24. Happy Tears
24
HAPPY TEARS
RICHARD
On our final day in Paris—the city of romance—we savored every moment. After a week of sightseeing, wandering hand in hand down quaint streets, and discovering hidden corners with our daughter in tow, it felt like something out of a dream. After a leisurely boat ride down the Seine in the morning, we’d promised Paris one last glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.
While the nanny and tutor whisked our little darling to the very top again, Vivian and I strolled slowly through the park below, our arms entwined as we paused often for tender, lingering kisses.
“This has been the most enchanting, romantic time of my life,” Vivian confessed, her eyes sparkling with emotion.
“Mine too,” I whispered, my heart swelling with love.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Holly Creek, though. The past several months have been unbelievable. We’ve been through so much.” She sighed softly.
“We have. But we still have much to look forward to. A lifetime together—if you want.” I tested the delicate waters of hope.
Her radiant, deeply touching smile warmed me. “I’d like nothing more.”
“Knowing that...” I paused, then knelt beneath a blossom-laden tree, withdrawing a velvet box from my pocket. She gasped as I opened it, and inside sat a magnificent six-carat diamond ring. Its facets caught the sunlight and shimmered with the promise of forever. I chose six because that’s how old Paris was right now.
“I don’t have a grand speech worked out. Just marry me. Marry me, Vivian. Because in every dream of mine, in every lifetime, I’d choose you, us, our daughter, and our future. Fucking marry me with all your heart—be my wife. Be mine. ”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she covered her mouth. “Oh, Richard… Are you sure?”
Her hesitance was not quite the enthusiastic yes I had hoped for. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life,” I continued earnestly. “I can’t imagine a future without you and our little one. But if you need a moment to think, I understand—just know that I long for our family to be complete. You’re my future and I?—”
“Shh, Richard, I don’t need time. My answer is yes. I would love to marry you. We should have been together with our beautiful daughter long ago. We’ve wasted enough time apart, haven’t we? I don’t want to spend another day without you. I want us to be a family, too. So my answer is yes, Richard. I’ll marry you.”
Amid kisses, heartfelt embraces, and tears of joy, she slid the ring onto her finger. I shared with her my decision about the six carats of the ring, and I cradled her close against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower—a living testament to our love. Soon, we found a bench where I seated her on my lap and interlaced our fingers.
“You’ve filled my world with happiness. You and Paris,” I whispered. “When would you like our wedding to be?”
“Whenever. I don’t really have any plans beyond spending this summer in Holly Creek,” she said.
“You know, Miriam will go crazy over our wedding. That could take another year with her meddling, not to mention all the drama and aggravation wedding planning entails.”
“Oh. I almost forgot about that.” Her shoulders shook with laughter.
“How about this? I’ll give you a choice. We could return to New York City, let Miriam dive into planning our lavish wedding, or we could embrace spontaneity and tie the knot as soon as tomorrow.”
Her eyes widened in wonder. “What do you mean? Like elope to Vegas?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of flying to Denmark—where a couple can be united in marriage within twenty-four hours. Imagine being married by tomorrow night?”
“Really?” she giggled, a light excitement dancing in her voice as she considered the possibility. “Tomorrow sounds like the perfect moment to become Mrs. Buchanan.”
“I love hearing you say that.”
“Mommy, Daddy, look! I got a balloon and ice cream,” Paris cried out as she and the nanny and the tutor neared.
“I think I better ask Paris and make sure she says yes, too, don’t you?” I suggested.
“I have a feeling she won’t turn you down. She’s already in love with you as her father. I know she wants us to be a family.”
When she was close enough, Vivian shifted off my lap, and I picked up Paris. “I have something very serious to discuss with you, my little explorer.”
“Okay,” she licked her dripping ice cream, on the verge of dousing the front of her dress in another minute.
“I would very much like to marry your mommy. Which means we would be a family.”
“But we’re already a family.”
“Well, yes, but the wedding makes us officially a family. Would that be okay with you if we have a wedding tomorrow? I’ll buy you and Mommy pretty dresses. I’ll wear a tuxedo, and we’ll all say ‘I do’. But only if you agree, if that’ll make you happy because we both love you, Paris. We want to raise you together and… maybe someday have a brother or sister come along, too.” I winked at Vivian. She squeezed my arm beside me as if in agreement.
Paris’ eyes sparkled as she gasped, “I want a brother!”
“So is that a yes? Can I marry your father tomorrow?” Vivian asked her.
Paris wiped her chin with the back of her hand, and in the periphery, I noticed the nanny reaching for a tissue in her bag. “Okay, that sounds fun. But can we still go on safari to Africa someday?”
Our laughter mingled with the warm afternoon air. “Yes, of course we can—as a family, the Buchanan family,” I said. “Because you’re a Buchanan now, right?” We still had some paperwork to get through back in the states to make it official, but in my mind, she was all mine.
She beamed proudly. “I am. Paris Buchanan.”
“So the next step is to make mommy a Buchanan. We do that by getting married tomorrow. And I can’t wait.”
The very next day, before we knew it, we arrived in Denmark. My assistants helped arrange everything remotely from New York. With kisses and hugs, I dropped Vivian and Paris off at a dress shop. The next time I’d see them would be in a quaint town hall, all dressed up and ready to marry. In the meantime, I found the nearest suit shop and purchased the perfect black tuxedo that spoke to the joy of the day.
Sitting alone in a small room within the town hall building, I waited to be called up to the judge who would officiate our wedding. I let my mind wander through the past—to the night I met Vivian, then forward to the disastrous day I was to be married to Janet. I shuddered at the thought of the horrible plans Janet and her lover had plotted. My life could have ended at their hands, and Paris would never have known the love of her real father.
That part of my life was in the past now. Today, I had a second chance at marrying, and Vivian was the love of my life. Out of the blue, she and Paris burst into my world, overwhelming me with emotions. The moment I saw Vivian, I knew I wanted her. Through Paris’ time in the hospital and the revelation that she was my daughter, I fell for them both.
Life gave me a second chance. It gave me a chance to save my daughter. Another chance at love. Today, I’d take every risk with my heart and say ‘I do’, fully aware of how precious and fleeting life could be.
A knock at the door announced it was time for the ceremony, and I more than was ready. I took a deep, steadying breath, filled with calm and happiness to begin this new chapter.
When I opened the door, it turned out to be Rex standing there. “Hey brother.”
“What are you doing here?” I held the door aside and let him in.
“Surprise! As soon as Vivian texted us about your wedding, Chelsea and I dropped everything to come.”
“And so did I.” A familiar female voice called out from behind him—a voice I would recognize anywhere. Rex stepped in, revealing Miriam behind him, accompanied by Mr. Astor. “Hello, son.”
“Mother, um…” Was she here to ruin our plans?
“Relax. I’m happy for you and Vivian.” She touched my cheek. “If marrying the mother of my precious granddaughter makes you happy and you’re doing it today, that’s all that matters.”
“Are you sure you won’t hold it against me forever for not letting you plan a huge wedding?” I side-eyed her skeptically.
“Are you kidding? Rex’s wedding planning took a year off of my life—no offense, Rex.”
“None taken.” He shook his head.
“I wouldn’t miss either of my sons getting married for anything, no matter where it is,” she admitted.
“Thank you, Mother.” I drew in a shaky breath as I fought back tears. This was my big day and my heart overflowed with every emotion. I grabbed her in a hug and whispered, “I love you.”
“You and Rex have been the best sons I could have ever hoped for,” she cried as well.
Rex cleared his throat. “It’s about that time.”
“We’ll be downstairs wishing you well, and watching your nuptials.” Tears filled her eyes and spilled over as she gently cupped both of our cheeks, switching her gaze between Rex and me. “I love you both. Your father would have been immensely proud of the choices you’ve made. Now, I need to fix my makeup before things start. Come along, Mr. Astor.”
On his way out after her, as an aside, he said, “Good job, men. I’m not sure I could have survived another year of wedding planning with my wife.”
We all laughed and shook hands.
“We’ll toast to our lovely wives later tonight,” he winked before departing.
“I can’t believe you did that for me, Rex. Thanks, buddy.” I pulled him into a firm embrace.
“No, it was Vivian. She asked if we could bring Miriam here. She didn’t want her future mother-in-law to be upset if she missed the wedding.”
“Damn, now I wonder who has the better bride—you or me?” I teased.
“They’re both pretty amazing.”
“Fuck you, my bride is the best.” I joked.
“We’ll debate that another day. I’m happy for you, man. It’s great to see you smile again. It’s been way too long,” he said.
“I know. Thanks for putting up with my grumpiness these past few years, Rex.”
As we stepped out together, my eyes immediately found my bride and daughter across the way, both dressed in white satin gowns with flowers woven into their hair—the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. It was like witnessing my own rare art—my Mona Lisa with her child.
I bit my lip and let the tears fell free, my shoulders shaking. Vivian dabbed at her eyes and mouthed, “I love you.”
“Don’t cry, Mommy. This is supposed to be a happy day,” Paris said, blinking and wiping her own tears.
In a few powerful strides, I reached them and picked her up into my arms. “It is a happy day. The best. It’s okay to cry tears of joy today. I love you, my little girl, and I love your mother, too.”
“Are you ready to marry us, Daddy?” she asked, and everyone chuckled.
“Yes, Paris, I’m ready. And are you ready to marry me, Vivian?”
“Oh yes, Richard. I’m ready to become Mrs. Buchanan.”
The simple ceremony lasted a mere ten minutes, though I couldn’t recall a single word of it. All I remembered were the beaming faces of my daughter and my bride—they were all I ever wanted, and what a Buchanan desired, he surely received.
Want more Rex, Chelsea, Richard, Vivian, and Paris? You’ll see them again in It Happened Again: A Second Chance for the CEO, Maisy and Brooks’ story.
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