Chapter 4 RUNNING WASN'T TOO LATE

Three opulent automobiles, adorned with pink and white ribbons and white, blue, and green petals trailing down the glass windows, made up the wedding cottage.

Grandma and I were driven by a limousine that moved in a straight line, staying amid two black Hummer jeeps carrying the bridesmaids, some flower girls and guys, and another squad of guards.

As we drove along, I saw familiar streets speed by.

My pulse quickened as my bouquet worried.

Running wasn't too late.

Despite the fear that soaked my bones, warped my hopes, and sapped my strength, I remained strong.

Grandma stroked my palms, smiled, and held my hands.

I looked at my flowers instead of through the heavy glass.

Her gentle touches, her constant circles, her little pressure-all these small movements caught my eye.

Her big blue eyes blinked in time with her twitching lips.

She shifted close to me, seeing my discomfort and scowling.

Katerina, please be kind to yourself. "Look at the tears in your eyes, please don't ruin this day. Trust me, there is nothing to fear," she said, dabbing at my eyelashes with a napkin to remove the wetness that was obstructing my vision.

We didn't have a lengthy pause before the limousine abruptly came to a stop.

Our new location caught my eye.

People hurried inside the cathedral there, not far from the cottage, grinning and giving one another salutes.

Beneath my skin, I felt impatience, nervousness, and curiosity.

Is this catastrophe happening?

I quickly looked at the name tag in front of me.

It stated: Cathedral of St. Augustine.

The name was above the church bells, printed in strong font.

The name of the church was encircled by hanging flowers that entwined itself with the bells.

The limousine door swung open.

A crimson carpet scampered over the church pavements from the automobile to the cathedral's vibrant white and green entryway.

Men in uniforms stood on either side of the carpet. Why so much security?

This was beyond me.

"Katarina, wait."

Grandma prevented me from getting out of the vehicle.

She produced a velvet box, which she gave to me.

"We give all of the women in our family this necklace to wear when they tie the knot. I'm going to give it to you since your mother wasn't the one who was meant to give it to you.

She quickly cleaned her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks.

I was unable to speak or act in any way.

I kept staring at her, but I didn't flinch or express regret.

When I finally opened the box after tugging on it, I saw that inside was a silver necklace with the word "love" written on a plain leaf.

Grandma pulled the necklace from me before I could say anything and said, "Let me help you with it."

The necklace nestled in between my cleavage as she tightened it around my neck. "Now that you're a lady, she said.

My bridesmaids held my veil in place and assisted me in getting out of the limousine.

Throughout the procession, they held it steady on the red carpet and ensured it wouldn't fly away.

I held my bouquet to my breast and the bridal gown extended to the floor.

Emily came over in a moment and put some powder under my eyes.

After that, she proceeded to the main entrance, when a man who seemed to be a groomsman grasped her hand in his.

Both of them entered the cathedral with ease.

And Grandma left me with my bridesmaids.

Fantastic, I was on my own.

I proceeded to the ornate entryway, my hands shaking against my flowers.

My arm was pulled into his by an old grey-haired man wearing a black two-piece suit and a black Luis Vegans sneaker.

His excitement caused his wrinkles to disappear and his grin to spread to his ears.

I had very little knowledge about him, but I ignored my racing heart and wavering thoughts at the time.

To put a stop to this horror, I had to pretend.

I pretended to grin and walked at his speed.

The vibrant glass door bursting with balloons in the colors of pink, white, and blue tore open.

Four children carrying flower pots and wearing clothes made of white material greeted us with a grin.

I accepted the way everything went and had faith in Emily's strategy.

The wedding march was playing as the children scattered flowers around the floor.

The people stood up and observed us.

I inhaled deeply, kept it in my chest for a little while, and then released it.

I started to move in time with the wedding march, down the flower-decorated aisle, full of bridal splendor.

With the old guy as my support, I held him tightly to avoid falling off my feet.

I felt uneasy with strange faces and several cameras.

I gave them a rolling look and concentrated on my flowers.

The match down the aisle seemed to be the most difficult task.

Balloons stole the stage as white and blue drapes spanned the length of the church.

The premises were coated with shades of translucent pearls, creating the ideal atmosphere.

With red ribbons all over the place, it was a touch too much.

Merely a few paces away from the altar, my gaze landed on his behind.

The man down the aisle, with his back to the priest, was dressed in a black Armani suit and black leather shoes.

His hands were folded behind him, grazing his taut behind, and his coral-black hair dropped to one side.

The old guy took great care to raise my veil, kissed my face, and gave my elbow a gentle squeeze.

Later, he made his way to his seat.

I bit my bottom lip and dragged my lips in between my teeth, observing the menacing figure next to me.

The guy next to me remained still.

His gaze was fixed on the priest, whose white gown echoed my own as it touched the ground.

I was unable to see his face at all.

The priest cleared his throat to start the wedding ceremony, and there was complete quiet in the church. The priest smiled at the audience while adjusting the microphone in front of him in a fatherly manner.

"We're all together here today, dearly cherished... This is from the Holy Spirit, who has poured forth God's love into your hearts. You two were not just drawn together because you fell in love with one another, but also because of the love of Christ. God is the one who selected for you to be together and who bestowed love into your hearts."

While I listened to the priest's remarks, sweat spurted out of my hands.

I was dreaming about the whole thing, so I wasn't paying attention to what the priest was saying.

"Katerina Carter, Did you come here of your own free will to bind yourself forever in the love and service of your husband?"

I strayed from my train of thinking when my name was called.

The moment of truth had arrived, and I was unable to continue speaking.

I started to second-guess my choice as Grandma's words began to seep into my consciousness and Lucas's predicament.

I waited much too long to respond, and when I did, Grandma's eyes-which were fixed on me from the front seat-met mine.

Her thighs were being tapped by her fingertips.

The priest said, "Katerina," a bit too loudly, which brought me back to his query. "Did you come here of your own free will to bind yourself forever in the love and service of your husband?"

With one palm flattened on the large black book and his white garment's sleeves skimming over the Bible passages in front of him, the priest's eyes were staring straight into my eyes.