Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 74324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
My God, she looked beautiful.
So fuckin’ beautiful my heart hurt.
The feeling in my chest started to spread and soon nothing else existed but her.
God, she was something.
Her frown didn’t even make me wary.
The beautiful smile she gave me when she got mid-way to me and could see my complete outfit made me happy, though.
She knew me.
And she didn’t care that I only wore half of what she’d asked me to.
I had the white button down shirt. The dress shoes. But my jeans and cut finished the ensemble.
It was me, and I liked that she liked it.
But she frowned when she was two rows away from me and started to look around in confusion.
Then her eyes lit on Vitaly, my son—our son—and she smiled.
She patted her father on the arm to get his attention, then broke off from her father’s hold and walked to Nonnie who was holding Vitaly securely in her arms.
Nonnie gave Annie a glare when Annie gestured for the baby, but nonetheless handed him over.
I smiled widely as she snuggled Vitaly into her arms, propping him up on her chest, then walked back to her father.
I smiled even further when, once she got to me and I took her hand from her father, she handed Vitaly to me.
I loved my son.
He was my perfect mini-me.
And I loved that Annie loved Vitaly like he was her own.
I knew that he’d never feel unloved, because Vitaly was still just as much a part of Annie even if he wasn’t of her flesh. She loved him with her whole heart, and I would forever be grateful.
Annie had dressed Vitaly in the smallest little tux I’d ever seen.
Hell, I didn’t even realize they were made that small.
But, somehow, Annie was able to pull it off in the two-week time limit I’d given her for our wedding.
Her mom, sister, and my mom had accomplished a lot, in fact.
And done a damn fine job of it.
“You ready?” The minister asked.
Annie smiled.
“Almost,” she said, hurrying back to Nonnie.
There, she grabbed the burp rag that my son had started requiring since he’d started eating more, and placed it over my shoulder.
I rolled my eyes and repositioned Vitaly in my arms.
We’d found that the best way to situate him was up so he didn’t lose his previous bottle.
See, he had acid reflux, and it enabled him to projectile vomit about six feet in front of him.
So we tried to circumvent it before it happened.
And what better way to commemorate the wedding than to have him vomit like that, and every single camera in the room catching it.
Thankfully, I didn’t have anyone behind me, because that’s what he did in the next moment.
Swear to Christ, it never ceased to amaze me at how well he could aim it.
“Shit,” Annie said, watching in horror as Vitaly finally laid his head back down once he was done, almost like a sleepy little drunk who didn’t have a care in the world.
The crowd was stunned silent, and I couldn’t help the small laugh that leaked out of me at their amazement.
“See, I told you!” I pointed at Casten.
Casten held his hands up. “I was wrong. You were right. It is impressive.”
“I hope you got that on camera,” my father said, I guessed, to the camera chick that Annie had hired to take photos of us, since I didn’t bother to turn around.
I wasn’t mad at him anymore.
I knew he was just doing what he thought was best. However, I would never be raising Vitaly like that.
He would know what love was, and I would prove it to him by showing his mother every day that I was graced to have her.
“If you’ll both turn to face each other, we’ll start the vows,” the priest said.
When I faced Annie once again, I studied her.
She had her heart in her eyes, as she always did.
And she looked so beautiful.
“You look beautiful,” I said, interrupting the priest.
Annie smiled.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
“Annie, do you take Vitaly to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward?”
“I do,” she responded firmly.
I wanted to laugh at how sure she sounded.
“And do you, Vitaly…”
“I do.”
The crowd laughed.
But I didn’t need him to say that stuff.
I knew it like I knew I’d draw my next breath.
I’d give anything and everything to have Annie forever at my side.
And she knew it.
“Well,” the priest said, sounding flustered. “Who has the rings?”
“Oh, that’s me!” Tasha said, jumping up and fishing down her cleavage for the rings.
“Really?” Annie asked her.
“It was the only place I had. Do you see any pockets in this bitch?” Tasha asked.
Annie closed her eyes, and I laughed.
“Eww, they’re warm,” Annie groaned, passing hers over to me.
I took it, and slipped it on Annie’s finger without waiting for the priest’s approval.
“You’re mine,” I told her.
She grinned, then followed suit, placing the ring on my finger.