(Three months later...)

A cold wind blew right inside the window, making me shiver. It was too chilly to wear a sleeveless wedding dress.

"Are you cold?" Lily asked from the bed, and I glared at her.

"Yes, all because of you!"

"Oh come on, you can handle this. It's only for one hour. All you have to do is walk down the aisle, say your vows to each other, kiss, and come back. Simple!"

I sighed. No matter how much I begged, I couldn't change her mind. She just had to bring me the most scandalous and revealing wedding dress of all time. No matter how beautiful it looked on me, I still hated going out in this in the month of December.

Maybe we should have waited a bit more to get married, at least until March.

"Whatever. But why are you still here? You should be with the other bridesmaids." I asked her, but she just shrugged.

"I wanna see you get fully dressed. They don't need me there anyway."

I nodded, feeling the hairdresser pull on my hair in every direction possible as she tried to make an elaborate combination of braids from my hair. Biting back a groan, I decided to keep still for the sake of my appearance.

The summer months had passed by in a blur, and it was December already. Last month, I'd seen my name appear on the very first fashion show, and it was the happiest moment of my life. Even after all the roadblocks, my team and I managed to pull it off by slaving off day and night, and the results were incredible.

It was the first time Panache had introduced such a soft style, and everyone talked about it. Obviously, the new collection sold out in a record time, and our team was saved from getting kicked out. I'd laughed as Sophie and the rest jumped in their places like little kids when they heard the news. It was heartwarming and a huge blow to Sasha, who still glared at us as we passed by.

Of course, she had excused herself from the wedding today. She said it was an illness, but I knew it was jealousy.

A sudden thought popped up in my mind, and I turned to Lily, who was reading a magazine. My hairdresser was immediately triggered, and told me to sit straight. Turning back, I said, "Lily, André's brother is supposed to be your partner, right?"

Lily was my maid of honor, and Janvier was obviously the best man. It was hilarious to see them together for the rehearsals, and I could sense some tension between them. And now, Lily's stinking face only confirmed my suspicions.

"Yes, and does that amuse you so much?" She snapped back, getting defensive.

I chuckled. "Actually, it does. It does because you're acting weird about it. Just tell me now, is there something between you two?"

She sighed. "It's nothing. There's nothing between us, at least not anymore."

She had mumbled the last part, but I'd still heard it. Ever the curious cat, I caught onto that information. "Hey, you said not anymore? What does that mean?"

I was just about to extract the truth from her, when a knock sounded on the door. Lily jumped at the opportunity to evade my questions and opened the door. "Mrs. Fontaine! Come in!" She exclaimed, making me all excited to meet mama.

She was supposed to walk me down the aisle today, and I was glad she was feeling perfect. Even though the treatment was working on her, it had weakened her a lot initially. But now, she was slowly getting back on her feet, and could join us today.

Standing up from my seat, I moved around and went towards the door to hug my mama. Along with her was our wedding planner, Ailee, and she looked rushed. Sending her a signal with my eyes, I told her I'd come out soon.

Mama took a long look at my dress. I knew what she was seeing – the delicate sweetheart neckline, the spaghetti top adorned with lacey flowers and beads, a sheer cover with shoulder length sleeves, and a long, flowy skirt full of crystals which shone like snowflakes under the sun.

Tears pooled in her eyes as she said, "Oh, mon bébé. Tu es si belle!"

Blinking back my tears, I hugged her again. Lily, who was standing behind mama, broke into soft sniffles as well. Gesturing at her to shut up, I pulled away from mama and said, "Merci, mama."

I said, "Let's go, before Lily here breaks down and ruins her makeup."

Lily smacked my shoulder, but I just laughed. She was way too emotional at times to be a bitch, as she proclaimed herself.

As I stood behind the door that opened towards the garden, the familiar jitters came back to me. It was the same feeling I had when I first stepped foot inside Panache, and the same feeling as André and I danced together for the first time. But this time, it was stronger. I could feel myself sweating and panting.

Lily and the bridesmaids, Mia, Amelia and Maria, had already walked the aisle and taken their positions. While Maria was obviously paired with Martin, who, in my opinion, should get married already, the twins were paired with two of André's friends. And now, it was time for me to enter.

With bated breath, I waited for the announcer to call out my name. As he did so, a loud cheer rang throughout the garden. The noise suddenly reminded me that I would be walking in front of hundreds of guests, preferably strangers. It made me all the more nervous, but a single pat from my mama gave me instant comfort.

Tucking my hand in her elbow, I forced myself to walk, and prayed I wouldn't fall in my five inch heels which I was wearing for the first time. The satin white carpet spread on the green grass welcomed me, and I tried to face forward.

In front of me on the other side, stood André. He had donned another black suit, with his silver tie situated properly on his neck, and hair down for a change. His mother said that it made him look messy, but I thought it made him look approachable. And so, the hair had been let down.

He smiled at me from afar, and I returned it. The journey towards the podium suddenly felt lighter and easier. I walked towards him, and once we reached the end, I stood in front of his smiling self.

The time flew by, and it was soon time to say our wedding vows. Now for this, we had to come up with genuine lines that would convey what we were supposed to feel for each other. It was a difficult task, but I thought we had nailed it.

André started first, taking my hand in his. "Lizette Fontaine, you might not believe me, but ever since I first saw you, I promised to myself that I would make you mine. Your bright eyes and kind smile was a breath of fresh air for me, but the best thing about you is your warm heart. The way you care for everyone, from those children at the orphanage to your friends and family. I was mesmerized and captured by you, but I have no regrets. All I wanna say, is that I will always protect you from whatever or whoever tries to harm you. You're now my responsibility, and I, André Beaumont, vow to spend an eternity, just with you."

He smiled at me once again, as the crowd cheered for us. Giving me a nod, he told me it was time for me to speak.

Clearing my throat, I started my speech. "André Beaumont, the very frustrating idiot I've decided to marry." As I said that, everyone in the garden laughed, including André himself.

"To be honest, I didn't like you and your attitude when we first met. You seemed to be cold and nonchalant, and I hated it. But as time passed, I realized we must never judge a book by it's cover. From the time we've spent together, I came to know how sharp, observant, responsible and kind you are. And as much as I hated you at first, I've come to absolutely adore your presence, since it brings me warmth and serenity. I, Lizette Fontaine, vow to marry you and become your equal, your confidante, and your number one supporter, which I already am."

Our vows ended after another round of laughter and applause, and it was now time for the final kiss. By now, I was used to kissing, so it didn't phase me as much. But this was the first time I would kiss in front of so many people, and that nervousness must have been evident from my face.

André came closer to me and whispered in my ear, "It's okay, just breathe."

I followed him, and looked only at him. For a second, everyone else vanished from my surroundings, and all I could feel was him. He slowly leaned in, just like that night, and pressed his lips to mine. It was a short and sweet kiss, but it held a genuine promise of togetherness. It warmed me and left me wanting for more.

This was the man with whom I had the most complicated relationship ever. I knew I liked him. I'd known that ever since we went camping. But I didn't know if it would be worth spending the rest of my life with him.

Even though we had warmed upto each other, our contract was still valid. Nothing had changed on those terms, so I wasn't sure what my future would bring.

But I was sure of one thing, that life was a rollercoaster filled with unexpected experiences, and was something to be enjoyed to the fullest.

♣︎ ♣︎ ♣︎