Epilogue Part One- Aiyana

Thursday, August 22, 2024

" A lright, are you ready to see your favorite child?" Audrey, our wedding planner, asks.

"Of course I am! Now, can I turn around already?"

"Absolutely," she tells him. I'm standing, hidden behind a large tree as I watch. My dad turns, his warm brown eyes already shimmering with tears, but when he sees Kas standing in front of him, he releases a full-bellied laugh. My cheeks ache from smiling so much, my throat raw from laughter these last few days.

"You look beautiful, sweet girl," he tells Kas jokingly.

"He really is a pretty princess," Kat agrees.

Kas does a little twirl in his white wedding dress. It fits so snuggly over his suit that he couldn't zip it all the way.

He curtsies and takes my dad's hand in his, pressing a joking kiss to his knuckles before standing and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You ready to see our girl?" Kas asks my dad, his voice full of adoration.

"Absolutely!"

"Now get out of that cheap dress before we do this, or you'll ruin the pictures," Audrey tells them, her chin held high as she bosses these men around. I love her already.

My mother's petite hand grasps my bicep. Turning toward her, I see her standing before me in a cream-and-red, traditional garment made of cloth. Her dark eyes shine brightly as she smiles at me, her ruby-red lips upturned.

"I know this isn't a tradition we would normally take part in, but I wanted to give you something that would cover the old and borrowed," she tells me, referencing the good-luck tradition widely practiced in the States. Luckily, I'm wearing several new items, and my garter for later is blue, so I'm all set.

She presents a small golden broach, holding it up for me to see. "This was your grandmother's from your father's side. It's been passed down for many generations."

It's a small serpent with bright, golden amber eyes. "As you know, 'Kaan' means 'serpent,' so even though you may decide to take Kas's last name, I wanted you to have this piece of your family heritage on this special day."

Tears prick my eyes, my throat burning with the effort it takes to choke down the sob threatening to leave it. Grabbing hold of her, I clench her in my arms so tightly I think she might break, but she doesn't complain. Instead, she returns the gesture before pulling back and grasping the waistline of my cream-and-gold garment.

"You look so beautiful, baby. Thank you for wearing this today, even if just for the ceremony," she tells me, referencing the traditional Ani'-Yun'wiya' dress she made me herself, with lots of help from Kas. He's become exceptionally skilled at sewing and insisted he help.

"Thank you, Etsi . Can you pin it on for me?"

Bowing her head, she does just that, securing it to my waistline.

I pull her in for another hug, but before I release her, I whisper, "And I'm not changing my name; that's an archaic tradition." I chuckle. "Kas is hyphenating."

My mother's body shakes with laughter. "Of course he is." She smiles, rolling her eyes.

"Hey sweets, you ready to put these men out of their misery?" Audrey asks me, her brown skin glowing in the sun and her golden highlighter radiating her face.

"Eh, I guess," I joke at her vibrant smile.

"Turn the hell around, Kas! Did I say you could look?" she yells at him when he tries to peek.

"No, ma'am," he grumbles at her. She's been running the show for weeks now, and I'm obsessed. She's handling everything exactly how I'd want it without me actually having to do a single thing. I'm so damn thankful for Luca suggesting her to Kas because, frankly, I have zero desire to plan a wedding when I'm in the middle of finishing production on our accelerated vaccines.

Kat comes over, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Come on, gorgeous, let's go make those men cry."

She takes my hand in hers and leads me toward where my father and Kas are standing, facing the incredible mountain range in front of us. The same one Kas took me to before we went skydiving.

When we started thinking about venues, my dad suggested it, and when we got here, Kas realized it was the same place he'd brought me, just from a different entrance with a much better view.

The photographers are in position, ready to get video and photos from every angle. "You can turn around now," one of the photographers tells them.

The moment they're facing me, both of them are fighting back tears, grappling to embrace me. Kas playfully elbows my father as he grasps my upper arms firmly in his. "Kassian! You'd stoop so low as to beat up an old, sick man?"

"Stop being so dramatic! In case you've forgotten, you got a lung transplant six months ago, so while you're definitely old, you aren't sick," Kas jokes.

My father smiles broadly, turning back to face me. "You look gorgeous, uwetsiageyv . I'm so thankful to that family and so stricken for their loss, but their tragedy has allowed me the greatest gift. I get to walk my baby down the aisle and give her away to the most incredible man."

Tears burn my eyes. "No crying! It'll ruin your makeup," Audrey shouts from beside the photographer, easing the tension as we laugh at her abruptness.

He presses a kiss to either cheek before releasing me for Kas, who spares no time scooping me up into his arms, crushing me to his large frame. His lips graze the shell of my ear. "You look incredible, little viper. I can't wait to get you back to our room so I can worship my new wife," he whispers so low that, thankfully, no one else can hear. His words send warmth swimming through me, and those familiar butterflies flap around my stomach.

"You look pretty hot yourself," I whisper in reply as he sets me back on my feet. I take in his tall frame, his broad shoulders stretching the material of his black suit perfectly, tapering at the waist.

"You ready?" he asks me quietly, appraising me as if I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

"I've never been more ready," I answer honestly. Some people talk about cold feet and nerves before their wedding, but I've never been more certain of anything in my life. I can't wait to be Kassian Narvaez-Kaan's wife.