what he wanted and when he wanted it.
We had so many things in common: Books, even our childhoods matched up just right.
He was so perfect.
I wanted to be the woman who snagged the unattainable Wes. When I talked, he listened with rapt attention, soaking in every word. He handed out information about his life sporadically and when he did, it always made me feel special.
Wes grew up in McLean, Virginia. He told me he was an only child. His parents devoted all their time to him. He studied hard, graduating from Penn State. He came back to Falls Church to work at the law firm Hutchins & Kelly. His goal was to become partner.
It was through friends that I found out that before me, there had been a string of women. Did that bother me? No. If anything, it made me more proud that he chose me. Me.
Six months later, we were engaged. I loved being his fiancée. It was bliss. Knowing that I’d spend the rest of my life married to him felt surreal. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop or for someone to tell me this was all a dream.
We set the date for May 18.
I would show off my engagement ring, displaying it to people with a sense of pride. I felt victorious. Maybe even a little smug—I had done what no other female had done before. I had Wes. And better yet, I had his love.
I always wanted to have my wedding outdoors in my mother’s backyard at sunset. With white chairs and sheer material connecting the rows. At the end of the aisle would be an archway of flowers. The large oak trees that lined the property would have lights draped across their branches.
And I got just that.
With one hundred of our closest friends and family we said “I do” to each other behind two live oaks. Hand in hand, we walked down the aisle. The smile on my face wouldn’t disappear. I don’t know if I’d ever been happier in my entire life.
Married.
We were married. I couldn’t believe it.
Extended family on my side smiled at us. Also in the crowds were friends of mine: some that I grew up with, others that I met in college. Of course my mother’s society friends were there. Quite a few of Wes’s friends showed up, but very few family members bothered to come.
I nodded and smiled at everyone. Inside, my heart was pounding. I was running on pure adrenaline and happiness.
I counted the steps I took as I walked down the aisle.
Twenty-four steps.
At the end of the aisle, Wes lifted our linked hands in the air. The photographer snapped picture after picture.
Wes gazed down at me. His blond hair appeared golden in the sunlight. A stray piece fell onto his forehead. His hazel eyes sparkled.
We were both so happy and neither one of us tried to hide it.
What the photographer didn’t catch was the moment we walked up the pathway and turned toward the patio. Rosebushes and shrubbery hid us from plain sight. Secretly, I loved it. A single shared moment just between the two of us. My foot touched the first step when Wes grabbed my arm, holding me in place, and whispered into my ear, “I’ll love you till the day I die.”
June 2012
“So, how is the happy couple?”
I took a long drink of my lemonade and smiled softly. “We’re good.”
“Oh, Victoria, don’t blush,” my mother said as she rifled through the pictures. “You’re married now.”
Married.
Just a few days ago, Wes and I returned from our honeymoon. We spent two wonderful weeks in Paris. It was amazing to relax and spend every waking moment together without a care in the world. We left our worries behind the second we stepped into the plane. Even though we were home now, back to work and settling into a routine, there was still this electric charge around us. I watched the clock constantly while I was on shift, counting down the hours and minutes until I could see him again.
“Look at this one.” My mother pushed a picture toward me. “I love this picture of you.”
I picked it up and stared at myself. I looked so happy. “I love it too.”
“Can you get it in an eighteen-by-twenty-four?”
“Mom, there’s a whole other stack that you haven’t gone through.”
“Doesn’t matter. That one’s my favorite. I can already tell.”
My mother was on cloud nine. She was the quintessential wife, born in the wrong era. When women were burning