CHAPTER 6: THE WEDDING!

Sarah’s POV:

After coming back from lunch I thought about the wedding the whole day. I thought about how I would handle that stepbrother, Zayn. I never met him before although now I wanted to. I wanted to meet him and talk to him. I wanted him to be happy for his father just like I was trying to be happy for my mother. What if that guy Zayn won’t like me and be rude to me? What will I do then? How will I be able to live in that house with him? My mom would obviously be involved in her new life with her new husband and I would be there all alone with that stepbrother who won’t even consider me his stepsister. My life would become a hell and no one would be there to help me. I threw myself on the bed while thinking about it. Taking a sigh in frustration I began to wonder if I did the right thing by agreeing to move into that house. I could have stayed on my own in this house which has so many memories. I lived here with my dad. I grew up here with him. I can feel his love in this house but now I am going to move to a place where there will be no warmth and no love. I thought and placed my hand on my forehead thinking about it and didn’t realize when I went to sleep.

The next morning, I climbed down the stairs to see mom having her breakfast while looking at something in her phone.

“What are you looking at?” I asked her as I sat down on the chair next to her and took a pancake on my plate.

“Oh, I am just checking the dresses. Rowen has sent me some pictures and he wants me to choose one from them” Mom said and I gulped while nodding.

“Will you help me?” She asked me and I immediately looked up with my eyes widened at her.

“Ah, yeah sure…” I said and put the fork aside to help her choose the dress. Out of all the dresses, I liked the sleeveless ash white, mermaid style gown with beautiful sequence on the body.

“Oh your choice is perfect, honey…” Mom said excitedly and I smiled widely at her.

Looking her that happy, I placed my hand on her shoulder and started, “You’ll look lovely in this dress, mom”

She looked at me with her eyes filled with tears and started, “Thanks a lot, honey”

“Are you okay?” I got concerned looking at her getting all emotional.

“Yeah I just…” She said smiling and wiping the tears away to continue, “I just feel so lucky to have you as my daughter. You understood me and you are accepting this wholeheartedly” As I smiled at her, she added, “And on the other hand, there’s Rowen’s son, Zayn, who is so stubborn. He does not want his dad to be happy”

I gulped and cleared my throat to start, “Um, mom… Do – do you know him?”

“Who?” Mom asked me.

“Um, his son, Zayn?” I added.

“No… I haven’t met him before. Rowen told him about us but he didn’t take it well. He got angry. So he is not going to be a part of this wedding too” Mom said to me.

“Why is he not happy?” I asked her and then added, “Also, where is Rowen’s first wife?”

“She died after giving birth to Zayn…” Mom told me and I looked at her in shock.

“What? Oh my god…” I said, feeling pity for Rowen and his son.

“Yes…” Mom said and I kept thinking about how Zayn would be feeling about this wedding. He didn’t get to know his mother and now his father was marrying some other woman. I could understand him and his state of mind.

“That’s very sad…” I said to her and she nodded. After a while of thinking, I started, “Mom, shouldn’t we do something to bring Zayn to this wedding?”

Mom gave it a thought for a while and then started, “Honey, you see… Rowen’s relation with his son is not very good. And I think we shouldn’t get involved in that. We can get to know him once we move there, okay?”

I took a deep breath and started, “Yeah, okay… As you say…”

“I am going to go now” I said after eating a pancake and standing up from my chair.

“Where?” Mom asked me curiously.

“To the café. With El and Gene…” I said and walked out of the door while mom bid goodbye from behind.

Upon reaching the café, I met Eloise and Gene and we got to a table in the corner.

“One cappuccino, please” I said to the waiter after Eloise and Gene placed their orders.

“So this Rowen guy has a son too?” Eloise asked me.

“Yes… And he is very arrogant” I told them frustratingly.

“Did you meet him?” Gene asked me.

“No, I didn’t… Rowen told me that his son is not going to be a part of this wedding. How can a son be not there for his father on such a big day? Can you believe that?” I asked them.

“I can…” Eloise replied and as I looked at her in confusion, she further added, “I mean, maybe his father did something and therefore he don’t like him anymore. We can’t judge his son, you know… How was Rowen, by the way?”

“Um, he was… He was nice, I guess…” I said while recalling the lunch with him. “He was sweet and very understanding…” I added.

“Then you’ll get to know the whole story when you’ll move into that house” Eloise said.

“Yeah I guess…” I said distressfully.

“You still don’t want to move right?” Gene asked me and I took a deep breath.

“Yes… I am so stressing out about this moving thing… I don’t know if I’ll like being there” I said to them, taking a sip from my coffee.

“You will, don’t worry. Although I am sad because you won’t be able to come here often” Eloise said resentfully.

“No, I will continue to come…” I said to her sharply.              

“Okay, what about the wedding? What are we wearing and where it is going to take place?” Eloise asked and I began to tell her everything about the arrangements.

Throughout the day, we stayed with my mother, deciding about what to wear and how the wedding would be. It was a tiring day and I didn’t get the chance to overthink about mom’s wedding, or my to-be stepfather and stepbrother. Throwing myself on the bed, I didn’t let myself think about anything which could have made me go against that wedding and went to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up early and rushed to the bathroom as I was feeling somehow excited. I had no anxiety or nervousness and didn’t overthink about anything. I was trying to stay positive and happy for my mother.

Coming out of the shower, I hopped into my trouser and T – shirt and immediately climbed down the stairs to get to my mother.

“Mom…” I said as I got down and looked at her cooking some eggs.

“Yes, honey…” She said while looking carefully at those eggs.

“What are you doing…? Today’s your wedding and we have only an hour left to leave for the venue” I told her.

“Oh yeah I know that… I was just making some breakfast for you…” She said and I looked at her sympathetically. It was her big day and she was still there in the kitchen making eggs for me. I felt like I did the right thing to accept her decision of marrying again. She always try to be a good mother and I wanted to appreciate her for that. Accepting her decision made me happy, thinking I might be repaying her for her efforts.

“Thanks mum… But you know what…” I said and turned her to face me. “Today’s your big day… You should focus on that. Don’t worry about me” I said to her.

“Are you sure?” She asked me.

“Yes…” I said and nodded.

“Okay…” She smiled widely and took off the apron immediately. “We need to get dressed…” Mom said excitedly and then added while walking towards her room, “You will help me, right?”

“Of course… I’ll come inside after clearing this…” I said to her smiling and she excitedly walked into her room when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“Coming…” I said out loud and walked to the door and swung it open to see Eloise and Gene outside. They walked inside immediately with their dresses in their hands while I looked at them happily.

“Thank you for coming…” I said to them.

“We want to stay around you, today…” Eloise said and I looked at her happily.

“Thanks guys for thinking about me” I said.

“Oh come on…” Gene said and walked towards mom’s room while adding, “Let’s go and get dressed”

After an hour, we were all set to leave the house to reach the venue on time. Rowen sent his driver to pick us up and we got in the car immediately. Upon reaching the venue, we got out of the car and I took a look at the hotel from the outside. It looked expensive and opulent and it was constructed by the lake. As we walked inside, Eloise asked my mom to sit in the lobby while we got to back side of the hotel and saw a large open to air area which was decorated with lilies and orchids for the wedding. It was such a beautiful view in front of me that I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. The flowers were decorated on the glass railing all around the area and all over the tables. I loved how the columns with flowers on top were placed in rows, bordering the aisle, giving it a classy look. I walked forward and adored how gold metallic rectangular arbor at the altar was decorated fully with the flowers where I imagined my mother exchanging vows with Rowen and a smile approached my face.

“This is so beautiful, Sarah…” Eloise said while looking around the décor.

“I know, right…? It’s amazing” I said while looking at the flowers.

“Look at these flowers, they are looking so elegant... And that arbor, oh my God… It’s looking beautiful…” Gene said while adoring everything. “I wonder how much this costed him” She wondered.

“A lot, I am sure” Eloise said and then added, “Just look at the lake view. And this hotel… This all look so expensive”

“Oh yes…” Gene agreed.

“Everything fine?” Rowen’s voice came behind me and I immediately turned to look at him.

“Um, yeah… Everything is amazing… A perfect wedding, I must say” I said to Rowen.

“I am glad you liked it. I hope your mother likes it too” He said and crossed his fingers while I chuckled.

“Of course she will” I said and he nodded.

“I’ll wait inside until all the guests arrive” Rowen said and I nodded before he walked away from there.

“Oh my God, he is so handsome… I wonder what his son looks like” Gene whispered from behind and I rolled my eyes.

“Stop…” I said to her, widening my eye brows while she kept looking at Rowen walking away.

After a while, the wedding ceremony began and I entered with my mom while Rowen waited for her at the altar. I was getting a little emotional thinking about my mom’s life changing but I also felt happy for her. She was happy and so was Rowen. The weddings vows began and I stood aside smiling while Eloise held my hand tightly because she knew how I was feeling.

“Everything’s going to be okay” Eloise whispered and I nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

After the wedding ceremony got over, everyone danced and ate, enjoying themselves fully.

“Sarah…” Mom’s voice came from the side while I was eating mozzarella sticks.

“Yeah…” I said and walked towards her with the stick still in my hand.

“Um, honey… We are going to Rowen’s house right now” Mom said and I looked at her in shock with my mouth stuffed with mozzarella stick bite.

“Wha – what? I understand that you have to go but do I have to come with you right now?” I asked her.

“Yes, sweetie, please… I can’t leave you alone for the night, you know that” Mom said and I hesitated for a bit.

Before I could say anything, Rowen started, “Sarah dear… You just come along right now with your essentials and tomorrow, I will send some men with you and Sophia for the shifting of the rest of the things. Don’t worry about that”

“But…” I started.

“Please…” Mom insisted, placing her hand on mine and I looked at her anxiously before nodding and agreeing to go with them.

After everything got over, mom and Rowen got into Rowen’s car while I got into another car and the driver began to follow them behind. We got a little behind them and I began to get anxious as it was getting dark and I didn’t know Rowen’s address.

“Drive faster” I said to the driver.

“We are here ma’am…” The driver said and we entered in through a huge gate and he parked the car in the parking lot.

“Where’s the house’s entrance?” I asked the driver.

“Towards the right…” He pointed towards the right and I began to walk towards it while texting Eloise, when suddenly I bumped into someone sturdy and strong and as I looked up, my eyes widened in shock and I couldn’t blink anymore.

“What’s wrong with you…?” He said bitterly, tightening his grip on my elbow while I shivered…