Someone’s Someone

by Curious Girl

I've always been someone's someone. I will always be known as the sister of. The sister of the wonder child; the sister of the Nobel prize laureate; the sister of Princess Anastasia of Romanov; the sister of the next Queen of England; the sister of the Olympian... and the daughter of Troy and Gabriella Bolton. But I am so much more. I am Josephine Bolton.

41. Chapter 41

The Oxfords launch new initiates for homeless!

After spending a night on the streets with the homeless, The Duke and Duchess of Oxford have once again decided to take things into their hands. Their Royal Highnesses have talked with several bus companies and used their Royal influence to have special buses build for the homeless. The special busses - in blue, green and yellow - give the homeless the opportunity to shower, brush their teeth and use a proper loo as hygiene is rare on the streets (colour blue), while others provide a safe place to sleep at night (colour green). Another range of busses in a sunny yellow act as a mobile closet full of donated clothes, including stuff from the Royals. All busses are disabled-friendly as well as children-friendly. The reconstruction for each bus (100 in total for now) has cost almost one hundred thousand pounds, all funded by Oxford Royal. The colourful buses stand on fixed locations like Leicester Square and near Oxford Street in London seven days a week. On average, 30 people can shower in the blue buses while the lavatories can be used limitless.

Rough-sleeping figures in London have hit a record high, with 8,855 people recorded as bedding down on the capital's street last year. At least 320,000 people are homeless in Britain. That number was so shocking to find out that the Oxfords felt the need to step up and do something.

In addition, the Duchess has talked with varies pub and café owners in every capital country of Great Britain to make sure the homeless have somewhere to be at night. The pubs and cafes have agreed to open their doors at night to provide the homeless a warm place to sleep. After closing hours, volunteers, employees and occasionally The Duke and Duchess themselves, will take over the café or pub, move the tables and chairs inside and make space for mattresses and sleeping bags.

While both initiatives are currently only found in London, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, major cities like Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds and Leicester are soon following and eventually, every Commonwealth country will follow as Their Royal Highnesses are planning to expand their plans.

The future King and Queen are not waiting to make a difference when it's their time on the throne but are already doing it. They hope this will help one person at a time as it was written in a statement released by The Duke and Duchess of Oxford.

---

Josephine

The sound of the crashing waves fill my ears as the warm Caribbean sun is kissing my body on this early morning. It's day three in paradise. Day three on French Cay and I absolutely love it! I missed this island so much. I missed the safety it has always provided me. It was the place I fled to when I broke up with Oliver. And now I'm back with him as my husband and father of our unborn baby.

I roll over on my belly and lift a part of my big floppy straw hat to have a look at the man of my dreams and desires. Over the last three days he has developed a nice tan that reminds me of the one he had when we saw each other again in Rio. A few strands of his blond hair have lightened, creating natural highlights. His eyes are protected by sunglasses as he is reading a book while I am lounging around like a cat bathing in the sun. The last few days have been filled with pure bliss and lots of sleep on my side. I've never suffered from jet leg this hard before but the first two days I spent basically between the bed and the dining table on the beach. I have barely been around our families as I was so exhausted. I was so tired and so hungry all the time but this morning I woke up with the craziest energy levels. I even went for a swim in the turquoise coloured ocean before Oliver was awake.

I guess, I really am pregnant if my hormones are so out of whack.

"Everything okay?" My husband asks me without lifting his eyes off of the book in his hands.

"Yes. I just enjoy staring at my husband."

He pushes his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, revealing his emerald coloured eyes. The darker his skin tone, the more his green eyes shine. "I'm glad you enjoy staring at me so much. You look much better, Tesoro." He closes his book and puts it on the round side table between us. We've watched the sun rising here this morning and it was one of the most spectacular sunrises I've ever seen.

"I feel much better." I confirm with a smile on my lips.

"I think your parents and the rest of your family should be awake by now. I'm starving. What about you?"

"I could eat all day in all honesty. I've been hungry or tired 24/7 in the last days. I have a feeling the bump is going to appear sooner than expected." I say before rising from my lounge chair. As we're officially on holiday, I'm really enjoying wearing those colourful chiffon maxi dresses.

My husband gets off of his lounge chair as I slip back into my Flipflops. He looks fabulous in this white linen shirt and beige linen shorts.

"I like you in white." I point out.

"I like you in white as well."

"Maybe I should wear white more often."

"Oh, I think you will." He promises me with a smirk on his lips.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask him with a frown.

He takes off my floppy hat and kisses me passionately, avoiding to answer my question. "Let's go get some breakfast."

I intertwine my fingers with his as we walk down the beach. The restaurant is a few minutes away from us. Our white bungalow is the furthest away from the main area of the hotel where the lobby and the restaurant are. I love the beauty of this island. The birds create this amazing soundtrack that can't be heard anywhere but here. The sounds of the ocean, the white sand between my toes and the warm early morning sun...

I haven't felt this happy since the day I got raped.

"I can't believe my parents have been married for 35 years already!" I breathe out.

"We will make it that far as well." Oliver promises me while squeezing my hand.

I don't doubt that. "Shall we go out on the water today? It's so beautiful and I think a little snorkelling would be fun."

"With the whole family?" He asks me.

"Or just the two of us." I bite on my lower lip. "I've never fucked on a yacht before."

My husband chuckles, "I think Laurent would disagree with you on that one."

"That doesn't count. I wasn't on the sea then. Besides, with Laurent it was fucking but with you it's lovemaking and fucking... and just so much more."

He stops and wraps his arms around my waist. "Perhaps if you take a really look nap before we drive out on the sea." He smirks at me.

I blush, "That's the pregnancy." Fighting a jet leg has never been harder.

"Well, you're going to need all of your energy for tonight so perhaps we should reschedule that trip to tomorrow."

My parents usually don't celebrate their anniversary with a big party. Going here is their way of celebrating. "What's tonight?"

"Your parents surely want to celebrate with a big party. It's their 35th after all." He says in a causal voice before we continue to walk down the beach.

We stop at the veranda that has a few white round tables and chairs which are decorated with white tulle and pink peonies on the back. Other chairs have pearl and diamond necklaces hanging on the back. The tables are covered in sheer table cloths that have gold dots. A few tables are almost fully dressed with golden cutlery, crystal champagne, wine and water glasses. All it lacks are plates and a nice flower arrangement.

I guess my parents really are planning to throw a party tonight.

"Where is everyone?" I ask confused as I scan the veranda. Suddenly, I spot staff carrying big buckets full of pink peonies. "Are those peonies?" I ask confused.

"No, probably just balloons or confetti." Oliver answers.

Before I can disagree with him, our families suddenly appears out of nowhere. My parents, siblings and their spouses along with their kids come into my view just like Maria with Oliver's brothers and Sergej.

"Congratulations!" Char exclaims as she reaches us.

I shake my head, "You should congratulate them." I say and point at my parents. "It's their anniversary, not mine."

"That's what she meant!" Nate grins at me.

I look at my parents and smile. I hope Oliver and I will look just as in love as them on our 35th anniversary. "Happy 35th!" I wish them all the happiness in the world as I embrace them tightly.

"Thank you. I hope you enjoy our breakfast celebration." My Mummy says to me.

"Oh, is that what the chairs are for?" I ask them. "I really like the chiffon and the peonies. They look very pretty!"

"Yes! Yes that's what they're for. To sit on while we're... having breakfast." Ana says to me. Sasha next to her is holding Valentin. Their baby boy has grown so much!

Next year this time we will be here with our baby as well. The thought makes my eyes well up with tears that I gulp down.

"What's for breakfast?" Caio asks us.

"Whatever we want!" Elias answers.

"Can we have pancakes?" Johna asks Gideon.

Caroline nods, "With whatever topping you want."

"I prefer them plain." Bella answers.

My nieces look like angels with their blond curls and stunning eyes. They're iris are navy but they have a silver ring on the outside. This has a special name but I always forget what it's called.

"Can we have waffles, too?" Caio asks.

"How about you guys eat some fruit instead?" Gabriella suggests. "Before digging into pancakes, waffles and whatever else you want."

"That sounds like a good idea." Maria says with a nod. She has flourished here on French Cay. Just like Oliver's two brothers. They're really getting along with Elias, Gideon and Cal.

"Real food first, processed junk food later." Della tells them in a firm voice.

"Geez, you're worse than Mum and Dad combined. Let them eat all the maple syrup and whipped cream!" Nate rolls his eyes at his older sister.

"She's not wrong." Ana says to Nate.

"Is it always this way?" Oliver whispers into my ear.

I giggle, "No, usually it's far worse."

"We're going to go have some breakfast. You guys can continue with your arguments." Oliver says before dragging me away from our families.

---

I slice through my omelette and take a sip of my orange juice. I'm sitting between my husband and my twin sister. George is sitting next to her but the rest is still loading up their plates at the buffet.

"You didn't tell me about the bus initiative." I say to Rory.

"You're no longer working for Oxford Royal, so." She shrugs before popping a raspberry into her mouth.

"You could have told me as your sister!"

"It was something Dad came up with a few years ago. But the time wasn't on his side. Nona died, Grandpa took over the throne... life happened." George explains to me. "And then when I told him about us sleeping in Wimbledon's stadium he told me about it."

"And we picked up the idea and brought it to life." Rory explains with a shrug.

"You say that like it was easy." I narrow my eyes at her.

"It wasn't easy but there were a lot of stones already pathing the way."

"It's brilliant no matter who came up with the idea." Oliver says before eating another kiwi.

That kiwi looks really, really good. Perhaps I should eat one as well. Maybe with nutella. Or mustard. Or both! Oh yes, both would be great!

"It really is." Rory rips me out of my thoughts. "We really hope this will grow through whole Britain and maybe you guys can bring it to the commonwealth."

"That would be a life changing and we'd be honoured to do that." Oliver says for me. "And maybe, who knows, Brazil might join the commonwealth."

"Perhaps you will inspire them."

"It's an option. Other states which have expressed an interest in joining the Commonwealth over the years include Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Nepal, Palestine, Yemen and even the United States. That was decades ago, though. But I say never loose hope."

"So you're saying one day the Commonwealth could create a world power?"

I chuckle, "And then imagine us being the president and vice president of that."

"It wouldn't be a world power." George says. "More like the EU in a way. A joint force to fight problems they have in common and help where help is needed. It's a constant giving and taking."

"Do you want to visit every commonwealth country?" Rory asks us.

"Yeah, not in one tour like we did... but yeah. One tour at a time I guess." I explain.

"So, you'd be constantly travelling." George says before leaning forward, "That's not really doable with a baby. Trust me, we know, we've got three."

"We can bring our team with us. And our baby will be fine, growing up all over the world until kindergarten or so. We can work wherever as long as there's WiFi. And if there's not than that's okay as well. I want to get to know the people that live there, not just shake hands with the head of state."

"I get that, I really do but it's different when there's an HRH in front of your title. It's a nightmare for the security if you go to some village in the middle of nowhere. They can't go anywhere without having eyes and ears there. It's going to be difficult."

I hope George is wrong but I know better.

Oliver

My time is running out. Just like I predicted, my wife fell asleep after we had a breakfast that was full of weird food combinations for my wife and an omelet for me. But now it's almost four and the wedding is planned at sunset. The other Bolton women have already started with their beauty routines and I haven't even asked her yet!

But the timing just wasn't right! I wanted to do this grand gesture, ask her with candles around us or up on a mountain with the view of the island beneath us but that wasn't possible in the last two days.

I run my fingers through my hair and stare our at the beach. Restless sets of waves curl and pass on an outer break. The water here has the most spectacular blue. It's like a newfound blue. I have never seen such turquoise coloured water that's perfectly clear and glitters in the under coral. Turns out French Cay is a stunning island. A piece of paradise on earth. The island that has been owned by the Bolton Family by over three decades is a little bigger than Mauritius but far not as crowded. There's very little infrastructure, not a lot of people live here and that's definitely noticeable. The jungle, the endless white sanded beaches and the crystal blue water are so stunning and untouched. This is such a hidden treasure. There are no skyscrapers and the people only drive bikes or golf carts here. Very few cars are used and those I have seen belonged to the hotel to transport food. There's a helicopter landing place and just one seven star hotel that's only ever getting used by the Bolton family. The locals working here live on the island with their families. There's a doctor working at the hotel but the nearest hospital is in Providenciales, called Provo by the locals, the bigger island close by. Basically, the locals have to work only for this week and get to be paid for the rest of the year. Sometimes the island gets visited more than once a year as it has become the sanctuary for not only the Bolton Family but also the Royals. I watch how a boat full of tourists drive past me. They're here because of stunning coral reef that are on the north side of French Cay. My brothers and Josephine's brothers went snorkelling yesterday. Groups of tourists drive by the island with their guides but even they don't know whose island it is. It's the perfect getaway. The perfect sanctuary.

"Oliver!"

I wince at the sound of my name. I look to my right and see Nate hiding behind palm trees. "Nate?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" My brother-in-law hisses at me. "Charlotte nearly ruined the surprise just because you haven't had the balls to propose to my sister!"

"Look, she fell asleep after breakfast-"

"Then ask her now!"

"She's still sleeping!"

"Then wake her up!"

"No!"

"Yes! The other royals have arrived so you better ask her now!" Nate kicks me in the ass with his words.

"But-"

"What are you so afraid of? You guys already are married. Putting a ring on that finger has never been easier!" Nate argues before pushing me into the direction of the white bungalow. "And now go! Go and ask her because the venue for the wedding is looking too beautiful to waste it."

I nod before walking back into the bungalow that's sitting right at the white sanded beach. I run my fingers through my hair as I enter the living room. Okay, I can do this. I can wake her up, ask her to marry me and not get my head bit off or a no from her. Nate is totally right, she's already my wife. She won't say no.

She won't say no.

I get the ring out of the safe that's behind a painting in the living room and walk into the bedroom. Josephine left the windows open so the soft linen curtains are flowing into the white bedroom. My wife is laying on her stomach. The white blanket is tangled up in her legs and her chestnut curls are cascaded over the white pillows. The visible skin is tanned from getting kissed by the sun for the last days.

I knee down at the bed and carefully run my fingers through her chestnut curls. They're so tightly curled and look short but when you stretch them out, the hair is so long that it reaches her hips. I watch her sleep for a moment. The stunning little birthmark in the shape of the star is on her right temple and there's another one in the shape of a heart underneath her left lower eyelashes.

She looks so damn beautiful that it almost hurts.

I don't want to wake her up. I really don't want to do that.

Her full lips stretch into a wonderful smile. It's the kind that almost makes my heart burst with love for her. "Querido," she whispers.

That's when my heart actually stops beating for a moment.

Suddenly, she moves in the bed and opens her eyes, revealing the most beautiful sky blue. They're full of love and joy. "Oliver," she breathes out my name in the most beautiful way. "I've just had the most beautiful dream."

"What was it about?"

"We were at the beach here on French Cay with Rory, George, Charlotte and Nate. They were there with their children, which were all in toddler-age. So they were running around through the white sand all in swim wear and lots of sunscreen... and they wore those tiny hats. They looked so adorable!" She breathes into my face with a voice full of sleep. I can feel her happiness so clearly. "And then... And then, I saw our toddler. Our perfect toddle that was playing with his cousins in the sand! He had those chestnut curls that look nothing like my bird's nest and your stunning emerald coloured eyes! He had your Hispanic skin colour and facial features. He was so... he was so adorable, Oliver!" She's full of emotions I can tell as her sky blue eyes are filled with a thin film of tears. "And you called him Querido. It was... it was the best dream ever." She whispers into my eyes with the most wonderful smile on her lips. "It felt so real, so... so magical. Absolutely magical."

I reflect her smile, "I hope that means I get to meet our baby boy then."

She licks her lips, "I think we're having a boy. I mean, why would I have dreamt of a boy otherwise? Gosh, if only you saw him! He was absolutely gorgeous! The perfect combination of our genes!"

Her happiness is infectious. "I will."

"Yes, you will."She grins as her eyes scan me. They widen as they notice the ring in my hand. "Oliver, what are you holding there?" She asks me with a little alert in her voice. The smile on her face has dropped immediately.

"Will you marry me again?"

She lifts herself on her right elbow, "What?" She looks like I violently shook her awake.

Shit, this is definitely not how I planned this to happen. But I guess with Josephine, making plans is not exactly part of life. "Marry me again, Josephine."

"Y-you bought a ring?" She stutters as her sky blue eyes stare at the ring. "An actual engagement ring? For me?"

"Oh, yes!" I totally forgot about the ring in my hand. "I hope you like it. I-"

"Put it on." She demands with a grin on her full lips.

"Is that a yes?"

"You didn't ask."

"Yes I did!" I start arguing.

"No. You just said marry me again. That's a demand, not a question."

I asked her before but I really don't want to argue right now. "Do you want me to ask you again?"

She shakes her head before grabbing the ring out of my hand. "It's so beautiful!" She breathes out as she has a closer look at the ring. Even in the soft light it still sparkles like crazy. The oblong cushion cut sapphire is sparkling in that sea foam colour which has a tint of blue because of the light, and the two half moon shaped diamond are perfectly clear. Even the little diamond halo from underneath is sparkling.

I get the ring out of her hand again. "I need an answer." It might be old fashioned, but I want to be the one who slips that ring onto her left ring finger.

And I want it to stay there until we're very old, very wrinkly and take our last breaths side by side.

She rolls her sky blue eyes at me, "Of course I'm saying yes, Oliver! You're the love of my life. My Northern Lights."

I push the ring on her left ring finger. It fits perfectly as expected. "Good, then get up and get ready."

"Wait, we're getting married again today?"

"In a few hours."

"Hours?!" She echoes in shock. "But I have no dress! We have no cake! You wanted that picture perfect wedding and I won't do this a third time-"

"Your Mum helped me plan everything."

She eyes me closely, "You've been planning a secret wedding behind my back? Is that what the chairs were for?"

"Yes."

"So, the staff really was carrying pink peonies."

"Yes, they were." I admit with a nod.

She wraps her arms around me and kisses me. "Can we squeeze in a quickie before getting hitched again?"

I grin. We haven't had sex since almost two weeks and while there's nothing more I would like to do right now, we can't. "I think your sisters and Mum are waiting for you to get all glammed up."

Josephine pouts before giving in, "Oh, well. The more sex for the night then."

I kiss her again, "I love you."

Her eyes soften at my words, "I love you, too." She promise me. "And I'm really happy about the ring."

"I'm glad."

She has a good look at the three stoned ring. "I love the centre stone."

"It's a sapphire from Madagascar."

"It's your eye colour when we make love." She whispers with a smirk on her lips. "I love this detail that only we know."

I knew she would get message. She always understood me even if I said no word.

Josephine

I finish braiding my mermaid braid staring at my reflection in the floor length mirror in the living room of the bungalow my parents are staying in. The braid is so long that the tips of the braid reach my waist. "Clear elastic." I say while holding on to the loose ends. We've spent the last hours getting mani- and pedicures as well as a facial. I feel as relaxed as ever.

I'm not even nervous because I know Oliver's my destiny. He's the father of our unborn baby, he's my soulmate, my best friend and partner in crime. He has seen my worst and it made him love me even more, which in return made me love him even more. We belong together. There's nothing to be nervous about.

It feels so different than the day I got ready to wed Rothschild. I was a nervous wreck then, but now... now I'm as calm as buddha. I should have known back then that Rothschild wasn't the one for me, but it's just like Oliver said, everything that happened led to this. To this day.

To this pregnancy.

Maybe everything was supposed to happen exactly as it did.

"Here." Char hands me a small clear elastic that blends into my chestnut hair. She's sitting on the sofa. Her sunny yellow coloured dress has short sleeves. My best friend's blonde hair is styled into an elegant up-do. On top of her head is a stunning fascinator with orchids in the same colour as her dress. She looks very pretty.

"Thanks." I tie off the ends and look at the braid. I used to braid Rory's hair for her tennis tournaments. We used to do the craziest braids, one bigger and mor complicated than the other. While the usual female tennis player would sport a French or Dutch Braid, Rory would rock a stylish Mermaid Braid with lots of different braids incorporated. She used to be known for her tennis skills on the court and her unbelievable braids that shone every time she hit that yellow tennis ball.

And now I'm wearing a mermaid braid on my wedding day.

It still feels a little surreal.

I start massaging the braid with my fingers to make it more voluminous. I've started with a variation of Dutch fishtail and classic three-strand Dutch braids at the crown, used the remaining hair of the strands to create a five strand braid before starting with a Dutch fishtail braid that gets interrupted every five centimetres because I alternated directions.

"Oh wow, this is a stunning braid! Best one you ever made!" Char exclaims.

"Really?" I ask as I pull the braid even further apart.

"Oh yes, definitely." My sister in law grins at me as I see my Mum walking over to us.

"Jo," My Mum only says one word but it almost makes me want to cry.

I turn around and look at the woman that's given birth to me. My Mum's wearing a beautiful pastel blue coloured summer dress. She styled her beautiful dark brown curls in a half-down hairstyle. Diamonds are dangling from her earlobes. Her hat has a large and wide organza brim and three big roses. "You like it?"

She nods, "It's lovely. The best braid you've ever created. But it could use a little something." She turns around and picks up a tray from the coffee table. There are beautiful diamond flowers in the shape of lilies, peonies and tulips.

"Oh wow, where did you get these?" I ask as my eyes still scan the diamond flowers. Pink orchids, yellow tulips, white lilies and roses. There's even a few sprigs of lily of the valley!

"Grandpa's wedding gift." Char tells me. "Rory and I told him you're not a tiara person, so he had to get creative..."

Rory walks over to me. She looks beautiful in her pastel pink coloured dress. She's wearing her chestnut curls down. On top of her head sits a fascinator in the same shade of pink. It has a birdcage veiling and flush amount of boa feathers that cascade at the back with goose biot feathers forming ovals and that will sway in the wind when we're at the beach. "They're from brooches which originally belong to the Queen Mum and Queen Victoria."

"I think that would be your something old then." My Mum says with a smile on her full lips before picking up a diamond covered rose and putting it into my hair. They'll look beautiful when they cascade down my braid.

"Something blue." Char holds up my wedding shoes.

"I thought I'd go barefoot." I think out loud. "It's a beach wedding after all."

"She's right."

Charlotte looks down at my naked feet, "Then we better paint your toe nails blue."

I look down at my toes that have a perfect French manicure. "I like them as they are. Can't we think of something else?"

"I've got an idea!" Rory says before walking away from us.

"What shall be my something borrowed?" I ask my Mum and Char.

"My bracelet." Charlotte says before getting the diamond bracelet off of her right wrist. "Technically, it would also serve as something old as it used to belong to my Mum." She mumbles as she closes the clasp of the bracelet around my right wrist.

Rory comes back with my wedding bouquet, beautiful pink peonies. She holds up the flowers and reveals the baby blue ribbon that she tied around it. "Your something blue."

"That's such a good idea!" I say with a grin on my lips. "Thank you!"

"As for your something new..." My Mum opens a red jewellery box. There's a beautiful yellow golden necklace inside with a diamond covered half moon pendant! "This is from your Dad. It's become his tradition to gift each daughter a necklace with a half moon pendant."

"I love it!" I whisper before looking at Rory. She's wearing hers as well. The yellow golden pendant is covered in pink padparadscha sapphires to match her engagement ring. Della's necklace is made of platinum with the pendant covered in blue sapphires. Ana's necklace is also made of yellow gold with a yellow diamond covered half moon pendant. Each one is unique and beautiful in its own way.

But I love mine the most.

My Mum puts it on my neck. It looks stunning against my tanned skin. "And now on to the most important item: the dress!"

"I can't believe you bought me a wedding dress without having me to try it on."

"Oh, you did try it on." My Mum says as we follow her into the living room. The dress is covered in a white clothing bag, hanging on a free beam at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" I ask her confused.

She opens the zipper of the clothing bag, revealing an ivory lace and chiffon dress. The dress has a v-cut neckline, short sheer flutter sleeves and a little train. The zillion flowers in lace on the bodice look so stunning! The ivory coloured chiffon is falling loosely. It's so, so breathtaking!

I frown as I remember the dress. It's the first Elie Saab that I tried on in the store when I was hunting for a dress to wed Edward! I remember how much I loved the lace and the flowers, the slim cut and the short train, the chiffon skirt and the belt - but it wasn't the right fit for a Rothschild wedding. It hadn't the wow-factor that a Rothschild bride needed to have so I went for a Carolina Herrera dress in the end. "Mum, is this the dress I tried on at Elie Saab's studio?"

My Mum nods, "I had the sleeves shortened and the neckline changed to a v-cut because I knew it was going to be hot."

She's right. Originally the dress had long laced sleeves and now there are circular cap sleeves which are short and flaring. The neckline has a pretty v-cut with lace on the edges instead of the modest boat cut neckline it had when I first tried it on. The changes are subtle, but they make a world changing difference.

"It's a little different but I think it's even more beautiful." I say as I touch the lace of the dress. It's a beautiful A-lined dress and I can't believe my Mum bought it for me! "Didn't it come with a belt as well?" I ask as I remember the golden ribbon that was full of pearls and yellow diamonds. That belt alone was worth half a million pounds.

"Oh yes, but I asked for a different to be made." My Mum tells me before getting the clothing bag off of the dress. She turns it around and I stare at the open back. A row of silk covered buttons sits at the lower back. Previously, the dress had lace all over but this looks much better. Wow!

"I love the adjustments you made. It's even more beautiful."

"And that's the belt that I had made." My Mum hands me a delicate belt with sparkling diamonds, white pearls and flowers all in ivory so it blends into the dress. "I wanted the belt to become a part of the dress when you put it on. But Oliver wanted to have something embroidered on the inside."

I turn it around and look at the blush pink stitching that forms the curls words Northern Lights. A grin stretches my lips.

"I don't know what it means."

"I do." I whisper. "It's our version of A Million Times More."

My Mum smiles, "Let's see if the dress is going to fit."

Oliver

My Mama straightens my tie for the zillionth time. I'm wearing a bespoke beige linen tuxedo with a vest and a matching tie made of silk. A pink peony is pinned to the left collar of my jacket and an ivory silk handkerchief is in the breast pocket.

"Mama, I think it's good now." I tell her. She seems more nervous than me.

My Mama is wearing a stunning emerald coloured dress that has a wide skirt and a fitted top. As this is a British wedding, she's agreed to wear a hat. Her beige braided hat has a wide brim and beautiful blush pink flowers and British ivy on it. The blush pink flowers match her sapphire earrings that I bought for her. They're padparadscha sapphires, the same Rory has on her engagement ring. I thought they were fitting as the sapphires are very rare and my Mama is one in a million.

"I just want you to look good, Querido." She insists before eyeing me closes again.

I grin, she hasn't called me sweetheart in ages. Ever since I was a little boy and my classmates mocked me for it. That's when I told her to stop and she did. Because she's do anything for me and my brothers. The nickname also reminds me of my wife's dream of our son. We called him Querido.

It's so hard to not tell my Mama that we're pregnant. I can't wait to yell it into the world but I hold back for my wife and hear fears. I understand her fear because lots can go wrong but at the same time that doesn't have to mean it's going to go wrong. It most probably won't. But we agreed to tell when she starts showing and I think it's a good compromise. "I love you, Mama."

My Mama nods with tears in her eyes, "I love you, too. I just wish your Papa could be here on this day."

I point to the impeccable blue sky above us that can be seen via the window in the ceiling, "He's right there. Making sure I won't stumble or stutter."

My Mama chuckles before fondling my shoulders. "You look very good in this beige linen tuxedo. Very posh... very British."

"I'm still Brazilian. Just because Josephine and I will become The Duke and Duchess of Clarence, doesn't mean I will forget my roots. I will always remember where I came from. I will always remember." I promise her and embrace her tightly.

"What about us? Don't we look..." Johna stops talking and thinks for a moment. "Fabulous as well?"

I grin at my two brothers, who are wearing similar beige linen tuxedos as me. "You guys look very handsome."

"I have some fine men." My Mama says before embracing us all. "I love you guys so much!"

"Mama!" Johna and Caio complain. "You're going to give us wrinkles!"

Mama lets go of us, "Sorry."

There's a knock on the door of my Mama's bungalow and a moment later Nate steps in. He's wearing a light grey tuxedo. He looks like his father just almost three decades younger.

"Oh, wow! Look at you, Duke of Clarence!" Nate says to me before looking at Caio and Johna. "And you guys look very handsome as well!" Nate grins at my brothers.

"Are you here to pick us up?" My Mama asks Nate.

He nods, "Yeah, let's go. Everyone's already seated."

Josephine

Rory closes the last button of my dress before my Mama puts on the belt. The dress feels a little tight around the chest but nothing too crazy. It's not noticeable and thanks to the v-neckline instead of the boat cut neckline there's much more space for my boobs that have definitely started to grow.

"Ready. Turn around." My Mama orders.

I turn around with a smile on my lips. This feels so right and different than the day we signed the marriage license in Rio. It's nothing like the day I put on the Carolina Herrera dress to wed Rothschild either. It's... it feels so magical.

"Oh, Jo you look so beautiful!" My Mama whispers with tears in her eyes.

I can feel how the tears start burning in my eyes as well. "Thank you." I whisper back.

"Oh you guys aren't going to start crying now, are you? Because if you do than I'm going to start as well and we all will ruin our makeup." Rory says to us, clearly fighting the tears as well.

I look down myself. I love the way the A-cut chiffon skirt flows and the stunning floral lace. There are roses, lily-of-the-valley, orchids, myrtle, thrift, forglove, wild leek, bluebells, cuckooflower, forget me nots and violets. The ivory belt is made of the same flowers, but they have diamonds in the centres and are made of delicate cut lace or organza. It gives the dress a beautiful focus point.

I look up and stare at my reflection in the floor length mirror. I love this bohemian dress and the braid. My hair is sparkling like crazy from the stunning diamond flowers that my Mum helped me to put in. They're cascading down the braid, which stops just before my hips. I love that we're getting married again at the beach and I love the fact that we're doing so while being barefoot.

This is the wedding I would want. Exactly like this. With these people, at this place, in this dress... and with this man. Gosh, I would remarry this man year after year, giving him the same promise over and over again.

There's a knock on the door of the bungalow before my father enters. He's in a light grey tuxedo that looks fabulous. "I'm here to get you girls."

We all nod and Char grabs my flowers while I pick up my dress so the train won't get tangled up between my legs.

My Mum, Rory and Char all walk past my Daddy and out of the bungalow. The wedding's going to be at the other end of this stunning island. Right at sunset. During the magic hour. Any photographer or videographer waits for this time period to take the photos or film, because that's when the light has a magical golden sheen and everything and everyone looks fantastic. It will look breathtaking.

Oliver and my Mum thought of everything.

I stop across my father, "Thank you for the necklace."

"You look beautiful, Josephine." My Daddy compliments me with a smile on his lips. His turquoise eyes are filled with emotions.

I bite on my lower lip, "I know Oliver and I are already married but... Would like to walk me down the aisle?"

The smile on my father's lips widens, "It would be my pleasure."

Oliver

I walk down the beige carpet that leads to the aisle, passing our families that are sitting on ivory chairs that have pink peonies on the back. Josephine's big family is present as well as my family and the royals. There's no seating arrangement but the seat next to Gabriella is empty. My Mama is sitting between Caio and Johna. In the row behind her are Gabriella's Mum Victoria and Diana that's Troy's Mum, Elias and the twins Gideon and Calloway, Gabriella's brother Ryan and his wife Kelsi, Troy's twin-brother Lucas and his wife Miley as well as their son Liam, Troy's only sister Shailene, Gabriella's father Amelio, Della and Wlad with their twin girls and Sergej, Sasha with Ana and Valentin, Nate with Charlotte and their adorable baby girls, George with Rory and their triplets girls, the Prince and Princess of Wales, The King and The Queen. Even the Middleton Family is here because Josephine's quite close to them. Gabriella told me that we're even spending the noon of Christmas Eve together with the Middletons as it's Eliana and Evangelina's first birthday. We're not a lot but everyone that matters is present.

And we're all barefoot.

It's as intimate as it can get.

I stop at the huge flower arch that's full of pink peonies. They're glowing in the light of the sunset. The sky has gifted us with the most stunning sunset tonight. It's full of bright pink, deep purple and bright orange clouds. It's breathtaking!

Even the priest has decided to go barefoot. There's a royal videographer and photographer. Soft music is being played by a harpist and a violinist.

I'm not nervous at all as I scan the faces of our family. This feels like it's meant to happen.

Exactly like this.

At this beach. With these guests.

Suddenly, the harpist and violinist start playing the song that Gabriella wrote for my wife and her ex but I guess it had always been more our song than theirs.

I look up and feel how my heart stops beating for a moment as I see my wife walking down the aisle with her father next to her. She looks like an angel in that ivory wedding dress. It has a beautiful lace pattern on the top part, lovely sheer short sleeves and a chiffon skirt with a short train. There's a sparkly belt at her waist. Her chestnut hair is braided into a massive piece of art that's sparkling from the little flowers that are inserted into the braid. A gold necklace with a half moon pendant that's covered in diamonds is around her neck. She's holding on to a big bouquet of pink peonies that has a blue ribbon wrapped around it. A diamond bracelet is on her right wrist.

This feels like a dream. A beautiful dream.

I never want to wake up.

"Hi." She greets me with a smirk on her lips as she reaches me. The pink glow from the setting sun is illuminating her. She looks like an angel.

"You look stunning."

"You look very handsome as well." She gives me the compliment back.

The harpists and violinist stop playing and everyone gets seated.

"Welcome. We've come together to witness the renewal of Josephine and Oliver's promises to each other." The priest starts with the ceremony but his voice vanishes in my ears as I watch how the setting sun gets reflected in my wife's eyes.

This is even better than my wildest dreams.

Josephine

The loud chatter, the laughter and the soft music from the waves crashing against each other get interrupted by the clinging sound of a knife softly hitting against the stem of a champagne glass.

"Before we start cutting the wedding cake, there are a few words I'd like to say." My father starts with a voice full of emotions. It's usually diamond hard, ice cold and ruthless, but it hasn't been this way today.

We all stop talking and look at my Daddy. Just like the other men, he has taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white Oxford shirt. We're sitting underneath a blanket of pink peonies, white roses, palm trees and other greenery. There are lit candles on the table as well as big flower arrangements made of pink peonies. We had a fresh fruit salad with peaches and feta as a starter and perfectly grilled lobsters with veggies as a main course. I don't know how my husband planned all of this, but this is the perfect wedding. From start to finish.

Oliver doesn't let go of my left hand as we all focus our attention on my father. I love he engagement ring so much! Oliver bought me my own sapphire, in a colour whose meaning only we know. The two half moon shaped diamonds that embrace the oblong cushion cut sapphire are really perfect. My new wedding ring sits next to the engagement ring and is made of Welsh gold and has twists with two rows of diamonds that once belonged to my great-grandmother. Oliver was gifted a new wedding ring from the King as well. It's also made from yellow Welsh gold.

It looks better than the platinum ring I chose before.

"I want to take this moment to express my joy and gratefulness. The last daughter of mine has found an incredibly kind and very clever man, who didn't hesitate to marry her when she asked him to." My father earns a chuckle from us all for that. "And today, it was his turn to ask her and she didn't hesitate to marry him again. Being a witness of the renewal of your vows felt very special and quite emotional for most of us. Because you allowed us to watch your love flourish underneath that arch of pink peonies firsthand. Hearing your promises to each other, seeing your smiles and feeling this love reminds me of the day when I married my wife. Right here. 35 years ago. It was just the two of us then... and it feels so heartwarming to be back here and see history repeating itself. Jo and Oli, I wish you all the love in the universe and all the patience in the world, because trust me, you're going to need it." He winks at us before holding up his glass of champagne, "To Jo and Oli!"

"To Jo and Oli!" Everyone repeats before taking a sip of their champagne glasses.

"Thank you Dad." I whisper to my father, who smiles back at me.

"And now cut that amazing looking cake!" Nate demands.

We all laugh, because we know Nate's greediness when it comes to food.

Oliver and I walk over to the cake that's standing on a separate table. It's a beautiful three tiered cake in the shape of three big pink peonies. They look so real, it's unbelievable! There's no bride and groom on top of the cake, which I really like. It would ruin the beauty of it.

"Whoever has his hand on top, wears the pants in the marriage, so think wisely!" Catherine cries out with a smile. Having her and the other royals here as an extension of my family was really special as well. It felt like a celebration of our love and family.

I still can't believe that Oliver planned this wedding behind my back. This beautiful, planned to perfection wedding. Everyone I would want to be here is here. He even managed to get His Majesty and the Queen Consort here! We posed for official wedding photos and I thanked him for the beautiful diamond flowers in my hair. They made this day really, really special.

My husband grabs the cutting knife that has our original wedding date engraved in it. I put my hand above it with a smile on my lips.

"Oh, alright! A true Bolton woman!" Wladimir cries out with a grin.

I grab my husband's left hand and place it on top without a word. He's wearing the pants in this marriage.

Because I let him.

My husband smiles at me before cutting through the top layer of this beautiful cake.

"Aw, Jo, seriously?" Nate asks me, faking disappointment.

I look to my left and meet my older brother's eyes, "Seriously."

"What's the filling?" I ask him as I see a yellow sponge cake with pink jam between.

"We've got lemon sponge cake with raspberry jam on the top layer, mango, maracuya and yogurt in the middle tier and a classic chocolate cake with strawberry jam on the bottom."

"You remembered that my favourite cake is lemon and raspberry?" I ask him deeply touched.

"Of course." He shows me a small smile before putting the first slide of cake on a plate. The plates were all made for today by the King's order. They have an icy blue glossy coat, gold dots with white bows on the rim and the words 'TO CELEBRATE THE WEDDING OF THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CLARENCE * 27 SEPTEMBER 2049 * FRENCH CAY' written in gold on the inside circle of the plate. Our monogram, an entwined O and J is written in white in the middle.

The plates, along with a matching mug, candle and china box will be sold in the official shop at Buckingham Palace. The King clearly chose our actual wedding date on purpose. This way the people that are going to start digging and eventually find out marriage license, it will match with the merchandise. I'm sure the photographs will get manipulated as well, so the taken date says 27th September, not 3rd December of 2049. We're already part of the firm and this is part of being a royal.

Every joyful moment is expected to be shared with the public.

"Who wants lemon sponge cake with raspberry jam?" I ask everyone.

"Me!" Charles cries out. I've rarely seen the King so relaxed. He is barefoot, like he rest of us. It feels so good to have the white sand between my toes.

I walk over to him and hand him the first plate. "Thank you for this beautiful plates. Enjoy your cake."

"Who wants second slice?" Oliver asks our families.

"I want to try all three!" Nate says with a big grin on his lips.

We all chuckle. That's so typical of him.

"What's in the other tiers?" Maria asks me. She looks absolutely breathtaking in that emerald coloured dress.

"Mango, maracuya and yogurt is in the second and chocolate strawberry in the bottom."

"I want chocolate!" Johna tells me.

"Me, too!" Caio and my three little brothers cry out.

"And me obviously." Nate winks at me.

I smile, "The rest want all mango, maracuya and yogurt?" I ask the rest of my family and they all nod in response.

"And the rest of the lemon sponge cake if there is any." William smiles at me. He's a sucker for lemon sponge cake, like me.

I turn around and walk back to the table where my husband's cutting the cake. We've been using as little staff as possible and it feels nice to take care of the guests ourselves.

"Lets save one slice of lemon cake for you." My husband says before picking up four plates with the chocolate strawberry filling. "Who was chocolate strawberry?"

More arms than before shoot up and I chuckle before turning around and picking up four plates with mango, maracuya and yogurt filling. As I watch how Oliver serves the slices of our wedding cake, a feeling of pure bliss overcomes me.

I love this man to the moon and back.

Oliver

My wife and I dance to the music of our heartbeats on the dance floor. The little band of locals have left a few minutes ago. The tables have been cleaned by the hotel staff. The food, especially the wedding cake, was a big hit among everyone. Our families have long gone to bed, all the little ones as well as the adults are fast asleep by this hour. But my wife and I... we were in the mood for this one last dance before heading back to our bungalow.

My wife looks breathtaking in the wavering light of the candles that are still burning around us. They create a soft romantic light that gets reflected by the ceiling of white roses, pink peonies and greenery above us. It was Gabriella's idea to create this blanket of flowers instead of using classic tents at the beach as a shield from the wind that can get quite sandy.

But I had no idea how beautiful this would turn out. We held the catholic ceremony in Brazilian Portuguese so even my Mama, Johna and Caio would understand every word. We didn't have vows but the look in my wife's eyes was all I needed. I will never forget the way she looked at me when she was walking down that aisle with her father by her side. This whole day was perfect and I can't thank Gabriella enough for her help.

"Northern Lights." She whispers as she stares deeply into my eyes.

My heart nearly bursts with love for her. "Northern Lights." I whisper back before kissing her.

"Thank you for this wonderful surprise."

"I wasn't sure how you were going to take it because I know you don't like surprises."

She smiles at me, "I think I'm getting pretty good with surprises." She stops dancing, grabs my hands and places them on her belly. It's still flat, but inside there's a pretty strong heart beating. "This baby... you... us... I have never liked surprises more, Oliver." She admits while fondling my new yellow golden wedding band.

Her simple words touch the deepest parts of my soul so easily. "Tesoro,"

"I couldn't wish for a better wedding, a better man and a better life. I can't wait to start this new chapter in our lives together. I can't wait to raise our child, bringing him or her up with the values we've been taught growing up. I can't wait to hit the ground running when it comes to the Commonwealth and weirdly everything else royal related."

"I feel the same way." I whisper before pressing my forehead against hers. I lift my hands off of her belly and cup her face as I stare into those stunning sky blue eyes that have a golden sheen from the wavering lights around us.

She wraps her fingers around my wrists, "This was the most special day. And these rings..." she inhales deeply, "These new rings stand for our new lives together. I love the engagement ring and the wedding band. They have such a special meaning to us and hold a special place in my heart. Today I realised that Edward didn't take anything from me that night. Instead, he gifted me this. This moment, these rings... our future together."

Shit, I think I'm actually going to cry! "Tesoro,"

She licks her lips as she's struggling with her emotions as well. "Darling,"

I kiss her before she can say another word. She lets go of my wrists and wraps her arms around my neck as she deepens the kiss. I can feel her heartbeat racing against my chest as her smell fills my nostrils. We get lost in each other's mouths, bodies and souls. Everything around us vanishes. The wavering light, the smell of the flowers above us, the ocean behind us... nothing matters but us.

Josephine

His muscular arms are wrapped around my chest, his hand squeezing my boobs as he makes love to me from behind. We are spooning on our sides, his hips thrusting so he can get his dick as deep as possible. His lips rest against my ear, and I get to listen to his sexy breathing as he fucks me, as he enjoys me and I enjoy him.

And we enjoy one another more than ever.

As soon as we reached our bungalow, we stripped naked. There's a pathway of clothes on the floor that leads to the bedroom. The only clothing item that's laying neatly on the sofa is my wedding dress.

I bounce my ass back against him, taking that girth with the same enthusiasm he gives it to me.

He holds his weight on one elbow and leans over me, supporting the back of my head as he turns my face toward his. His green eyes are glowing in the same sea foam colour as the oblong cushion cut sapphire on my engagement ring. I love the colour because every time I look at my ring, I remember his eyes. This look... these feelings. Our lips come together, and he kisses me as he continues to pound into me in even strokes.

My hand reaches for the back of his neck, and I hold on to him as we kiss, as we move together, our bodies slick with our come. Every inch of his dick is deep inside me, our bare bodies working together to be as connected as possible.

His hand moves from my nipples to my clitoris and he starts rubbing. I let go as the orgasm explodes within me. It feels like an atomic bomb going off inside of me. It's wave... after wave... after wave... it feels like never ending bliss.

It feels so fucking good!

His lips hesitate as he comes while being deep inside me. He grabs on to my hip as he finishes, giving me his entire length as he stuffs my pussy with another load of his sperm. He closes his eyes for a second as he so clearly enjoys the high.

The high we give each other - as many times as possible.

"Gosh, this felt so good, didn't it?" I ask him as I lick my lips.

When he opens his eyes, the sea foam colour of his eyes is glowing in a whole different way. "We're not done yet."

He pulls his semi-hard dick out of me before rolling me on my back. Then he parts my legs with his knees before resting his dick against my pulsing clitoris. I can feel how it radiates with warmth and power as he seals his lips over mine. I have the hottest husband on earth!

I wrap my arms around his torso and pull him closer to me until his chest presses against my hard nipples. Our tongues start dancing a rumba, a sensual fight of power and our love, until we're out of breath.

"I love you." His hot breath clashes against my face as he stares deeply into my eyes. His green eyes shine in a deep emerald colour that has swirls of sea foam green in them. It's absolutely mesmerising.

"I love you, too." I promise him and feel my heart get heavy with love for this man. At moments like these I have to pinch myself, just to make sure I'm not dreaming. This man. This sexy, stubborn, kind, strong statue of a man is mine. He is my husband. My soulmate. My best friend. My partner in crime. The father of my child.

The father of my child.

For a moment, neither of us moves. All we do is stare into each other's eyes, exploring different cracks in our iris while breathing together.

His face is resting over mine, and his arms are pinned behind my knees as he starts sinking inside me, his big dick stretching my little pussy. He moans against my lips, because he can feel just how tight I still am. He sinks deeper and deeper, only stopping when his balls tap against my ass. Now he breathes into my mouth, enjoying the way our bodies fit together like lock and key. Our bodies are destined to become one.

Over... and over... and over again.

My body knew he was my other half before my heart. My body got obsessed with him first, before my heart fell madly and deeply in love with him.

No wonder we created life so quickly and easily.

I feel the stretch of my body, feel my pussy ache from his intrusive presence. I'd never been with a man so big, who pushed in so deep - and I've slept with a lot of men. I moan against his mouth because I feel two things at once - pleasure and pain.

He starts to rock into me, our breaths and heartbeats in sync as they always have been.

"Fuck…" My fingers dig into his hair as I cradle his face close to mine. Our noses touch as we breathe together, my slickness oozing down my crack and onto the bedding underneath us. This was what I'd been craving for weeks, my man to press me into the bed and fuck me good.

My man... my husband. The feelings he gives me are out of the world.

He thrusts at a regular pace, making the headboard of the bed tap against the wall at a steady beat. It's the perfect speed, a rate that allows me to enjoy every single thrust, treasure his tip to his base. I feel him completely fill me every time, his rock-hard dick pressing against every wall in my channel.

It's fucking incredible. "Yes…yes. Don't stop." My hands move up his chest, and I bite my bottom lip as I feel the climax approach, feel the heat numbing my fingertips and toes.

He shifts his body closer to mine and fucks me even harder, fucks me at an even deeper angle.

"God…" I burry my face in his neck and release, my pussy squeezing his dick with the strength of a machine. I sheath him with more slickness that travels between my cheeks and to the sheets beneath me. It is so good, just to lie there and enjoy this sexy man fucking me.

It's the best sex of my bloody life!

Oliver follows me over the threshold just a moment later. "Now, we're done." He announces with a grin on his lips before kissing me softly.

I wrap my legs around his hips as he moves to pull out of me. "Stay." I demand. "Just until... just a little longer."

His eyes soften at my words, "I'm too heavy to lay on top of you, Tesoro."

I roll us to the side, still holding him close to me.

"I won't leave you, Tesoro." He promises me.

I know he won't because part of him is in me. I am growing a life that was created by him and I. He won't leave me an I won't leave him. Because we will live on in our child. Our love will live on in our child. I inhale deeply, "I know but I still want you to stay as close to me as possible."

He starts pulling the diamond flowers out of my hair, "Do you want me to fuck you the whole night?"

"Yes, please!"

He kisses me softly. "You know, I really like your hairstyle..." He pulls the elastic out of my hair before opening the braid. "But I love your loose curls even more."

"It's going to take you a long time to undo this braid."

"It was a very beautiful braid." He compliments me. "I hope you're going to wear a similar one more often now."

"Do you think braids should become my signature royal hairstyle?" I ask him as I run my fingers through his sweaty blond hair.

He smirks, "Maybe. But you could totally rock those curls as well."

"Rock my curls?" I echo his words with a smirk on my lips.

"Yeah, like your sisters and Mum. Rory and you could make curls cool again." He suggests as he starts opening up the Dutch braids at the crown of my head.

"Your natural hair structure is not something that you have to make cool again. It's the way you were born. That makes it cool enough." I explain as he opens the last part of my braid. It's always a relief to open braids after a long day.

He combs through my long hair with his fingers, his eyes admiring the waves that have formed from the different braids.

"I thought about cutting it off." I admit.

"What? Why?"

"Not a lot. Maybe go for shoulder length." I think out loud. "I want to donate the hair that's going to be cut off. To make wigs. I mean it's still in great condition..." I pick up a long strand and look at it. There are no split ends at the first glance. "I think."

"How much would that be exactly?" Oliver asks me, holding a strand between two fingers.

I push his fingers up the strand until it's about shoulder length. "About this much."

My husband's eyes widen, "That's a lot!"

"It grows back in no time." I say and shrug. "And there's a woman out there that needs my hair more than me."

"Maybe this could be your first patronage." He suggests. "Wigs for cancer patients or something similar. I'm sure there's an organisation that exists which could profit from your new title immensely."

"That's a good idea."

"But I'm going to miss the long curls."

"Perhaps those pregnancy vitamins are going to speed up the growth-process even more." I say with a smile on my lips. "Your new haircut inspired me, you know."

"Do you like it?"

I nod, "It makes you look even hotter."

"I thought you didn't notice it because you didn't react when I came home that night."

"I was too perplex by my father's invite to White's for you that I couldn't say a word and then all the royal work took over... but I do like it. I like it a lot."

"Then maybe you should cut your hair before we take our official photographs." Oliver suggests. "But first lets enjoy a week of sunshine and turquoise cleared water."

"We're definitely going sailing tomorrow. I'm going to teach you. We can sail to the Bahamas. They're just an hour and a half away by boat."

He smiles at me. "I've never seen you in your element."

I press my foot into his steel hard ass and feel how his dick reacts by hardening again. "I've always been in my element when I'm with you, babe."

Oliver

I watch how my wife empties the sixth maracuya with a spoon. I can't help but smirk. Every since trying the second tier of our wedding cake last night, she's been obsessed. The parrots and other birds are tweeting on this beautiful morning, the waves are kissing the white sanded beach and the sun is shining merciless. It's another day on paradise.

She licks the spoon throughly clean. Just an hour ago this tongue was driving me crazy when she gifted me one of the best blow jobs of my life. "What?" She asks me with a frown. Her long chestnut hair is wrapped into a bun. She looks stunning in that white summer dress.

Last night we had sex like we were in a race against the rising sun and my wife still is full of energy. The jet leg is definitely gone for good. "Nothing."

"No, that smirk means more than nothing." She insists before digging into her yogurt with the spoon. "Eat your food. You're going to need your energy. Sailing is a sport."

"If that's coming from the European champion, I better believe it." I mock her before taking a sip of my cappuccino.

She grins with a yogurt moustache that's contrasting against her dark tanned skin. "Yes, you better start listening to your wife."

I can't take her serious with that white moustache.

"Why are you grinning?"

I lean over the table and lick the moustache away with the tip of my tongue. "It's a good yogurt."

Her eyes darken at my words as if I said something dirty.

We won't be boarding this yacht in an hour, that's for sure.

I freaking love my wife!

Josephine

The wind is kissing my face as I turn Sapphire toward the wind from a beam reach to a close reach to close-hauled. I start gradually trimming my sails to keep them from luffing. Once the sails are trimmed in all the way, my steering keeps them from luffing. Steering as close to the wind as possible with my sails fully trimmed but not luffing allows me to progress most efficiently in the direction of the wind.

I let go of the rudder for a moment and watch how the sails catch the wind and push the boat forward with a lot of speed. The Jib, the front sail, looks absolutely fabulous with the wind in it. We're almost soaring over the turquoise water that's between the Turks and Caicos Islands and French Cay. It's a beautiful sunny day and the wind is really great for sailing.

It's the perfect day to take Sapphire out on the sea again. Sapphire is my father's sailing boat. A stunning superyacht of sail with an incredible feat of yacht design, engineering and craftsmanship, the Oyster 1225 is the last word in Oysters. It's the biggest yacht the company creates, perfect for our family. But today, it's just my husband and me. This really is the last word in Oysters, which means that it's a yacht with decades of blue water experience woven through her. At almost 123ft overall, this is a sailing superyacht that can explore the furthest reaches of our glorious blue planet, without anyone missing the little - and many of the big - luxuries of home. It's ideal for a day trip or a week long holiday as it's able to combine fine dining, silver service and crisp white sheets with stunning views of the most beautiful, remote or exotic shores. I love using Sapphire in the Caribbean. The superyacht combines in perfect harmony the competing elements of easy motion, handling, performance, interior space and liveability.

The upper deck is designed for large family gatherings, accommodating up to 12 people in addition to the master suite. Sapphire's large hydraulic swim platform with ample room for all to swim, shower and even setup some director's chairs to enjoy a sundowner on has always been a hotspot whenever we were out with the younger members of our family. There used to be a slide but Nate broke it when we were ten and since Rory cut herself on it once, my parents decided to not get it repaired or buy a new one.

The starboard guest cabin is reconfigured as a cinema room with sliding doors to create a children's den. I loved spending my summers here with my parents and siblings. We used that children's den a lot and Gideon even took his first steps here. The Oyster DNA of wide open, flush decks is complemented by the addition of a permanent, sleek bimini alongside a foredeck that encompasses a sunken tender well which can be converted into the 'Zen Room' that comfortably seats over 15 people and can be used for drinks, nibbles or even an outdoor cinema.

It's like a party boat. But with sails. With beautiful big sails.

I love taking Sapphire out as I have the best memories with her. She was the first boat that we owned. My Mummy gifted it to my father on their 10th wedding anniversary.

My husband's bursts into a laughter as the sails catch the wind so beautiful. "This is amazing!" He cries out over the harsh wind with the brightest smile on his lips. He's leaning against the platinum railings of the sailing boat in the bow, the front of the sailing boat. The wind is blowing like crazy through his short blond hair. Just like me he's wearing a life jacket over his shirt, linen shorts and nonslip, rubber-soles shoes. We've put on sunscreen before leaving but looking at my husband's rosy cheeks we have to reapply sunscreen soon. "Explain to me what's happening. But in a language that I can understand, please."

"Very simply, the forces of the wind on the sails, called aerodynamics, and the water on the underwater parts of the boat, called hydrodynamics, combine to propel the boat through the water. The wind blows across the sails, creating aerodynamic lift, like an airplane wing. The lift contains a sideways force and a small forward force. Trimming the sails efficiently produces the most forward force and the least resistance." I explain what's happening before grabbing the cherry wooden rudder again. I'm standing in the aft, the back of the boat. "Do you want to hold the rudder?" I cry over the wind.

He looks so incredibly happy in the starboard, the right side of the bow. "What? No! I can't sail!"

"Of course you can!" I disagree with him, "Come here." I nod with my head.

"Nah, I'm good here."

I smirk, "You're afraid to sail?"

"N-not afraid, just... this boat is huge!"

I chuckle, "Get your sexy ass over here."

He lets go of the railings and walks over to me. "Okay, what do I do?"

"You can hold the rudder." I say before letting go of it.

"What?" Oliver gives me a crazy look. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I won't put my hands back. Put your hands on the rudder, Oliver."

Oliver wraps his large hands around the cherry wooden rudder that's been polished to perfection. "What now?"

"Now you enjoy having control of one of the best sailing boat there is." I say with a smirk.

"I see... that's why you like sailing so much, huh?" He asks me with a smirk.

"You caught me. I do like having control and you're the only one I've allowed to take control over me."

His eyes soften at my words, because he knows how hard and easy at the same time it was. I never had the desire to give up control, to be dominated, before I met him. It was Laurent who introduced me into the scene but it's my husband that filled that scene with colour.

"What's happening now?" He asks me as he looks ahead. I love his enthusiasm and hunger for knowledge.

"A sailboat would slide sideways with the wind if it did not have a centreboard or keel underneath the hull. The flow of water over the underwater surfaces creates lift, too—a sideways force countering the force of the wind. The combination of these forces pushes the boat forward."

He nods, "Okay... what about the different angles of the sail?"

"The angle of the sail is the difference between the direction your boat is heading and the direction of the wind. Different angles of sail, called points of sail, change as your boat changes course, and the sails must be adjusted to harness the wind as efficiently as possible. When sailing as close to the wind as possible, with the sails trimmed in all the way - like we are now - , you are close-hauled or beating. As you bear off, steering away from the wind, you will ease your sails as you sail onto a close reach, then a beam reach - where the wind is blowing over the side, or beam, of the boat - then a broad reach. When you are sailing directly away from the wind, you are sailing on a run with your sails eased all the way out. If you continue to turn, you will gybe, so that you are on a run with your sails on the opposite side of the boat. As you gradually head up, turning toward the wind, you will need to trim your sails to keep them from luffing - which means flapping in the wind - as you sail onto a broad reach, then a beam reach, close reach, and finally back up to close-hauled." I answer his question. "It's a routine that keeps you moving. It really makes you break a sweat, trust me. Sailing close-hauled is perhaps the most difficult point of sail. When reaching or running, you simply point your boat in the direction you want to sail and adjust the sails to maximise their efficiency. But since the wind is not always from a steady direction, you now need to adjust your course rather than the sails."

"This is so cool!" He grins at me and I feel my heart swell with love for my husband.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this so much."

"How long can we stay on the sea?"

"However long we want. I asked the hotel staff to pack us something to eat and to fill the fridge with enough beverages."

"Can we stay the night?" Oliver asks me. "Here on the sea with the stars and moon above us?"

His question makes me love him even more. I'm so glad he enjoys my hobby that's quickly become a passion. "Yes, Oliver, we certainly can." I promise him before placing my hands on his. "Do you want me to show you how to hoist the sails?"

"Yes please!" Oliver grins at me before looking ahead again. "Look! Whales!"

I tear my eyes off of him and stare at the humpback whales that have appeared around us. They start jumping out of the water, creating big splashes as they play with their playmates. Some are bigger than others. The sounds they make is They're quite common around this time of the year. "These are humpback whales. They come here to give birth to their babies." I explain with a soft smile on my lips. "If we're lucky we might get to see dolphins or giant tortoises."

"They're so beautiful!" My husband exclaims before looking at me. "Do you want to get out your camera?"

I grin, he knows me so well. "Yes, but not to take photos of the whales."

I want to capture this moment of happiness forever.

Oliver

I'm laying on, what Josephine explained to me is called the tender well, with my wife next to me. It's a beautiful space with white padded day beds that are lowered into the upper deck. The cherry wooden material floor is hidden underneath white leathered day beds. The cabin is not too far behind us but somehow this feels cosier. Maybe because there's a huge lounge and a cinema, master bedroom, six smaller bedrooms out of two have two beds in, each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and a kitchen so spacious that I could get lost in it, in that cabin. The cabin is bigger than my old flat in Notting Hill!

But I prefer to sleep under the stars and moon. The sky is especially clear here on the sea. The day was so perfect. After we spotted the humpback whales, an enormous species of whales, we sailed to a secret coral reef, where we went snorkelling. I saw so many different coloured fish and stunning corals! We even spotted some giant turtles and skates! On our way away from the corals, as we looked for the perfect spot to stay the night, dolphins followed us for a while. Once we found the perfect place, I helped Josephine to cast the anchor. We went swimming in the most beautiful water I've ever seen. It was so clear and turquoise coloured that I even saw the fish swimming around us! After an hour in the water, we each took a shower in one of the seven en-suite bathrooms. I wish we'd take it together but the showers aren't big enough to fit two people. It felt good to wash the salt from the ocean out of my hair and the sunscreen off of my skin. We've been out in nature for the whole day, so my skin naturally turned a few shades darker than it was yesterday. We both put on white robes that have navy monograms on them, Josephine put on hers - as it has her monogram embroidered above the right pocket on the robe - and she gave me Nate's with the promise that I'd be getting my own soon as well. Then we cooked a delicious dinner with perfectly roasted steaks, asparagus, red bell peppers and potatoes. I gave half of my portion to my wife because she was so hungry. It felt nice to see her eat so much, nourishing both herself and our baby.

Everything feels like a dream! It was so perfect.

Just like the twinkling stars and moon above us right now.

"This is so bloody beautiful!" My wife breathes out before cuddling deeper into my chest. It's still 20 degrees out here although the sun has set hours ago, but my wife still insisted on wrapping us into a blanket.

I rest my head on my bent elbow and stare with her into the sky that's twinkling with stars. "Yes, it's absolutely magical."

"I'm so glad we decided to stay overnight."

I look down at her, "Well, you did promise to fuck me on the sea, so I really had no choice."

My wife chuckles before lifting her head and looking at me with an intense gaze. "You're the best that's ever happened to me."

"No, you're the best that's ever happened to me, Tesoro." I disagree with her before running my fingers through her chestnut curls. She had them wrapped into a bun when we were sailing but as soon as we casted the anchor to have dinner, she pulled the elastic out of her hair and let her voluminous curls free. The last hours of sailing in the merciless sun has made her skin turn even darker, although she wore her old navy cap, the one she uses for all of her visuals at the soup kitchen, and we reapplied sunscreen a few times.

She smiles at me, "Let's agree we're the best that's ever happened to each other then."

I grin, "Okay."

She kisses me softly before laying down next to me again.

"Why did you call the boat Sapphire?" I ask her.

"I didn't name her. My father did. But it's obvious we both love sapphires. My Mum has her oval shaped one that Della's been wearing for some years and now I have my very own as well." She wiggles with her left ring finger. The yellow golden wedding band with diamond twists is sitting nicely on top of the engagement ring.

"The boat is a she?"

"Boats are always feminine." She says with a shrug. "We're going to take Liberty out on the Mediterranean Sea this summer."

"Liberty?" I ask her confused.

"That's my sailing boat. An Oyster 745. I got it from my grandma Vicky for my 17th birthday. It's much smaller than this Oyster, which is a 1225. Liberty has enough space for a big family to spend a few weeks on the Mediterranean Sea. Rory, George, Louis, Nate, Char and I used it in our summer breaks in our uni and school time. A few paparazzi caught us near Santorini once. Sadly, the tabloids didn't mention Liberty. All their focus were on our bathing suits and our body shapes."

"Did the tabloids try to put you and Louis together?"

She bursts into a laughter, "Oh yes! They've been doing it for years actually. It only stopped when I went public with Rothschild."

I noticed she has started calling Edward by his last name only.

"But that ship has sailed." She says and grabs my left hand before my kissing my wedding ring. "You are my safe haven, Oliver. You've always been. I want many nights like this with you. I want to sleep under the stars, I want to have my morning cappuccino with you and I want to share a bathtub with you for the rest of my life. No tabloid will ever destroy this."

"And certainly not Edward Rothschild." I agree with her before kissing her softly. "I can't wait to see Liberty."

She grins at me, "You're going to love her. She's 75 feet long and has seascape windows that bring the outside in by flooding the interior with natural light and providing ocean views in both the saloon and master suite. The jib has this beautiful embroidered floral artwork in a royal blue. That makes the boat a tiny bit slower, but it's worth it. She is a real beauty on the water."

"You sound so sexy talking about sail boats." I whisper.

"I do?"

"Yes, hearing you be so passionate about a boat makes me want to see Liberty even sooner."

"But it's too cold to take her out on the sea right now, so we have to wait until the summer."

Summer... that's when we're going to have our baby. "Then I guess our baby is going to learn how to sail before it learns how to walk."

My wife chuckles, "There's no doubt it's going to be ours then."

The love of my life looks so breathtaking with this grin on her lips. She's such a natural beauty and kind person.

I so hope we're going to get a girl. I want to raise a girl that looks like us into a feisty and independent woman that's just like her mother.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks me after a moment of silence.

"I hope we're getting a girl. I know you want a boy and you dreamt of a boy, but I wouldn't mind having the honour to raise a girl that looks just like her Mum."

I can see her blush in the bright light of the stars. "Well, I really wish for a boy. A boy with your eyes and hair. A boy with your kind heart and undying patience."

"Well, then one of us is going to be disappointed once Dr. Ross tells us the sex."

"Could we leave it a surprise?" She asks me.

I thought she was confident that we're having a boy. I wonder what changed her mind about it. "Tesoro, this baby's surprise enough. I want to be able to buy pink and blue baby clothes. I want to decide how to decorate it's nursery properly."

"I thought we would raise the child without any prejudices."

I nearly do a double-take. "I'm sorry, what?"

She shrugs, "This whole boy and girl thing is so old-schooled."

"My boy won't wear pink skirts." I insist. I'm all about equality but that's a line I won't cross.

"But your girl will wear blue jeans. Who knows maybe our daughter wants to be an engineer or an astronaut? I don't want her to kill her dreams just because they're male jobs. That's all I'm saying."

"You want to raise it with an open mind?"

"Yes."

"What if it wants to be a secret agent? Be 007?"

She smirks, "That's an option in our family, isn't it?"

I shrug, "Wlad told me Della wanted to join the MI-6 once, so yeah it kind of is."

"Well, we're going to raise our child under very extraordinary circumstances. It's going to be a royal without being of blue blood. The chances of becoming a secret agent are very close to zero."

"Thank God, because I couldn't take that heartache."

She nods, "Good thing it won't be a drug dealer or human trafficker as well."

I lick my lips. I wish we were joking but we're not. We're serious. It's part of being a member of the Bolton Family. I pull her closer to me and inhale her scent.

"We're going to be the best parents we can be." She promises me. "We'll raise our child with the eyes to see the problems in the world and the courage to do something about them."

Then she'll be just like her mother.

My wife looks back at the stars above us. "You know, we could always sail to the Scandinavian and watch Northern Lights with Liberty over New Year's Eve."

"But you just said it was too cold."

"I don't have the experience to sail in cold waters but with a crew with us-"

"No. No crew. Just you and me." I interrupt her.

She nods with a smirk on her perfect full lips, "You just want to have the opportunity to fuck me wherever you want to."

I grin, my wife knows me inside out. "I think we should start with the tender well."

She licks her lips, "Right here? Under the stars and moon?"

"You're not the only one with a bucket list."

"We're so going to tick this list off one location at a time." She grabs the collar of my bathrobe and pulls me closer before kissing me passionately. Our tongues start battling as she straddles me. She awakes my desire so easily. My body always wants her, my heart always craves hers. I can feel her long fingers moving into my robe, I can feel how the yellow gold metal of her rings touches my abs as she runs her hands up my chest. Two rings... two bloody rings. It's even more of a turn-on than I thought. I pull the bow of her robe open and expose her perfect nude body with those full tits. They've grown so much over the last weeks. Her hands move down to the bow of my robe and she opens in within the blink of an eye. Feeling her skin against mine gives me such a high. Her nipples are hard like diamonds although it's still warm outside. I push the robe over her shoulders and span my fingers over her entire back, my thumbs touching across her belly. She grabs my erection before guiding it home.

A loud growl escapes my lips as I feel her tight pussy greeted me with the warmest welcome. She's so wet, so tight and so warm...

She moans into my face before kissing me passionately. It's good we're out on the sea, far away from any soul that could hear us.

I guide her up and down, feeling her hips undulate as she grounds her clit against my hard body, pleasing herself without shame. Every time she rolls her hips, she arches her back in the sexiest way, pressing her tits farther into my face.

Damn, this is so hot!

I lean against the cushions and watch her fuck me, feeling her airtight pussy slide up and down my dick, slathering it with another layer of cream. Every time she lifts her body, I can see the cream build up around the base of my dick.

Her tits are so damn amazing. They are voluminous, with pink nipples. I like to watch them shake up and down as she works up a sweat fucking me. My hands cup her tits and squeeze them like stress balls while my cock twitches with joy. A loud erotic moans escapes my wife's full lips. I start rolling her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. "More..." she breathes out. She loves walking on that thin line between pleasure and pain more than anything.

I squeeze them harder and feel how her body reacts to the pain that rushes through her body in a way I've never seen any other women do but her. Her pussy grows wetter and tighter at the sensations that my hands create. I thought giving a woman pain was a crime, but seeing my wife get off on it like this, makes me want to please her more.

There's nothing I wouldn't do for her.

She starts bouncing on my dick harder and harder, using my shoulders as an anchor. She arches her back deeply every time and my hands move down to her perfect ass. Her whimpers become higher in pitch, and she starts biting her bottom lip in preparation for her climax. We've been fucking and making love for so long that I know her body's reactions by heart.

She presses her face against mine as she comes, moaning and clawing me at the same time.

I spank her ass because I know that's what turns her on. "Come, Tesoro."

She moans so loudly that I fear it echoes to the nearest island there is.

I spank her again. "Come all over this dick."

Her nails drag down my chest as she finishes, yelling, screaming, and whimpering all at the same time. "God…" Her nails dig deep into my abs as she finishes, as if she didn't know how else to process the pleasure. "I love your dick..."

My cock twitches inside her, clearly pleased with her compliment. I grab her hips and pull her down onto me a couple of times until I hit my threshold. My toes curl and my fingers dig into her skin as I come hard, my hips thrusting involuntarily as I finish shooting my load into that pussy I've become addicted to so quickly. "Tesoro..."

She grins like she always does after climaxing. It's a grin only I get to see. It's this moment why I chose that sea foam coloured sapphire that's sitting on her left ring finger until death do us apart. "That was exactly what I needed, baby."

I cup her face and kiss her passionately as my dick slowly softens. "I love you so much."

She blushes at my words. "I love you, too." Her hot breath clashes against my face as her promise reaches my ears.

Josephine

I grab my husband's hand as he helps me off of Sapphire. We had the most magical time on the yacht but now we're ready to have steady ground underneath our feet again. I thought I'd feel seasick as soon as I stepped on the yacht but to my surprise I haven't felt sick once. I'm a good sailer and so is Oliver.

I step on to the wooden boat bridge before slipping into my Flipflops.

"We should make that a tradition." My husband suggests as we walk down the boat bridge. "I really like being on the open sea with you."

I grab his hand and squeeze it softly as we walk past the turquoise water that's surrounding French Cay. "I enjoy being on the sea with you as well. You're not a chatty box unlike Nate and Char."

My husband chuckles, "Sometimes I wonder how you put up with them. A whole weekend on a yacht with them? They must've talked your ears off."

I grin, "We're family. They can talk my ears off whenever they want."

We step on to the fine white sand and I cherish the feeling of the warm sand between my toes. It's midday so the sun's pretty high up but the warmth feels absolutely beautiful on my skin.

"Are you hungry?"

"I would kill for a pineapple and maracuya juice." I admit. "But other than that I'm good. All I want to do now is bath in the sun and occasionally dip into the turquoise coloured water in front of us."

"Then this is exactly what we're going to do." My husband's eyes are hidden behind sunglasses but I know they're glowing in the same shade as the sapphire on my engagement ring.

I smile at him before tearing my gaze off of him. I spot my brothers, nieces and Oliver's brothers building sandcastles with Ana's help. There are shovels for scooping and packing; small buckets for shaping towers; two-by-two for tapping out air; paint stirrers for sketching and smoothing; straws for blowing excess sand away; measuring spoons and melon baller for making windows; offset spatula and plastic knife for carving; and large buckets for hauling water and building all around them. There are three sand figures in total. One built by Caio and Johna, one by Carry and Bella and one by Caio, Gideon and Eli. The kids and Ana are all wearing swim wear, hats and loads of sunscreen. They're full of sand but it looks like they're having lots of fun!

"Oh, wow. These sandcastles look really good!" I breathe out as I stop at Caio and Johan's sand statue. It doesn't look much like a castle, though.

"That's suppose to be the Cristo." Caio tells me.

"Oops." I breathe out before my husband bursts into a laughter.

Ana looks at the creation, which is meant to look like the Cristo in Rio. "Don't worry, we'll fix that." She promises them with a wink.

"These two look good!" Oliver knees down to have a closer look at Bella and Caroline's sandcastle. "It looks familiar."

"That's Windsor Castle." Bella explains with a bright smile on her lips. She's full of sand but her navy eyes with that silver ring in the iris are shining even brighter.

"Oh wow, really?" Oliver asks with wide eyes. "Now, I can see it too!"

I watch how he interacts with my eight year old nieces. He's so good with kids. I can't wait for our baby to arrive. I'm sure we'll be building lots of sandcastles together.

I look next to Elias, Gideon and Cal. "What are you guys building?"

"Can't you tell?" Eli asks me.

"Are you blind?" Cal asks me while waving at their creation.

I frown, "I'm sorry but I-"

"It's our yacht!" Gideon says while pointing at the sand creation.

"You wanted to build Sapphire?" I ask them.

Cal sighs, "I told you guys. We should've stocked to an octopus or a fish. Something easy!"

"Caio and Johna were building the bloody Cristo! And Bella and Carry started with Windsor Castle! Bloody Windsor Castle! You think we weren't capable of doing something equally as stunning?!" Cal hisses at his brothers.

"Well maybe you should've done something easier." I tell them.

"Like a fish." Eli lowers his gaze at Cal.

"Well, a yacht is very advanced with the sails."

"I'm not an artist. I'm giving up!" Cal says while waving with his hands.

"No! No don't give up. Just try again." I encourage them. "I'm horrible at sandcastles as well but that doesn't mean I never build them."

"Could you help us out?" Gideon asks me.

I nod, "Yeah, sure. We can make teams. Oliver can work with Bella and Carry. Ana can work with Caio and Johna. And I'm going to be on your team." I say before looking at Oliver who nods in agreement.

Building sandcastles is even more fun if we make it a competition.

"No offence but can we choose Ana?" Eli asks me.

"No! We're not giving you Ana!" Johna cries back at them before grabbing Ana's hand. "She's ours!"

"Sorry. You're going to have to do with me." I tell them with a shrug.

Eli looks at the twins, "Alright, fine. You're on our team."

I sit down on the sand, "Okay, what do we want to build?"

Gideon gets a bright green bucket before filling it with sand. "We're going to traditional road. We're building a castle. But bigger and better than Windsor Castle."

I frown at my brother, "Okay which one?"

"The Palace of Versailles." Gideon decides.

My eyes widen at his suggestion, "Versailles?"

"Yep. With all the mazes around it." Gideon looks at Eli and Cal. "Team Bolton!"

"That's not a correct name! We're Boltons as well!" Carry cries back.

"Well then Team Versailles!" Eli decides.

"How about we all do an animal?" Ana suggests as she sees my shocked expression. Versailles will be impossible to recreate! They're too ambitious.

"Oh, yes! Let's do a flamingo!" I suggest. "Oliver and I saw some in Barbados!"

"You guys were in Barbados?" Eli asks me.

I nod, "Sailed passed that and the other Turks and Caicos Islands."

"Next time I'm going with you guys. Mum and Dad only ever want to sail to Cuba and Haiti." Eli rolls his bright green eyes at me. He's the only man in the family that has green eyes. Ana's the only woman in the family to have green eyes.

I hope our boy - or girl - will have green eyes as well. Oliver's emerald green eyes. Or the sea foam colour that's my sapphire.

"Can we make an elephant?" Bella asks my husband.

"Sure. That sounds like a good idea." Oliver smiles at her.

"What do you guys want to make?" Ana asks the Rodriguez brothers.

They think for a moment. "Can we do a butterfly?" Johna asks her.

"Good. Everybody, ready, set, go!" Oliver says and we all start going.

Gideon, Eli and Cal start filling their buckets right away.

"Woah, we have to start with a plan. We need to sketch first!"

"But-"

"Do you want to win?" I ask my brothers and they all nod. "Good. Then let's sketch first. Use a shovel or paint stirrer to draw an outline in the sand."

"I want the flamingo to be extra large!" Cal says before drawing the outline of something that could look like a flamingo with one eye closed and from very far away.

"That's not a flamingo!" Gideon cries back. "Let me do that!" He tears the shovel out of his twin brother's hand and draws something that looks very much like a flamingo. "There. What now?"

"Now it's time to dig. Shovel sand from outside the lines into the centre of the sketch to form a large mound. That way we create a platform for our flamingo."

Eli, Gideon, Cal and me start digging and shoving the sand in the centre of Gideon's sketch. I look over my shoulder and watch how my husband is helping my nieces. They're quick and efficient. The elephant is quickly coming to live.

"What now?" Eli asks me.

"Now we have to pound. With the back of a shovel, pack the sides of the mound to form the edges of the flamingo."

"How high should it be?" Cal asks me as we start forming the outlines of the flamingo.

"A little higher." I say as we keep going. "Okay, that's good. I think we can split up now. I'm going to do the legs. Cal and Gideon, you guys can make the body and Eli the head."

My brothers nod before we split up. I take a moment to look at Team Butterfly. Ana, Caio and Johna have already created the shape of a butterfly. Looks like Team Flamingo is the slowest.

"We have to be quicker!" I tell my brothers and move quicker than before.

We all stay focused on our sand animal. For minutes we all work on our creatures.

"Ready!" Caio cries out.

"Ready!" That's Bella from Team Elephant.

"Guys, we're last!" I hiss at them.

"We need to form the feathers!" Eli hisses back at me. We all help him with the feathers to make the flamingo look real.

"Ready!" Gideon cries out.

"Okay, who's the judge?" I ask everyone.

"Grandma and Grandpa, duh!" Bella and Carry say out of one mouth.

I turn around and watch my parents approaching us. They're walking through the water, holding hands and giggling like teenagers. My Mum looks fabulous in her black bikini! They are stretch marks on her thighs, belly. Her body's full of signs when she was pregnant. It's full of memories. It tells a story. The story of her family. The story of us.

As they walk closer to us, I suddenly notice the huge writing on the right side of my father's torso. The words A Million Times More are written in a curly font. They go all the way from the middle of his rips to his hips. There is British Ivy underneath it along with Lily-of-the-valley. The tattoo is white but it's very visible now because he's so tanned. The tattoo is absolutely enormous!

I burst out into a laughter as I realise what he has done. My father's in his mid fifties and he's looking like a man in his mid twenties. It's unreal!

Unlike this tattoo.

"Is this real?" I ask my Daddy as they stop across us.

"Yes. Very real." My Dad confirms.

"To be clear, I wasn't in on it and I didn't like it." My Mum says to us.

"But now you do." Daddy smirks at her.

"No. I just learned to tolerate it." My Mum insists.

"How long have you had it?"

"A few months."

"He did it because of you." My Mum says to me.

"Me? What do I have to do with this?" I wave at his tattoo.

"You inspired me. You didn't think twice about marrying Oliver after you saw him again. You seized the moment."

"Well then perhaps Carpe Diem would have been a better choice."

They all burst into a laughter at my words.

"I like it and that's all that matters." My Dad insists before looking at the sand figures around us. "Oh you guys were busy! These look good!"

"We need a judge." Oliver tells my parents.

"Oh, it's our pleasure!" My Mum grins at us before having a close look at each sand figure. "Oh wow, these are brilliant! I really like the elephant and the butterfly! Oh and the flamingo of course!"

"I'm going to go with the butterfly." My Dad decides. "It's the most detailed."

"I'm going with the elephant." My Mum smiles at us, "But the flamingo is pretty as well."

I pout and look at my brothers. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

They all nod.

"We need more judges. Where's the rest of the Bolton Family? However gets the most votes wins." I decide.

"But we should keep the teams a secret so it's fair." Oliver suggests.

I look at the kids, "Get everyone!"

They nod before storming off in all directions like bees flying to find nectar.

"The flamingo's great as well honey." My Mum says before embracing me with one arm.

No, it's not. It looks horrible compared to the elephant and the butterfly. "Your sons aren't that gifted after all." I smirk at them.

"You didn't help them?" My Daddy asks us.

"No, we were more like guiding forces. We assisted them." Ana explains.

"Well then whoever did the elephant must've been really gifted." Daddy breathes out.

"That were Carry and Bella." Oliver explains.

"The butterfly's pretty good, too."

"Caio and Johna." Ana explains.

My parents look at the flamingo. "Well our boys have other talents." My Dad says to my Mum who chuckles.

"It's not that horrible... it just takes a certain imagination to eventually see a flamingo." My Mum mumbles. "But it's really... it's really something."

The things you do for your children... you even start seeing a flamingo when there's definitely not one.

---

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!

Hopefully, this chapter provided you some distraction and gave you warm fuzzy feelings as it did to me when I wrote it. This was a very small, intimate wedding. The smallest in the Bolton Family's wedding history. Would you have preferred a wedding as grand as Rory's or as the wedding Jo was originally going to have when she planned to wed Edward?

Also, what do you think his next move is going to be?

Do you think Jo and Oliver are going to have a boy or a girl?

I hope you learned something in the part about the sailing in this chapter. I know, I did. The Oyster is a real yacht, so you can google it if you want to know more or see photos of it.

French Cay is a real island as well. It belongs to the Turks and Caicos Islands and between The Bahamas and Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Please stay healthy and safe.

In gratitude,

Nicole