Chapter 1292 - The Ceremony (1)

Nearly all people present are focused on the ceremony and the bride and the groom who are framed with the arch adorned with white roses. 

Both Sarah and Aiden are wearing white, holding hands and gazing at each other lovingly with Mr. Price standing between them (when looking from the audience's perspective) who is talking about the importance of the step Sarah and Aiden are taking (aka the marriage).

JoAnna and Sophia smiled dotingly at the sight of Sarah who could not hide how much in love she is. Both of them remember how nervous Sarah was when she told them that the handsome classmate who is staying with them over Christmas due to the heavy snowfall is actually her boyfriend. 

JoAnna smiled while thinking about her first impressions of Sarah and Aiden as a couple. She remembers how she spotted them first dancing at the Christmas party organized by the Orion Enterprise, and her shock when she found out that Sarah and Aiden are intimate. The fact that they are moving so fast was difficult to digest. 

JoAnna's gaze moved to Jeff and her palm landed on her protruding belly and she smiled. If not for this fast-moving couple who is currently getting married, she would probably not be married to the most amazing man in the world. Only because Sarah and Aiden were a couple, Jeff was able to identify her as JoAnna Hill, a resident in Franciscan Medical Center and come in time to save her, like a knight a shining armor… and here they are, just over one year later, married and expecting not one baby but two! 

When Sophia realized who Aiden is and that he and Sarah are seriously dating, she was concerned that her baby sister is associating herself with a White because she knew that White corp. is not a completely clean business. Ah, if someone told her that SHE will be this closely entangled with the Whites, and not just with the White corp. but with the White Foundation as well, she would not warn Sarah about Aiden and the business of the White family, but she would warn herself. 

Sophia's gaze moved to Felix and she wonders, if not for Sarah and Aiden, would she be married to this dashing man with an irresistible French accent? When Sarah and Aiden came to New York, Felix was interested in Sophia, but Sophia's mind was romantically somewhere else (avoiding Mark). Sophia remembers that the things started picking up during that lunch when Felix misunderstood the occasion and showed up with flowers because he thought that it will be just the two of them… Sophia still remembers how embarrassed he was. But Sarah spoke with Felix for hours and they ended up in Sophia's apartment, and had dinner and after that Felix was much bolder in showing his intentions… and here they are… married with one precious baby girl and one boy on the way. 

Jeff showed one of his rare public smiles while watching his younger brother in the process of tying the knot. He is proud of Aiden. Jeff remembers that Aiden was unreliable, not only related to girls, but in terms of work and family and everything else. And when Sarah showed up, Aiden changed. Noticeably. Jeff approves of Aiden and Sarah as a couple. And the fact that Sarah and JoAnna are sisters, is only making their bond as a family stronger.

Jeff's gaze moved to the side and met JoAnna's. He does not know why she is looking at him with that gentle smile and eyes full of love, but he likes it.

Felix observed Sarah and Aiden and remembered that he met them in New York at the probably most embarrassing lunch in his life. But after that, things got better. Well, when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. Sarah and Aiden are both placing absolute trust in each other and it shows. Felix never saw a couple so devoted to one another. Felix vividly remembers the incident when one of his inventions ended up inside Sarah, administering dangerously high dose of drugs and causing internal bleeding. He feared that Aiden will blame him, that he will say how it's all his fault, but he did none of that. Aiden was frantically focused on Sarah and on getting her better, ignoring everything else. In a way, the two of them showed Felix what it means to be completely dedicated to your partner. 

Felix's gaze moved to the side and met Sophia's. She is looking at him with a smile which is reaching her eyes and involuntarily Felix's lips stretched into a smile, revealing two dimples, one on each cheek. 

Steve and Bridgette did their best to stay present and focus on the ceremony and what Mr. Price is saying, but it is hard… every few seconds their gazes met, and they smiled because both of them were thinking that soon it will be their turn.

Other than our group of eight which is standing with Mr. Price in the center, other guests are seated on white chairs with huge tea green satin bows at the backrests. The chairs are arranged in neat rows on the left and right side of the white carpet which is speckled with red and pink flower petals. 

Some of the guests are affected by the emotions which oozed from the loving couple who is getting married.

In the first row are the closest family members, starting with Elanor and Oscar, Stella and Edward. The four of them are looking at their kids and smiling, sharing their happiness and definitely approving this union.

Elanor and Oscar know how Sarah affected Aiden's life, and they are elated to see them finally tie the knot.

Stella and Edward can see how much in love Sarah and Aiden are, and they also believe that Aiden is a great young man who can stand by Sarah's side and support her with all the troubles she is facing due to her ancestry.

Also present in the first row are James and Mary (Edward's parents), Richard (Elanor's father), Barbara and Donald (Oscar's parents), Owen and Lia (held by her nanny).

James' happiness is a bit muddled because Mary asked five times already who is the young man holding Sarah's hands, and three times who is the one with JoAnna. James is not sure if Mary is not asking about Felix because she remembers him or because she does not recognize Sophia. Luckily, Barbara and Donald are patiently answering all the question Mary has, and they are not offended that Mary is unable to remember their grandsons.

Richard is looking at Sarah and his eyes are stirring with emotions. To be precise, he is looking at the necklace around Sarah's neck and remembering his late wife. He glanced up at the sky and smiled, knowing that Deborah is watching all this from Heaven and smiling back at the scene unfolding on this meadow nestled in the Swiss Alps.

Owen is happy that he is seated next to Stella. She told him that even though he is not a real Uncle to her daughters, he is the only Uncle they acknowledge. Owen knows Sarah since she was born, and he would not miss this for anything in the world. As a bonus for attending this ceremony, he got to meet Lia as her grand-Uncle!

In the fourth row on the right, Mike held Tiffany's hand in his and gently caressed the back of her palm. She glanced at him and met his soft smile directed at her. She wondered, is he thinking about them marrying? It's too soon! But then… everything with Mike is like a whirlwind. Starting from that immediate wild attraction in the kitchen in the middle of the night, and then the next day in the guest bedroom of Charlie's villa, and many more nights (and days), and now they are living together! Mike is unafraid to express openly the volume of his emotions (which usually ends up with them making love) and Tiffany does not mind… she does not mind it at all. Tiffany forced herself to look to the front and focus on the ceremony. Mike smiled when he saw that Tiffany blushed.

Lucija and Petar are seated in the seventh row on the right. They are holding hands and glancing at each other while smiling. Petar didn't propose to Lucija, but he feels that it's about time, and her smile right now is telling him that she will say 'yes'. Probably. He believes that this move to Romania to work at Ceresc Solutions is coming at the right time.

In the third row on the left, Emma is leaning sideways on Charlie and his arm rests on the backrest of her chair. 

"When are we going to do this?", Charlie whispered close to Emma's ear.

Emma understood that he is asking when are they going to get married. She smiled and glanced at Charlie. "Pick a date and let me know. I don't need more than a week heads-up."

Charlie's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He hummed in approval and rubbed her shoulder gently.

Of course, not everyone was in the romantic forever-after mood.

Next to Lucija and Petar is Marija. Her eyes wondered over the guests. Since she arrived here, she is observing people and most of them are either too young, or too old, or couples who stick closely to each other. 

Aiden is super-dashing, but Marija told herself not to look his way. After all, this is their wedding and she needs to show respect toward Sarah.

Her sight landed on Jesse. He is sitting three rows in front of Marija, a little on the left. Marija saw that Oni is next to Jesse and that Jesse is leaning toward Oni, probably telling her something. Marija smiled. It does not matter if Oni is here or not, Jesse's presence means that this event has a potential to be a fun one.

In the sixth row on the left, Pam is enjoying the ceremony without noticing uneasiness in Leah. 

Leah is staring through Sarah and Aiden and doing her best to stay focused that way, while she can practically feel the heat of Isabella's gaze at the back of her head. 

Few days ago, Sophia told Leah that Isabella will be at the ceremony, and Leah said how that is fine, but now that the event is in progress, Leah confirmed that it is not fine. Since they arrived at this meadow, Leah did her best to keep busy with preparations and on one occasion she saw Isabella approaching her, but Leah turned the other way and walked in hurried steps, avoiding Isabella successfully. 

Now they are seated, and Leah feels discomfort even though she knows that Isabella can't reach her. Ah, the afterparty will be challenging.

Leah hopes that Pam will not get the wrong idea. Leah does not have any desire to get back with Isabella. Leah does not want to return in that hell. Leah is aware that Isabella came with +1, and Leah recognizes him as Brandon Craig: one of numerous suitors Isabella's father was setting her up with. Well, it seems that Brandon is the lucky one. 

Leah knows that she will not return to Isabella no matter what happens but being apathetic toward almost one year the two of them spent together is nearly impossible. After all, Isabella was the dominant one in that relationship. 

Leah closed her eyes before taking a deep breath and telling herself to keep it together because she does not want to hurt Pam by causing a misunderstanding. 

Leah reached and held Pam's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Pam glanced at Leah and smiled. Luckily, Pam directed her gaze swiftly toward the bride and the groom and didn't notice Leah's emotional turmoil.

In the seventh row on the left, Mrs. Ronin and Jarred are seated next to each other. She glanced at Jarred whose gaze was fixed on her, and she lifted her eyebrows questionably.

Jarred smiled and answered her silent question: "I was wondering how you look in a wedding dress."

"I wouldn't know. I never wore one.", Mrs. Ronin said awkwardly and turned toward Sarah and Aiden.

She didn't lie. When she married Angelo, they had a civil marriage and she was wearing a simple, elegant dress, but it was not a wedding dress. She sighed. She called him 'Evan', how he introduced himself, and only one day before their marriage ceremony he told her that his real name is Angelo. At that time, she was too infatuated with him to see it as a red flag. Her life after marriage was not easy, but she would not change it for anything in the world. After all, from that marriage came four amazing children. 

Mrs. Ronin paused. Is Jarred still starring at her? She forced herself not to return his gaze. 

Mrs. Ronin wondered if it was a mistake for her to come here. Jarred said that she can come as his +1, and all her kids are here, so she decided to join. As much as she enjoys Jarred's company, and his looks are not bad either, she is not thinking about romancing. She didn't think about it for about two decades. And it seems that Jarred is hinting that he is interested in her. Mrs. Ronin told herself to relax and enjoy and who knows what might come out of it, but she feels… rusty. 

She decided to dispel any silly thoughts and to focus on the wedding ceremony. 

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