Finding the Love Back (10 page)

Ava was ready for a night out on the town. She wanted to show Christian all that there was to do in Atlanta. After a twenty minute ride, the car pulled up to an exclusive restaurant. Ava had been there before with a client and she loved the décor and the menu.

The driver came around and helped her out of the car. She thanked him and walked up to the front door. Christian appeared and holding the door, welcomed her inside.

“Hello Gorgeous,” he said kissing her on the cheek. He held her hand and twirled her around to admire her beauty.

“Hello to you. You’re looking great yourself,” she remarked. Christian was clad in a light blue polo shirt and a pair of gray slacks and a pair of loafers. He looked dashing. His eyes sparkled as he looked at his lover.

Christian whisked her into the restaurant for a romantic four course meal. The candlelight set the mood along with the soft music. Ava felt like she could gaze into Christian’s eyes forever. They laughed and had easy conversation. Everything seemed like a dream.

When they finished eating, Christian held out his hand for Ava to stand up with him. “We have one more thing planned this evening.”

Christian took her hand and led the way out of the restaurant. The valet brought him his car and Christian, like the gentleman he was, opened the passenger door for Ava.

He ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in. Christian navigated the Atlanta streets like a pro. They eventually pulled up at one of the many tall glass buildings in the downtown area. Christian pulled into the garage.

“You live here?” Ava asked.

“Yes. I got a sweet deal. I hope you like it.”

They took the elevator up twenty floors. The building was exquisite and Ava took it all in. She had been doing well in her business, but obviously Christian was not doing too shabby himself.

They made their way to his place and when Ava opened the door, she couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a trail of pink rose petals trailing from the front door.

“What is this? Christian, what did you do?” She was excited to see where the trail of roses would lead.

Christian smiled. He looked like a parent that watched intently as their child scrambled to rip open presents on Christmas morning. He couldn’t wait to see what Ava would say about the surprise he had waiting for her.

He shrugged his shoulders playfully. “I don’t know what this is. We should find out.”

Ava hit him on the shoulder and picked up the pace as she followed the rose petals. They trailed through the living room and out to the balcony. On the balcony, there was a simple sampler box of chocolates and a jar full of hard candies. Ava clapped her hands in excitement.

“You remembered!” She couldn’t believe that Christian had remembered how much she liked to indulge in a box of chocolates just because. The jar of hard candies was an ode to the candies that she always carried in her purse when she was growing up. She actually still carried the same candies in her purse to this day.

“Christian, you are so sweet. You didn’t have to do all of this for me. I-,” when Ava turned around, she stopped in her tracks.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. Christian was kneeling down on one knee, holding open a jewelry box with a ring that sparkled brightly. Ava covered her mouth with her hands. Was Christian doing what she thought he was doing?

“Ava Marie Collier, you have been the love of my life since we were kids and even into adulthood. I thought that I could get you out of my heart and my mind, but I can’t and I won’t try to anymore. I know that I hurt you once and I promise to never do it again so long as I live. You are the woman for me and I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life.  Ava Marie, will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Christian Carter?”

The diamond shined when the lights from the city bounced off of the jewel. Ava couldn’t suppress the tears that were now falling from her eyes. She just knew that her mascara was running and that she must look a mess.

“Are you serious?” She had to ask just to make sure that she had really heard what she thought she heard.

Christian nodded. “I am extremely serious, Ava Marie. Marry me.”

Ava nodded and screamed out, “Yes! I will marry you.”

Her hand was trembling when Christian took it and placed the ring on her finger.

“Ava Marie, I promise to make you happy every day of our lives.”

Ava held her hand up and admired the ring. It was a beautiful expression of Christian’s love for her.

She hadn’t thought about marriage and if you had told Ava a month ago that she would be accepting a proposal from her childhood sweetheart, Christian Carter, she would have told you that you were crazy.

But here she was, with the ring on her finger to prove his love for her. And Ava couldn’t be happier right in that moment.

Ava lay in bed next to her fiancé. She spent the night making love to Christian. Their love making was explosive and passionate. It felt like this time, Ava was able to completely let go and she was present in the moment with her lover. Christian couldn’t contain himself when the passion flowed between them. He was helplessly in love with Ava and Ava was helplessly in love with Christian.

They playfully spent the morning in bed, teasing each other and feeding each other breakfast.

Ava had work later that day and it took everything in her to get up and leave Christian’s side. She could have spent every day of the rest of the week with Christian. They ended up doing so. When the two of them weren’t working, they spent their time either at Christian’s home or at Ava’s home.

When Ava called her father and told him that Christian had proposed, he told her “It’s about time.”

Ava was surprised by her father’s response. Reginald admitted that Christian had already asked him for Ava’s hand in marriage so he knew that it was coming. He was happy for the two of them and looked forward to the two of them marrying.

Ava and Christian decided that they would not spend an immense amount of time being engaged. Instead, they planned to get married in the early fall. Ava called in the best event planner in Atlanta and began planning every moment of their upcoming nuptials. Christian enjoyed watching Ava plan their wedding.

Christian decided to make Atlanta his home base. He had to continue to travel, but he and Ava agreed to make Atlanta a home base for their family.

By the time early fall came, Reginald was traveling the road to recovery well. He would be able to make the drive to Atlanta and would be well enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. Ava was ecstatic.

The wedding festivities brought both of their families and friends together. Christian was happy to see Ava smiling and he was looking forward to making her his wife. He had been in love with her all of his life and he was looking forward to loving her every day for the rest of his life.

They agreed to write their own vows and also agreed to spend the night apart the night before their wedding.

Ava had spent so much time looking for Mr. Right and she had finally found him. She wasn’t ever sure that her Prince Charming would come searching for her like in the fairy tales her mother read her as a child. But she was set to marry the man of her dreams and the stage was set for a perfect ceremony.

The next day, Ava’s stomach was full of butterflies. She had found the perfect wedding dress and Lindsey and Lisa were her bridesmaids. Christian was decked out in a tailored tuxedo and his two brothers were his groomsmen.

People filed into the wedding venue in anticipation. Christian made his way to the front with the officiant and waited nervously for the ceremony to begin. He couldn’t wait to see his bride.

Suddenly, the wedding march music began, signaling the bride’s impending entrance. Everyone stood up, waiting to get a glance at Ava. When the doors opened, she stood there with a princess like ball gown, embellished with crystals. A veil with the same crystals sprinkled over it covered her face. She walked slowly with her father who walked her down the aisle.

A tear fell from Reginald’s eye as he gave his daughter away, but he was happy that she’d chosen such a good man as a husband.

Ava took her place next to Christian and the ceremony began.

They were asked to say their vows. Ava began.

“Christian, if someone had told me at the beginning of this year that you and I would reunite and marry, I would have called them crazy. I am happy for the chance to love again and I am happy that the person who taught me to love again is you. I look forward to our lives together and I am excited about being Mrs. Christian Carter. You are a wonderful man and I love you with all of my heart. I promise to love you every day for the rest of our lives.” Ava reached out her hands and put a ring on Christian’s finger.

The officiant looked toward Christian and said, “Christian will now read his vows.”

Christian began.

“Ava Marie, I had loved you since we were kids. I am happy for the opportunity to love you as an adult. You are a wonderful woman with a loving and forgiving heart and I only hope that our children will take after you in that department. Well and in the looks department too.”

All of the guests laughed at Christian’s joke and he continued.

“When you came home to Conner, I had no clue if you would speak to me, but I knew that I had to take a chance. Even when we were apart, I never stopped loving you and you were always in my heart and on my mind. I am thankful that you gave me another chance, thus giving us a chance at love. I am happy to make you Mrs. Christian Carter today, now, and forever.” He placed the ring on her finger.

The officiant said a few more words and pronounced them man and wife. All of the guests stood and clapped as the couple made their way through the doors of the church.

Christian and Ava took their seat in the luxury car awaiting them. Once inside, they waved to their guests, who had filed out of the church. As they drove off, Christian smiled at his bride and wasted no time planting a kiss on her soft lips.

“Mrs. Christian Carter has a wonderful ring to it. I am in love with you, Ava Marie.”

“I love you too, Christian.”

They rode off to get ready for their honeymoon trip and as they held hands in the car, Ava said a thank you to finding her love back unexpectedly.

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