Flicker of Hope Chapter 7

**** Thank you so much for commenting on the last chapter. You guys have been really good to me. Please comment in this one and let me know what you think. And thank you Ginaeve, for commenting. Your comments made my day! They made me laugh and smile. You are a really good reader.****

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They were afraid to hurt John so they did the only suitable option that would make him happy. There was no time to think about the future.

Marriage, a union of love and a promise to love each other no matter what, was one of Emily’s dreams, but it didn’t applied to them. It wasn’t a reunion of love or even a promise to love each other. In this case, marriage was a way of showing that they both loved their uncle, and cared about him. It wasn’t about them, it was about someone else.

Was it really considered a marriage?

After they both decided to fulfill John’s wish, he seemed to gain some new kind of excitement. His eyes were sparkling, and Emily had never seen her uncle as ecstatic as this. Tanner seemed to think so too. There was something about the excitement in John’s eyes that didn’t look so normal for an almost-dying man, but they both dismissed that idea off their head. They only wished that John would be fine but it didn’t seem that way.

John seemed more prepared in this than we were. He had already called the minister for the ceremony, and the rings and everything were all ready. The only thing that uncle needed was our response which had been just the way he wanted it to be. How was a sick man so prepared? I couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually sick. Everything seemed so planned!

Emily´s POV

But I couldn’t even say no to him, he just meant so much to me. He was the head of my world. He has always done the best for me, and I had to do this for him. But what about me? Marriage is not a silly game; it’s a lifetime commitment. Am I ready for it? Maybe I was otherwise things wouldn’t have been this way.

But was I really ready?

God allowed this to happen, and He is still in control. I should stop thinking about myself. Everything isn’t just about me. God is supposed to be the center of my world; not myself.

Okay, God, I think I am ready for whatever it is that you want me to do.

I silently prayed to God, and as expected, I had that peace, and I knew that everything would work out.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t realize that they were moving John somewhere.

I looked at Tanner and raised my eye brow. I couldn’t think of him as my soon-to-be-husband. Just the very thought of having him as my husband gave me the butterfly feeling inside my stomach.

"The servants are moving him." His expression mirrored mine. We were both so unsure about this whole thing.

"But why?"

He seemed a little uneasy to answer that. "Er… For our, um, marriage." He swallowed audibly, and I realized that he was very nervous about the whole marriage thing. I blushed. His expression looked so hesitant as if he was caught doing something wrong. I wonder what he was thinking at the moment.

He probably is very upset with the fact that he has to marry me. A guy like him could get anyone, but his poor luck, he has to be stuck with me. I felt rather sad; he was just so beautiful and I was just the opposite. He deserves someone better. I am not good enough for him, but then why is this marriage happening? If we are not meant to be, this wouldn’t be happening. They say that opposites attract, and maybe this was something like that. He is everything and I am basically nothing. There is nothing that I can give him that he doesn’t already have. Maybe my love is all that I can give him. But how do I give him my love?

But one thing I knew for sure, I already did like him. It was just so easy to. There was just something between us. There seemed to be some kind of pull that has made me so attracted to him. Even though this marriage isn’t in the best circumstances, I could work it out and make it better. Correction, we could work it out.

After today, everything I have will not just be mine, but his as well. That is what marriage is. Everything that is mine will belong to him. There will be no such a thing as mine, instead it will be ours.

"Emma, I want you to wear our traditional weeding gown," I was starlet by John’s voice. He wanted me to wear the traditional weeding gown? It was passed from John’s grandmother to his mother, and since John’s mother didn’t have a sister, it was passed to his wife, and now it was passed to me. He wanted me to marry his son, and wear the traditional weeding gown. He wouldn’t want the gown to be with anyone else. Tears filled my eyes when I realized that he loved me so much, and I was so blessed to have him. But now, he was……. It was nearly impossible for me to think of John as dying. It somehow didn’t fit with everything else, at least not for me.

I had tried that weeding gown several times, and I knew by heart how it looked. It was the prettiest thing ever!

One of the servants, Becky led me to my bedroom, and within minutes I started opening the old package. The dress was just as beautiful as I remembered, and we both gasped at the beauty of it. The dress was made with creamy lace and with the dark pink velvet ribbon on the back. It was centered with various kinds of pearls. It was designed so that it was a little tight around the waist and flowed freely from the thigh. It was long, and beautiful.

After changing into the gown, I felt beautiful. It showed the curves in all the right places. Forgetting all the problems for a minute, I let myself enjoy the moment with this lovely dress. It was so soft, and it made me feel like a princess.

Becky pulled my hair into a bun that was suitable with the dress, leaving a few curls behind. "You look……. so beautiful," Becky seemed dazed.

I smiled. For some unknown reasons, I found myself hoping that Tanner will like the dress, and think that I was pretty. I had no idea why the idea of Tanner thinking me as beautiful matter to me so much, but it did.

Maybe it was the way it was supposed to be with husband and wife. Maybe wives always wanted to impress their husband, and want him to think that she was pretty. I shuddered. It was still very hard for me to think of myself as a wife to someone.

Just a single day was changing my life so much. I had never expected it to be this way. My life was going to be changed forever, and I will never be the same again. I was going to be Mrs. in just a couple of minutes. I was getting married! I was e both excited and afraid. Afraid, because I didn’t know him well. And why I was so excited, I had no idea.

It’s because of the wedding gown, I tell myself. I refused to think that it was because of Tanner. It was all too soon. But then why is my heart rejoicing with the idea of marrying him? Why did my breathe cut in my throat just by imagining him as my husband. Why did it felt so right and true as if it was just meant to be……..

I turned around to see John entering my room with the help of one of the servant. He seemed better than before but it still hurt to see him like that.

"Don’t you dare start crying again!" Even though he was sick, his voice still held power and authority. I gave him a small smile though tears filled my eyes. "Why, I have never seen anyone as pretty as you!" He kissed my forehead. His expression was joyful and happy. "This is the day I have waited for years. You look pretty as a picture." He took my arm in his. "We need to get going." George was at John’s side, helping him.

We reached the church, and John insisted on walking me down the aisle. Though I had always wanted John to walk me down the aisle, the situation made me think twice about my wish. John was stubborn and wanted to walk with me. I just couldn’t say no to him, though I knew it was going to be very hard for him.

This wasn’t like any normal marriage but for John, we were all playing our parts. There has been a lot of times in my life where I had considered my desire and my need greater than others, but in this case I found myself thinking differently. John was my first priority. He matter the most.

We slowly made our way down the aisle, and as expected, Tanner was there with the minister. It seemed like I would never get tired of looking at him. The dark tuxedo complemented his features perfectly, and made him look like he was model straight from one of the magazine. Just a moment ago I had dared to think myself as beautiful, but I was nothing compared to him. But his expression made me realize that this gown wasn’t just any other clothes that I normally wore, it was special; it was magical. It did make me pretty; his expression reassured me.

His eyes seemed to pop for a couple of seconds, and then it changed into one that of wonder. It seemed like he couldn’t believe his eyes. He slowly started to smile, and there was something about the way his eyes kept searching mine that I felt like I was just going to burst with desire of wanting him. My knees felt weak to the core, and I couldn’t look anywhere but in the breathtaking blue-green pools. I have no idea what he saw in my expression, but he seemed to like what he found in my eyes, and his expression turned into a heart melting, mouth watering smile for the second time. I felt as if the sun was smiling down on me.

He seemed so beautiful and perfect. There was just something about him that made me realize that it wasn’t just a coincidence, it was our destiny to meet. We were destined to be together before we even came to be, or else, this wouldn’t feel so right.

And I wouldn’t have asked for anything better.