With her by his side, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. It may have been a difficult road to this place, but he would have gone through it again and again to have her as his wife.
Certain parts of the wedding Mia parted with tradition, like the processional song, but when they pledged their lives to one another, she went traditional.
“Ethan, will you take Mia to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love, comfort, honor, and protect her, forsaking all others to be faithful to her until death do you part?”
“I do,” Ethan said, a smile hitting his mouth as his soon-to-be-wife danced with her excitement.
“Mia, will you take Ethan to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you love, comfort, honor, and protect him, forsaking all others to be faithful to him until death do you part?”
“I do! Finally!”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ethan, you may now kiss your bride.”
Ethan stepped forward and pulled her to him, his one hand gripping her neck, his mouth on hers, his other hand closed in a fist high in the air, like he did when he threw a touchdown. The guests laughed, but he didn’t care—he had Mia.
At last.
She was his and he was all hers.
He hadn’t thought it would be as difficult as it had been when he’d told Mia at the beginning of their relationship that the best things in life were hard. And they had had a lot of hard times. Since the day he’d met her until now, they’d spent more time apart than together. He’d lost her more times than he’d like to count. But the feel of her body in his arms, her lips against his, made it all worth it.
“Come on! Let’s get going. I need to get you outta that dress.”
“Well … you don’t actually have to get me out of it to get what you want …”
He kissed her again. Man, he loved her ideas. “But …” she said with a teasing grin, “it’ll have to wait. We have photos to take, a reception to go to …”
“You’re enjoying the payback, aren’t you?”
She took his hand and gave it a squeeze to get moving. “Why, yes I am.”
Shaking his head, he followed her down the aisle but stopped at his now father-in-law. Mia smiled at her father then ran the flat of her thumb over his cheek.
“Ne pleure pas, Papa,” she said in French before standing on her tiptoes to brush her lips across his cheek.
“Tu es si belle, ma fille,” he spoke, wrapping his arm around her shoulder to embrace her. He then turned to Ethan and held out his hand. “Welcome to the family, son.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ethan replied as he took the offered hand, his eyes drawn to the woman Mia was currently embracing. That must be Mia’s grandmother. Her Mémé, as she called her affectionately. He was expecting a woman with gray or white hair like his mother, who was only five years younger than Mémé. Definitely not the same shade as Mia’s. The beautiful lady holding his wife didn’t look her great age of eighty-two. She was sophisticated, elegant, and at least a few inches taller than Mia. Up close, the resemblance was striking. The smile, the eyes.
Mia stepped away from her grandmother and both sets of brown eyes landed on him.
“Si, c’est ton grand amour?” So, this is your great love?
“Oui, Mémé. C’est lui.” Yes, Mémé. That’s him.
“Il est très beau.” He’s very handsome.
Mia blushed. “Il l’est.” He is.
With a knowing grin at her granddaughter, Mémé turned her attention to him. “Bonjour, Ethan.”
Mia may have looked like her grandmother, but their voices were very much different. Mémé’s was deeper, more confident. Mia’s, on the other hand, tended to be earthier, more emotional, and often times, slightly hesitant and demure.
“Bonjour,” he said with his most charming smile, wanting—no, needing—Mia’s grandmother to like him.
“Congratulations to you both and welcome to the family,” she spoke, stepping forward and placing a kiss on each of his cheeks.
After that point, things were hazy. His family congratulated him and then Reagan whisked them off for photographs. One million photographs later, they were finally ready to party.
“So, I kinda changed our entrance song,” Mia said as she held his hand, standing in front of the makeshift doors to the reception. Ethan looked over at his wife and couldn’t miss the glint of humor in her eyes.