บท 147: That's All I Need.
The day was warm and sunny as if even the weather wanted happiness and love for two people who decided to unite their hearts and souls forever. A quiet and cozy church on the outskirts of the city was hidden from people's eyes by a large green garden, and only residents of the surrounding houses and people who accidentally stumbled upon it during their walks knew about its existence.
Outwardly, it did not look remarkable; rather, on the contrary, seemed dull and abandoned, so not many people showed interest and looked inside. But those who did not judge it by appearance and took at least a step inside the building were amazed by its cleanliness and decoration.
The painted stained-glass artwork on the windows and the frescoes on the walls that the unknown artists created were fascinating with their beauty. Some special warmth and radiance emanated from them as if God himself had blessed this place to make the people, who were there, happy.
And, of course, no one would have thought that in this very church, far from the city bustle and prying eyes, a sacrament would occur, the outcome of which would be two lives, united into one whole.
Corey removed the strand from the face of the bride and put it on the nape of the girl, creating a perfect and airy curl. She took a step back and looked at her work proudly,
"Whoa, Elena, you're beautiful! Lord, if there were at least one paparazzi, he would have gone mad with happiness! He could have made such a great shot here! Wait, I can't just leave it." Corey pulled a phone out of her pocket and started taking pictures of her friend from all possible angles. After that, she switched from the back camera to the front one, and a series of charming selfies filled almost all of the phone's memory.
"Ahaha, Corey, why do I need some kind of alien paparazzi when I have my own personal and such a cute photographer!" Elena laid her head on Corey while they were looking at the pictures. To pay tribute to her friend, the bride appeared more than amazing in the photos. She herself did not expect to be so beautiful.
Corey chose a few good shots and hit the send button. "Hehehe, let's see what will happen now," playful lights lit up in the girl's eyes.
"Who did you send the message to?"
"To Daniel. Do not worry, I chose those where the dress is not visible and where we are together, so David will be amazed by your beauty anyway."
Elena smiled, seeing the joyful mood of her friend. Despite everything that happened, Corey remained the same, and she could also fool around like a little child, although she herself was soon going to become a mother.
Become a mom. From these thoughts, Elena felt how warmth began to spread over her body, giving lightness and an inexplicable feeling of happiness. She folded her arms on her belly and closed her eyes. Is it possible to feel happier than she was now? She wondered what kind of face David will make when she tells him this news.
Elena's phone vibrated and a series of clicking sounds followed, announcing a whole bunch of incoming messages. She opened the messenger, and the display was filled with various colorful emoticons and stickers, dancing bears and smiling cats, hugging little people and sparkling hearts.
The girl giggled, who would have thought that a strict and successful businessman in public life would be such a gentle and romantic husband, ready to pamper his wife with attention even in such trifles.
After all the emoticons there was a message, [You're beautiful.]
"Ahaha, Daniel is writing that David almost took his phone away from him when he saw our messages with you and did not calm down until he received a copy of them. Oh, Elena, your fiancé is just a terrible owner."
"And Daniel is not like that?" Elena asked her friend and smiled slyly.
"How... How do I know?" Corey's cheeks flushed red and she began looking at the phone defiantly, "Daniel and I are just good friends, so I don't know how he behaves with girls. I have never been interested in his stormy personal life."
"Does he have a stormy personal life? I didn't notice anything like that."
"Ha, you bet! Because of the interview with your beloved David, we now cannot even sit quietly anywhere! The crowds of obsessive girls begin to pursue Daniel right when they see him! And most importantly some girls can be so sassy! Once, when he went shopping with me, one girl, painted like a Christmas tree, rushed to us, and grabbed his hand. You imagine, she without any shame nestled to him with her huge tits, despite the fact that he was not alone! What the hell is with her mind?!" Corey expressively showed how big that woman's breasts were, as well as what seductive look that girl gave to Daniel.
Elena was watching Corey's emotions in amazement, "Do you know, does it only seem to me, or do I sense jealousy in your voice?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Corey immediately faltered, and her face twisted into a grimace of misunderstanding. Hey, friend, is this some kind of a joke? What kind of jealousy are you talking about? "Pfff, Elena, we're just friends, what kind of jealousy could be between us? I worry about him as a friend, you know? If Jason were in a similar situation, I would have worried about him the same way," Corey spread her arms, convincing herself of the silliness of Elena's assumption.
The latter chose to remain silent and only smiled sympathetically, 'Hmmm, Daniel, you have a long way to go.' Knowing Corey, she may not see things obvious to other people until the very last moment. Elena and David have long noticed that Daniel's gaze directed at her is far from how friends look at each other. Can there ever be another person in this world who is as blind to such obvious allusions as Corey? Aah, stop. There is one. The image of Jason surfaced in Elena's head, the girl sighed hopelessly. 'My friend, it looks like you missed a new rival on your way to Corey's heart.' Elena mentally wished good luck to the guy, so in the case between him and Corey, it will be needed for sure.
"By the way, Elena, did you not tell me about your trip to that woman, what was her name there, Madame Wang?"
"Yes, we were at her place the day before yesterday," Elena paused, teasing her friend, who was looking forward to the details of the visit to the old shaman, "She carefully studied the three of us and said that everything was fine. David and Daniel are no longer connected, but interestingly, both of them managed to keep their abilities. True, she recommended not to use them for nothing, since it still takes away vital energy. But even if to use them, the new forces will be enough to live to a great old age. There you have it," the girl smiled, finishing her report.
"It's great!!! I'm so glad!" Corey threw her arms around her friend like a little octopus, trying not to touch her hairstyle, "Hehe, now you can make babies with a clear conscience! Yes, more babies! Do not delay with this, otherwise, my kid will have no one to play with!"
Elena turned her head away and embarrassedly scratched her nose, "Khem, we already kind of did that," she answered in a whisper, to which Corey let out a loud squeal, almost deafening her friend. Elena immediately shut her mouth with her hand, she did not want them to be heard, and moreover, she did not want any unnecessary talks to arise ahead of time, "Shh, this is a secret! Nobody knows about this! You are the first." Elena was the first person to find out about Corey's pregnancy, so telling her friend her most important secret was the reciprocal move for her.
Corey's eyes glittered with undisguised joy, she ran a finger over her lips, symbolizing that she would not reveal this secret even under torture, "God, this is news! Hehe, I think David will fall into a blissful trance when he finds out that he will be a father. Why haven't you told him yet?"
"Because, knowing his overprotective nature, I could not even step out of the house without his presence, not to mention preparing for the wedding and participating in the company's affairs. So I decided to hold onto this news and report after all this fuss."
Knock Knock.
A knock at the door interrupted a secret conversation between two friends. "Elena, it's time. Are you ready?" Mr. Lee's voice was heard outside.
"Yes, dad."
Corey winked at her friend and kissed her on the cheek, "You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen! Ah, I even envy David!" She finally checked the bride's hair, straightened her dress and went to the guests.
Daniel immediately noticed her light and joyous silhouette as soon as Corey appeared in the room. It would have been difficult not to notice her, considering that apart from family and friends there was no one else here. The girl waved to him and Jason, who was standing nearby, and headed towards them.
"Well, where is our groom? Is he ready?" She asked Daniel as the best man of the groom.
"He will be here now. By the way, you look great today too. I remember that a week ago you were pale like a death cap," the man smiled foxily, knowing that she would take such a comment with humor.
"Oh yes, you are right, this toxicosis tortured me worse than ever. Only the last three days I began to feel like a human," Corey rolled her eyes and sighed with relief.
Jason was listening to their conversation and was surprised more and more with every second. Since when have they become so close? He immediately decided to intervene in the dialogue,
"Corey, do you know why I was called by your mother? I was in training and did not have time to answer."
Corey looked at Jason, "I can't believe it, she already decided to involve you in all of this?!"
"Did anything happen?" Daniel asked, which caused Jason to smile inside. 'Apparently, you are not as close as I am with her. I was worrying for nothing. Phew!' Jason thought.
"My mother, as she found out about the pregnancy, turned into some kind of maniac! Eat this, do not eat that. And recently her bee in the bonnet is to decide on the baby's godparents. God, there are some six months before the baby's birth, what is it, with such a hurry?" Corey sighed condemned, to some extent she understood Elena's decision to keep silent about pregnancy for a while.
Jason's eyes began to shine, he could not miss this chance, "Hey, I will not ask about the godmother, we know who it will be for sure. But what about the godfather? Have you decided yet?"
"Well, I don't have much choice, either you or Daniel," the girl replied. She decided not to take David into account, since if Elena is godmother, then David will automatically treat her baby as his too.
"Me! Me! May I!" Jason hurried to put forward his candidacy to get ahead of Daniel. He did not even notice how, on his own initiative, he fell into a trap set by his rival.
"I don't mind," the elder Anderson patted the guy on the shoulder in a friendly way.
"Um, okay. Then this question is resolved," Corey was glad that she now had one problem less. "Daniel, where is your mother? She promised to share one recipe with me."
"Look for her in the street at the entrance to the church," the man answered and followed the receding silhouette of the girl with a kind look. Then he turned to Jason and added as if between times, "I could be wrong, but as far as I know, the church forbids marriages between the godparents and the child's parents. Okay, I'll go to David. See you later," he patted the bewildered Jason on the shoulder and went away with his head held high.
Jason stood rooted to the spot and tried to understand the words of Daniel. 'Is this what happens if I become a godfather, I will not be able to marry Corey in the future?!'
. . .
Mr. Lee looked at his daughter and his heart fluttered from her beautiful image, the man's eyes were moist, he did not expect that he would be so touched.
"Dad, what are you crying about?" The girl saw the tears in Chen's eyes and she almost cried herself, startled by his reaction.
"Daughter, you are so beautiful! Such a clever girl! I am happy that you exist in my life, and I am very proud of you!" He brushed away the tears from his eyes, smiled and extended his elbow to her, "Well, go ahead. The groom is already waiting for you."
Elena kissed the man on the cheek and nodded her head, "Yep, let's go."
The door of the hall swung open, and David saw an angel walking slowly towards him. In his eyes, she was so beautiful. The closer she was getting to him, the stronger his feelings for her were.
Sometimes, he himself wondered, is it even possible to love one person so much? But the more he was with her, the more he realized that even this was not the limit.
Her scent, the tenderness of her skin, the silk of her shiny hair, her clear eyes and sensual lips — all that was in her now belonged to him, and the realization of this led the man to blissful ecstasy.
Finally, she was near. From now and forever. Next to him.
They did not take their eyes off each other, and even answered the words of the priest with an automaton, as if at that moment nobody existed in the world except them. David took a step forward, and their lips closed in a sweet and tender kiss, to the cheering applause of family and friends.
. . .
A man was standing next to a tree not far from the church and looking at the people leaving there. The bride and groom happily smiled and held each other tightly by the hand. Guests crowded around them and congratulated the newlyweds.
"So what do you think about the bride? Beautiful, huh?" He turned to his assistant.
"Yes, sir, very beautiful. Do you know her?"
"This is my daughter."
The assistant was shocked by his answer, but did not let on and stepped aside, leaving the man alone for the time being.
"Sir, we have to go or we will be late for a meeting with the congressman," the assistant returned to the man in a few minutes, finding him with the same facial expression, constantly watching the beautiful girl in white.
"All right, let's go," the man replied and walked away.
. . .
The sun's rays were playing on the surface of the river with bright highlights. The girl closed her eyes and turned over on the other side, her nose buried in the man's stomach.
He gently ran her hair, wondering how she could sleep so calmly. Recently, she has become particularly sleepy and has been dozing at every convenient moment.
"Mrs. Anderson, would you like to go into the house? I will put you on a soft bed and maybe we can do something interesting?" Elena heard the seductive notes in his voice, "We can go into the house, but not sure about the rest," the girl rubbed her eyes and stretched.
"Honey, are you all right? You've been acting strange lately. Do you feel well? Is everything all right with you? Maybe something is bothering you?" David began to throw her questions, not giving the girl the opportunity to even break into his monologue.
Elena sighed, and her face became unusually serious. The man immediately fell silent and tensed; there was clearly something wrong there.
"David," the girl intonation made it clear that further words would be of high importance. She opened her eyes and peeked at her husband. For a long time, she had not seen him so worried, the giggle almost slipped from her lips, but she managed to restrain herself. "David, I must warn you and, I hope, you will show understanding, but you are right. There is one thing that I've hidden from you for a while. There is another man in my life, and I want you to meet him."
"W-what? What kind of another man?" David's gaze instantly became sharp, like a knife. He did not even think of such a development even in the most terrible nightmare.
"He is much younger than you, so we can say that this is a boy. Although, I'm not sure, maybe it's a girl," Elena scratched her head as if she herself didn't know for sure what kind of person she spoke about.
Inside David, a storm of emotions began to boil, he was completely confused and was taken aback. "Elena, you are my wife, you promised to be with me for the rest of our lives, so do not even expect me to let you go somewhere. Apparently, I have not cared enough for you all this time, well, from now on, I will surround you with such love that not a single person in this world can even be compared with me. And I will prove it to you right now," the man picked up the girl in his arms and carried her to the side of the house, "Don't even expect to run away tonight, I will love you so until the morning that such thoughts will never appear in your head."
Elena looked at her husband's incredibly serious face, 'Lord, it seems the idea of joking at him was completely unsuccessful,' the girl thought, realizing her mistake, and David heard her loud and cheerful laughter.
The man immediately stopped, not understanding what was going on. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and whispered in his ear, "Dear, I'm pregnant."
"W-what?"
"I'm telling you, I'm pregnant. You will have a son or a daughter, so soon my attention will be focused not only on you."
"Wait a minute," he lowered her to the ground. And he began to walk back and forth, thinking the information through. "I understand correctly, I will soon become d-dad?"
"Yeah."
"Will you and I have a baby?"
"Yeah."
Elena barely managed to plug her ears with her hands, as the loud and joyful shout of a man made all the birds peacefully sleeping in the neighboring trees start to shudder. She was standing and watching as an adult man was jumping and running in all directions, shouting with happiness like a little child. He ran to her at such a speed that a little more, and the girl would have been blown away by his wind.
He embraced her and gently pressed her to himself as the most fragile and precious thing in the world, "I will never let you go. Even after death, my soul will be with you forever."
She touched his lips with her lips and whispered lovingly, "That's all I need."
---------------------- THE END OF BOOK ONE. -------------------
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