It started with arranged marriage

Chapter 24

- Lily Jane Collin  -

“Lily! Get up and go freshen yourself now,” a familiar voice bellowed from my bedroom door. I knew it was mom. She was standing next to my bedroom door. I groaned and then covered my ears with a pillow and continued sleeping. 

“Get up now or else you will be late,” mom repeated again. I could tell this time she was right next to my bed. If I didn’t get up now she might throw me with a pillow, I could hear her breathing sound. 

“Ok! Mom! I’m up,” I groaned and walked to my bathroom half asleep. The cold water woke me up from half asleep. I quickly washed up and then went to the dining room for breakfast.

Today would be a long day, I needed to go and choose the wedding dress that mom and aunt Julia chose. They chose  a few wedding dresses for me in advance and today I needed to go and chose the one that I like and do the fitting. 

Also it had been a week that I hadn't met or talked with Eric since the fundraising event. After the event I had been busy planning for my wedding with mom and aunt Julia. Eric was nowhere to find. According to his mom, he had been busy the whole time so he asked his mom to help with the wedding planning on behalf of him. I was more relieved that I hadn’t met with him for a week so that I could plan without any arguments or disagreement with him. 

“What’s for breakfast,” I said while heading to the dining table. All of them were there already, having breakfast. “Moringing, dear,” granny said. “Morning, you look great today, granny” I said as I took a seat next to Steve. Then Susan served me with her delicious breakfast. 

“Nick, we need to go and pick up Emily and Nicole on the way. Is it ok?” I asked Nick. 

“No problem,” Nick said. 

“Steve are you coming with us or will you meet us there?” I asked Steve. “I’ll meet you guys there,” Steve said. As we all finished discussing the plan for today, I called Emily and Nicole informed the plan for today. 

“Thanks, Susan. The breakfast was delicious,” I said to Susan. 

“Steve, Nick make sure your sister chooses one of the dresses from me and Julia selects it for her” mom said to my brothers. “Rest assure us mom,” both of them said at the same time. 

I just frowned the forehead and looked at them. “Have fun guys, don’t fight with your brothers,  Lily,” granny said as she was laughing with her own words. “I’ll try granny, bye. Bye mom” I said then I headed to the car. “Lily!” mom bellowed from the dining room. I just laughed and ran to the car. 

Nick and I were on the way to pick up Emily and Nicole. Suddenly, dad came into my mind. I missed him a lot. Dad passed away when I was still a kid. I didn’t remember vividly about dad, but he was always in my heart. “Nick, I miss dad a lot. If it’s okay if we stop by at dad’s tombstone” I asked him. “Now?” he seemed startled because of my unexpected request. “Later today after the fitting with Steve too,” I said. “Sure if you want,” Nick said. Nick knew I missed dad and I didn’t have that many memories about dad so he was telling me about how dad loved me when I was a kid. Also, he was even jealous because of that and he used to pick a fight with me a lot just to get attention from dad. 

Shortly after we picked up Emily and Nicole, we headed to the wedding dress shop. When we reached there, Steve was already waiting for us. As soon as we got in, the staff greeted us and then took into the VIP private room. Thereafter, the staff brought six pieces of wedding gown that mom and Juila chose for me.  

“Try this one first,” Nicole pointed at one dress from the dress hanger. Then the staff took me to the fitting room. The dress was really beautiful, it was a classic style off shoulder long sleeved bodice with Tulle Ball gown skirt. After dressing up, I showed it to them. 

“You look beautiful,” Emily awed at my dress. “You look really good in that dress,” Steve added. “Really! I’m not so sure,” I said as I looked myself into the mirror. “Try another one,” Nicole said. I tried one by one and all of them said I looked great and beautiful. I was pretty tired trying all those five dresses. Only one dress left to try and I told myself repeatedly “last one, I can do it”. 

When I saw the last gown, I had already decided this was the one. The dress was totally my style. It was a draped net bodice with pearl and crystal beaded, frosted embroidery on the soft tulle ball gown. “You look stunning with that dress,” Nicole said. “Sis, you look amazing,” Nick also added. “I think this is the one,” Emily added too.  

“This is the one,” I told them. 

“Girls help me to choose the veils,” I asked Emily and Nicole. “Both of you wait here,” I told them to my brothers. Then three of us followed the staff to select veils. I chose the veil that the edge was decorated with rhinestones and bugle beads. After putting on the veil, I showed it to my brothers. 

“Wow, my little sister is a woman now. You look so beautiful, breathtakingly,” Steve said while both Nick and him were looking at me. 

“Three of you should take a picture,” Emily suggested to us. We took a picture together and sent it to mom. After choosing my dress, we continued choosing the bridesmaid dress for Emily and Nicole. We choose a simple nude color, A-line silhouette chiffon dress with beaded shoulder straps and delicately beaded waistline style. 

After finishing up everything at the shop four of us headed to have lunch together. After having lunch, me, Nick and Steve were headed to dad’s tombstone. “Dad, I’m getting married soon, I miss you a lot,” I said and placed a flower in front of the tombstone. “Dad will be really proud of you sis,” Steve comforted me. “Goodby dad,” I said. Thereafter we went back home with the thoughts of longing dad. We told mom and granny what we did today and visited dad. 

Right after we came back home, Eric and his parents visited our house. I wasn’t expecting them and also mom didn’t tell anything about them visiting or her inviting them. “Lily, dear can I come in,” aunt Julia said while knocking and standing next to my room door. 

“Sure, please come in. I’m sorry my room is kinda messy now,” I welcomed her to my room. We were sitting facing each other on the couch. “Lily, I want you to have this. This is the jewelry set that Eric grandma gave to me when I married Max,” she said while handing a jewelry box to me. It was a green emerald with diamond necklace, earring, and ring. It looked like it would be worth billions. 

“I really appreciate it but can I not accept it. It looks really meaningful to you,” I rejected the jewelry set from her. 

“Indeed it’s meaningful, that’s why I gave it to you. Eric’s grandma asked me to pass it to my daughter when she got married but I don’t have a daughter and you are like my daughter and also you will be my daughter-in-law,” she said. I didn’t know what to do next and I was just spacing out. Then she continued “don’t feel a burden about this gift, just think as a gift from your mom. I’ll be your mother-in-law soon, no different than mom”. 

“Thank you aunt Julia, I’m really grateful for what you did for me, not only for this gift also for the house too. I think I’ll be the luckiest daughter-in-law” I said, giving her a hug. 

“I’m more grateful that you agreed to marry my stubborn son,” she said and that made us c***k with laughter.