Page 170 of Shades of Loyalty
The music begins.
Not the cliché wedding march, thank God—Katya and Victoria would’ve told me I’m insane—but something soft. Classical with a bit of modern piano woven in. I can't focus on the notes, though. My heartbeat is louder.
It feels like my pulse is gonna rip through my skin any second. Fuck.
My hand clutches the bouquet of pink roses tighter. I’ve mentioned liking roses a while ago, and while I don’t have a favorite color—I like all of them—Daniel knew Mary’s favorite.
Of course he was gonna get me pink roses.
Shit.
The veil already feels like a storm cloud hanging off my head, heavy with nerves and emotion.
Why did we choose a summer wedding? It’s way too hot, I’m already starting to sweat, and it’s probably not even going to take a minute until I trip over either my dress or my vail and blame myself in front of his whole family and friends.
Fuck, mind, please stop racing. Stop thinking.
What do I do to make all this stop? More importantly, why am I out here alone? Isn’t someone supposed to walk me inside?
Keep your cool, Jennifer. You got this. You killed a man with a gun for fuck’s sake; you can do this as well.
Right. Right?
When I finally look up, my face full of panic… I see her.
My mom.
Mom? What is she doing here? Isn’t she—
She steps out from behind the open door, eyes wide and glassy with tears, and for a moment, I genuinely forget how to breathe.
“What—?” I gasp, blinking, because there’s no way. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Shecouldn’tbe here.
When I called her, telling her everything—okay, not everything—that happened, she mentioned being sorry. She mentioned not being able to come here.
She cried on the phone with me! Why is she here now? How is she here now? She has work, not enough money to fly here, what?
She walks toward me, that familiar soft smile on her face I haven’t seen for a long time now. God, it must have beenyears. Her arms open, and I let the bouquet fall against my dress just to hold her.
“You didn’t think you’d do this without me, did you?” she whispers.
I laugh, even though my throat tightens with a lump so sharp it hurts. “But how…?”
She just leans close to my ear and says, “He made it happen. Daniel.”
Andjust like that, the anxiety vanishes. It’s still there—buzzing under my skin—but I can breathe now. The dress doesn’t feel as tight as it felt before anymore.
I know I’m doing the right thing. Because Daniel knows what I need even when I don’t say it out loud.
Shit. I’ll never regret marrying this wonderful man.
He’s way too perfect to even exist. Is this a dream?
He does quiteanythingfor me, and I’ll make sure to do the same.
Just to show him how truly and deeply I really love him.
“Are you ready?” My mom whispers, linking her arm into mine. I nod, holding back my tears.
