Author's Note: It saddens me that some of you still don't like Alicia. ): I absolutely adore Seth and Alicia, and even though she made a horrible choice, she's still trying to make up for it. Regardless, they're in love, and Seth's willing to make it work. Sorry that some of you don't agree with that, but with that said, here's the final chapter to this spin-off.
Seth and Alicia didn't want to wait to plan a huge wedding much like their first one. They were eager to renew their vows and get the certificate that reinforced their marriage.
The following day, Seth called in sick and the two of them, along with their three kids, headed straight for the courthouse. She wore the same dress that she wore on their wedding day years earlier, and he wore the same suit.
The biggest difference was the fact that their three kids were there, watching from the pews. Hazel and Jasmine couldn't exactly understand what was happening, but Aaliyah was old enough to know. She smiled warmly to herself as she watched her parents take hold of each others hands.
"The vows you are about to exchange will serve as a verbal representation of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as any thing that can be seen, heard or touched.
For it is not the words that you will speak today that will bond you together as one - but the strength of the love and commitment found deep within your souls," the pastor said, looking toward the both of them. Seth smiled a bit before giving his vows.
"After I found out about what happened, I had to ask myself a serious question," Seth began, looking deep into Alicia's brown eyes. She swallowed thickly, clutching tightly to his hands. "Was our relationship worth it? I thought about it, and then I thought about it some more. For a minute, I allowed my anger to take over, and I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Honestly, our relationship is worth so much more than I could ever imagine possible. Through all of the hurt that I went through, I still caught myself thinking about you, and how much I couldn't stand being mad at you because I needed you in my arms. The thing is, I know you truly love me, and I truly love you. If I didn't, we wouldn't be standing here right now. I just pray that we never have to go through this heartache again, because I'd rather spend our time loving each other, than wasting time being angry. I'm not saying that we're going to be perfect, but all I'm saying is we're going to be worth it. And Alicia, you're definitely worth it; you're worth all of it. I love you."
Tears were streaming down Alicia's caramel cheeks, and she had the biggest smile on her face. She looked toward the ground, her hands shaking. Seth held onto them firmly, sending warmth throughout her body. The pastor looked to her, a serene gaze on his face.
"I don't know how I got so fortunate," Alicia whispered, another tear sliding down her face. "I messed up big time, and I truly felt like I didn't deserve you. I still feel that way, which is why I'm so blessed to have you in my life. You accept me for my faults, flaws, and all. You let me know when I'm wrong, and you don't try to hide the way you feel. You're everything I need; everything I wish I could be. Any girl would be lucky to be here, standing in front of you right now. I thank you, so much, that you chose me. I'll never be able to forgive myself for what I did to you and our family, but it means the absolute world to me that you're going to be able to. I know it's going to take a while to for you to be able to trust me again, but I promise, I'll never hurt you again, baby. You're the only one for me; you're my rock. I can't remember a time when you weren't there for me; even when we were kids in high school, or adults as we are now, you've always been the complete love of my entire, excuse my language pastor, fucking life. I love you so much, Seth."
There was so much more that she wanted to say to him, but telling by the look on his face, he already knew. He pulled her in closer, and she noticed the unshed tears in his eyes.
"I love you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I love you," she whispered back, eager to kiss him. She was ready for her honeymoon.
"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the pastor asked, looking toward the three girls.
"Me!" Aaliyah and Hazel shouted in harmony. Jasmine just clapped her hands wildly. Seth and Alicia looked toward their gorgeous daughters, smiling proudly.
"Seth, will you take Alicia to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish her friendship and love her today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor her, laugh with her and cry with her? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" he asked. Seth gave her a serious look, and nodded his head.
"I do," he breathed, watching her face light up.
"Alicia, will you take Seth to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish his friendship and love him today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor him, laugh with him and cry with him? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" he asked. Even though she didn't stay true to the faithful part in her previous vows, she swore to God that she'd never break her promise again.
"I do," she cried, lacing her arms around his neck. "I do."
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Seth, you may kiss your bride," the pastor said, a tranquil smile on his face.
Seth closed the distance between them, attacking her lips with urgency. She held onto his shoulders, moving her lips over his with intensity. She didn't think it was possible to feel as content as she did at that moment. Kissing Seth felt like she was kissing the best thing that could possibly grace this earth, and he truly was; to her, at least.
After a while of kissing, they needed to catch a good lungful of air. They both pulled away at the same time, breathing heavily.
Aaliyah stood to her feet, taking hold of Hazel's hand. They began making their way toward their parents, excited grins on their faces. Jasmine managed to get down from the pew, and crawled after them; she'd be walking any day now.
Seth and Aaliyah met them halfway, all of them letting out thrilled squeals. Alicia picked Jasmine up, while Seth swept up Hazel. Aaliyah hugged at both of their legs.
"I'm glad my birthday wish came true," Aaliyah said, her face turning red.
"What was your wish, baby?" Alicia wondered.
"That my family would become a family again," she confessed, smiling afterwards. Seth and Alicia stared at each other, and couldn't help the bittersweet feeling that stood between them.
"I'm glad your wish came true too, Liyah," Alicia said, her eyes never leaving Seth's.
"Me too," he agreed, inching his face toward hers.
He kissed her slowly, knowing in his heart that they were going to be okay.
Seth and Alicia were going to continue to rebuild their relationship, and the money issues were slowly going to fade away. With the support of one another, they would never have to worry about anything getting in the way of their happiness ever again.
Author's Note: That's the end. :') I hope y'all enjoyed this story. Leave reviews?