Please bear with me, the chapters may get a little farther spread apart because school has started once again. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Not mine.

I woke up a few minutes later to Carlos putting the afghan over me. I rolled over to look at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said.

"It's okay." I saw that he was holding the letter. "Will you read that to me now?"

"Sure," he replied. He sat with his back on the headboard and I curled up around him, intertwining our legs and resting my head on his shoulder. He picked up the paper and began to read.

Dearest Stephanie,

Today marks the start of the rest of your life. Marriage is hard, but worth all the fights, tears, and ruined meals. It can bring you tears of joy and happiness, while bringing the tears of sadness. Soon enough, you will know what I mean.

There is a meaning behind the afghan that I have given you; a small story, showing where Carlos's family came from and the love that was brought into it. This tradition has been handed down for generations in my family, and since you are marrying our Carlos, is being handed to you. I hope that you continue the tradition with your children.

Many years ago, in a small village in Cuba, Carlos's great grandfather was courting a beautiful woman. He loved her more than anything in the world. He made sure he had the best job in the village so he could buy anything that her heart desired. However, there was another man courting her. He was from a neighboring village and had a better job than Carlos as well as family money. Consuela did not fancy the other man, but Carlos instead. Her father, on the other hand, had different ideas. As soon as she was eligible, her father married her off and collected a large dowry. Carlos was heartbroken. On the day she was supposed to leave, he gave her one final gift. An afghan with so many different colors, shapes, and designs, it looked to be a horrid mess, but in reality, was the most beautiful afghan on the entire island. He said, "Take this and remember me. It was not our time to be in love, but it will be soon." She nodded, and with one last hug, was gone from Carlos's life forever.

Consuela and Carlos didn't speak for many years and only when she had returned to the village after her husband had passed in a great fire. She came with nothing except the afghan. Carlos saw her coming into town and ran to meet her. They hugged, kissed and made love well into the evening, the afghan spread on their bed. She told him about how her husband would cheat his business partners and the fire was too good of a death for him and how the afghan had saved her life in the fire. He told her how his wife had died of scarlet fever a few years back. Neither of them had children, but always wanted them. However, Consuela was now in her late thirty's, almost forty, was too old to conceive. "Don't worry, my love," he told her. "It will happen for us if God wishes it."

And nine months later, Consuela gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Believing that the afghan was lucky, they decided to pass down the Manoso clan some luck. Each daughter and daughter-in-law now receives a beautifully woven afghan as a symbol of luck and fertility. Because without the afghan, the two lovers would have never met again and continued the family line.

So I wish you and Carlos all the luck in the world. You don't need any help in the fertility department because the way my grandson looks at you, I wouldn't be surprised if you were already pregnant.

All my love,

Grandma Rosa

I blushed. Grandma Rosa didn't miss a thing. Carlos placed the letter on the table and turned back to me. "Babe," he said, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"It was so sad, then so happy. I'm glad that the lucky baby was born because then I wouldn't have met you."

He smiled and then proceeded to kiss the daylights out of me.

The night before the wedding… August 7th, 2009

"Mmm, you have to go." I moaned as Carlos made his way down my neck.

"No I don't. I can stay right here." He started to lift up my shirt.

I moaned again. "Lula's going to be here in twenty minutes and my parents and Grandma Mazur are right downstairs. Plus, Tanks' picking you up in a little while."

"He can wait. I want to ravish my fiancé first."

"We can't finish the whole act in twenty minutes! It takes at least…an hour."

He grinned evilly at me. "Who said anything about the whole act?" He went to unbutton my pants.

"Stephanie!" Grandma called.

Saved by the Grandma…again.

He leaned over me. "Remember when Granny got in the way last time?" He asked.

I nodded. "We told her we were doing defensive moves."

"Seems like you're always on the defensive."

The door crashed open.

"Uh huh, I knew this was going to happen." Lula said.

Carlos moaned and leaned his forehead on my stomach. "Can't we get any privacy?"

"No, because if you did, you and skinny white girl would be missing your own wedding tomorrow. Now get up, Batman. My man is waiting downstairs for you and white girl, we gotta go."

"Can you give us a second?" I asked. Carlos was completely naked under the covers. He had decided it was faster for him to undress as he came into my old bedroom.

"Sure, but I'll be right outside. If I hear any moaning or you aren't out in thirty seconds, I'm coming back." And she shut the door.

"Remind me again why you're staying at your parent's house?" Carlos asked as he pulled his pants back on.

"Because it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride twenty-four hours before the wedding!"

He smiled. "Babe, we're getting married at one in the afternoon." It was almost nine.

"Fine then how many hours it is when you leave the house is bad luck." I said, rolling my eyes. I opened the door. "Out," I said.

I followed him out the door where a very out of place Tank was standing near my grandmother and equally nervous mother.

"Carlos! When did you get here?" She asked, side stepping Tank. "I didn't even hear you come to the door."

"That's because he went through the window!" Grandma said.

"Cripes." That came from my father. He turned up the volume on the TV.

I blushed and Tank grabbed Carlos's shoulder.

"Be good." He whispered to me as he kissed me one more time.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." I replied.

"Damn, 'cause we were going to blow up a car." He said, the largest smile on his face. I punched his free shoulder.

"Asshole."

"Yeah, but you love me." He kissed me one more time and was gone. I turned to Lula. "Alright, where are we going?"

Lula let out a loud whoop and headed for a bag in the closet. She handed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's a veil. You gotta wear it! You're the bride!"

"What?"

"Come on, white girl! It's your last night as a free woman!"

If I had it my way, Carlos and I would already be on our honeymoon as Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Manoso.

Sighing, I placed the veil on my head. Lula grabbed Grandma and we were on our way.

"First off, the strip joint!" Lula exclaimed. Everyone cheered. God, I wish I could drink.

The night was pretty uneventful, even if Grandma tried to grope every male dancer that came our way. Right now, we were headed to the bar. A combination grope of Connie, Mary Lou and Grandma got us kicked out. Lula was slowly moving from buzzed to drunk, while all the others were all gone.

"Stephanie, you are one lucky bitch." Connie slurred to me. "I thought he'd never get married, and then you waltz in and change his life. You are a lucky bitch."

"You already said that." I said.

"But it's so true! To Stephanie!"

"Stephanie!" They all cheered.

"Hey look! There's Tank!" Lula screamed. She ran over and launched (as much as Lula can launch) into his arms. I felt a tingle up my spine and an arm over my shoulders.

"Hey, Beautiful…you want to make a man very happy?"

I was about to retort when I looked into the face of my very sexy, very drunk soon to be husband.

And then he giggled.

"Carlos, you are so wasted."

"And you are so pretty."

"Are you having fun?"

He nuzzled my neck and tried to stick his hand down my skirt. "I am now."

I read somewhere that alcohol took away your sexual appetite. Apparently not for Carlos; it just enhances it.

"I can't wait to get you pregnant and show Morelli how to get the job done."

I'm going to take a page from my father's book. Cripes.
"Isn't my bride hot?" He screamed to the bar. All the guys in the place cheered and raised their glasses to me." I rolled my eyes and screeched when Carlos smacked my butt.

Who is this man? Carlos drunk is a scary thing.

"Hey Hal," I said when we got over to the table.

"Hey Stephanie," he replied. "Having a great last single night?"

"Yeah, it's wonderful."

Clearly Hal was the designated driver since he was the only one that looked stone cold sober.

"You're going to watch him?" I asked, pointing to Carlos, who was trying to play pool. Trying being the operative word.

"Yup. It'll be me and Cal. And Bobby." We looked at Bobby. "When he sobers up."

"Where is Cal?"

"Monitors. He drew the short stick."

I nodded.

Carlos came back over. "Babe, you have no idea how long I've loved you. I've loved you since you came into the diner, looking for help. You were sooo pretty and curly hair everywhere. I love your curly hair. Don't ever get rid of your hair. Please, Babe? Please?"

"Sure, Carlos, I won't get rid of my hair." I rolled my eyes at Hal, who was barely holding back his laughter.

"Mmm, I love it when you call me Carlos. It gets me so hard." He nuzzled his head on my shoulder.

Hal let out a bark of laughter.

"And your body…"

"Carlos, remember you promised not to talk about my body, hmm?"

"Oh yeah…"

And then he was out.

"I've never seen him like this." Hal said.

"I hope I never see him like this again. It's a little scary."

"He loves you, Bombshell. I've never seen him act this way with any woman."

I looked at Carlos, who began to drool on my shoulder. Even then, he made my heart melt. "I've never loved anyone like this either, Hal."

Hal came over and heaved Carlos off my shoulder after I gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Alright boys, time to get the groom to bed!" He called. All the guys hollered and followed him out.

"Ready, Ladies?" The driver of our limo called. I nodded. I was beat.

I couldn't wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow I became Mrs. Carlos Manoso.

And I couldn't imagine being married to anyone else.