Most people, when they thought of weddings, imagined a big, beautiful ceremony in a church or somewhere with lots of beautiful flowers, music and dancing, a buffet of gourmet food and a beautiful cake, flower girls, and sparkling rings.
Sadly, not everyone could afford such luxuries, and in this case, it was for a couple of teenagers.
But, Caroline and Carmine were still determined to make their wedding day special. They eloped to the most beautiful church they could find, all dressed up in the best clothes they had. Carmine wore his suit from prom, and Caroline wore her prom dress, the closest thing she had to a wedding dress. Sadly, her mother's wedding dress was lost a long time ago, but her veil was still around. And Caroline wore it for tonight. Luckily for her, Carmine remembered from sewing lessons with Miranda how to take out a waist so Caroline's dress would fit around her pregnant belly.
Due to the short notice of the change in wedding plans, Carmine and Caroline weren't able to have a big guest list. But, Sanjay made it in time to still be Carmine's best man and a witness to the wedding. And, a couple other people who were in the church at the time stood as witnesses in order to ensure the marriage would be valid.
Carmine and Caroline joined hands as the priest said some words, and the couple made their vows.
"Caroline, we are both very young right now, and things have been rough recently." Carmine said. "We're facing challenges greater than we ever would've imagined. I don't know when things will turn around or how we're going to get through them, but one thing I know for sure is that you won't be going through any hardships alone because that's what our marriage is all about. Other guys would crack under pressure and probably decide that they'd be better off on their own. But for you, I'd go through an eternity of hardships if it meant I was there with you. That's why I'm standing here in front of you tonight. To vow to always love you, to commit to you, and care for you through good time and bad."
Caroline looked at Carmine and said,
"When I was a little girl, I dreamt of my wedding day." said Caroline. "I had dreams of flowers, music, and a whole area filled with lavish decorations. But standing here today, after hearing you say that wonderful vow, Carmine... you've truly opened my eyes. This is my true dream. Being able to come and stand at the altar with the man of my dreams, professing our love for each other, and just making a vow to commit to each other, to kiss and love and each other, and seal our vows with a kiss... that's all I really need. No matter how dark it is, that darkness is always defeated whenever we kiss. And my dream will be fully realized when I finally get to kiss my husband."
Carmine caressed Caroline's cheek as he and Caroline said, 'I do,' and were pronounced married.
"You may now kiss the bride." said the priest.
Caroline and Carmine then leaned in and finally shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
It was not the reception Caroline hoped for, but dancing with Carmine in her backyard was still a wonderful first dance, even if the music was playing from their phones instead of a live band. And it was perfect because it was a clear sky tonight, and the couple could see the stars clear as day.
"Oh, Carmine, look!" said Caroline, pointing at the sky.
"What is it?" Carmine said, looking where his new wife was pointing.
"A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!"
The star twinkled as it zipped right by.
And the couple knew exactly what they wanted from that wishing star. They both looked at Caroline's belly and made a wish that they would have a healthy, happy, beautiful little baby to love and care for who would be strong and grow up to do great things with his or her life.
Things seemed like they were gonna be okay.
Until one day when the newlyweds noticed problems in their house's structure. The walls were becoming brittle and the floors got holes in them from just walking on them. It turned out there had been infestations going around in the neighborhood, forcing people to evacuate their homes and relocate.
Carmine and Caroline packed their things as quickly as they could and rushed to find a new place to live. Luckily, they managed to find a decent two bedroom apartment in one of the lower levels, similar to where Carmine used to live as a child.
"It's no three-story mansion or luxury condo, but it'll do." Carmine said, finally finishing building the baby's new crib.
"As long as our baby has a safe, clean place to sleep, I'm fine anywhere we live." Caroline said, sitting down.
All Carmine had to do now was attach the mobile to the crib.
"We've got everything we need here." Carmine said. "We got a roof over our heads, a comfy place to sleep, a nursery all ready for our new baby, you got a scholarship to an online school and can take classes from home, and we still have a working vehicle so I can go to work and provide for us."
Even with the money left for Caroline in her father's will, that didn't mean Carmine was going to quit his job.
"The due date's coming up very soon." Caroline said, rubbing her stomach. "We still haven't decided on a girl name. Either we work on figuring out how to decide or we just hope that it's a boy."
"I still wanna be surprised, though." Carmine said. "I don't care what it is. We'll know the right name when we see our baby."
"How did your father name you?"
Carmine took off his shirt and motioned to the odd music note shaped birthmark on his back.
"He named me based off of this." He said. "Dad told me when he'd been looking for names, he found a lot of meanings, and he told me that Carmine means 'song.' So when he discovered I had this birthmark, he couldn't think of a name more fitting."
"I only hope our baby won't go nameless." Caroline said.
"They won't. If it's a boy, we already decided to name him after my father. And if it's a girl... we'll know the right name when we see her. But regardless of its gender, this baby will be loved unconditionally, and we'll be a happy family."
Caroline smiled and kissed her husband.
"You're going to be a great father." she said.
"You're going to be a wonderful mother." Carmine said.
It was just a day like any other. Caroline got to paying the bills for her medical care and the next month's rent, and Carmine prepared breakfast for both of them.
Their baby was coming very soon, and Carmine worried about his wife. But Caroline insisted he should go to work today.
"We need all the money we can earn right now." Caroline said. "The money my parents left us can only last us so much longer here with rent going up these past two months."
"Then I guess I may need to look into a second job or ask for a raise." Carmine said. He looked at the time. "Oh! I'm gonna be late!"
Carmine rushed to finish his breakfast, gave his wife a kiss, and headed to work like he did every day.
And while Carmine was at work, Caroline opened her laptop and started her online college classes, where she majored in music and dance production and choreography. With the program she got, she would get her degree in two years instead of four, and she had a whole plan of what she wanted to do. Once the baby was born, she would apply to work as a stage manager and choreographer. Both jobs paid well, and they would take less of her time than if she were performing.
The baby kicked once more, as he or she had been for most of last night.
"You're either going to be a karate master or an amazing ballerina one day." Caroline said, rubbing her stomach affectionately.
Caroline continued on with her classes for the next few hours. All the while, the baby kept moving. During Caroline's classes, during her lunch break, and while she was taking a quiz. But then, something totally unexpected happened!
"If you're really looking for a challenge," said Carmine to a customer. "This is an instrument worthy of a true guitar hero."
Carmine took out a beautiful electric guitar labelled in the store as the Star Superstrat 4.0, a very special model of high quality with premium strings, a shiny reflective surface on its body, and a virtually indestructible handle.
"Does it sound any good?" asked the girl looking for a guitar.
"Please." Carmine scoffed. "Those other guitars are child's play compared to this baby."
As Carmine showed the girl how to hold the guitar just as his phone started to ring.
"Oh, one moment please." said Carmine, answering his phone. "Caroline, Sweetheart, I'm with a customer right-"
That was when Carmine's expression changed to one of shock.
"What? Now?!" Carmine said. "It's happening?! It's really happening?! Okay, just start breathing, I'll be right there!"
Carmine asked the first worker he saw to take over for him.
"What's happening, Car?" asked the worker, whose name was Lily.
"I'm about to become a dad!" Carmine shouted out for the whole world to hear.
People clapped when they heard this news.
"Congrats, buddy!" shouted another worker as Carmine rushed out to go to his wife.
Carmine rushed his speeder back home and straight to the hospital where Caroline was immediately brought to the maternity ward.
Caroline lay on the maternity bed as the doctors began the procedure to prepare her for birth.
"It's okay, Caroline." said Carmine, wiping his wife's brow before tying her hair back. "You're doing great."
Caroline started screaming as her first contraction kicked in. For hours, Carmine did his best to calm his wife down by summoning some soothing sitar music on his phone, but he struggled to keep his composure as Caroline continued screaming anyway and then squeezing his hand. More like crushing it.
"AGH!" Carmine yelped as Caroline was practically breaking his hand. "I think I'm gonna need a doctor soon!"
"You need a doctor, Carmine?!" Caroline said angrily.
"You're my queen, Caroline. You come first." said Carmine, sounding scared of his wife.
Caroline started to push at the nurse's command.
"Push!" exclaimed the nurse.
And Caroline pushed.
"You're gonna have to push harder, Caroline."
But Caroline was practially about to pass out.
"I can't! I can't do this anymore!" Caroline cried, breathing heavily.
Carmine kissed Caroline and reassured her.
"You're almost there. You've made it this far." Carmine said. "The dancer doesn't stop in the middle of a performance."
The nurse looked at Carmine oddly for a moment.
"It's a metaphor, we work in music. Deal with it!" Carmine said before turning back to his wife. "Come on, Caroline. What kind of example are you setting for the baby if you give up now?"
Caroline breathed heavily a few moments more, then she took a big breath and pushed the biggest push she ever did.
Caroline screamed as she felt her biggest contraction yet.
And that was when Caroline's screams were joined by the sound of a newborn baby crying its first cry.
"It's a girl!" said the nurse.
Caroline sighed with relief now that the hardest part of the pregnancy was finally over. Carmine hugged his wife and they looked at the new miracle of life laying in the nurse's arms. The baby was covered in blood, but Carmine and Caroline were smiling when they caught their very first glimpse of their new baby girl.
"Oh, she's beautiful." Caroline said, crying.
"She's perfect." Carmine smiled, giving his wife a kiss as the nurse took the baby to be cleaned and wrapped up. "You did great, Sweetheart."
"Here she is." sang another nurse, bringing the new baby over.
The baby cried as she was placed into her mother's arms, Caroline happily crying as she gently bounced her daughter. Carmine was also crying tears of joy as he planted a kiss on his new daughter's head. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, her skin practically as white as snow, and she had a little mop of curly black hair on her little head.
"Fourteen hours of labor. And you were so worth it." Caroline smiled, the baby responding by crying again. "Oh. I know. Shh. Shh. I know. Being born is exhausting, isn't it?"
It was then that the new baby opened her eyes.
"Oh, Carmine. Look at her eyes." gasped Caroline.
Carmine looked at his daughter's eyes and was stunned by what he saw.
"They're... purple." he gasped. "I've never seen a human with purple eyes before. They're beautiful."
Carmine tickled the baby.
"Cootchie, cootchie, coo. You're so cute!" Carmine cooed. "You're so beautiful, yes you are."
"Do we have a name yet?" asked the nurse.
Carmine and Caroline looked at each other and thought.
"You know who this baby reminds me of?" Caroline asked her husband.
"Didn't you say once that your grandmother Lamenta had eyes like that?" asked Carmine, looking at the baby's eyes again.
Caroline thought about it. And then she remembered the wish she and Carmine had made together on their wedding night.
"Well?" said the nurse.
The new parents looked at each other again and came to an agreement.
"Lamenta." they said together.
"Lamenta Valentine Jinn." Caroline said, kissing her little baby on her head.
