Anastasia by A. Marie

Epilogue

ANASTASIA

It was definitely not a ‘woo’ experience. Being dressed in an all-white dress that looked so beautiful and elegant should’ve made me feel like a queen. I didn’t feel like a queen at all. My belly was swollen with a baby girl and I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

As I stared at myself in the full-length mirror, my hand rubbed my giant baby bump. There was a frown on my face as I looked at myself. I was marrying the man I loved with all of my heart, I was going to have a baby, and I should feel like the happiest person in the world—why was I so scared?

“Are you okay?” Orabella asked, coming into the room with Sarah.

“Yeah, I just…”

Suddenly, I began to cry. I tried my best to not mess up my makeup, but it was already too late. Everything was going to change after this, and I knew it.

“Sarah, can you go get her mom?” Orabella asked before walking over to me and bringing me into her embrace.

She held me tightly as she rubbed my back up and down.

“Don’t cry. If you want, I’ll go steal Vincenzo’s keys and we can make a run for it,” she said, her eyes widening.

I chuckled slightly before shaking my head and grabbing her arm.

“I want to marry him. I really, really do. I am so scared, but I don’t even know why!” I sobbed.

Orabella burst out laughing while I cried into her shoulder. I was being so serious, but she must’ve thought I was joking.

“Orabella, I’m being serious!” I cried harder.

“It’s just your pregnancy hormones. Don’t worry, I’ve had them.” She chuckled. I pushed her slightly, leaving her to laugh harder.

When the door opened, my mother and Orabella’s baby boy, Andrea, walked into the room. He looked so handsome in his little suit that it brought a smile onto my face. My mother came up to me and gave me a huge hug before kissing my cheek.

“Look at me, I know you’re nervous. I promise that when you walk down that aisle and you see Valentino standing there, everything will gracefully fall into the place. All of your worries will disappear. You’re my strong little baby, I know you can do this,” my mum said. I smiled at her before nodding my head and wrapping my arms around her once more.

Andrea began playing with my dress, leaving me to look down to see his arms stretched out wide for me. I pulled away from my mother before bending down to pick him up. I pecked his cheek, leaving a bit of lipstick on him. He giggled before wrapping his small arms around my neck.

“He likes you.” Orabella laughed.

I sat him down on the floor, leaving him to run off toward his mother. A smile made its way onto my face as I turned to look back at my own mum.

“Can you help me fix my makeup?” I laughed. She smiled at me before sitting me down on the chair directly in front of a mirror.

“I’ll go make sure everything is ready for you to come out. By the way, you look very beautiful,” Orabella stated before walking over to me and smiling at me through the mirror. I returned her smile and then watched as she left with Andrea chasing after her.

“I’ve only been married once and that was to Alexandria’s father.” She smiled at the memory before wiping away the mess of makeup underneath my eyes thanks to my crying. I didn’t say anything and just allowed her to continue talking. “I was crying too. Truthfully, you’re lucky. You have a very handsome man who really loves you, and he would do anything to keep you happy. I couldn’t say the same for the man I married. I should’ve realized he wasn’t for me when I walked down the aisle to see he was high as a kite. Then, he introduced me to drugs, and I found them to be the love of my life.”

I looked into her eyes and could see the heartbreak in them. My mother had a very hard life, and I was happy Alex made me promise to help her get to where she is now.

“I’m so proud of you, Mom,” I told her as she reapplied my mascara.

She choked back a sob, leaving me to open my eyes.

“No, honey, I’m so proud of you,” she said.

Standing up from the chair, I embraced her in a hug once more. All of our emotions escaped into the small embrace that sealed our mother-daughter bond. I loved her and she loved me. Now, there were no factors getting in the way.

After she finished my makeup, I stood in front of the full-length mirror to gawk at myself once more. I did look really pretty as a smile made its way onto my face.

“You look stunning.” My mother smiled behind her tears.

I smiled brightly at her. Thankfully, since I was pregnant, I got to walk down the aisle barefoot. The gown was long enough to do so seeing as no one could see my feet. It was a tight white dress that left a long trail of white silk cloth behind me. It was beautifully elegant.

“Hey, it’s time.” Orabella smiled.

I let out a long exhale before following her out the door. There was loud chatter happening on the other side of the huge double doors before the bridal music began to play. I couldn’t stop the nervous smile on my face as I turned to look at Orabella.

Then, Valerio walked up to me with his elbow ready for me to take.

“You’re walking me down the aisle?” I asked, the urge to cry was quick to take over my emotions once more. I’d always wondered who would walk me due to the absence of my father.

“Of course, I wouldn’t let my Barbie go all on her own.” He smiled. The flower girl stepped slowly down the aisle, followed by all of the groomsmen, who were paired with Orabella, along with Liliana and Janice. My bridesmaids smiled at me as they began to walk down the aisle. After just a few seconds, I knew it was going to be my turn.

“I’m happy for you, my little block of cheese,” Alex said like she was suddenly standing right beside me. “You look beautiful, you’re going to have a baby, and most of all, you’re marrying a man who loves you. You never needed me, you only needed to believe in yourself.”

I could feel my eyes blurring as I looked at my imaginative Alex. “You need to let me go. I have always loved you, my banana, but now you love yourself enough for the both of us.”

“Goodbye, Alex. I love you,” I whispered softly.

Valerio looked at me with a small smile just as the doors opened. My eyes were quick to look at Valentino, who seemed just as nervous as me. Valerio and I walked in slow strides toward the altar with my smile never leaving my face. As we were walking, my eyes were brimming with tears of joy.

We continued down the aisle until we finally made it to the altar, where Valerio kissed my cheek.

“Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?” the priest asked.

Valerio glanced at me before taking my right hand and placing it into Valentino’s.

“I do,” he answered.

I smiled at him once more, feeling so thankful to have met him. He then took my left hand and placed it in Valentino’s as well after I had passed my bouquet to my maid of honor—Orabella.

Valerio then turned and walked over to sit at the front, leaving me to gaze into the beautiful eyes of Valentino. He smiled at me and I happily returned it.

“You are so damn gorgeous,” he mouthed.

“Welcome, everyone. Valentino Romano and Anastasia Smith have chosen you, those special and important to them, to witness and celebrate the beginning of their life together. Today, as they join in marriage, they also create a new bond and new sense of family―one that will undoubtedly include all who are present here today,” the priest began.

My heart was thumping wildly in my chest and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to have sex with Valentino at that moment. Bloody pregnancy hormones.

“May you always need one another; not to fill an emptiness, but to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another; not out of lack, but to feel the warmth of their touch. May you embrace one another; not to encircle one another, but to give comfort. May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and always find love, in the pursuit of loving one another,” the priest stated. His words meant a lot more to me than I thought they would, it described our entire journey.

“You may begin your vows,” the priest told Valentino. He flashed his million-dollar smile before staring at me.

“I have never respected a woman as much as I have respected you. For a person who had to go through probably as many battles as I have, and still managed to become a woman our baby girl would admire, is hard to comprehend. I knew it from the day I saw you with that look in your eyes that said, ‘I’m not working to feed me, I’m working to feed everyone.’ I didn’t realize then that the woman I would quickly grow to love had to have that mentality of a warrior, who put others’ needs before her own. Even as I look into your beautiful blue eyes now, I still see that innocence you never let the world ruin. I thank you for practically pinching me until I got down on my knee to ask you to marry me―” He was cut off by the laughter of our guests. My eyes were blurring in tears as I chuckled at his words. “It’s exactly what I needed. I needed someone who would push me, and it was you. There is no other woman in the world that I could imagine spending the rest of my life with.”

“Anastasia,” the priest prompted.

I sniffled my tears before nodding my head.

“My life hasn’t been easy, and you know that. What made me fall in love was the moment I got to see the real you and realize there was more to you than what you let on. No matter how many times I told myself to leave, or no matter how many times you pushed me away—I always made my way right back. It was meant to be us from the beginning, and even though I hate the events that led up to me meeting you, I’m glad it happened. My life is better with you in it. You are my outlet, and I am yours. I’m happy to push you to better yourself just like I’m happy that you’re my guiding hand to lead me to greatness. The father of my child, the man of my heart—I love you. I love you so much, and that love will last forever.”

“Aw!” everyone gushed.

My cheeks tinted a light pink color.

Then, little Andrea wobbled up to the altar with the ring. As he walked up to us, he touched my bottom, leaving everyone to start laughing once more.

Valentino narrowed his eyes at him before grabbing the ring from his baby hands. Andrea smiled innocently at him before running back down and into his mother’s arms.

“I, Valentino, give you, Anastasia, this ring, as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you,” he said before sliding the ring onto my finger. I smiled at it happily, seeing the beautiful diamond shine in the light.

Then, I grabbed his ring from Orabella before presenting it to him. “I, Anastasia, give you, Valentino, this ring, as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.”

“And now, by the power vested in me by the State of New York, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride!”

Valentino hurriedly grabbed my ass and pulled me in for a kiss. Everyone quickly cheered as he kissed me harder. My hand wrapped around his neck, leaving him to deepen the kiss.

“Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Anastasia and Valentino Romano!” he exclaimed.

* * *

I changedfrom my wedding dress into a smaller gown. It was still tight, but it was less itchy than the wedding dress. My eyes traveled around to see everyone dancing and having the times of their lives. It was such a great sight to even see my mother, who was laughing and looking the happiest I had seen her in a long time.

Valentino walked up to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Come on, Mrs. Romano, I believe you owe me a dance.”

He turned me around, so my back faced him and rubbed my belly. I smiled and nodded my head before taking his hand.

“A private dance, Mr. Romano?” I asked, thinking about the time we first met. “I believe it’s going to cost you ten grand.”

“As long as you open your legs,” he whispered. Laughing, I grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the dance floor.

Happy. I was happy.