Alessandra
Three months later…
Never in mylife have I been as happy as I am now. James and Mattheo sit across from me with a proposal on their mind. I know they have rings in their pockets, but they’re too nervous to give them to me.
Knowing that they both love me very much fills me up with joy. It also cracks me up that they’re afraid to show me their rings. They might think that I’ll scrutinize each ring for the quality of the gems and workmanship of each ring.
This is my engagement ring, so it carries so much meaning. How could I be that picky and ignore what the ring means to each of us? A lifetime commitment and a promise to love and cherish each other for as long as we are alive, is far more important than craftsmanship.
“Come on guys, let me see them,” I say to clear the air.
James sheepishly pulls out his ring and gets up to take a knee. I signal with my hands for him to sit down. I motion to Mattheo to give me his ring. He understands what I’m trying to do, so he takes out his ring and places it in front of me.
“Thank you,” I say to both men.
I slowly open up each box and am happily surprised.
“This Delossantos ring is absolutely breathtaking,” I tell Mattheo.
“The color and the composition of this ring is perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
This leaves James with a worried look on his face. I let him sweat it out a little bit as I carefully put Mattheo’s ring back in the box.
“James, how did you know this was my favorite of the Kristof collection?”
“I just had a hunch,” James says with a shrug of his shoulders.
Then they both surprise me and take me up to the bandstand. They get everyone’s attention and then they both get down on one knee together.
I scream like a little girl as I accept, and they put the rings on my ring fingers. One for each hand. This is an incredible night.
Four months later, I’m in front of a justice of the peace waiting to marry Mattheo. This whole morning has been breathtaking. Mattheo took me on a walk through the Garden of Phoenix which is a scenic Japanese sanctuary on an island. It completely took my breath away.
We walk hand in hand.
“I will never hurt you like you were hurt as a child.”
“You can’t avoid death, Alexa.”
“Yes, but I can give you so many memories of joy so that you’ll find remembering me to be a good thing instead of a heartbreak.”
Mattheo kisses me and holds me in a five-minute hug. This makes our first moment of joy together right before our wedding. Then Mattheo and I go to a non-denominational church where the pastor has agreed to marry us.
As we say our vows, I feel for the first time in my life that I’m doing the right thing with the right person. This is an incredible experience for me, ending with a kiss that stops my heart.
Our friends and family cheer us on. There are many speeches that make me sentimental. There’s a cake with coconut topping and chocolate sauce on the side, just the way Mattheo likes it.
Early on, we decided to keep my marriage to James a secret. I protested that, but I appreciate the fact that James loves Mattheo and is sensitive to Mattheo’s possessive instincts.
For this wedding, we fly to New York where James’ mother and sister live. I’m surprised when he takes me to their penthouse apartment.
“I know you thought I’d plan something hot with a lot of sizzle but truly, I wanted my mother and sister- my only family- to see how happy I am.”
I hug James for a long time. I’m overwhelmed with love. I love his mother Aurora and his 16-year-old sister Robin very much. Nothing gives me more joy than to share this moment with them.
When we walk into the penthouse, there’s a gathering of ten people. James is surprised.