The Heart Wants What It Wants

“He thinks you’re amazing. Because you have my back.”

“I don’t need to anymore. He’s got you. He’d never let anybody hurt you.”

“I know.”

“He’s always terrified that he might hurt you.”

“I know.”

Because he had hurt her. Because he knew how much she loved him, and how much he could hurt her. The knowledge made him wary, and careful, all the time.

“Let’s go, Di. If you’re not running, we have to go now. Everybody’s waiting.”

Diana smiled and nodded.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Diana was a beautiful bride as she walked down the aisle, to the man she loved. The man she would always love. The man who loved her.

They made their vows to each other, and she knew she had worked long and hard to get those words right, but they didn’t matter, not really. What mattered was how he looked at her, those blue eyes so steady on hers. She’d found him. They had found each other.

When they kissed under the flowers that crowded the gazebo, there was applause, but she didn’t hear any of it. She was lost in him, as she always was when he touched her.

She smiled at him, and he leaned down and whispered, “You’re mine now.”

Those were the only words from that ceremony that she ever really remembered. Those were all the words she needed.

They ran down the aisle, because she had insisted on that, and there were flowers and rice thrown. She threw her bouquet, and to everybody’s amusement, Estelle’s youngest boy was the one who caught it.

There was music, and laughter, and dancing. She was lost in his arms when they danced together, perfectly in time with each other, and she knew that she would love him for the rest of her life.

When Estelle hugged her and thanked her for bringing joy to her baby brother’s life, she cried a little bit. Because that’s what she had wanted from the moment she had fallen for him. She had wanted to bring joy into his life. Now she could. She would.

She watched as her husband danced with her mother, who had a smile on her face.

“Wow,” said her best friend, and Diana chuckled.

“I know, right?”

“How on earth did he manage to get around her? Your mother is a dragon! She hasn’t even yelled at Vicky all day, that must be some kind of a record!”

Diana laughed.

“Vicky looks great, doesn’t she? She’s doing great in school, too. Mama keeps complaining that she’s getting into trouble, but really, she’s not. She just has a mind of her own. I think it’s great. Vicky is going to do great things.”

“I’m sure, but that’s not the point. How did George manage to get your mother on his side? The first time you told her that you’re getting married to a white man sixteen years older than you, she nearly screamed her head off. I know for a fact that she called you every day to yell at you, because she called me right after that to yell to me about you. Seriously, the man must be magic, there is no other explanation for it.”

 “It’s not magic. It’s research.”

“What?”

Diana sighed a little. It wasn’t like she approved of it, but she knew that drastic measures had been necessary to sort that particular situation out. He’d known that family was important to her, so he had done what he had to do to make sure that there was no trouble with her family. That had meant a few underhanded strategies, but…

She had to admit, they had worked.

“You know what mama is like. She is very set in her ways, but there is one thing that could always make her soften a bit.”

“Your father.”

“Talking about daddy always makes mama feel better. They loved each other so much. I finally let him talk me into it.”

“Into what?”

“I gave him a crash course on daddy. Everything daddy liked, what he didn’t like, what he used to say, what he never used to say – everything I could remember, and everything I could get mama to tell me about him.”

Alex was beginning to grin.

“He didn’t.”

“He absolutely did. He researched daddy, learnt everything he could, and then he started dropping details. Suddenly, he loved fried chicken and grits. He loved baseball, and he loved basketball, and there was no team that could do it as well as the San Antonio Spurs.”

“Your dad’s favorites.”

“He took it far enough. He stopped just short of learning all the Motown tracks and singing them to her, but I swear he would’ve done it if he’d had to.”

“I think he would have, too. He loves you, Di. He’d do anything for you.”

Diana smiled. She knew that, too, because that was how she felt about him. She would do anything for him.

“It was much easier for me. All I had to do was be honest with Estelle and she welcomed me into the family. Really, I think she was hoping I wouldn’t come to my senses before signing on the dotted line. I heard her telling him to hurry up before I figured out how much better I deserved.”

Alex chuckled.

“I like Estelle. The woman has great taste. In men, too, have you seen Lucas? He is hot!”

“Keep your hands off him. The last thing I need is to referee a fight between my best friend and my sister-in-law.”

“I know. I think he has a brother, though.”

“Knock yourself out,” said Diana, but she was distracted, because George was walking towards her. Would she ever stop feeling that way when he looked at her like that? She hoped not.

She didn’t think she would.

“Come and dance with me,” he told her, and held out his hand.

She gave him her hand, as she had given him her heart, willingly. He swept her away, as he had swept her off her feet, and soon they were moving together, the music sweet and full of promises in the background.

“I love you,” he told her, and she smiled happily, because he had become used to saying it. He loved saying it, almost as much as she loved hearing it.

“I love you. Forever,” she promised, and she laid her head on his chest, listened to the beat of his heart, and knew that it beat for her.

Forever.

The end.