12 months later
It was the most awkward wedding of the century. But I looked like a sexy little goddess if I did say so myself. I wore a royal blue glittery bustier with a long white tulle princess skirt over it and I shunned the veil for a tiny blue and silver tiara. Matthias was resplendent in a tux.
My mother showed up wearing a simple blush skirt and a black turtleneck, her legs looking a mile long in a pair of black stilettos. I needed her to show me how to do that. Anytime I wore heels I still looked short. But today I'd shunned shoes much to the embarrassment of Kaylan and to the delight of my father.
I still couldn’t believe Kaylan was here, but I did my best to ignore it. Something was up with my parents. I could feel it in my bones.
Matthias’ parents were here. Our first meeting had been awkward and stilted, but after I spilled soup down my top at dinner, they both snort laughed so hard they spit out their drinks. We ended up being fast friends. His mother winked at me as I walked down the aisle littered with peonies and pale white roses. Matthias stood at the front of the arbor, his face a mix of trepidation and joy.
His eyes lit up when he saw me, but immediately darkened with a look I knew all too well. The blush started at my toes and crept all the way up to hairline much to the amusement of him and all of our guests. Whispered chuckles broke out in the audience and one of Matthias’ more rowdy friends yelled out, “You owe us another hour at least, randy boy!”
My blush deepened even further when Matthis growled, "Forty-five minutes or one of you unfortunate bastards might walk in on a surprise in the guest bathroom."
Loud laughter broke out. “Matthias,” I hissed. “This is our wedding.”
He pulled me close and winked at our minister who cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I know that. I also know I want everyone else to know exactly how well our wedding night is going to go.”
He was still, all these months later, completely incorrigible. But I was madly, head over heels for him. As the vampire minister droned on about love and fidelity, Matthias stared at me with an intensity that made me fidget and drop my bouquet several times. When he finally pronounced us husband and wife, I blurted out, "Oh thank the gods," and laid a steamy kiss right on him. He responded very enthusiastically and we had to be pulled apart by our family and friends.
“Later,” he growled to me as his best man dragged him to the reception area.
“Promise?”
His gaze promised even more.
“Nailed it,” I whispered as I let my mother lead me back to my dressing room to change into something I could dance in.
Two hours later, my feet were killing me and I was so hungry I could eat a wildebeest. I excused myself and headed down the hall to the restrooms closest to my dressing room. These were less populated than the ones closer to the reception area, so I stepped in hoping to get away from all the well-wishers. Not that there was anything wrong with people wishing Matthias and me the happiest of marriages, but there was only so much people contact I could stomach in a day.
The sound of whispered voices, giggling and bumping made me pause. I stood stock still with my hand still on the door to keep it from whooshing shut. I should leave. I should totally leave.
The words “I’ve missed you so much, Portia,” made my mouth drop open.
I knew who that voice belonged to. I stepped further in, taking great care to minimize the noise of the door. I stepped around the corner and crept into the shower area where the voices were coming from. My head was screaming Noooooo, but my heart was screaming Yesssssss as I saw two people locked in passionate embrace.
Portia Kadish, my newly-found mother, and Gaeleron Birch, my father. Who was supposed to be married. I blew out a slow breath and cleared my throat. Both stiffened and my mother looked around my father’s shoulder.
“Oh. Hello,” she said, her voice a hysterical lilt.
“Hi, Mom.”
My dad slowly turned around, still holding Portia in his arms. But instead of feeling guilty, one of his eyebrows rose.
“My divorce was finalized two weeks ago, Ava.”
I blinked.
“I was going to tell you, but your wedding didn’t seem like the most appropriate time.”
Portia was silent, watching me.
My throat worked. “This -” I said. “This is amazing.” I choked on a sob.
Portia broke away from my father and started to reach for me, but I waved her away. “No, no. Carry on. You guys have twenty-four years to catch up on.”
My father held his arms out to me.
"No. Ewww. Dad." I gave them both another once over, nodded, and left them to finish their make-out session.
As soon as I was out of the bathroom, I leaned against the wall and exhaled heavily. Holy. Crap.
I wasn’t sure how I felt. Part of me was ecstatic. Part of me was sad because I wasted two decades of my life reaching for love from Kaylan that had never been there. The other part felt hopeful.
Matthias rounded the corner and smiled when he saw me. But his smile faded when he saw my expression.
“Ava?”
I’d just married the man of my dreams. And my real parents were making out in the bathroom.
Life was weird. Very, very weird.
But it was full of love. No matter how long it took.
I took several steps toward my husband, then broke into a full run, launching myself at Matthias.
This was home. No matter the winding path that brought us here.