“She isn’t in any of the bathrooms, where then could she be?” Caleb asked, already feeling sober. He was worried so were Aiden and Sofia.
“What about her phone? Did you try to contact her?” Sofia asked, fishing out her phone and dialing Emily’s number.
Running his fingers through his hair for the hundredth time that day “why did I leave her alone? Why? Nothing must happen to her. My baby girl must be okay.” he said, pacing the hallway outside the hall.
“Is she picking?” Aiden asked and Sofia shook her head no.
“Oh my GOD” Caleb said once more.
“Caleb I need you to calm down,” Aiden said putting his hand on Caleb’s shoulder but Caleb swats it away.
“Calm down? The love of my life and unborn child is out where I don’t know and you are asking me to calm down?” he asked frustratedly.
“Panicking won’t do any good, we just need to calm ourselves down and try to look for her, we can check the car park, outside the hall or she might have gotten tired from all the walking around with her pregnant feet and went to your room.” Aiden shrugged trying to play it cool even though he is as scared as they are.
Caleb gradually began to calm down and grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray of a waiter who passed them. Running his hands through his hair he leaned against the wall and rubbed his face.
“You might be right,” he agrees.
“See, there should be no room for panic” he pats his friend’s back and starts moving to the door leading outside the hall. “Come on, let’s go check outside and see if our little girl is there”
“She’s my little girl, you fool” Caleb tapped the back of his head and earned an ‘oof’ from him.
***
After dancing to their couples song, more songs kept playing and they kept dancing. In each other’s arms, dancing slowly under the gaze of over two hundred people who looked at them in admiration.
Some have their phones out recording the beautiful scenery, while some are sipping their drinks muttering how cute they find the both of them.
Their parents are seated at one table and looking so proud of their kids.
“This is beautiful,” Moana said, wiping a tear that slipped off her eyes.
“Don’t cry honey, Audriana wouldn’t want to see you crying” Kingsley brought his wife’s chair closer to his and hugged her.
“I know, but they are tears of joy.” she wiped the ones that freshly fell with the handkerchief her husband offered her then blew her nose.
“I know how you feel dear,” Patricia said reaching for Moana’s hand on the table giving a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad he is marrying from a well-respected and well-cultured family and we being friends makes it a lot better.” she smiled looking at her husband.
He placed a kiss on her head and brought her close to himself as he caressed her arm.
Kingsley placed a kiss on his wife’s palm and excused himself before leaving in the direction of the bathroom.
Donald’s phone rang and he excused himself to answer it not before placing a kiss on his wife’s forehead and leaving both friends turned mothers-in-law at the table admiring their children dance slowly to the song.
“They look cute together,” Moana cooed.
“I know right,” Patricia agreed. She turned her head to look at her friend who was already looking at her and blew her nose again.
“Audriana never gets to date anyone though, not like she never had suitors coming after her but I guess she still thinks about what happened to her when she was little and it must have scared her.” she smiled.
Patricia frowned a bit not knowing what her friend was saying, Monan noticed and waved it off.
“You shouldn’t be bothered at all, it’s all in the past and now she has found love with your son, let’s just hope for the best” she placed a hand on Patricia’s hand and gave it a small squeeze.
“I hope so and I really hope this union is the best idea and will help him recover from his… should I say trauma?” she shook her head and looked down on her palm resting on the table in front of her.
She raised her head back to look Moana in the eyes and smiled with tear-filled eyes.
“I just hope he becomes better than he is now, yes my baby boy was a very stubborn child and is still” they both chuckled “but… he was very sweet. He was a lady’s man but never did anything more than flirting, never broke a girl’s heart or all the things he does now” she took a sip of water from the bottle on the table when she felt a bit parched.
Moana placed one of her hands on both of Patricia’s and the other rubbed comfy circles on her arm.
Looking down at their hands she sighed “Ever since Cade died, he was sad so sad he wouldn’t talk to no one. He had exams then but couldn’t concentrate, he drank till he couldn’t take it anymore. He was dying, gradually killing himself.” she chuckled and looked up to her friend.
“It was like I lost two sons. He was alive but felt dead. Every year on the 17th of April he would go in a sad mood and that means after visiting his brother’s grave, ‘OKM’ begins, it ‘Operation Kill myself’ if you’re wondering”
“I am so sorry Patricia, I didn’t know he had it really bad” Moana consoled her.
“Nah, everyone had it bad too, sometimes I wonder if there was something more to it than just Cade’s death. I mean like everyone was affected but he was…” she shook her head “but now, I noticed how lovely he had become when he met Audriana. It was like she switched on the lightbulb that was out long ago. He seems happy when he wants to see her next and I have not seen him like that with any girl aside his fo-” she was interrupted by the MC stopping the dance.
“Okay guys, that’s all for the couples dance.” he gazed at them and cleared his throat. “If I had not stopped you guys you would have gone on and on” and everyone cheered and laughed.
The couple had to restrain themselves from rolling their eyes.
“Please go sit in your designated seat,” he gestured to the cream-colored sofa with silver iron trimming couple chair that is placed in between two medium-sized pillars with flower pots on top and one behind the chair.
Dimitri led her to their chair and allowed her to sit first before sitting beside her.
“Okay, now we are going to play a game and the only participants will be the newlywed. It is called ‘How well you know each other’.” Everyone cheered and looked pleased.
Well not the newlyweds, they both groaned and tried to conceal their annoyance with forced smiles.
“This shit better stop,” Dimitri said when they were called to sit on the chairs backing each other and take off their left shoe.
***
“Yeah, I am back to stay,” she said, looking straight into her eyes.
Her eyes widened at that and she had to put her hands on the railing of the stairs to steady herself.
She tried to talk but nothing came from her mouth, she was feeling parched already and it wasn’t a good thing at all. Not with her condition.
“Do–don’t do anything to him” she pleads, feeling scared for him.
She can’t imagine him going through that phase again, not now. Not when he can at least say he has peace, she has to go, leave this place and never come back.
“There is no use trying to push me away or even sending me far away. I am here and I am here for good” she flipped her hair with a smirk on her face and glanced behind her to see a man in a rich business suit with a phone pressed to his ear walking towards them.
Her mood suddenly changed and she looked at her again and turned towards the parking lot. She took a pair of shades from her bag and slid them on before getting into a black Bentley that stopped at the end of the stairs.
“Emily?” Donald called and took large steps towards her when she turned to look at him.
She looked sick, her skin was pale and her lips chapped. It was like she was kidnapped and left without food or water.
“What happened Emily? who is she?” he asked when he got to her.
He held her hands to see that they were cold, panicking. He opened his phone to call his driver to come to pick them up before Caleb. Just as his finger tapped Caleb’s contact he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Aiden, Caleb, and Sofia all looking worried.
“Emily?” Caleb’s estranged voice called out to a pale-looking Emily.
He ran to her and held her shaking hands, then he looked down to see a little streak of blood on her gown down to her leg.
“What happened Emily? Are you okay?” he asked, looking at Emily who was looking paler than before.
She looked down and her back up at Caleb with wide-opened eyes and slightly parted lips.
“I..” she didn’t finish her sentence when she fainted, thankfully Caleb was in front of her so he caught her.
He scooped her in his arms and Doanled’s car arrived at the bottom of the stairs he told Aiden and Sofia to stay so he and his uncle will take care of Emily.