Olivia entered the foyer of the Manor House full of trepidation yet excitement. She wasn't concerned that she was about to make a horrible life decision. In fact, she didn't know why she was nervous at all.
This is what she wanted more than anything; to be married to the man she loved once and for all.
This is what she wanted more than anything; to be married to the man she loved once and for all.
A small smile curled the edges of her lips as she heard the gasps from her family upon seeing her. This day had been so long in arriving, she knew everyone was pleased.
As she made eye contact with Jasper, she heard him say to her brother under his breath, "Just beautiful."
As she made eye contact with Jasper, she heard him say to her brother under his breath, "Just beautiful."
During the quiet ceremony, she smiled into Jasper's eyes and he returned the smile. She couldn't tear her eyes away, and she didn't want to.
Jasper had obviously always known how beautiful Olivia was, inside and out. But today, she took his breath away.
They both laughed when the ring exchange was over and they could breathe again. Without thinking, he quickly twirled her around and dipped her.
At last, their lips met for their first kiss as a married couple.
He gazed into her eyes, positive that this was the best day he had ever experienced.
A few feet away from the newly wedded couple, John pulled Constance into his arms.
"That was such a small, beautiful ceremony," she said.
He nodded his agreement. "I miss your cute little glasses."
"Well, you'll just have to get used to my contacts. I like wearing those, too."
"I have an idea."
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Let's get out of here for a little while."
"Do you think we can sneak away? It isn't exactly polite to leave."
He laughed a little. "I think my sister will understand, if she even notices."
"Okay then," she responded.
"That was such a small, beautiful ceremony," she said.
He nodded his agreement. "I miss your cute little glasses."
"Well, you'll just have to get used to my contacts. I like wearing those, too."
"I have an idea."
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Let's get out of here for a little while."
"Do you think we can sneak away? It isn't exactly polite to leave."
He laughed a little. "I think my sister will understand, if she even notices."
"Okay then," she responded.
"This is the best day ever!" Blessing enthused. "I feel like I've been waiting for this all my life."
"You have been," Lacey laughed.
Blessing laughed, too. "Yeah, except I wanted to be the flower girl, remember?"
"I remember!" Lacey squealed. "It would have been hilarious if you'd been the flower girl now."
Blessing couldn't stop laughing. "I know, right?"
"You have been," Lacey laughed.
Blessing laughed, too. "Yeah, except I wanted to be the flower girl, remember?"
"I remember!" Lacey squealed. "It would have been hilarious if you'd been the flower girl now."
Blessing couldn't stop laughing. "I know, right?"
"Hey," Lacey said, lowering her voice, "when do you think we should ask them about our driving lessons?"
"Well, not tonight, stupid."
Lacey rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean tonight. I meant how soon do you think we should ask them?"
"They took some time off work but they're not planning on going anywhere. They said they just want to spend time with the family. But I think we should let my dad bring it up. He got really mad at me the other day."
"Well, not tonight, stupid."
Lacey rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean tonight. I meant how soon do you think we should ask them?"
"They took some time off work but they're not planning on going anywhere. They said they just want to spend time with the family. But I think we should let my dad bring it up. He got really mad at me the other day."
"What are you guys talking about?" Bram asked, joining them.
The girls gave each other a quick eye exchange and then turned toward him. The last thing they could allow was to let Bram blab to their parents about their conversation.
"Oh nothing," Blessing answered.
"Why'd you stop talking about it when I came up to you if it's nothing?" he demanded.
Lacey cleared her throat. She could tell plainly enough that her cousin didn't know how to properly distract her own brother. "I know!" she said abruptly, knowing it would get the boy's attention. "Let's say congrats to the happy couple and then watch your favorite movie! I'll make popcorn. Uncle Jasper and Aunt Olivia probably want us to split as soon as possible anyways so they can be alone."
"Yeah!" Bram enthused. "I hate wearing this tie." He absently pulled at his necktie while he spoke. "It's choking me to death. I'll get my pajamas on and meet you in front of the TV."
Blessing glared at Lacey. "I don't wanna watch that dumb movie for the millionth time," she hissed so Bram couldn't hear her.
Lacey rolled her eyes. "It's only an hour and a half of your life and, anyway, I'd rather watch the movie with him then have him ruin our plans about the driving lessons."
Blessing sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She turned back to Bram with as much of a sincere smile as she could manage. "Run and get your jammies on. Hurry up."
The girls gave each other a quick eye exchange and then turned toward him. The last thing they could allow was to let Bram blab to their parents about their conversation.
"Oh nothing," Blessing answered.
"Why'd you stop talking about it when I came up to you if it's nothing?" he demanded.
Lacey cleared her throat. She could tell plainly enough that her cousin didn't know how to properly distract her own brother. "I know!" she said abruptly, knowing it would get the boy's attention. "Let's say congrats to the happy couple and then watch your favorite movie! I'll make popcorn. Uncle Jasper and Aunt Olivia probably want us to split as soon as possible anyways so they can be alone."
"Yeah!" Bram enthused. "I hate wearing this tie." He absently pulled at his necktie while he spoke. "It's choking me to death. I'll get my pajamas on and meet you in front of the TV."
Blessing glared at Lacey. "I don't wanna watch that dumb movie for the millionth time," she hissed so Bram couldn't hear her.
Lacey rolled her eyes. "It's only an hour and a half of your life and, anyway, I'd rather watch the movie with him then have him ruin our plans about the driving lessons."
Blessing sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She turned back to Bram with as much of a sincere smile as she could manage. "Run and get your jammies on. Hurry up."
Olivia glanced toward the children. "What is going on? John and Constance disappeared and now the kids are acting weird."
Jasper chuckled. "Do you blame John and Constance for sneaking off? I don't. They stayed for quite a while and I'm sure they're still around somewhere." He took her hands in his. "And as for the kids, they're probably wondering when they can clear out, too. That's not so unusual."
She smiled. "No, it isn't."
"What would you say if we disappear right now, too?" he said with a wink.
It was her turn to laugh. "I'd say yes!"
Jasper chuckled. "Do you blame John and Constance for sneaking off? I don't. They stayed for quite a while and I'm sure they're still around somewhere." He took her hands in his. "And as for the kids, they're probably wondering when they can clear out, too. That's not so unusual."
She smiled. "No, it isn't."
"What would you say if we disappear right now, too?" he said with a wink.
It was her turn to laugh. "I'd say yes!"
"So this is it?" Constance said as she walked around the tiny art room at the Baldwin house. "This is where you create your masterpieces?"
John could feel his cheeks getting warm as they turned red. "This is the place, but I don't know about the masterpiece part."
"No false modesty, please," she smiled, still looking about. "I've seen your work in the art museum in Riverview. And there have been some write ups about your work, too, in the paper."
"Well, maybe you didn't know, but my family has been very charitable toward the museum for decades. My own father was on the Board of Directors as was his father before him."
"Well," she countered, "I read that some of your work is also displayed in the museum in Bridgeport."
He held his hands up like stop signs. "Okay, guilty. I enjoy my art." He looked at her tenderly. "I'm glad you wanted to see this house. It's where I grew up and where I get creative."
John could feel his cheeks getting warm as they turned red. "This is the place, but I don't know about the masterpiece part."
"No false modesty, please," she smiled, still looking about. "I've seen your work in the art museum in Riverview. And there have been some write ups about your work, too, in the paper."
"Well, maybe you didn't know, but my family has been very charitable toward the museum for decades. My own father was on the Board of Directors as was his father before him."
"Well," she countered, "I read that some of your work is also displayed in the museum in Bridgeport."
He held his hands up like stop signs. "Okay, guilty. I enjoy my art." He looked at her tenderly. "I'm glad you wanted to see this house. It's where I grew up and where I get creative."
She rested her hand on his shoulder as they kissed, their lips melding together as if meant to be joined.
As they reluctantly pulled apart, her expression was serious.
"Is something wrong?" John asked, his heart filling with dread.
"I love this house, John. And I really am glad you showed it to me tonight."
Here it comes, he thought with dismay. She was about to break up with him. Even though he felt his heart was suddenly so heavy it might fall out of his chest, he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. He had to hang onto some kind of hope that their relationship wasn't ending now. Not when they had only just begun.
"Is something wrong?" John asked, his heart filling with dread.
"I love this house, John. And I really am glad you showed it to me tonight."
Here it comes, he thought with dismay. She was about to break up with him. Even though he felt his heart was suddenly so heavy it might fall out of his chest, he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. He had to hang onto some kind of hope that their relationship wasn't ending now. Not when they had only just begun.
"I don't know how to tell you this," she began with obvious difficulty. "But you need to know."
Oh, God, this can't be happening, his mind screamed. He pulled away from her suddenly and hurried out of the room.
Oh, God, this can't be happening, his mind screamed. He pulled away from her suddenly and hurried out of the room.
She quickly followed him. "John, I'm not sure what just happened, but please wait!"
He turned to face her with a grim expression and troubled eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just..." His voice trailed off. "If you're about to break up with me, I really don't want to hear you say it. I don't want to know the reasons. Just leave. It's okay, but just go."
Her mouth gaped. "No, I wasn't going to say anything like that at all. Are you always this sensitive? I mean, I know you're the artsy type and that you're sensitive. I like that about you; I"m actually very attracted to that, but really, I didn't mean for this to turn into some kind of dramatic thing."
He turned to face her with a grim expression and troubled eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just..." His voice trailed off. "If you're about to break up with me, I really don't want to hear you say it. I don't want to know the reasons. Just leave. It's okay, but just go."
Her mouth gaped. "No, I wasn't going to say anything like that at all. Are you always this sensitive? I mean, I know you're the artsy type and that you're sensitive. I like that about you; I"m actually very attracted to that, but really, I didn't mean for this to turn into some kind of dramatic thing."
He exhaled slowly as he listened to her and her words gradually sank into his mind. She wasn't breaking up with him?
She pulled him into her arms and held him tightly, willing him to know she wasn't about to hurt him in any way.
"I'm sorry," he stammered. "As you can see, I can be a complete idiot sometimes."
She laughed despite everything that had just happened. "I'm seeing that," she agreed with a smile.
Finally, a smile crossed his lips as well. Deciding to bite the bullet, he said, "What were you going to tell me before I acted like a fool?"
She pulled him into her arms and held him tightly, willing him to know she wasn't about to hurt him in any way.
"I'm sorry," he stammered. "As you can see, I can be a complete idiot sometimes."
She laughed despite everything that had just happened. "I'm seeing that," she agreed with a smile.
Finally, a smile crossed his lips as well. Deciding to bite the bullet, he said, "What were you going to tell me before I acted like a fool?"
"I was only going to say, after thanking you for showing me around your grand estate here, that I..." she stopped suddenly.
"You may as well go on now," he encouraged.
"Well, I was thinking that our relationship is moving along quite a bit so I thought I should tell you before it goes any further that I come from a rather humble background. I've always worked hard for what I have and I just don't think I could ever live in a house this grandiose."
He smiled, touching her cheek his the palm of his hand. "That's it?"
She nodded, waiting for his reaction.
He grinned at her with sparkling blue eyes. "I guess you don't have to worry about that for the time being."
Now it was her turn to worry. "Because you don't see a future for us together now?"
"No," he snorted, unable to hide his relief and laughter, "because I don't actually live here. I live in an apartment above the garage. While I use the art studio, I hadn't really planned on moving Lacey and myself into the main house."
"You may as well go on now," he encouraged.
"Well, I was thinking that our relationship is moving along quite a bit so I thought I should tell you before it goes any further that I come from a rather humble background. I've always worked hard for what I have and I just don't think I could ever live in a house this grandiose."
He smiled, touching her cheek his the palm of his hand. "That's it?"
She nodded, waiting for his reaction.
He grinned at her with sparkling blue eyes. "I guess you don't have to worry about that for the time being."
Now it was her turn to worry. "Because you don't see a future for us together now?"
"No," he snorted, unable to hide his relief and laughter, "because I don't actually live here. I live in an apartment above the garage. While I use the art studio, I hadn't really planned on moving Lacey and myself into the main house."
She took his face in her hands and grinned at him now, too. "Well, that makes everything all right then!"
He kissed her once again. "But, do you think..."
"Yes?" she breathed in between kisses.
"Do you think someday, if we decided a future together is what we want, you could get used to raising a houseful of children here in the main house?"
"A houseful?" she repeated, still not letting go of him. "I don't know about a houseful, but I think if we had children, we would have to move out of the apartment situation. So, I guess that seems reasonable that we'd live here."
He felt like he was floating after hearing her response. "I guess we have time to hammer out details later."
"I guess we do," she said.
He kissed her once again. "But, do you think..."
"Yes?" she breathed in between kisses.
"Do you think someday, if we decided a future together is what we want, you could get used to raising a houseful of children here in the main house?"
"A houseful?" she repeated, still not letting go of him. "I don't know about a houseful, but I think if we had children, we would have to move out of the apartment situation. So, I guess that seems reasonable that we'd live here."
He felt like he was floating after hearing her response. "I guess we have time to hammer out details later."
"I guess we do," she said.
Olivia and Jasper cuddled in their new room, in their new house on what was now their wedding night.
It had finally happened, Olivia thought. She had the family and home she had always dreamed of and it hadn't cost her a thing.
It had finally happened, Olivia thought. She had the family and home she had always dreamed of and it hadn't cost her a thing.