl ceiling and walls had given the cavernous room a magical feel that made my heart race. As my eyes scanned down the room, I looked towards the far end just in time to see Nalik appear.

  Holly’s angel seemed nervous as he stood at the far end of the room, and my heart began to race even more. I touched James’ back to get his attention, indicating with a small side nod to where he should look. The moment he laid eyes on Nalik; a huge grin appeared on my husband’s face ‘What does that git know that I don’t?’ I thought.

  James looked back to me, looking very smug. ‘The shit.’ I didn’t have a clue what was going on, but it didn’t take long for Holly to notice her angel had arrived. Holly’s face lit up when she saw him, and Nalik smiled back nervously as his body began to glow. He looked at her with complete adoration as he lifted a hand to beckon her. The rest of us stopped in our tracks. Even the other angels in the room stopped what they were doing to watch Holly as she made her way to her angel.

  James took my hand in his, and he gave it a loving squeeze before stroking my hand with his thumb. I couldn’t take my eyes off our daughter as she made her way to Nalik. I could feel an excitement growing in the air and coming strongly from James. It suddenly dawned on me as to what was happening. Hope and pride began to build within me.

  When Holly reached Nalik, he was almost pulsating with light as his emotions grew stronger. He gently took Holly’s hands in his own, and then he knelt before her. Nalik quickly glanced at James, who gave him a quick encouraging nod before looking back to Holly. I could see the angel’s peacock eyes sparkling, even from where we stood.

  “Holly, I knew you were my own; my one; my other half, as soon as I saw you and felt your presence,” he told her confidently. “I cannot imagine my life without you. Will you marry me and be my one, my wife in the eyes of your people?” He asked with hope in his words.

  I believe that if Holly could have glowed like her angel, she would have done. She looked at Nalik as if he were her whole world, and my heart filled with happiness.

  “Yes,” Holly told Nalik with the confidence of a grown woman.

  Chapter 16

  Holly’s face was a picture of love and adoration for her angel. She reached out a hand, and she softly cupped Nalik’s face as he started to rise from the floor. The look of pure adoration was clear to see in Holly’s and Nalik’s eyes. We could all see that she loved the angel as much as he loved her. Nalik continued to glow as Holly touched his face; he was clearly mesmerized by her.

  “I will marry you, Nalik because I love you, more than I thought I could ever love someone,” she told him with conviction.”

  Nalik’s glow brightened even more.

  “I do not want to wait, Holly. Will you marry me here, now?” He asked hopefully.

  Holly looked from Nalik to James and me. Under normal circumstances, I’m sure I would have been in shock at the thought of our eldest daughter even considering rushing into marriage with someone so quickly. However, nothing was normal anymore, and I was just grateful that our daughter had found happiness and her soul mate.

  I turned to look at James, and he was grinning at Holly and Nalik as if he’d just won the lottery. When I looked back to Holly, I had a matching grin, and my heart was full of love for her. Holly grinned back at us and turned to Nalik.

  “Let’s do it!” She declared.

  Instantly, the excitement in the room escalated, and the angels that had stopped moving began to move into overdrive. As we started to walk towards Holly and our future son in law, angels were disappearing and reappearing all around us. Some of the angels reappeared with food or drinks, placing it on the nearest tables while other angels were appearing with our friends.

  I had to assume that the angels were telling our friends what was going on because they were arriving with smiles on their faces. The happiness that was filling the room was contagious. When we got to Holly, she was smiling from ear to ear. I gave her a responding smile.

  “Would you like to change for your wedding?” I asked her warmly.

  Holly looked at me as if I’d just offered her the biggest box of her favorite chocolates.

  “Hulaz and I can take you and Holly back to your room, so Holly may get ready,” Christik said with a smile.

  The angels seemed just as excited about the wedding as we all were.

  “That would be brilliant, thank you, Christik,” I told her.

  Without another word, Christik and Hulaz stepped towards me and my daughter.

  “We’ll see you in a few minutes,” I told James and the kids, just before vanishing from the room.

  By our next breath, Holly and I were standing outside our rooms with the angels, and both of us were shivering.

  “Let’s do this,” I told Holly with a chattering smile.

  “We will come back for you shortly as there is something Hulaz and I need to do,” Christik said.

  Before we had a chance to reply, the two angels flitted, leaving Holly and I standing looking curiously at each other.

  “Shall we?” I asked, waving an arm toward the entrance.

  Holly walked into our room with purpose, and I could tell that she was absolutely confident that she was making the right decision.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower first,” Holly stated before walking towards the kids’ room and bathroom.

  Ten minutes or so later, Holly walked back into the room, and she was wearing a beautiful pale lilac dress with her dark hair flowing to the side and down her shoulder in a loose braid. She looked so happy that she was almost glowing like her boyfriend. There was a tap at our archway entrance, making both of us turn.

  “Come in,” I called.

  Christik and Hulaz glided into the room, and this time, their arms were full.

  “We thought you may appreciate a little human tradition,” Christik said kindly with a knowing look.

  She held up a stunning white silk dress, which was delicately adorned with small pearls and tiny colored shells, it was gorgeous. When Hulaz held out her full hands; we realized that she held a gold and silver entwined tiara, which also had pearls and shells on it. Holly and I were both in awe.

  “Christik, Hulaz, they are so beautiful!” Holly told them while beaming.

  “They are very beautiful. Thank you so much, both of you,” I told the angels as I started to feel quite choked up. ‘Fricking hormones,’ I thought to myself.

  “I’m feeling quite emotional myself,” Christik said quietly to me, with another one of her knowing looks.

  “Let us get our beautiful bride ready, shall we,” Christik said as she verbally put on her big girl panties.

  Moments later, the angels and I were stood looking at Holly in her bridal wear, all trying not to get too emotional. Holly looked a vision in white, and with the pearls and tiny shells, she looked perfect for a wedding in an underwater city.

  “I wish I could see myself,” Holly told us with a touch of sadness to her voice.

  My heart sank because I remembered what I was like on my wedding day to her dad. I’d stood in front of my own mirror and memorized how I looked in my dress, and I wanted the same for my daughter.

  “You can, Holly,” Christik said.

  Christik moved forward, and she raised her right hand with her palm facing towards Holly. Her hand started to glow as she began to make circular motions, and a small silvery disc started to appear. Christik kept making the circular motion with her hand; her circles getting larger as the disc grew in front of Holly. My daughter's eyes widened as she started to see her reflection in the silvery disc.

  Within moments, the moving disc was as tall as Christik and as wide as the three of us. Holly looked at herself with astonished eyes.

  “I don’t look like a young girl anymore,” she said softly.


  “No, you don’t, darling. You look like the beautiful woman you’ve grown up to be,” I told her.

  “Nalik is a very lucky angel,” Hulaz said with a smile.

  “Yes, he is,” Christik and I chorused, making Holly laugh.

  “Are you ready?” I asked Holly.

  Holly nodded her head and walked to me as Christik stilled her hand. The shimmering mirror disc instantly faded into nothing. We all made our way back to the corridor and once there, Christik and Hulaz placed their hands on our arms, flitting us back to the underwater city of Cubanaz.

  Luckily for us, the angels had the forethought to flit us to the corridor just outside the large building. Holly and I were shivering for a couple of minutes before it started to subside. It wouldn’t have been a good look for Holly if she’d been shivering with chattering teeth down the aisle. ‘James, we’re here in the corridor’ I told my husband through the com.

  ‘Ok, I’m coming baby,’ he replied excitedly.

  Moments later, James reached us in the corridor, and when he saw Holly, he stopped in his tracks.

  “Holly, you look amazing, that Nalik is one lucky angel,” he told her.

  Holly’s face began to blush.

  “Thanks, Dd. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we,” she said, “would you both walk with me?”

  James and I looked at each and back to our daughter. We nodded with pride on our faces.

  “Ok, I’m ready,” Holly said confidently with the most wonderful smile.

  Holly led the way into the cavernous room with James and me behind her, and the angels taking up the rear. The room looked amazing. The angels had really gone to town with their decorations, while Holly had been getting ready. Pale streams of material draped the backs of the chairs, and beautiful shell arrangements were center pieces for the tables. They’d even hung drapes of material around the sides of the room, where the stone met the new part of the building, fixing it into place with more decorative shells.

  The room was packed with people. Every table was full, and they were all smiling at Holly. It wasn’t until that very moment that I realized how many close relationships James and our kids had made while I’d been sleeping. It was reassuring to know that should the kids need help and support, it was there. Seeing so many smiling faces was very humbling. We were lucky to have so many attending Holly’s day, and I made a promise to myself that I would make an effort to get to know more people.

  I looked down the aisle, and Nalik was now standing at a gold and silver woven arch, decorated to match the rest of the room. He was glowing profusely, and he only had eyes for Holly. Holly walked forward, and as she reached the first two tables on either side of the aisle, the people sat there held out flowers to Holly, which she took with a surprised look and a warm smile. She carried on making her way to her angel, and every time she came to more tables, more friends gave her flowers.

  By the time Holly reached Nalik; she was holding a gorgeous bouquet of flowers of all possible colors. It was a wonderful gesture from all Holly’s friends, making them a true part of what was about to happen. Holly smiled brightly at Nalik as James and I sat in the empty seats Anthony, Harrison, April and Abigail had saved for us. Hulaz joined us too, taking the seat next to her other half, Harrik. Christik glided around the couple and placed herself on the other side of the beautiful arch. The whole room became quiet, and all of us watched Holly, Nalik and Christik with anticipation and excitement. James reached out and took my hand in his.

  Christik looked at Holly and Nalik with an affectionate smile.

  “To find your other half is a wonderful thing,” she said, “you were blessed to have found each other, Holly and Nalik. It is clear to see that you belong with each other and are two halves creating a whole. Holly, would you like to say something to your own, your one?” She asked our daughter.

  Holly’s smile grew even bigger as she looked into Nalik’s eyes, which were sparkling with love.

  “Nalik, I didn’t expect to find love or my other half, but I knew that I was drawn to you as soon as we met. I can honestly say that I can’t imagine my life without you and your love. You make me feel complete, and I love you more than I can express,” she told Nalik with her emotions shining through every word.

  “Nalik, would you like to say something to your own, your one?” Christik asked.

  Nalik moved forward, and he reached for Holly, laying his hands over Holly’s as she held her bouquet; his hands started to glow. A silky red ribbon appeared in his hands, and we watched as it wrapped around the stems of Holly’s bouquet. He held Holly’s gaze as his hands dimmed back to normal.

  “Holly, the moment I saw and felt your presence; I knew that we belonged together,” Nalik declared to Holly. “I knew that you were my other half and that I was in love with you the moment you looked at me. I am beyond grateful that you feel the same way. I will love you for all of my existence.”

  Holly looked at Nalik with tears of happiness trickling down her pink flushed cheeks. I could feel the strength of their love as I’m sure everyone else in the room could.

  “Holly, are you willing to be the other half of Nalik’s soul and being, as long as he lives?” Christik asked.

  Holly's eyes stayed transfixed on Nalik’s, not diverting once.

  “Yes, he is my own, my one,” Holly said with confidence.

  “Nalik, are you willing to be the other half of Holly’s soul and being, for as long as she lives?” Christik asked.

  Nalik’s glow began to pulse again as he stared deeply into Holly's eyes, and his hands softly stroked hers.

  “Yes, she is my own, my one,” Nalik said loudly and clearly as if he wanted to make sure that everyone heard him.

  Christik smiled at them both affectionately.

  “I pronounce that you are now one,” Christik declared as she held out both of her hands.

  Resting on each of her palms were two beautiful but simple rings, one slightly larger than the other, and both were made of mother of pearl, which glistened from Nalik’s glow. Nalik turned to Christik, taking the wedding ring she offered, and then he turned back to Holly. He took Holly’s left hand in his, sliding the delicate shell ring onto her left ring finger. Her resounding smile made it clear how happy she was. She reached out to take the other ring from Christik’s palm, giving Christik a smile that said, thank you. Holly took Nalik’s left hand, and she gently slid the ring onto his ring finger. His smile was as big as Holly’s, and my heart melted in my chest.

  “Holly and Nalik, you are paired,” Christik declared loudly, excitement in every word.

  Christik clapped her hands, and delicate flower petals began to rain from the ceiling as everyone in the room started to clap and cheer profusely, many of us standing. Nalik reached for Holly, and he took her into his arms, her arms immediately circling his waist, and when he lowered his face to hers to kiss her, she didn’t hesitate. When their lips met, Nalik’s glow was almost blinding.

  Holly and Nalik looked very bashful when they pulled away from each other, but they still broke out in huge happy smiles. Both of them looked from one face to another, returning smiles and congratulatory nods.

  “Let us celebrate!” Christik said over the claps, cheers and whistles.

  We couldn’t wait any longer. My family and I rushed forward, wrapping Holly and Nalik in our arms to hug them and tell them how happy we were for them. I knew I was being a typical gushing mother of the bride, but I couldn’t stop myself, and I didn’t really care. I was just so thrilled that our daughter was so happy.

  Holly and Nalik joined us at our table, and they were gracious as everyone took turns to come over and wish them all the best. So many people gave them gifts, but this wasn’t a traditional wedding. There weren’t any stores to buy from or a gift list to go by. Every single gift they received was made by the person who gave it, and they were all made with the person's heart and soul, making them even more special.

  The rest of the day and evening was spen
t eating, drinking, dancing and singing. Quite a number of people knew how to play instruments, and the angels had brought them for their owners. I hadn’t known until that night that some of the survivors had formed a band, and they were brilliant. We all danced to music from many different genres, the boys whizzed Abigail and April around the makeshift dance floor, James and I danced, and even Holly had Nalik dancing with her. Which he actually seemed to enjoy.

  By the end of the evening, everyone was having a great time, especially April. A lovely young lady had been gazing at April all night, and she’d finally plucked up the courage to come over and talk to our adopted daughter. It was amazing to see April thoroughly enjoying herself. As people started to leave, I realized how tired I was, and it wasn’t long before the kids were ready for their beds too. I leaned over to Holly, who was resting her feet from all the dancing and was watching Abigail dance with Nalik.

  “Holly, are you are Nalik staying at your cabin in the holding structure?” I asked her.

  “No, Nalik has a room on the main craft not far from your rooms,” she explained, “He wants me to be close to you guys.”

  “Ahh, Ok, we’re going to get the kids back, so we’ll see you tomorrow, darling,” I told her. “We’re so proud and happy for you.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Holly said as she rose from her seat, coming around the table to give me a hug, “Just think, Mom, our next celebration will probably be for this little one being born,” she smiled as she softly patted my baby bump.

  Tracey decided to stay and was going to go with Trudy for the night, so we left Holly and Nalik to enjoy the rest of their night. The kids were really tired, and I could barely keep my own eyes open. Harrik and Hulaz very kindly flitted us all back to our rooms before going back to their own. Anthony, Harrison, April and Abigail barely had enough energy left to hug us, before they all fell into their beds. They were already fast asleep less than ten minutes after arriving back. As I stood in the archway between our room and our kids, my heart filled with love as I looked upon their peaceful sleeping faces before closing our bedroom barrier.