C. Brown - Compromising

Tears fell fast from Emmalyn’s eyes, marking the first time I saw real emotion out of her. “I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful.”

“Well, make good on what you know you need to do. Because the second you bring this negativity back into our world, I will rip you out of it so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

Emmalyn reached out for Cassie, taking her hand and kissing the top. I still hated everything about the woman, but I finally understood what Cassie had been saying about compromising. It wasn’t about me, but about the love I had for her. I didn’t have to like what she was doing, but if it made her feel better, it was my duty to prop her up and support her the best way that I could. The light bulb had finally gone off and in the most intriguing of circumstances.

“Alex, can you give us a minute?” Cassie asked.

I walked over and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be right outside waiting for you.” After looking her over a minute more, I walked out the door and waited, my heart hurting for her and knowing that everything that I had done, was all that I could do.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t believe it. My day was finally here—I was finally about to become Mrs. Cassie Cruz.

Nat and Adriana fussed over me as they curled my hair and applied mounds of makeup, all in the name of making me perfect for my big day, but I didn’t need any of that. All I needed was to walk down that aisle and become Alex’s wife.

Here I was, two months later with my ever growing belly now noticeable to everyone who saw me. It made me smile knowing that soon Alex and I would have our little bundle of joy. We’d elected not to find out the sex of the baby, wanting to be surprised at birth, then placed wagers with everyone we knew. Alex was dead set that I was carrying his little princess, and made promises to include his mom in her naming. It meant everything to him, so it meant everything to me. After all that we had been through, our independent happiness had become the other’s priority.

“Have you eaten today, Cassie?”

“Adriana, I’m getting married. I can’t stomach food.”

“Um, that’s my niece in there. You need to feed her, she’s moving around.”

Nat brought me a half turkey wrap. “Eat, Cassie. You have to feed that baby and calm your nerves.”

“I don’t know why you’re nervous anyway,” Adriana added. “You’re stuck with us. You’ve got a Cruz growing inside of you.”

We all laughed. Her words couldn’t have held more truth. Alex was so utterly possessive and consuming that our child would forever link us because there was no way he would allow it to be any other way.

“Hey, it’s show time, girls,” the wedding planner announced, poking her head into the room.

“Oh shit! Hurry up and eat that, Cassie,” Nat ordered, then took mouth spray and filled my mouth, making sure that my first kiss as Alex’s wife was as she said, “Minty fresh!”

Strolling down the steps of the chapel, I waited as I watched Adriana, then Nat take their walk down the aisle. Abel and Alex’s cousin Lina walked down next, Abel carrying the rings on a camo printed pillow as Lina dropped red rose petals on the floor.

My smile at the adorable little kids quickly disintegrated as the music cueing my entrance began to play. I swallowed, trying to reign myself in. The baby moved incessantly, probably feeling the nerves swirling through my body. I took two more steps and found solace in Dalton’s smiling face as he held out his arm for me, ready and waiting to walk me down the aisle. I had no dad, and in my moment of panic, Dalton did what Dalton does best—he took my burden and quickly erased it, reminding me that I had a best friend who loved me enough to take the honor. I burst into tears on his shoulder, grateful and thankful that he was a part of my life.

Since I had very little family, the chapel was filled with Alex’s family and our mutual friends. I’d shed plenty of tears over this realization during the planning, but Alex reminded me that his family was my family and that they would be there to share our day, not just his. The pregnancy had me crying over everything, and I couldn’t wait until I got to a point where I would no longer shed tears every time something had to be questioned.

I looked ahead, my nerves dissipating as my heart fluttered at the sight of my soon-to-be husband. Alex stood tall in his crisp dress blues, looking just as handsome as he had the night I met him at Coyotes. Riley and Smith stood next to him, dressed in the same uniform and making up quite the impressive trio. Dalton and I walked for what felt like a lifetime, finally stopping at the alter—where Alex took my hand away from my best friend. It felt real and genuine, and I smiled back at Dalton as he turned away, wiping a tear from his eye. Alex wrapped my arm around his, smiling at me with a seductive gleam in his eye as we walked up the steps to stand before the Chaplain.

The ceremony seemed to go by slowly, but the second we were asked to recite our vows, I fell in love with Alex all over again.

“Cassie, you’ll never truly know how much you’ve changed my life, and how much better I am for it, but I plan to work every single day to show you just how much of a better man you make me want to be. I’ve gone a long time doing the wrong thing, but I knew from the second our eyes met that you were somebody special, and I threw all caution to the wind to be a part of you. I’ve messed up, and I will continue to have my hiccups, but there is no better person in this world that I would rather go through life’s trials and tribulations with.

“I promise to spend every day of the rest of our lives loving you, protecting you, sacrificing and compromising for you because your happiness is what truly matters. I’m so in love with you, and I love you more today that I did yesterday. Keep showing me the way, baby, and I promise you I’ll continue to grow to be the man you need me to be. I love you.”

Tears filled my eyes and streaked down my face, defying the order I’d had from Nat not to cry and destroy her hard work, but the passion in Alex’s voice, and the look in his eyes, had done me in.

We made it through the rest of the ceremony, eagerly awaiting the words that we had been waiting to hear for so long. “Alex, you may now kiss your bride.”

Alex wasted no time, taking me in his arms and kissing me like we were the only two people in the room. The chapel filled with cheers and whistles, Riley rooting Alex on. I held him tightly and kissed him as if it was the last kiss we’d ever have, living in the moment and grateful that this man, this man that I had gone through scandal, fights, break-ups, and makeups with, was now my husband.

We pulled away, and I wiped the lipstick from Alex’s mouth. He followed behind me, licking his lips in a way that gave me, and only me, the signal that he couldn’t wait for more.

“I now give you, Mr. and Mrs. Alejandro Cruz.”

The chapel erupted in applause. Alex took my hand and led me down the stairs, stopping at the empty seat next to his grandmother that held his mom’s picture. He kissed her face, then whispered, “I did it, Mama,” before leading me out of the chapel and into the brisk air where he held me tight and kissed me again with everything he had.

++++

The reception was held at a restaurant just outside the front gate of Camp Pendleton. Alex spared no expenses, making sure it was everything that I wanted it to be. Servers walked around holding trays of champagne and hor d’orvers, making sure guests were never empty handed. The room was decorated in Marine Corps, blood stripe red, and luxurious accents of gold. I hadn’t doubted for one second that everything would turn out exactly the way we had planned it. Alex was a tyrant with every single detail to be hashed out. We’d fought about it, but in the end it was okay because the smile on Alex’s face as we were introduced to our family was everything I’d hoped it would be and more.

Our first dance was to Amazed by Lonestar. Alex picked the song himself, leaving it a surprise for me since I’d told him I couldn’t possibly make a choice. From the opening piano key, I knew what it was, and my heart fluttered. As brash as Alex could be, his sensitive and romantic side was just as much a part of him, only I was normally the only person on the receiving end of it. We danced as one, kissing and laughing as Alex attempted to sing along. We were lost in one another, forgetting the rest of the world.

“You just made me the happiest man on earth today, Blondie. I don’t know what tops this.”

I took his hand and placed it on my belly. “How about the birth of this little one?”

A smile crept across Alex’s face. “That’s a whole new realm, baby. I can’t wait for it.”

Our dance ended, and Alex and I took our seats. The lights were dimmed as a spotlight shone down on a single chair placed in the middle of the room with a picture of Imelda. I held Alex’s hand tight, knowing that this would be a very emotional part of the day for him, and unsure just how he would handle it. A Song for Mama by Boys II Men came through the speakers, drawing cheers and appreciation from everyone in attendance.

The room sat quiet as the song played. Adriana held on to Guadalupe and cried as Alex tightened his grip on my hand, bringing it to his lips periodically and covering it in small kisses. His foot tapped to the beat, and at certain points throughout the song, he held his head upwards, eyes closed as he quietly spoke words that only he was able to hear. My heart shattered for him, but also for me. Imelda was very much a part of me, and seeing Alex hurt leveled out some of the joy and euphoria the day had brought.