Nicole

Never in my wildest dreams I thought that I'd be getting married last minute, without any proper planning.

I've always dreamt about my happy ending and my fairytale wedding. Since I was thirteen I had this day all planned out in my head - roses would be the center pieces, "At Last" by Etta James was playing in the background while my husband and I danced together for the first time as husband and wife, my best friend Diane would be my maid of honor, my mother would cry and then I would too.

And somehow, unplanned and last minute, this wedding was everything I could ever dream of.

"Close your eyes." I did as Diane ordered, giving her the proper conditions for her to apply some eye shadow.

"How is it looking?"

"Amazing. Lucas is gonna die when he sees you."

I couldn't see her face with my eyes closed but based on her tone, I could practically hear the smile that graced her. I smiled too.

"I think I'm gonna die when I see him too. My nerves could kill me right now."

"That's normal, I guess... Just," She paused and I took the hint to open my eyes and look at her. "Enjoy today. This is all about you today."

I nodded in agreement with a smile that seemed to never leave my face.

After some finishing touches, and the permission to open my eyes again, I opened them and looked in the mirror in front of me, hung on the wall of Diane's room. I was getting ready in her place, since Lucas was getting ready in our brand new home, and we weren't seeing each other before the wedding.

After Christmas dinner last night, we said our goodbyes and agreed on going our separate ways for the last few hours before being a married couple.

"Did Lucas call yet?" I asked, eager to know if he'd kept his promise to call so we could talk for a little while before the wedding.

"No." I sighed as I heard the response of my best friend. "Why do you wanna talk with him though? Isn't that... kind of illegal before getting married?"

I made a face as I glared at her. "It's not illegal. It's just a choice some couples make and we decided not to make it for us. We're still not gonna see each other, don't worry. It's just to talk with each other."

"Why don't you call him?"

"Uh, I don't wanna interrupt him. They're also getting Sparkles and Lexi ready."

There was no doubt that we both wanted our dog to be a part of the ceremony, and after a short conversation last night, we decided that Sparkles was going to walk down the aisle with Lexi, as she was going to throw out some flowers. Sparkles' job was to carry the box with the wedding rings.

Ah, the wedding rings. That was probably the hardest part about this impromptu wedding, but, thanks to Henry and Sophie attending the wedding, they were also in charge of bringing the last wedding rings that Lucas had designed for Gems of The Heath. Lucas had told me, back when we first met, that he would really love it if he could design the wedding rings for his wedding, specially made for him and his bride. However, there was no time for that right now and the urge to marry me was bigger than his wish to design the rings, so we chose to use the ones he had designed, just not specially for us.

But, knowing Lucas like I do, I know those are just temporary and whenever he can, he's gonna design special wedding rings that are just for us.

I glanced down at my engagement ring and smiled to myself, overwhelmed at the whole journey Lucas and I had been through together. But I wouldn't want to go through it with no one else in the world.

Without warning, my phone started ringing and Diane left the room, flashing me a smile, and giving me the privacy I needed to speak to my future husband.

When she closed the door behind her, I slid my finger across the screen, swiping right to answer the call I was desperate to take.

"Hello?" I said in a whisper, unable to control the smile that crept on my face.

"Hey, you." I could hear the matching smile in his voice too.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. Excited." There was a small, silent pause. "Pretty nervous. You?"

I nervously fidgeted with the edge of the fluffy white robe before answering. "All of the above."

I felt a little bit more reassured that he was feeling the same, that I wasn't the only one feeling beyond excited and uneasy at the same time.

"God, we are really doing this. This is really happening today."

"I know." I said, agreeing with him. "I never thought our wedding would turn out to be like this, but I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Me neither."

I wanted to tell him everything that was going through my mind - how I couldn't wait to see him and to get married, how I couldn't wait until this was official and we were husband and wife, how I couldn't wait until we could get our life started, how I couldn't wait for our honeymoon that my parents so promptly and gladly offered us. But I didn't say any of that. I knew he was thinking the exact same thing.

"I love you so much, Lucas." This wasn't me talking, it was my heart. Purely my heart.

I've never had this happen to me before - being so overwhelmed with emotion and feeling, and being so in love that the heart does all the talking and your brain is simply blank. You just can't control the words coming out of your mouth, they simply come out and your heart feels a little lighter while still swelling with emotion.

I could tell by the silence on the other end of the phone that he wasn't expecting this statement from me, at least not right now, before we get married. Nonetheless, he had a response for me.

"I love you too, Nic. So much. You're the best thing that's happened to me."

I randomly looked in the mirror in front of me and noticed that lingering smile on my face, one I know only Lucas could provoke.

"I've never been so happy in my entire life. You've shown me so much. I am the luckiest person in the world for getting to marry you."

"Come on lovebirds, save something for the vows." Diane barged in the room, with her hand spread open, demanding my phone in her hand.

I said goodbye to Lucas quickly and as soon as I placed the device on her palm, she wrapped her fingers around it and put it in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Enough with the phone sex, you've got plently of time to have proper sex in a tropical island. Which is far more than I can say for myself."

We were going to Hawaii for two weeks, leaving tomorrow - December 27th - and arriving on January 10th, meaning we'd get to spend the New Year there, which was, in a very simple way to put, a dream. I couldn't wait to get there and enjoy some alone time with my husband.

"We weren't having phone sex." I explained to my best friend before rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, I know, you were probably having a sappy conversation with him. Ugh." She made a grunting noise and I couldn't help but laugh.

That's Diane for you.

"When will you get ready?" I asked, looking at her wearing a hoodie and jeans.

"After I'm done getting you ready."

She had finished working on my face and so she moved onto my hair, working on a simple french braid. Then she brightened my brown hair with pearly clips.

As she was just getting finished with my hair, I spotted my mom walking into the room from the corner of my eye, looking in the mirror. She looked beautiful, with a fuschia colored dress that brings out her eyes.

She approached the boudoir and I could slowly see her figure zooming in the mirror, meaning she was getting closer. She had some tears in her eyes, and she was fighting hard to keep them at bay.

"My baby... You look so beautiful."

"She's gonna look even more beautiful. I'm all done with the face and the hair. Next up is the wedding dress."

I will be one hundred years old and I will still be thanking Diane with all my heart for reserving the wedding dress of my dreams, and for making this day happen for me, exactly the way I've always dreamed of.

I got up from my seat and walked towards my mom, hugging her tightly as soon as I felt her arms wrap around me.

"Your dad will be switching with me in a few minutes. I just wanted to see you in your wedding dress before the ceremony."

My father was on the way back from Lucas now. I had Diane, my mom and Trevor on my side, and Lucas had Melanie and Lexi on his. Since his parents weren't coming and since Henry and Sophie were still on the way over from the airport, my father was gonna be with him for a while and then come back to be with my mom and me, so he could be by my side to walk me down the aisle.

"Alright. Well, take a seat anywhere you want while I go change."

My mom sat down on the chair where I was sitting while Diane was using this time to put away some of the things she used for my make up.

I closed the door behind me, and in the next room, I took off my robe and put on my wedding dress. I must have stared at myself in the mirror for a good ten or fifteen minutes.

I'm not gonna lie, I did look beautiful. And I felt beautiful too, which was all I wanted to feel on the day I was gonna tie the knot.

The dress was white - obviously! -, sleeveless, with a heart shaped neckline, and it hugged every curve of my body down to my waist, loosening a little from the waist down to my feet. I looked like everything I've always dreamed I'd look like and I could not be happier.

I turned the knob of the door and walked out of the changing room to the room where my two best friends were waiting for me.

The tears my mom was trying so hard not to let them fall, were no longer at bay as I saw them rolling down her cheeks.

"You look so beautiful, Nicole." That was all my mom managed to say before her breath got stuck in her throat.

"Oh my God, you look like a goddess." Diane said as she hugged me tightly. "I can't believe your day is finally here. I am so happy for you."

"I feel like I can't believe it either." I said softly, letting a small chuckle fall from my lips.

The time I spent in the room getting dressed and looking in the mirror was enough for Diane to strip down her clothes and put on her dress.

"You look gorgeous too, Diane! Trevor is gonna faint when he sees you!"

"That is the point." She said before leaning in and whispering in my ear. "Don't think you're gonna be the only one getting some tonight."

Diane was wearing a light blue long dress that matched her eyes, with a round cleavage, hugging her body in all the right places.

"Nicole, your mom and I talked and although you do look beautiful, you're still missing your something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue."

"I've got your something old and something borrowed covered" My mom said as she wiped her tears. She turned around and walked across the room to grab her handbag, where she pulled out a necklace from.

"This was your grandmother's. She gave it to me on my wedding day, and I want to give it to you now."

Now it was my time to get emotional. The fact that my mom's something borrowed on her wedding day is my something old was so special and the fact that it was the necklace that belonged to my grandmother and she was now passing it onto me on my wedding day was even more special. I could only see it as a good luck charm.

If Lucas and I have a marriage that's half as happy as my parents' then I consider myself beyond lucky and happy.

"Thank you so much, mom." I took a closer look at the necklace I'd seen my mom wear all the time but never paid much attention to it. It had a small tear shaped stone hanging on the thin, silver chain - it was simple, just like me.

"Wow, it is so beautiful." I whispered.

"It really is." Diane said in agreement. Without having to say anything to her, she got the hint as I looked at her and she helped me put it on.

I looked in the mirror one more time, now with the necklace on, and once again I was happy at the view before me.

"It's the perfect final touch." Diane said softly before our eyes crossed in the mirror.

"Now I still need something new and blue."

"I think you've got that covered on your end." Diane glanced at my baby bump and I understood what she meant.

She was right.

"So, we're all ready?"

"I guess." I said, not looking back.

This was it. This was my moment.

My mom left the room and all there was left to do was wait for my father to arrive so he'd walk me down the aisle, which didn't take too long.

The place where the wedding was taking place was beautiful. We didn't have a lot of options since this was a last minute wedding, but we still managed to find the perfect place for us - the backyard at my parents' house.

It was where Lucas and I said "I love you" to each other for the first time, and it was when our relationship changed for the better. It was a turning point for us. I'd never said that word before without truly knowing its meaning.

The logistics of this impromptu wedding were going to be seriously dramatic but it was the best we could do.

We needed someone to actually marry us and make this day our day, and Trevor was that guy. Trevor was going to officiate the wedding, having been ordained online in the past.

My father got to the room quickly, and with a few words he made me shed some tears, which obviously led to Diane telling me I should stop and that she'd fix my face on the way to the venue.

From San Francisco do Malibu it was no less than a six hour drive but somehow, my father managed to get us all there in four hours and thirty minutes.

As soon as the car stopped, on the driveway I knew so well, so did my heart.

"Are you ready for the first day of the rest of your life?" Diane asked in my ear in a whisper, with her infamous red lips curled up into a huge grin.

I nodded and that was their cue to leave the car and make their way to the backyard of the house, until it was just me and my dad.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before grabbing my bouquet and holding out my hand to meet my father's, after he opened my door.

I hooked my arm in his and together, we walked to the backyard I knew all my life and where I spent so many days and nights thinking and dreaming about what the future had in store for me.

Turns out, it was there all along.

As I stood at the beginning of the aisle, everyone turned to look at me. I noticed Henry and Sophie were there but that was it, I barely got to look at them all. My eyes went straight to the centre to find Lucas.

My London boy looked so handsome. He had a dark grey suit on that fitted him like a glove. My breath hitched in my throat as I took in the sight of him.

I don't know if it was the tie, the matching vest or the flower bud displayed on the lapel of his suit jacket, or even the pregnancy hormones, but God, I never wanted this man so badly.

I wanted him so bad I could just skip the whole wedding ceremony and take him away with me, and we'd do whatever our bodies wanted.

My ongoing fantasy didn't last long, since it got interrupted with my father's words, bringing me back to reality.

"Nicole?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

I was definitely ready.

This is what I deserve. 

 * * *

Author's Note: 

Hey loves! So sorry for the long overdue update but if know the reason. I'm just glad I'm done with all those projects and internships! 

Now, let's talk about THIS chapter... AHHH!! LOOK AT THEM!! MY BABIES!! What did you think? Let me know! 💘💘💘

Xoxo, Mars