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“Will you stop fussing with your dress? You look beautiful,” Marcus said as he looked over at his new wife.
Chelsea smoothed her skirt one more time before glancing at herself in the vanity mirror on the car’s visor. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. The past couple of days had flown by.
First there were the days before the wedding. A flurry of activity as friends and family prepared for a modest, yet classy, event held on the roof of Marcus’s publishing company. Then, there was the wedding itself. Hours of Maggie fussing over Chelsea’s hair and then make-up. The wedding itself went off without a hitch. It was beautiful and tears flowed freely. Thank heavens that Maggie insisted on a handkerchief for her ‘something old’.
The following two days were spent in bed at the nicest hotel in town. Marcus had booked the honeymoon suite and had champagne and Joe’s beignets waiting for them, along with chocolate covered strawberries. It was a romantic and sensual couple of days, but they were both worn out.
Then they boarded the plane for Greece. Another wedding was on its way. Marcus’s family couldn’t attend the one in New Orleans, but they insisted on one in Delphi. Chelsea had no idea what she was in for and Marcus found that highly amusing.
“What if they hate me?” she asked.
“They are not going to hate you. How can anyone hate you? You’re perfect,” Marcus said as he leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss.
“Are you kidding me? I am not perfect. No one is perfect. You are ridiculous,” she answered as she rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Yes, but you love me.”
“No, I married you for your money.”
Marcus knew it couldn’t be further from the truth. Chelsea didn’t care about money. She was very content with a book, a roof over her head, and her beignets and coffee every day. She didn’t need anything else. It was Marcus that needed the excitement of traveling and adventure. He just dragged her along for the ride now.
The car pulled up outside the courtyard of Marcus’s father’s house and stopped. Chelsea’s heart felt like it dropped into her stomach. It was really happening. She was going to meet her in-laws. She was terrified.
Marcus walked around and opened the door for her. Before she could even step out of the car, a shorter, darker version of Marcus appeared in the archway of courtyard. He was much older, but there was no frailty to this man. You could see the strength in his arms, chest and even the determination of his eyes. He spoke directly to Marcus in a thick Greek accent and Chelsea didn’t understand one word of it. Marcus was still looking at Chelsea and laughed, rolling his eyes.
“He said I took my own sweet time getting here. He thinks I’m late for everything,” he told her. “Chelsea, this is my father.”
Turning to his father as Chelsea finally stepped out of the car, Marcus introduced her to the man. The older man cuffed Marcus on the shoulder and nodded toward the house. He placed his hands-on Chelsea’s shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks, smiling broadly. Before they went inside, he turned to Marcus again. Nodding toward Chelsea, he laughed loudly and said something in Greek.
Chelsea glanced between the two men in confusion.
Marcus nodded and wrapped an arm around her tightly. “He says you are too good for me.”
As his father began to move into the house, Chelsea laid her head on Marcus’s shoulder. “I hate that I’m not going to understand anyone here.”
Marcus kissed the top of her head. “My father and mother are the only ones who don’t speak English. You’ll be fine. I’ll translate. You’ll love them and they’ll love you.”
Walking into the house, Chelsea was overwhelmed when she saw the extent of Marcus’s family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, his mother and father all stood staring at them. There must have been at least twenty-five people in the kitchen and the adjoining rooms. Chelsea felt a nervous tension begin to build inside of her. She was relieved when Ilena came up to her side and gripped her hand.
“I’m stealing your wife, Marcus. I’m going to introduce her to her other sisters,” she stated.
Ilena dragged Chelsea into one of the bedrooms. Two bright, young and cheery women hustled around the room as they focused on wedding details. A stunning dress hung in the corner.
“Chelsea, these are our baby sisters, Khloe and Damaris. Ladies, this is Chelsea. The woman who is actually putting up with Marcus.”
Chelsea couldn’t help but laugh at Ilena’s joke. Ilena was making her feel at ease with every passing moment.
“What do you think, Chelsea? Do you like your dress?” Khloe asked.
“Like it? I love it. Thank you so much.” Chelsea gushed.
“Ilena gave us an idea of your style and size. We’ve gotten everything ready. We’re going to be cooking all day tomorrow. This is the most excitement this town has seen in a long time.”
“Really, you don’t have to go through all of the trouble,” Chelsea said with a look of astonishment on her face.
Damaris laughed. “You’ve obviously never been to a Greek wedding. This is small.”
A knock on the door saved Chelsea from having to respond. Marcus stuck his head through the door. “Can I steal my wife?”
The girls all giggled at the fact that their big brother was indeed married before nodding and shooing her off with Marcus.
As soon as they were alone in the hallway, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him. He kissed her softly on the forehead and then on the mouth.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked quietly.
She placed her head in the crook of his neck and sighed. “I am now.”
“Were you before?”
“I’m fine. It’s just a lot to take in. You have a very large, very boisterous family,” she said with a laugh.
“I do. But they love you. Just like I do.”
***
Just as the sisters promised, the following day was spent with all the women in the kitchen, which left little room for the food. Somehow, though, they made it all flow like a perfect choreographed routine. Chelsea was in awe of how each woman knew exactly what she was preparing and how it should be done. She hoped that Marcus didn’t expect her to be able to cook as well as her Greek counterparts. She wouldn’t burn down the kitchen by any means; but pastries made with phyllo dough were not happening in their house any time soon.
Through the laughter and the taste-testing, Chelsea got to know her sisters-in-law and mother-in-law much better. They had a joyous day bonding over the delicacies of Greek cuisine. By mid-afternoon, Ilena was ready to grab Chelsea’s hand and lead her off to the bedroom to prep her for her second wedding. Chelsea was actually more nervous about this one than she was about her first one. Her whole new family would be watching this one, and it would be in Greek!
Chelsea slipped into the lingerie and dress that Ilena had purchased for her after her hair and makeup had been meticulously done. Ilena turned her around and laced up the back of the dress’s corset. Finally, Ilena uncovered the mirror and allowed Chelsea to look in it. Chelsea gasped. Who was this woman staring back at her in the mirror?
Chelsea had never felt as beautiful as she did today. With Ilena’s assistance, Chelsea had been transformed from the bookworm that she was into a Greek goddess. Her hair was flowing down in ringlets from the piles of curls on the top of her head. Her makeup was perfect and her lips, Marcus’s favorite feature, were highlighted in just the right kissable fashion. The earrings that Ilena had provided glistened in the sun that filtered through the bedroom window. Immediately, Chelsea began to tear up.
“Oh no you don’t,” Ilena said, handing her a handkerchief. “Marcus warned me about this. Said that you cried a million tears at your wedding in New Orleans.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just so beautiful. Thank you so much.”
Ilena hugged her tightly without ruining any of her handiwork. “Anything for my new sister,” she answered with a bright grin. “Now, let’s see what your groom looks like, shall we?”
Ilena and Chelsea stepped out into the doorway of the courtyard which Chelsea had originally arrived in. She didn’t even recognize it. It had been converted from a household courtyard into a wedding site overnight and she had missed it all. It was breathtaking. White flowers lined the walkway toward the altar and Marcus stood waiting for her.
His smile couldn’t have been brighter. You could see his love for his wife radiate off him.
Ilena nudged Chelsea. “You still have time to run.”
Chelsea chuckled softly. “We’re already married, remember?”
Ilena shrugged. “I tried. Ready to go?”
Chelsea smiled as she stared at her husband with love in her eyes. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
About the Author
As a child who moved frequently, Kitka made friends easily with the characters in books. She would read everything she could get her hands on from Shakespeare to Anne Rice to Johanna Lindsey to Judy Blume. She always dreamed of joining their ranks as an author.
Having written for decades, she has finally found the courage to start sharing her dark, often paranormal, romantic works with the rest of the world. Her wife puts up with her obsessively talking about her books and her two children encourage her all the way.
She currently lives in Wisconsin with her wife, two children, and their small zoo of animals.
You can find out more about Kitka Buchanan at the following links: