Epilogue
Day 2: Sunday
Saint Thomas, British Virgin Islands – Bella Vista
966 Nautical Miles from Fort Lauderdale
Andrew
We wanted a small, casual ceremony. Immediate family and close friends were invited on a weeklong cruise with an afternoon excursion to Bella Vista. As I wait for my cue, I look back on the last six months.
Delaney moved to Fort Lauderdale and is working with our marketing department. She also accepted a consulting role with Team USA Gymnastics. Her parents and brother were thrilled about her moving closer. We now usually have family dinners at Andi’s house on Sunday with both families. The immigrants from Italy and immigrants from Ireland bonding over guacamole and tacos is a beautiful sight.
“Are you ready?” I hear my father ask as he and my mother walk up behind me.
“I am,” I respond confidently. I lean in and kiss them both.
“Your mother and I couldn’t be prouder of you, AJ. You’ve made the transition to CEO brilliantly, and we both feel you have truly found your life partner. Delaney is making you a better man and a better person. We absolutely love her.”
“Thank you.” I appreciate their constant support and the fact that they have welcomed Delaney into the family as another daughter.
The back yard has been transformed. White chairs and tables are scattered around the pool deck. Gorgeous, colorful flowers are sprinkled throughout the venue, and the realization that I’m getting married begins to sink in. My thoughts can’t help but bounce between the first time I brought Delaney here and what the back yard looks like today.
I see Ally and Marcus standing arm in arm off to the side with Captain Pieter and his wife Margot, who flew in for the event. My parents are huddled with Delaney’s parents as they’ve become good friends over the last six months. I see Andi and Gemma hanging with Delaney’s brothers and sister, and the kids are all behaving. Thomas, Delaney’s oldest brother, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, has been coming to Sunday family dinners, and we’ve all noticed how smitten he is with Andi. She doesn’t see it but trust me, he’s smitten .
I walk down the steps and greet our guests. Hugs and kisses are exchanged as I make my way to the designated area that has been set up for our vows. I decided to wear a dark navy blue suit and a crisp white shirt. The buttonholes on the shirt are dark blue, matching the suit color. I see Jessica and several of Delaney’s teammates standing together like they’re on the podium in Rio.
We asked Pieter to officiate, and he joins me on the platform. The musicians have been playing light music up until this point and now begin playing a classical piece Delaney selected. At that exact moment, I look back toward the house and see the most beautiful woman in the world appear.
She’s wearing a vintage tea-length satin white dress with a modest boat neck. I notice the pearls around her neck that my mother gave her this morning. Her hair is pulled up in a tight bun, and she’s holding white roses. The dress fits her torso well, accenting her gorgeous chest and slender waistline. Her satin white heels elevate her and show off her calves. She is simply exquisite.
She loops her arm with her dad’s as they begin to walk toward me. I can’t take my eyes off her. Seriously, I’m overwhelmed by her beauty and grace. She finds my eyes and beams. I try to take in the moment, her mother wiping a tear from her cheek, her dad smiling and proud, my parents holding hands in the front row, and my sisters hugging each other.
Delaney
“I do!” I say with a big smile.
“It is my honor and privilege to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Pieter exclaims.
And with that, I feel Andrew’s lips on mine, and we are now and forever husband and wife. I hear the cheers and claps from family and friends.
We continue to hold each other, smiling and taking in the moment. I can’t believe it!
“I love you,” he declares.
“I love you, baby!” I reply.
“Interested in a shower?” he whispers, smiling and nodding toward the outside shower.
“Oh, my God, Andrew Russo! Lock it down right now, sir,” I quietly scold.
“Is that a no?” he pushes.
“God, I love you so much!” I confess.
The funny thing about our wedding is that everyone here must be back on the ship in five hours. And the guy who just pronounced us husband and wife is the guy driving the ship. Marcus has planned an incredibly special dinner this evening for our guests in the private dining area back on the ship, and I’m sure we’re going to tear up the dance floor since it’s eighties night at the club.
We get back to 15001 at 3:08 a.m. Dinner was unbelievable. The extra cocktail sauce at my seat for the shrimp cocktail didn’t go unnoticed. All day long, I just kept looking at him. I can’t believe we’re actually married. It feels like a dream, and I don’t want to wake up.
I notice a slender crystal vase holding a single rose on the counter. I look at him, and he smiles.
“What did you do?” I ask.
“What?” he asks, looking back at me perplexed.
I read the note….
The man knows how to write a note!
“If I haven’t said it yet, I need you to know how beautiful you looked today.”
“Andrew, you’ve told me like a hundred times. And if you think I look good now, wait till you see what I have on underneath.”
“I’ve thought about that all day,” he confesses.
“You have, have you?”
“I have.”
“Well, why don’t you give me five minutes and then join your wife in bed,” I request.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replies.
He walks into the bedroom and immediately notices what I’m wearing.
“Care to play a little Ms. Pac-Man tonight?” I ask.
“Ohhhh, not only will I play, I’m going for a high score,” he declares. #happilyeverafter #gameover