EPILOGUE 1
“And I chose you. Yes, you, because I realized that you found my weak spot and you were the only one who discovered how to calm this untamed soul. I chose you because I realized that you were worth it, worth the risks... worth life itself”
—Pablo Neruda
Ten days later we were getting married in our home.
It was a simple wedding with few guests.
We were accompanied by our family, some friends, and Julia, my secretary.
Catalina had gone to great lengths and our house was decorated with elegance yet simplicity, and the atmosphere was filled with love and romance.
The altar was situated in the backyard and was a pergola-like structure decorated with white fabrics, flowers, and plenty of lighting.
The rest of the venue’s decoration was based on flowers, white ribbons, and candles.
The furniture consisted of white wooden chairs, and the bridal path was created with a colored carpet.
My dress was a simple white sundress made of crepe and silk tulle with a lace corsage and low back.
The very thin straps highlighted my shoulders.
The hairstyle I had chosen was beach waves with a delicate tiara adorned with small stones and pearls.
The bouquet was a gift from Catalina and consisted of white and pink wild peonies.
My brother was the one who would give me away to Hermes, and he was emotional and nervous. I was in the bedroom I shared with Hermes, and while they were finishing getting me ready, Tom had knocked several times urging me to hurry up.
The group of girls who were accompanying me to help with the dress, makeup, and hair helped me get ready and slowly opened the door. Tom was speechless, and his eyes welled up with emotion.
“You look like an angel, little sister.”
“Thank you, Tom. Please don’t cry, or I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”
Tom approached and very delicately gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“I am extremely proud of you. Mom is accompanying us from here,” he said, placing his finger on my heart, “but she’s watching us from above and must be as proud as I am.”
“I adore you, Tom. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Thank you for always giving me so much love. And now let’s go, because if not, Hermes will come looking for you. He was so anxious he must be wearing a path in front of the altar,” he said, smiling, though we were both already tearing up.
Tom stretched out his arm for me to take, and together we descended the stairs to head toward where Hermes was waiting for me.
We stood in front of the large doors leading to the backyard while they adjusted my dress and gave us the final instructions.
While I was there, I remembered the first time I had been in that house celebrating Catalina’s birthday, and at that moment, I couldn’t have imagined that this house would be my home and that Hermes would be my husband, and more importantly, the love of my life.
My brother’s voice pulled me from my memories.
“Thank you for this honor, Delfi. You can’t imagine what it means to me to give you away to your future husband.”
“I’m the one with the honor and luck to have a brother like you.”
The song “Y llegaste tú” by the duo Sin Bandera began to play, but at that moment it was being performed live by a hired group. The singer’s voice filled the place and romance began to float in the air. We had chosen that song for its romanticism and because we both felt it told part of our story.
And Then You Came
Sin Bandera
I used to think that I knew who you were
I didn’t know that within you I would find the light
I didn’t know that such a world existed
I didn’t know I could be so happy
And life was passing by empty without emotion
There was nothing floating in the air embracing my heart
And then you came and the world embraced me
And then you came and the world stood still
And then you came and I was surprised
By the power that was in this love
And then you came, a blessing
I still remember the moment when everything changed
And then you came and I was surprised
By the power in this love
And then you came, a blessing
I still remember when you came
Now that I’m in your arms I remember my loneliness
And I laugh thinking about the times I let you pass by
And then you came and the world embraced me
And then you came and the world stood still
And then you came and I was surprised
By the power that was in this love
And then you came, a blessing
I still remember the moment when everything changed
And then you came and I was surprised
By the power in this love
And then you came, a blessing
I still remember when you came
“The big moment has arrived,” said Tom, squeezing my hand.
The doors opened and my gaze immediately searched for him and fixed on his beautiful eyes.
He was standing at the altar, waiting for me with a gorgeous smile and looking radiant, but very emotional.
Hermes wore a black tailcoat with matching pants and vest, a white silk shirt, and a black bow tie.
He complemented it with a white flower on his lapel.
He looked extremely elegant and handsome.
I had to make a great effort not to run and throw myself into his arms.
We began walking toward the altar and I couldn’t take my eyes off Hermes, nor could he look away from me.
Seeing him so emotional, my effort to contain my tears broke and they began rolling down my face with nothing I could do to stop them.
Upon reaching the altar, Hermes stretched out his hand to receive me, but breaking all protocol, he hugged me tightly and we stayed that way for several seconds while the applause of the guests resonated throughout the place.
We looked at each other, wiped away each other’s tears, and gave each other a sweet kiss on the lips.
“You look beautiful, my love, you are the most sublime vision I have ever seen in my life, you look like an angel,” he murmured, emotional.
“You look beautiful too,” I said, smiling.
We heard a throat clearing from the judge who would marry us and the laughter of the guests.
“That comes later,” whispered the judge, smiling.
The ceremony was quick but very emotional.
Now husband and wife, we melted into an embrace and a kiss that made us forget we were surrounded by people.
Our families invaded the altar to hug and congratulate us.
Tom, Baco, Catalina, Serafina, and Connor merged into a hug with us while whistling, applauding, and cheering.
The party wasn’t just emotional and unforgettable, it was fun and lively. It was a magical night where we enjoyed ourselves, our moment, our happiness. Everything was perfect.
When it was time to leave, Hermes approached me to whisper:
“My love, it’s time to go.”
“Already?” I asked, surprised. “Everything went by so quickly and has been so magical.”
“Beautiful, Mrs. Darwich, for us it will continue to be magical. Our life will be filled with magic because we’ll be together.
We will create the magic by loving each other every day of our lives.
With you I have a life I never dreamed of, a wonderful life, and I know there’s much more waiting for me, I know that with you I’ll have an extraordinary life.
You came into my life to pull me out of darkness and change it.
You came into my life to rewrite it. In my story there was only loneliness and resentment, and you came to turn it into a life full of love and joy. Thank you. I love you.”
“I love you, Hermes! I’m the fortunate one to be able to share my life with you. You are a great man and I feel like the happiest woman in the world to be able to form a family by your side.”
Without taking his eyes off me, he lowered his lips to mine and kissed me, pouring into that kiss all the love we felt, but Baco’s joking comment made us separate and start laughing.
“I’m just saying, why don’t you two get out of here already? Because that kind of kiss is only allowed when you’re alone. I don’t have to witness it.”
“You’re right, Baco. We’re leaving right now,” affirmed Hermes, laughing and wrapping his arm around me to pull me close to his body.
We said goodbye to everyone and, hand in hand, left our home amid applause, cheers, and congratulations. From there we headed to a hotel to spend our wedding night since the next day we were leaving for New York where we would stay for a week.
Upon arriving at the hotel suite, Hermes took me in his arms.
“We’re going to cross the threshold with you in my arms, it’s tradition,” he said smiling.
I stretched out my arms waiting for his and he took me in his arms, lifting me with ease and with a big smile.
“You can do whatever you want with me, I’m all yours,” I affirmed, kissing his neck.
“You are all mine, now and forever.”
I took advantage of that moment to nestle into his neck and kiss him.
When we entered, he took me straight to the bedroom.
Very slowly he set me down on the floor while looking at me in awe, his eyes reflecting the love and enormous desire that filled him.
He approached slowly and kissed me. He took possession of my mouth in a kiss that transmitted an overwhelming feeling because I felt he kissed me with an open heart.
Then he separated, looked into my eyes and asked:
“May I remove this beautiful dress?” he said, while looking at me without knowing where to start.
“Now that you’re my husband, are you going to start asking permission to take off my clothes?” I asked, smiling.
“No, not at all, but this dress is complicated and I don’t know how to...”
“The back,” I said, smiled and turned so he could see that the buttons were on the back.
“Were so many buttons necessary?” he asked, laughing, and for each button that was unfastened, he placed a kiss on that spot.
When the dress slid down my body and revealed the sensual lingerie I was wearing, Hermes sighed, turned me around and devoted himself to observing me. I was wearing a white lace strapless corset with attached garters and stockings.
“God, my love! You are a sublime vision!”
He approached and began to kiss me passionately.
His hands traveled over my body eagerly.
I began to remove his jacket and unbutton his shirt while he looked at me intensely with an expression of unimaginable desire.
His eagerness overcame him and in a few seconds he finished removing his clothes.
He took me in his arms and gently placed me on the bed.
“I’m going to make love to you as my wife. I’m going to make love to you all night, all my life. You are mine, Delfina, and I am completely yours. My heart is about to burst with all this love I feel for you,” he stated, looking into my eyes with emotion.
“Since I met you, I’ve been completely yours, my love. You came into my life to take possession of my heart and stay there forever. I love you, Hermes.”
And he kept his promise. We made love all night, giving ourselves to each other in body, heart, and soul.