Book One: Chapter 33


    Six Months Later


    “Mommy! Mommy! Look at me! Do I look pretty?” Ariaughed as she twirled.


    She wore a white, sleeveless princess-style dress. The top was satin while the skirt was a gauzy


    material. Aquamarine and peridot colored rhinestones were applied to the flowy skirt, concentrating


    along the hem. Her hair was piled up in a messy-style bun with her curls still able to bounce as she


    moved. She wore a crown of white flowers with rhinestones in the center of each. Her tights had a floral


    pattern and her shoes were white.


    “You look like a princess,” Macey smiled. “How do I look?”


    Aria pressed her lips together as she studied her mother. Macey’s dress was mermaid-style, strapless,


    with a sweetheart neckline. The material had a satin finish and was made to look as if it wrapped


    around her giving it added texture as well as entuating her curves which now included a growing


    belly.


    Her skirt which red just below her knees was made the same gauzy material as Aria’s dress and also


    embedded with aquamarine and peridot rhinestones, which echoed her ne and tiara of diamond,


    topaz and emeralds. Also like Aria her hair was up in a messy bun with their natural curls piled on of


    her head. It made an excellent perch for her veil which was a floral design with the same rhinestones.


    After looking her mother up and down Aria dered, “You look like a queen mommy!”


    “Yeah, you’re beautiful, mommy!” Caden seconded.


    “Thank you, sweeties.”


    “And they are absolutely right,” a deeper voice dered.


    Turning they saw Augustus enter. He wore a finely tailored suit that matched Caden’s. The cor had a


    satin finish. In fact all the DaLair men wore matching suits with emerald green ties in honor of Macey’s


    favorite color for the asion.


    Augustus came forward taking her hands and pecking her cheek before asking, “How do you feel?”


    “Bloated,” Macey said with a sigh and earned a chuckle from her doting father-inw.


    She ced a hand on her stomach. In a few more months it would be muchrger. A month after their


    return to Paris she noticed her period waste. Even after confirming it with her doctor she still hardly


    believed it. When she told Julius he nearly fainted. He wondered how it was possible since she was on


    birth control but as her doctor pointed out no birth control was a hundred percent effective.


    “Don’t tell me my grandson is already making it difficult for his mother,” Augustus said in mock surprise.


    Maceyughed with him. His obvious delight at another grandchild was evident. The only thing that


    would excite him more was if they were staying in the States but Julius, Macey and the twins had to


    return to Paris when their All Saint’s Holiday was over and wouldn’t return until Christmas.


    Julius was true to his word and hadn’t hesitated to move to Paris to be with them. The first few weeks


    he yed house-husband while he limated then he contacted Herr Leon and arranged their first


    meeting since thetter’s trip to America. By the time the kids were on their summer vacation heid


    the groundwork for the European offices. Not being one for business Macey had no idea how he


    managed especially considering he was still learning thenguage.


    The twins’ summer vacation wasrgely spent in Paris with a few trips to America coinciding with


    Julius’s business trips. As the summer came to a close they decided to remain in Paris for another year


    much to Augustus’s and Franklin’s disappointment. Julius need more time to solidify theirpany’s


    foothold and saw no reason to uproot his family especially with a baby on the way.


    Their continued stay in Paris did not disrupt their nned vow renewal however. Between phone calls,


    Skype calls and visits Macey, Rose and Victoria organized the event to coincide with the twins’ holiday


    break. Victoria naturally took over the duty of designing Macey’s wedding dress using her original gown


    for inspiration.


    She called her final design: Something Old, Something New, Something Barrowed, Something Blue.


    Macey hoped the Something Barrowed referred to the ne and tiara. She was ufortable


    wearing something so extravagant and expensive though no one would tell her the actual cost.


    “Shall we? Everyone is waiting,” Augustus offered his arm.


    Macey nodded picking up her bouquet of baby-blue asters and white roses. She looked to the twins.


    Aria grabbed her basket of blue and white petals while Caden carefully supported a baby blue pillow


    with a pair of rings resting on it.


    Initially Macey had been against new rings but Julius eventually convinced her. Her new ring was


    simr in design to her engagement ring with the addition of a pair of topaz and even designed to


    attach to her other rings. The inclusion of topaz meant that hers, Julius’s and the twins’ birthstones


    were all together. Julius’s new ring was another simple silver band this time iid with blue to match


    the topaz. After the thought he put into each she could hardly say no to his request.


    Threading her arm into Augustus’s they headed out with the twins’ preceding them through the DaLair


    mansion. As with their wedding, their venue was the estate’s backyard. An arbor stood in the well-


    manicured yard in front of several rows of seats. As before the guest list was only about a hundred


    peopleposed of family, close friends and a few business associates along with a handful of press


    allowing them to report on their own personal experience though all pictures of the event would be


    provided by the official wedding photographer.


    This time their photographer was Macey’s assistant, Dillon. Dillon, freshly graduated from college, was


    originally hired by Macey as an au pair for the twins. It was a position Dillon’s friends discouraged her


    from taking especially after they heard she would be working for an American but she really needed the


    money.


    Macey proved a surprisingly amiable employer and the money she offered was good. Even more


    importantly Dillon’s dream was to be a photographer, a dream Macey was living, and Macey was the


    first to really encourage her interest. Not only did Macey let Dillon tag along to different photo shoots


    and even exin how to work and care for the equipment Macey also gifted her one of her old cameras


    as a bonus. Though the camera was an older model and somewhat out of date it still worked well


    enough to be Macey’s backup. She also gave Dillon free ess to her darkroom and taught her how to


    develop her own pictures.


    Macey turned out to be the best mentor Dillon could wish for and even after the twins started school


    Dillon begged to remain under Macey’s employ switching to being her secretary and assistant. The


    new position gave Dillon plenty of time to continue her own schooling and also gave her real world


    opportunity to refine her skills. She was a natural choice to handle the wedding photos. The pair had


    walked the venue and discussed angles and images to get while being unobtrusive to the guests.


    Dressed in an ivory pants-suit Dillon had already captured establishing shots of the venue as well as


    images of Julius visiting with his father, brother, nephew and son before the event. She took pictures of


    Macey and Aria’s preparation, getting so caught up in capturing moments she almost didn’t get herself


    ready in time.


    For extended photo shoots Macey often had two cameras. When one was full she’d switch to the other


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    while Dillon removed the film from the first and reced it. Since Dillon was on her own she prepped


    three cameras to allow herself to keep taking pictures without needing to constantly reload.


    Dillon wasn’t the only guest who was working. Franklin sat at a keyboard set up near the front ready to


    y the wedding march since Caden was ring bearer. His cement gave him ample view and he was


    among the first to see the foursome emerge from the mansion. As the kids neared the aisle he began


    to y “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by Elvis in lieu of a traditional march in homage to


    Macey’s parents who used the song for their first wedding dance.


    The guests stood and turned as Aria and Caden walked down the aisle as practiced. Aria tossed


    handfuls of petals as they went earning many smiles from the admiring crowd. Reaching the end of the


    aisle Aria found she had a lot more petals than needed. Not sure what to do and not wanting to stop


    the proceedings she simply tipped her basket upside down and dumped the rest in a pile where she


    stood to everyone’s startled delight.


    Satisfied she and her brother walked up to where their father waited at the altar. There Caden


    presented the rings. Smiling Julius kissed both on the top the head, taking the rings and sending them


    to join their aunt and uncle waiting in the front row. March held out his hand allowing the pair to give


    him a high-five for a job well-done.


    Straightening Julius watched as his father and Macey started their own march, unshed tears blurring


    his sight at the vision and he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. A hush fell over the crowd as they


    watched the bride escorted by her father-inw. For those who had been present eight years ago it was


    a familiar sight since Augustus walked Macey down the aisle then too.


    Reaching the altar Augustus gave her a gentle peck before allowing Julius to take her hands. Macey


    was as nervous as she was eight years ago. Back then Julius had been a reluctant groom though he


    maintained an amodating smile. Today was different. His expression was soft and hinted at


    restrained passion for the woman in front of him. There were no lingering doubts in him. Macey handed


    her bouquet to the waiting Victoria as the minister gestured for the guests to sit.


    “…Family, friends…we are gathered here today to celebrate the bless-ed union of Julius and Macey as


    they renew their vows and pledge their love to each other…a love that has already blessed them with


    two beautiful children.


    “…Time has tested them and their love. It has made them stronger, their connection surer, their


    feelings truer…They stand together as one ready to face whatever challengesy in the future…


    “Julius, do you promise to continue to love, honor and cherish Macey in sickness and in health, rich or


    poor, till death do you part?”


    “Yes.”


    “Macey, do you promise to continue to love, honor and cherish Julius in sickness and in health, rich or


    poor, till death do you part?”


    “Yes.”


    “The rings? Julius, ce the ring on Macey’s hand and repeat: with this ring I still be wed.”


    “With this ring I still be wed,” Julius said with a smile.


    “Macey, ce the ring on Julius’s hand and repeat: with this ring I still be wed.”


    “With this ring I still be wed.”


    “I now pronounce you, still married. You may kiss your wife.”


    The crowd chuckled at the minister’s words even as Julius eagerly leaned forward to do the one thing


    he had wanted to do the moment he watched her walk down the aisle. Hepletely ignored the


    apuse holding her close. He would never let her go.