Page 78 of Raphael

After all, we had a wedding to prepare for tomorrow.

ChapterThirty-Four

SAILOR

Sunlight shone through the windows of my bedroom. Dust particles danced in the air like tiny flickers of silver and gold. Just like my dress.

“Oh my gosh,” Willow beamed. “The dress is gorgeous. Did you pick it?”

I shook my head while staring at my reflection. My makeup had been done and my hair had been pulled up in a fancy braided bun. A diamond tiara made me feel like a princess. A snow princess. A silver princess.

The wedding dress was a perfect mixture of white and silver, like freshly fallen snow. The thin straps had tiny diamond beads that matched the diamonds on the tiara. The bodice had the similar decor, hugging my torso while the sheer material of it flared down to the hardwood floor into a long flared train behind me.

It was simply beautiful. Breathtaking.

“It suits you perfectly,” Aurora chimed in as she tugged the last of my laces on my back. “You’re glowing.”

“I’m nervous,” I admitted.

“Well, if you want to run, I'll hijack the plane.” Royce’s voice came from behind me and I whirled around to find all three Ashford brothers here.

I smiled.

“You guys came?” I beamed.

“Of course,” Royce answered. “We’d never miss it.”

Gabriel came right behind them, looking handsome. “Oh my gosh,” I murmured softly. “You look so handsome, buddy.”

He adjusted his tie, and pulled each sleeve, the movement smooth. I had never seen Raphael make such a gesture but it reminded me of him.

“My suit matches Raphael’s. He said I look like him,” my son announced proudly. And he was right. He looked like Raphael.

“Do you have the rings?” I asked, smiling at his enthusiasm. Gabriel was the ring bearer and he took the responsibility seriously.

He pulled them out of his pocket. “All safe.”

My eyes traveled over the people in the room and realized this was the first time since we buried Anya that all of us stood in the same room. If only she was–

“Anya’s here with us,” Royce said, his voice low.

“Watching from heaven?” Gabriel asked.

I pulled him into a tight hug. “Yes, buddy. She’s always watching over us from heaven.”

“And from her mountain.”

I blinked, trying hard not to spill any tears. “Because she loves you so much,” I whispered.

“And you,” he added.

I nodded, unable to say anything. Emotions suffocated and my heart squeezed. But for the first time in forever, a promise of a better future was stronger than anything else.

* * *

“Do you Sailor Brooke McHale take Raphael Matteo Santos to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

A very long second passed. My heart raced. My chest rose and fell. I worried I’d pass out.