Wedding vows

"I'm nervous." Lina tells her mother and stepmother. They were helping her into her dress when she felt a panic attack starting.

"It's okay, Nana. That's a normal feeling, darling." Her mother said as she rubbed her back to calm her down.

"Don't think too much. Everything will be fine. Just look how pretty you are." Her stepmother tells her as she and Jenny started pulling her dress up. While Maria guides her to do an "inhale, exhale" exercise to shake the nerves away.

Her dress fits her like a glove. As they stepped away from her when all the buttons are done to look at her, her mothers' eyes started to get teary just looking at their daughter like this.

Lina's make up was done only very minimally, just the bare essentials, highlighting her features. Her hair was pulled up in a stylish messy but still elegant bun by her nape. Her dress was perfect for her. The white shade compliments her skin color very beautifully and is showcasing her shoulders. She's almost ethereally glowing.

Ki Ha knocked on the door and was called in. He came in with the gift Henry had given her from earlier. Everybody who saw the set agreed that it's going to go well with her wedding dress. "Hello gorgeous, everybody is waiting for you." He tells her.

Her mother and stepmother gave her one last hug each and went out towards the reception escorted by her brothers who also gave her a kiss.

Ki Ha and Jenny helped her with the necklace and earrings. Lina is hopeless with anything at this point in with the accessories. Not only is her hand shaking, her whole body is trembling.

"I guess she's ready." Jenny said softly as she looks at Lina.

"I think so too." Ki Ha said with tears in his eyes, smile in his face. " Be happy my Nana." The best friends hug for some time, sharing their strength with each other. It's another milestone in their lives for them to share.

"Tell me I'm making the right decision." She pleads from Ki Ha.

"I think you are." Ki Ha assured her. Ki Ha and Henry had a one-on-one moment earlier without Lina's knowledge. He then went on to take some pictures of her.

"Okay, let's go." She tells them and they walked out of the bedroom door.

John was there to meet them with a smile. John and Ki Ha helped her down the stairs where her father and step father are waiting for her. Sam, also holding a camera, is snapping pictures of everybody downstairs. Jenny was ahead of them to make sure the twins are ready, who will be the flower girls.

Tomas and Donghoon started getting emotional as they fixed her veil over her face.

"Don't cry." Lina warned them. "My makeup will be ruined." They just smiled at her, keeping their tears at bay. Their baby is all grown up.

"I'll let them know we can start." Jenny said who squeezed her hand then went out with Ki Ha, so he can take the pictures.

The wedding march song started playing. Sam signaled for the girls to go ahead, spreading yellow flowers on their way. There's a red carpet leading from the main house door towards the podium with a wall flower. The whole place was lit by a thousand tiny fairy lights that looks like fireflies flying over them. And the perimeter is surrounded by lit celebratory traditional red lanterns.

And then it's their turn to walk. Lina felt like having an out of body experience. She was not even thinking of getting married maybe in the next 10 years. But here she is walking towards her future husband guided by both her fathers. All of the guests seated in the long table stood as they approached.

All of them were in awe of how absolutely beautiful she is. They were already taken aback earlier when Henry came out wearing his tuxedo, looking like a Greek sculpture with the way his suit fit him and his handsome face. They truly are a beautiful couple.

Before reaching the elevated podium, Henry stepped down to meet them. He took Lina's hand in his and went back up the designated area together.

The music changed subtly to the instrumental version of a very popular love song. Henry reached out and raised her veil. And just like that, looking into his mesmerizing eyes that managed to take his breath away every single time, she forgot everybody else around them, it was just the both of them there.

" Hi." She said awkwardly. "You're not supposed to do that yet." She whispered.

"I want to see your face clearly." Henry responded as her took both her hand in his.

The officiant started the ceremony, Lina and Henry not hearing or understanding any of it. Just swimming in each other's gaze. Just following as instructed and it's time for their vows.

Henry pulled out a ring from his suit jacket. It's a thin band covered by small diamonds all around, it has a V shape in the middle that when placed with her engagement ring, its hugs the pointed end of the teardrop diamond. Worn together, it looks like it's one ring only with the way they meld.

As he placed the ring on her finger he said with clear voice and candor, "I vow to hold your hand with both of my hands, to carry your head on my shoulders, and to carry your heart in mine. I vow to love you, through all hardship, darkness, and pain to reach our joys, our hopes and happiness. And for always with honesty and faith, I'll love you and you will be and already my wife for all time. All I have in this world, I give to you, I promise to hold and keep you, comfort, protect, and shelter you, for all the days of my life.

I enter into this life with you without any reservation, without fear or confusion, but with a clear and trusting heart. Everything will work out, baby, because we will be together.

I, Wu Henry, take you, my Lina, to be my wife. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the person you will become, and falling in love a little more each day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us."

He raised her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. Lina stood there, tears falling from her eyes as she felt the sincerity with all of her heart and soul Henry's vow. She's been crying every time Henry shares his deepest feelings because unlike his usual cold demeanor to others, Lina feels his burning passion towards her.

Ki Ha stood up and handed her the ring box, calling her softly, which helped her get out of her reverie as she stood shocked, crying from Henry's vow.

Henry couldn't hide his surprise when she opened the box and removed the wedding band she got for him.

She then took his hand in hers and placed the ring in his finger.

Looking into his eyes, she softly promised, "I take you to be my husband. Despite the beginning of it and the circumstance that brought us together, from now onwards, I vow to stand with you in this journey ahead of us with full honesty and faith. Faith that we can make this work and the forces that brought us to this point is correct. I promise to respect you and to be there beside you in your successes and in your failures, to care for you in sickness and in health, to nurture you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of life. I have accepted that I love what I know of you, and trusting that I will also love what I do not know yet. "

Smiling, his eyes glinting with happiness, Henry cradled Lina face in his hands and kissed her amidst the cheers and claps of their family not waiting for the prompt to do it.