As the music began to play, Rose started her journey down the aisle. Dimitri, impeccable in his black tuxedo, smiled proudly as he watched her approach. He thought that he had never seen her looking any lovelier than she did today. She wore a white wedding gown, and underneath her veil her face looked freshly scrubbed and glowing with happiness.

Janine Hathaway's face bore an expression of disapproval. She thought that her elder daughter was being impulsive, that Rose should have waited longer, been more sure of what she wanted in life, gotten to know Dimitri better. Sitting with her husband and son, Sydney Ivashkov tried to remember whether her own wedding dress all those years ago had been as nice as Rose's. Lissa, sitting with her own family, felt nothing but happiness for her long-time friend.

The music stopped, and the minister began to speak. Rose looked nervously at Dimitri and he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Dimitri Ivanovich Belikov, do you take Rose Marie Hathaway as your lawfully wedded wife?" asked the minister.

"I do." Dimitri's voice rang out clear and steady.

"Rose Marie Hathaway, do you take Dimitri Ivanovich Belikov as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Rose's voice was soft but sure.

"Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the minister announced. Dimitri raised Rose's veil and kissed her lips. His lips were warm and soft and lingered a bit longer than necessary. Rose felt a thrill of excitement and happiness go down her spine. We really did it! she wanted to shout.

A smiling Dimitri led his new wife to the reception, where the cake and other refreshments awaited them.

"Big smile!" someone shouted. It was Mason Ivashkov, holding his camera and grinning from ear to ear.

Dimitri sliced the wedding cake and served first Rose, then himself, a slice. He fed a bite to Rose first, and then she fed a bite to him. Then they mingled with their guests and chatted with them.

"I'm so happy for you, Rose," Lissa told her friend. "Dimitri's a good man. You're very fortunate."

"I know he is, Lissa. I hope that I can make him happy."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

Later, Lissa chatted with Dimitri. "So I see you were brave enough to take the plunge again," she laughed.

"You know, after Tasha, I thought 'never again'," Dimitri replied. "At that time I thought that Rose's situation was hopeless, that she'd never emerge from her coma. I never told you or anyone else, but I think I was already beginning to fall in love with Rose even before she lapsed into her coma. I couldn't do anything about it at the time as she was only seventeen, and besides, I was one of her teachers. You'll never know how thrilled I was to learn that she had regained consciousness. To me it was just such a miracle. In a way, I saw it as not only renewed hope for Rose, but renewed hope for me as well. I lost my heart to her in virtually no time at all. I can't begin to tell you how happy I was when I realized that she loved me back."

After the reception came a long drive to the motel. Rose, too excited to nap in the car, chatted eagerly about various subjects. Dimitri felt as if he were on top of the world. He and Rose were finally one.

"We're finally here," Dimitri announced as the car pulled into the motel's parking lot. Rose yawned.

"And not a moment too soon, I see," Dimitri laughed.

"It's not too late for a quick swim before dinner," Dimitri suggested once they were unpacked and settled in their motel room.

"Sounds like fun!" Rose exclaimed.

They quickly changed out of their wedding clothes and into their swimsuits. Rose looked admiringly at Dimitri's body in his swimming trunks. Without realizing it, she licked her lips.

"You look absolutely delicious!" she exclaimed.

He laughed. "So do you."

He took her hand and led her to the motel's swimming pool. Dimitri entered the pool first, and Rose perched on the side and then fell into his arms.

"Race you to the other side!" he said cheerfully.

They swam the length of the pool several times. To Rose it felt so good to be able to stretch and move about after the long car trip.

"Ready to go for dinner?" Dimitri asked after awhile.

"I do feel a bit hungry." With a start, Rose realized that she was starving.

They went back to their motel room, took showers, and put on clean clothes. Then Dimitri drove to a nearby seafood restaurant they had noticed on the way to the motel.

Rose ordered her favorite: boiled lobster with melted butter, fried oysters, coleslaw, and cheese grits. Dimitri teased her about the fried oysters.

"I think I can be a little bit decadent on my honeymoon," she told him.

They both had iced tea with lemon to drink, and for dessert Rose had key lime pie.

After dinner they went back to the motel, where they cuddled and watched 'Barefoot.' While the movie's credits were rolling, Dimitri lightly traced his fingers up and down his wife's arm.

"Do you want something?" Rose asked with feigned innocence.

Dimitri chuckled softly. "What do you think?" He had a big grin on his face. Rose grinned back and began to unbutton his shirt. Once she had rid him of his shirt, she helped him take her blouse and bra off. Immediately his tongue and fingers were on her nipples, licking them and gently sucking them. She felt herself go moist.

Dimitri's erection strained against her skin through both their clothing. She unfastened his pants and pulled them off, then removed his underwear. She took first just the tip of him, then his whole length, into her mouth, gently massaging the sensitive skin over his prostate at the same time.

"Oh my God, you're so good at this!" Dimitri exclaimed. He moaned loudly and soon began to thrust into her mouth. She lay back on the bed, and his hand stroking her through her damp panties felt as hot as fire.

"God, you're so wet," he whispered, laughing softly at the eagerness with which she shed her panties. He began to tease her by slowly planting kisses on the insides of her thighs, causing her to whimper impatiently. He chuckled softly and began to lick and suck the skin around her opening. She came almost immediately. Dimitri moved several fingers in and out of her for a few seconds, then quickly put on a condom and entered her.

Afterwards they lay together reveling in the intimacy they had just shared. Rose was the first to speak.

"When I was a little girl I used to fantasize about getting married," she said. "By the time I was eight years old, I had already decided what dress I wanted to wear, what kind of music I wanted played, the whole bit."

Dimitri laughed. "Do you know what you are to me, Roza?"

"What?"

"You're like a ray of sunshine on a dreary day. Before you came into my life, everything just seemed to be various shades of gray. Then when I met you again after you woke up, all of a sudden my world was filled with brilliant colors. That's what you did for me, Roza. You literally brought me back to life, and I feel that no matter what I do I could never repay you."

Rosel was crying.

"Hey," he said, kissing away her tears. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "It's just that no one has ever said anything like that to me before at all."

"I swear, every word of it is true," he told her. "I love you, Rose Belikov."

"I love you, too." She smiled at the sound of her new name. He lay with her back up against him and his arms around her stomach. Soon they were both sound asleep.