A Beautiful Fate Read online

  ****

  By the time we arrived in California, I was something of a zombie. We spent all day Sunday asleep in Ari’s marvelous bed and then both jumped awake on Monday morning to the sound of Aggie pounding on his bedroom door. Ari had locked the door the night before and not being able to get in the room had made Aggie, who clearly had an agenda, even more angry. Ari stumbled to his door and let his mother in, then crawled back in bed and hid his head under a pillow while Aggie barked orders at me to get up.

  “You have a dress fitting in an hour with Margaux, Ava! Then you need to sign off on all the decorations and after that, I need you to talk with the florist and then check the menu to make sure everything is right.” The schedule poured out of her without benefit of a single breath.

  Ari all but pushed me out of bed so his mom would stop the angry-sergeant bit. I let my teeth clamp down on my tongue to keep from saying anything that might hurt her feelings and made my way to the shower to start my very long day.

  ****

  Oh, my! I thought when I first saw the dress. It is beautiful. How did Margaux know? The French peau de soie garment was long and smooth against my skin. Thank goodness I put some healthy weight back on so my bones aren’t sticking out. I had kept up my cross training with Rory while in Montréal and was back to being lean and fit where it counted. The back of the dress plunged down low to the small of my back and the whole garment hung by thin wispy straps from my shoulders.

  Margaux despised my tattoos maybe even more than she despised me, but I didn’t care. They were very much a part of me and the contrast they brought to the day would be a perfect reminder that I am not perfect. The shoe surprise she had promised me had caused some anxiety; how could she know me so well when she seemed to dislike everything about me? She had personally designed a pair of black and white silk ballet flats. I loved them and thanked her a dozen times. She seem strangely gratified that I so clearly admired her efforts, and even hugged me before she left.

  Aggie pulled me out of bed again on Tuesday. She had planned a wedding shower, even though Ari and I had both nixed the idea. I spent a good chunk of the day at Gianna’s with a bunch of women, playing bridal games while Ari spent his whole day sailing. Not that I would ever get on a sailboat, but anything would have been better than the shower. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate of all the thoughtful gifts, kind words and support. I love Ari’s family. I just didn’t like so much attention being paid to me. Anxiety was close enough to the surface; I didn’t need to be the center of attention any more than necessary.

  The rest of the week followed the now established pattern. I spent nearly every waking hour with Aggie going over final touches and I spent each night curled up next to Ari.

  We picked Julia and Rory up from the airport on Wednesday and then August on Thursday.

  “Any luck with Smith?” I asked as soon as we saw him walk out in to the main part of the airport.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” He grumbled.

  “Ohh, August, I’m sorry! But you know a relationship would never have worked out anyway, what with you moving here and all. Don’t worry, we’ll find you a great guy who actually deserves you, I promise.” He threw his arm around my shoulder and we walked out to the car.

  Ari’s home was beginning to fill up with visitors and each time someone new walked through the door, my anxiety level crept up a notch.

  On Thursday night, I managed to slip away from Aggie a little early and had just gotten out of a hot shower and put on a pair of pajamas when I heard Andy call to me from his study.

  “Ava?”

  I peeked in through the open door.

  “Yeah, Andy, what’s up?”

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Uh, sure,” I answered and walked into the study. He had finally gotten around to having the room re-painted. Tasteful art was hanging on the walls and his bookshelf was full of photos and books. I paused by it and glanced at them. He had photos from Ari’s graduation and photos of he and Lauren with surfboards. There were even photos of Ari and me.

  “Take a seat, Ava; I won’t keep you for too long.”

  I pulled out a chair across from Andy, who was sitting at his desk.

  “Ava, your finances are none of my business but I have a fair idea of what you are worth. I helped your father plan his estate in the event that he died and I am aware that he left it all to you. I also know that your mother had her own money that I am assuming she left to you as well, not to mention the money that you will one day inherit from baio. I think it may be in your best interest if you approach Ari with a pre-nuptial agreement.”

  I stared at Andy with my mouth open.

  “A pre-nup? Are you serious?”

  “I am serious, Ava. A pre-nup is just a tool designed for protecting assets. I wouldn’t have brought it up, but I feel morally obligated as both an attorney and your partner with House to Home. If you’d like I could get something written up tonight.”

  “Hey, what are you doing in here?” Ari popped his head in.

  “Ari, can you give us a minute, please? I won’t take long.” Andy looked up at him from his glasses.

  “Oh, yeah, sure.” Ari gave me a puzzled look and I smiled at him before he closed the door.

  “Thank you for your concern, Andy, but I’m not interested.” I stated.

  He nodded his head, “That’s what I thought you would say. I just want to make sure you are aware that a pre-nup is an option you have. None of us will judge you if you opt to take advantage of it. Such an agreement would actually be a very smart avenue for you to take.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate the advice. I really do, but no.”

  “Ava, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Does Ari have any clue how much you are worth?”

  I scrunched my nose up thinking. “I don’t know. Does he?”

  Andy laughed aloud. “I wouldn’t know, Ava. Maybe you should talk with him about it. Let him know what he is marrying into.”

  “Oh, ok.” I stood up to leave.

  “Good night, Ava.”

  “Night, Andy, and thanks again.”

  I climbed into Ari’s bed and he found me there seconds later. I was lying on my stomach with my head buried in a pillow. Ari sat down beside me and traced small circles on my back.

  “Are you going to tell me what you two were talking about in there?”

  I rolled over to face him. “Your dad has just suggested that I consider a pre-nuptial agreement.”

  “What?” Ari laughed. “That’s nuts; why would he do that?”

  “Um, I don’t know how to say this, but I have a lot of money.”

  Ari gave me a confused smile.

  “What do you mean by ‘a lot of money’?”

  I giggled. “I am filthy stinkin’ rich, Ari. I have more money than I know what to do with. And your dad suggested I consider a pre-nup in case something bad ever happens between us.”

  “How much money are you talking about, Ava?” Ari frowned.

  “Oh, I honestly don’t know; I’ve never looked into it before. I know I have millions. I make thousands of dollars every day on interest alone. At least that’s what my finance guy told me.”

  “What do you spend it on?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing. You know me. I don’t buy anything but clothes and music. I donate monthly to a list charities and I financed our wedding but that’s really it. Why, do you want something? I called the bank last week and they are putting your name on all the accounts, while they change mine to Alexander. If you want something, all you have to do is go down there and sign some documents so your signature is on file.”

  I stood up and walked over to the little drawer I had for my belongings in Ari’s closet and pulled out a set of keys.

  “These are for the safety deposit boxes. We have three of them. If you ever need quick cash, I keep $9,900.00 in each of them, along with some jewelry and stuff that you probably
won’t be interested in. Lauren knows where they are if you are ever in a pinch.”

  “When were you going to tell me this?”

  “I’m really sorry, Ari. I figured you already knew.”

  “How would I know that, Ava? You never talk about this stuff. Did my dad get the documents ready to sign or is he working on them now?”

  “Huh?”

  “The pre-nup. Is it ready?”

  I gawked at him.

  “I told your dad no. We aren’t signing anything. I love you. I want to marry you and live with you forever in our house next door. I want you to have whatever you want whenever you want it. I don’t ever want to lose you. If you left me, I would die inside and nothing else would matter.”

  “Ava, are you sure about this?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Wow, Ava, this is a lot to take in.”

  “It’s just money, Ari. It doesn’t change anything – I’m still me. So, you didn’t answer my question. What do you want? Let’s go buy it.”

  “I don’t want anything. Just you... well, you on August Fourth at ten o’clock.”

  I blushed and Ari snuggled in next to me under the blankets.

  ****

  I spent all day Friday with Aggie, Gianna, Julia, Lauren and a million other female members of Ari’s family at a spa. I had my nails painted their usual color, and I had a facial. I stayed quiet and tried my best to look interested in whatever mundane conversation was going on. But the truth was that I was afraid if I opened my mouth to speak, I might throw up.

  Ari had a much better day than I did. The guys surfed all day and Lauren let August try out her board. Watching August try to surf was a scene I really would have been happy to see, but there had been those nails to do and that face to take care of...

  I met up with them Friday night on Aggie and Andy’s deck. Everyone was hanging around, drinking and talking. Ari had my favorite Angus & Julia Stone album playing and when “The Wedding Song” played, he pulled me to my feet and held me close and we danced. He sang quietly into my ear and I felt the nervous tension drain away. When the song ended, he asked, “Will you give me your forever and ever, Ava Baio?”

  “You already have it, Ari. You have had it since the moment I laid eyes on you.” He kissed me one last time before we were man and wife.

  Aggie insisted that Ari sleep at our new house and I stay with them in Ari’s old room. She didn’t want him to see me before I walked down the aisle. I thought sleeping apart was a little more trouble than it might be worth, but I agreed to her plan just the same.

  Chapter 25

  August Fourth

  I woke with a scream on Saturday at dawn. No. 6 had been taunting me, playing with the corners of my mind. He never showed his plan or even himself for that matter. I just kept hearing over and over again in my mind, “I am coming for you, Ava Baby.” I tried to convince myself that his message was nothing new. I had already known that he was coming for me. I told myself that his threat was a good sign – let him come, the sooner the better, so I could off him and get on with my life.

  But in all honesty, I was terrified. I made my way down the hall and took a long shower, scrubbing myself clean. I covered myself in lotion and then put on a tee shirt and Ari’s old sweats. All my clothes had been moved to the new house, so I had to settle for whatever was in the back of Ari’s closet. I headed to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee.

  I was expecting a dark, quiet kitchen. After all, the sun had hardly even begun to peek across the east lawn... but what I expected was far from what I found. Aggie’s kitchen was in complete chaos, full of women eating breakfast and talking about how they were going to do their hair and makeup.

  “There you are!” Aggie said, looking exasperated. “I was beginning to think you were never going to wake up!”

  “Aggie, what are you talking about? The wedding isn’t for twelve hours.”

  Ignoring her angry stare, I poured myself a cup of coffee, and sat down to read the paper. I needed to distract myself to keep from being sick. Aggie knows that I have issues with clearing my mind, so after a moment she backed off. I think she could tell that my façade was wearing down and that I was on the brink tears, or worse.

  “Ok, Ava, you’re right,” she said, and sat down next to me, pretending to read various sections of the paper as I finished with them. Gently she took my hand and I looked up into her eyes. Tears filled up in my own and my hands shook.

  “Oh, Ava Baby,” she whispered, “I am so sorry. Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be fine.”

  I nodded my head and stood up.

  “I think I need some fresh air.”

  She followed me out to the back deck and I let go and cried. Aggie and I might not always agree and we may give each other grief from time to time, but I love her and right then I needed a mom. She held me tight in her arms as I cried nervous tears into her mother-of-the groom tee shirt.

  “Shh, Ava, everything is going to be okay, Baby, I promise,” she crooned, trying to comfort me. “If anyone can do this you can. I know you’ve gone through much more than a little wedding.” I nodded and sat down on one of her deck chairs. She took the seat next to me. “What are you so afraid of, Ava?” she asked. I let out a quick breath and shrugged my shoulders.

  “Is it the wedding? Because, honey, all you have to do is show up and say ‘I do.’”

  “No, I don’t think that’s it,” I said shakily.

  “Well, is it all the people in the kitchen so early? Because I can send them to Gianna’s.”

  “No, they’re fine; don’t worry, Aggie.”

  “Ava,” she said quietly, “are you worried about tonight – you know, when all of this is over?”

  Fresh tears poured out of my eyes and I felt as though a huge weight on my chest was keeping me from breathing.

  “Oh, Ava Baby,” Aggie said softly, as she turned my left wrist over and began to stroke my tally marks absent-mindedly.

  “Ava, I am so proud of you. I am so honored that you have chosen to be a part of our family. Please believe me when I say that you have nothing to worry about. This is Ari, after all. He loves you more than I have ever seen a man love a woman. He has never looked at anything the way I see him look at you. Nothing makes him happier than you do. All tonight is, is love, Baby, nothing else but love.”

  I took a deep breath and stood up. She pulled me into another hug and I whispered a quiet thank you into her ear.

  I was able to manage the rest of the day a little bit better. Julia kept my mind busy by babbling on about some fight she and Rory had gotten into the night before, and about how making up afterwards had made the argument totally worthwhile. She told me she had seen the guys all leaving for the golf course and that Ari had told her he missed me already.

  ****

  By six forty-five that evening, I was in my dress, makeup done with nowhere to go and nothing to do for fifteen very long minutes. All of the guests and wedding party had moved out to the little white chairs set up on the beach, leaving me alone with Andy.

  “Oh, my goodness, Ava, you are so beautiful,” Andy said, as he walked through the back door into the kitchen. I grabbed the empty garbage can at the end of the counter and threw up.

  “Oh no, please don’t do this to me,” Andy said with nervous laughter. I ignored his plea and threw up again, then grabbed my toothbrush from next to the kitchen sink for the tenth time that day, scrubbed my mouth clean and used the last bit of my mouthwash as a chaser. I was a complete nervous wreck.

  Andy came up to me and looped my arm through his, steadying me.

  “Just stand with me like this for a minute, Ava.” I did as he said. My racing heart slowed and my breathing began to return to normal.

  “Ari is out there waiting for you. He loves you and I know that you love him,” Andy said as he took a few slow steps towards the back door. “You look astonishing tonight, and I know you can handle anything that’s out there,” he said, and we took
a few more steps through the door and out to the deck.

  “All this is, is a wedding. The most important part about today is that when it’s over and the guests are gone, you will start on a road with Ari that will last the rest of your life.”

  He had talked me down the deck, right up to the aisle. I focused on what he was saying and squeezed his arm with all of my strength. Through the fog that had wrapped itself around my mind, I could hear the music playing and I could see faces turned in my direction, but I ignored them and just listened to Andy, still talking and leading each step we took. When we were at the home stretch, he said over and over again, “It’s just Ari, don’t worry; it’s just Ari.”

  Andy took my hand and held it in his at the end of the aisle; he squeezed it, and then kissed me on the cheek.

  “There, see?” he said looking up at the man before me – “it’s just Ari.” I nodded my head and smiled at Andy. He had done it. I was there, in front of our gathered friends and family, and there was just the two of us – Ari and myself. Andy placed my hand into his son’s hand and all my nervousness immediately drifted away.

  A small gasp escaped my lips when our minister began to conduct the ceremony in French. August translated the most important parts so as not to exclude our guests, but for the most part our ceremony was incredibly private and beautiful. Ari had clearly been behind this detail because he knew exactly what to say and when to say it. When it was finally time, Ari wrapped his arms around me, held my body tight, and kissed me the way a husband kisses his wife. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause and my cheeks turned pink.

  Aggie and Andy found us after the ceremony and I threw my arms around Andy’s neck and thanked him. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

  “Are you going to be okay?” His voice was full of concern.

  “Yes, thank you, Andy.” I then hugged Aggie and thanked her again for the support and love she had given me in the morning. Once his parents walked away to join the other guests, Ari turned and looked at me perplexed.