LOGINLaura's POV. The first thing I heard was birdsong. It was soft and gentle. It drifted through the open balcony doors, carried by the cool morning breeze. I slowly opened my eyes.For a moment, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling. The room felt different, lighter and brighter.My gaze wandered towards the window where the first rays of sunlight painted the curtains in warm shades of gold. Then it hit me that it was today.A smile spread across my face before I could stop it. Today. I was getting married. I laughed quietly to myself, the sound filling the peaceful room."I don't think I'm dreaming." I said and I rested both hands over my stomach."You two know what day it is, don't you?"I slowly sat up, careful not to move too quickly. The room had been decorated sometime during the night.Fresh white roses stood in elegant crystal vases. Tiny candles lined the windowsill. A handwritten card rested on the bedside table beside a bouquet of peonies.The familiar handwriting made
Laura's pov. The entire house was asleep at least it was supposed to be like that. I was still on my bed and I turned in my sleep over for what hard to be the tenth time as I kept staring at where I didn't even know.The digital clock on the bedside table glowed softly in the darkness. It was 11:48 p.m. and I just closed my eyes instantly, maybe if I stopped thinking sleep would eventually come to me.Five seconds later, my eyes opened again. I was feeling so frustrated because I just felt like everything was hopeless. My babies were already disturbing me instead of my stomach as though they had decided at night was the perfect night to stay awake with me. I placed my palm over my stomach, trying to talk to them in the mother and children bonding."So it's not just me? You too should be sleeping by now but no you guys want to actually disturb me just because you have already inherited your father's stubbornness.” I said.My baby's literally kicked instead of my stomach just to infor
Zara's POV.Dad!" I screamed out as his laughter echoed back to me."You cheated!""I observed.""You guessed!""I was right." I said, as his laughter only grew louder.---By early afternoon, every staff member had been given an assignment. Maria was supervising the kitchen and David had doubled security around the estate.The decorators were adding the final touches. Even the musicians had begun setting up their instruments. Everything was falling into place. Almost everything."There you are." I heard Laura say as she walked into the sitting room carrying a glass of orange juice. She smiled the moment she saw me."I have been looking everywhere for you. I wanted to spend more time with me and I even tried calling your number but your phone was ringing but you were not picking up.”"I guess you found me. And I have to apologize for not picking your calls, my phone wasn't near me but you can actually spend all the time you want with me right now. I'm here for you baby.”"Yes I did."
Zara's POV.By eight o'clock that morning, I had already fired three decorators. Not because they were bad. Because they were too slow for the job I wanted.They were doing everything in different ways. I had really fired a whole lot, I don't even think they were three. There were more than three and the ones that were here were just giving me what I wanted but I just had to exercise patience.I didn't know if they were the ones that were wrong or I was the one who was wrong. Probably I might have been reacting based on adrenaline or the fact that I wanted everything to be done before the exact time."No."I pointed towards the arch of white roses they had just finished arranging."The flowers should fall naturally.""They are falling naturally, Miss Zara.""They're not." I said as I looked at his coworkers for help."I don't understand."I walked over to the floral arch, gently lifted one strand of roses, and let it cascade over the side."This is exactly what I want.” I said as he s
Lucas's POV."You will." She searched my face."How do you know?"A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth."Because we haven't reached the last tray yet.” I said, looking at the jeweler."The last tray?" The jeweler met my eyes and I gave a small nod.Without saying a word, she stood up, and disappeared into the back room, and returned a few moments later carrying a single dark velvet box instead of a tray.She placed it gently on the table between us. Laura looked from the box, then at me. Then back to the box again."Lucas?" I smiled."Go on."Her fingers hovered over the lid. She looked at me one last time."What is this?" she asked. I couldn't stop smiling."Open it."Laura's fingertips rested lightly on the velvet box. She didn't open it immediately.Instead, she looked at me again, narrowing her eyes as though she could somehow figure out what I was hiding just by staring at my face."You have been smiling like that all morning.""I have.""I don't trust that smile.""You have
Lucas's POV.The first thing Laura did after getting into the car was to yawn. A quiet, sleepy little yawn that she immediately tried to hide behind the back of her hand. I smiled without taking my eyes off the road."Are you tired?" I asked and she looked at me."I am not.""You yawned.""I only yawned once.""Twice.""You counted?""I count everything." I said. Zara, sitting in the back seat, groaned dramatically."There he goes again.” she exclaimed. Laura turned to look at her."What?""He literally counts everything."I pretended not to hear them."The traffic lights on the way here? They are too much and too slow.” I spoke casually."They are eight. And worst of all do you know that they are speed bumps?” Zara said.“I thought there were five traffic lights.” Lucas said and I almost bursted out laughing. Zara leaned forward between the seats."Don't encourage him, Laura.""The number of times Laura sighed while getting ready this morning?" I said as Laura's eyes widened."You co
Laura's POV.For a split second, after my palm connected with Chad's face. People stared at me in awe, like no one trusted what they had just seen.The old Laura would have apologized by now. She would have cried. She would have begged him to understand. She would have folded herself into something
Laura's POV.This day was supposed to be perfect.It was my last day in college, and for once, my chest felt light instead of tight. The kind of light that came with endings that promised new beginnings for me.I stood in front of my mirror, turning slowly, smiling at my reflection like I was meeti
Laura's POV.I didn't say a word to Lucas. Because if I opened my mouth, I wasn't sure of what would come out of it. If it were truth or lies, or something in between that could ruin everything.I just stood there, holding the file like it was the only thing that could keep me on the right track.L
Lucas's POV.Weeks passed, but that night refused to loosen its grip on me. It refused to stay where it belonged.That night would always stay in the quiet moments that I had to myself. In the spaces between my meetings and in the way my body reacted before my mind could stop it. I had slept with







