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I'm a little surprised by the lack of trust in Aro. I know we're trained to be distrusting, but still.
The wedding ceremony is a combination of things I've found on various sites for Catholic wedding ceremonies and my own interpretations from attending a few weddings and writing countless more. It was interesting writing two weddings/wedding nights in dramatically different time periods and scenarios.
RL has not been nice the last two months, so thank you for your patience as some of these chapters.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 12
I was fidgeting so bad, I expected my father to stand up from the front row of the church and smack me. It felt like it was taking way too long for the ceremony to get started. I looked to Father Francis, who didn't seem concerned by anything, when the organist began to play.
I turned to see Alice walking down the aisle in a pink, knee-length lace dress. She was smiling bright with her bouquet in hand as she made her way to the spot across from me. I couldn't bother to spare a look back at Jasper to see his reaction, because I was waiting for Isabella to appear.
The music changed and the doors at the back of the church once again opened, this time revealing Isabella on Aro's arm. I knew I was beaming as I took in my beautiful bride.
They made their way to the front of the church and Aro placed Isabella's hand in mine. We turned to Father Francis and let him begin the ceremony.
I watched Isabella through the early portion of the mass, the tears glistening in her eyes and her bright smile filled me with joy. Having a full mass was important to both of us, but it meant it took longer to get to the actual wedding rites.
Once the last reading was completed, Father Francis motioned for all to stand.
"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here in the sight of God and in the presence of your family and community to enter into the sacrament of marriage. The bonds of marriage strengthen our faith and enrich the lives of those who we join together.
"Edward and Isabella, do you both come here today of your own free will to marry? To honor the vows made today and raise any children your union is blessed with in the traditions of our faith?"
"I do," I spoke confidently.
"I do," Isabella answered.
"Join your hands and repeat after me," Father Francis said.
We exchanged our vows and then Father Francis continued.
"May our Lord, who joined our first parents in paradise, in his infinite kindness give strength to the consent declared today and fill your lives with blessings. What God has joined, let no one put asunder. Let us bless the Lord."
"Thanks be to God," the congregation responded.
Our rings were passed to Father Francis, who held them out as he spoke. "Bless and sanctify your servants in their love, and let these rings, a sign of their faithfulness, remind them of their love for one another. Through Christ our Lord."
The rings were sprinkled with holy water and passed to each of us. I slid Isabella's ring onto her finger and repeated the priest's words and then she did the same to me. We were declared man and wife and I was finally able to kiss my bride.
The mass continued, and when the recessional began, I led Isabella out of the church. The Bentley parked out front whisked us towards the hotel holding our reception, and once we were alone, I leaned in to whisper to her.
"Well, Mrs. Masen, it seems I finally have you alone."
"For a little while, at least," she said and blushed.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm wonderful. Although this little one is hungry."
I reached out to rub her belly and the baby pressed against my hand. "We'll be eating soon enough."
The drive passed in quiet conversation, and when we arrived, a hotel employee led us to a small room off the main ballroom we'd rented. It was a place we could wait until our guests had arrived and our band could announce our entrance. Bread and sparkling water was brought to us, and Isabella quickly took a piece and dipped it into the oil and vinegar plate.
We could hear the sounds of our guests, and soon the employee was back to lead us to the door we'd be entering through. With our arms linked, we listened for the band leader's announcement.
"And now, for the first time in public, may we introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Edward Masen."
The doors opened and we walked out to the cheers of the three hundred guests. Before we could make it too far, the crowd parted, leaving us alone on the floor for our first dance.
As the singer crooned, "All the Way", I sang along in Isabella's ear. She smiled and blushed as I focused on her, but soon it was time for us to begin to meet our guests. We walked around the room as I introduced her to various associates and people from the neighborhood. Isabella held the white satin bag selected to hold our gifts, and after each introduction, an envelope was passed to her and she slipped it inside. We made it around to about one-third of the guests before they began to serve the first course, so we sat down to enjoy the meal.
Isabella glowed from within, the joy was so apparent on her face, and as we ate and laughed, I felt my love for her grow. I would do anything for this woman. That much was clear.
During a break in the courses, more introductions were made, and soon we were through the masses and onto our inner circle.
Aro made a big show of welcoming Isabella, but it didn't go unnoticed that Sulpicia continued to show contempt towards her. There was an unspoken conversation between them, before Aro led Isabella out onto the dance floor. I made the same gesture to Sulpicia, and once we were on the floor, I got a little more clarity.
"Edward, you make such a handsome groom. Too bad your choice of bride isn't equal to you."
My jaw tightened, but I tried to keep the anger off my face as everyone was watching. "Isabella is everything I could want in a wife."
"My Jane should have been your choice. She wasted a lot of years waiting for you to smarten up."
"Jane would never have been my wife. So please don't get any ideas there. We were always like oil and water. She always thought she was entitled to things that were never meant for her."
"With who her father is, she deserved the world, not to be shipped to Italy in disgrace."
"Maybe if someone hadn't filled her head with self-important fantasies she would have known her place and found a husband here. As it is, her grandmother found someone who would take on that challenge."
Sulpicia's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared, but she said nothing else. The song ended and she returned to her table.
The dancing continued and I claimed Isabella's hand as often as I was able to, but she was a very popular woman today.
Gina thought my laser focus on her location was comical, while Alice sighed dreamily that her friend was fortunate.
Esme beamed about how beautiful our day was and how proud she was of us.
When it was time for the main course, we once again sat down, and after another round of dancing and visiting with our guests, we cut the cake.
Once dessert was served there were a few associates who approached to discuss things with me, but I held up my hand. Today was not a day I was willing to talk business.
A little more mingling and I was soon escorting Isabella out to our ride.
When we pulled up at our house, the driver reminded Isabella that her suitcase was in the trunk. I stiffened as I hadn't seen or heard of a bag, but Isabella rested her hand on my thigh and thanked the man.
He stepped out to open our door and retrieve the luggage and I turned to her.
"What bag?" I hissed.
"The last of my things from the apartment and everything I used today to get ready. Alice believed that we wouldn't want to be bothered with something like that the next few days, so she gave it to the driver before the ceremony."
"Alice delivered it personally?" I asked.
Isabella looked confused for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "Yes, Alice walked it out and then came back into the bride's room to help me with my jewelry. And there was one of your men outside with the driver the whole time."
I sighed in relief that she was aware of these things and knew she needed to be. "Okay, let's get inside."
I escorted her to the front door and took the suitcase from the driver. He doffed his cap at us and offered his congratulations as he made his retreat. I unlocked the door and picked up the bag, sitting it just inside the door and then turned to Isabella.
"Edward, what are you doing?"
"Carrying my wife over the threshold."
I bent down to pick her up before she could protest more than a squeal when I lifted her easily. I stepped through the doorway and placed her back on her feet. She blushed and reached for the suitcase.
"Do you need anything? Something to drink?" I asked.
"No, I'm ready for bed. It has been a long day and I want to relax together. I'll just need some help getting out of this dress."
"I can help with that." I smirked at the idea of getting her out of that lacy dress.
We moved into the bedroom and I unbuttoned the back of her dress before reaching the toggle of the zipper. Pulling it down slowly, I was completely out of my depth. Put a gun in my hand and I was golden, but with her pregnancy I was so worried about hurting her or the baby.
"I'm going to get changed and ready for bed," Isabella whispered and then grabbed a few things from the dresser and vanished into the bathroom.
I took the time Isabella spent getting ready doing the same. I was done well before her, so I turned down the bed and then went out and double checked that the house was locked up and the lights were off. When I returned to the bedroom, she was just exiting the bathroom with a handful of laundry. She quickly moved to the hamper, but didn't turn to face me.
"Isabella, is everything okay?" I asked. When she shook her head, I moved to stand behind her. My hand squeezed her shoulders and then slid down her arms and forward to her stomach. "Talk to me."
"I'm sorry," she whispered and her body shook gently against mine. I turned her to face me and enveloped her in my arms. It took a few minutes for her crying to stop, but once she did, a different floodgate opened. "I … I spent so many days and nights, just thinking about what it would be like to finally be with you. I've wanted you for so long and I couldn't have you then. And now I can, but … I'm so big, and I'm uncomfortable all the time. I can't lie on my back. I can't move gracefully. How am I supposed to make you desire me if I can't even give you a proper wedding night."
I thought about her words and it took a lot not to be upset with myself. I'd been looking forward to this, we'd been teasing each other about it for months, and now she felt bad that she couldn't give it to me.
"Isabella, the baby is due in less than two months. After all this time carrying him or her, I'm sure it is taking its toll on you. In the grand scheme of things, that isn't any time at all. I can be patient, if that's what you need."
"Really?" her tear-stained face popped up to meet mine and I smiled.
"Yes, but I do have one question. Is everything off the table, or just sex?"
"What else is there?" she asked.
I stared at her, shocked by her words. If he wasn't already dead, I would have killed Jimmy for being a damn fool.
"There's plenty, let me show you."
I led her to the bed and motioned for her to get in and get comfortable. Once she had pillows tucked under her and she stopped squirming, I turned off the bedroom light and got in bed behind her. With my chest pressed against her back, my hand glided over the silky fabric of her nightgown until I reached her breasts. She gasped as I massaged her, my left arm snaking under her head and around to her chest so it could continue to tease her as my right hand moved farther south.
Her sighs and moans got louder as I began to pull up the fabric until I came in contact with the skin of her thigh. My body involuntarily rocked against her as I inched closer to her panties. The fabric sat low on her pubic bone, so as I slid my fingers underneath I soon felt the soft curls that hid the promised land.
My movements were deliberate and it helped that Isabella was pinned between me and the pillow in front of her because it meant I controlled the pace. She whined slightly and I decided to play nice.
Isabella gasped again when I found the small nub that would help me bring her to climax. Judging by her reactions, I was doing everything right, and when I moved farther down, I was rewarded with how wet she was for me.
"Tell me if this is too much and I'll stop," I groaned. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I will," she whispered, her voice breathy.
I sank first one and then another finger inside her, working them slowly and listening to her for my cues. She was clearly enjoying it, and as I rocked against her tight little ass, I could feel myself start to build towards my own orgasm.
The keening sound came unexpectedly as she clamped down on my fingers, and after a few more thrusts of my own, I came in my pajama pants. I should have tried to hold off until I could get into the bathroom, but I wanted my wife to know she could get me off.
We both had some cleaning up to do, but it wasn't long before we were back in bed and I was once again wrapped around her.
"Sleep well, my love."
"You too, husband."
After that first night, it was like Isabella and I fell into our roles seamlessly. I thought it would be different to have her around, or for her to be at my house as opposed to the apartment with Alice. But it wasn't a problem at all. Isabella kept the house up, and Gina, Alice, and Esme were over nearly every day. She couldn't drive her car, so it sat in the garage where my father had left it before the wedding. Isabella had told me how she'd been shocked when my father had told her about the gift, but she was getting used to extravagant gifts from the Masen men.
That didn't mean everything was perfect.
A phenomenon Esme called "nesting" meant that I was in trouble every time I left a glass in the living room, or put something away wrong, but I could easily soothe Isabella's ire.
What was hard to calm was her sadness when she had to stop working at the bakery altogether. My mom had stepped in to help Alice, but Isabella cried that she was letting everyone down.
It also didn't help that Aro was in the middle of his three week trip to Italy for Jane's wedding and we were having problems with some of our shipments. I wanted it handled by the time Aro returned home, but after another truck reached us empty, we knew we needed to put our men into place and catch not only who was doing this, but the potential rat in our organization. This was going to be only inside men, my men, working on this and I felt a responsibility to be out there with them. We were down in my basement, making our final plans when Isabella hollered down from the top of the stairs.
"Edward!"
"I'll be up in a couple of minutes," I called back.
"Now, Edward." This time I noticed a panicked tone to her voice.
I turned to my men and ran upstairs to find Isabella leaning heavily against the wall.
"What's wrong?"
"The baby's coming."
My mind went blank as I processed her words. "But you're not due for another few weeks."
"The baby didn't get that memo," she said, her hand going to her stomach as she cried out.
"Okay, the keys are downstairs. Let me just grab them and I'll-" Before I could finish, Jasper was at the top of the stairs.
"Everything okay?"
"The baby's coming," I told him.
"Shit. I'll take care of everything else, you just take care of your wife," he said.
"Thanks, can you throw me my keys?"
"Sure."
His feet thundered down the stairs, and a minute later, I had the keys in hand and was leading Isabella towards the front door.
"I didn't even pack a bag," she cried.
"My mom will come get you whatever you need. Let's just get you to the hospital."
I got her safely to the car and helped her in before running to my side. Once the key was in the ignition I took a deep breath, it was time to meet our baby.