Chapter Twenty-four: Once Night in Paradise
Sydney stood at the bedroom mirror that evening, slipping a pair of diamonds into her ears. In spite of her worries, she was really looking forward to the evening ahead of her. It had been so long since she and Michael had gone out.
He stepped behind her then, kissing the neck that her upswept hair had left exposed. "You are so beautiful."
She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss that left them both breathless. "You look amazing, too." She let her hands flutter across the fabric of his white button-down shirt, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle. He really did look gorgeous, dressed more casually than she usually saw him in his untucked shirt, khakis, and sandals; she wore a strappy blue dress in the deepest shade of midnight blue imaginable. "I think tonight's going to be incredible."
"Me, too," he said with a smile. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely," she said, slipping her arm through his. She caught a glimpse of the two of them in the mirror, and she was struck by a sudden memory of the two of them on their wedding day. She'd worn a simple but expensive white dress-- Irina had picked up the bill, insisting she spare no expense-- and Michael had worn a white button down and khakis, just like now. Just the two of them, a private, perfect wedding on the beach.
They didn't look so different now. A few new lines around the eyes, maybe. But oh, they'd been through so much since then. They'd been with the Organization less than four months on their wedding day, had done little more than go on simple reconnaissance missions for her mother. Now, they'd done far worse, had given out orders to do far worse, knowing full well what the Organization was and what it was capable of. They'd given up their souls, really. But now, gazing at the two of them in the mirror, Sydney selfishly knew that it had all been worth it. She would have done it all again, done far worse to be with the man beside her.
"I love you, Michael," she said, lacing her fingers through his. "So much."
"I love you too, baby," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Let's have an incredible night, okay?"
And it was incredible. They ate at a gorgeous restaurant on the beach and drank too much champagne. They danced until the sun came up, and afterwards, they stumbled back to their house with no intention of letting the night end any time soon.
"God, that was amazing, Mike," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as soon as they were through the front door.
"Mmm," he murmured, and she shivered as his lips traveled down her neck. "The night is young, Sydney."
"I think it's morning, actually," she giggled.
"Does it matter?" he breathed.
"Actually, I think the two of you might need your sleep."
Sydney screamed as she jumped away from her husband, gazing up into the face of the last man she'd expected to see. A man who only would have shown up there if things had gone terribly wrong.
Her father.