THE WEDDING

        "You look beautiful," Faith said to Nora who sat in front of the mirror.  "I can't believe I'm seeing your parents again." She was clad in a cream, lacy, mermaid dress with pearls, her hair was styled in half braided style, which made her look stunning. 

      Nora beamed with smiles and kept staring at Faith, Faith frowned, she knew why Nora has been staring at her. She wore her hair in a high bun. 

      "What?" Faith asked, opening her hands. 

      "You know why I am staring at you." 

      "Baby girl, that is not important right now. The important thing is that I am here as I promised." 

       "Have you spoken with him yet?" 

      "No, I haven't. Maybe we would speak after the wedding, I don't want to argue." 

      "Faith, he is not looking to argue with you. He just wants to speak with you." 

    Tired of arguing, Faith exhaled and raised her hands in surrender.   "Yes, ma, I've heard you. But everyone is probably busy and you are leaving for church in no time. It's your day, Nora, don't make it about Ethan and me, we would settle our differences, but your day needs to be special." 

     Nora smiled.  "I know right?" 

    The room door opened and Nora's mom came in. A big, handsome, black woman, with silver-white hair which was braided and styled impeccably to accentuate her face. She wore an expensive, flowery, maxi dress which fitted her body. She swept into the room with outstretched arms, leaving the trail of expensive perfume behind her. Nora stood up when she saw her mother. 

      "Oh, my precious little girl, you look so pretty," she said as she took Nora in a warm embrace.  "Oh, my little girl, you look so beautiful." 

       "Thank you, mom," Nora said and left her mom's embrace. 

     Mrs Hills turned to Faith.  "Oh, you beautiful thing, will you come and give me a hug before I have a fit. Come here, let me give you a great big hug." 

    Faith smiled and went into the woman's arms. Mrs Hills crushed her into her arms, choking the breath out of Faith. 

       "Oh, my. I love you so much. I love you and Nora together and I love that you would have an adorable baby," Mr Hills said and released Faith. 

      "How are you, Mrs Hills?" Faith asked. 

   The woman adored Faith so much. She motioned the both of them to come and hug her one more time. They went into her arms and she hugged them tightly. Then she released them and held Nora.   "Look how beautiful you look in that dress like it was made for you." She turned to Faith.  "My love, I'm just so wonderful. Spin around let me look at you, you still look as beautiful as a picture. Who is this lucky man." 

      "Mom? We need to be at the church, Danny would be waiting for you." 

      "Alright, my bad. But baby girl, you would give me all the juicy gist later!" 

      Nora rolled her eyes. "Mom, she would be with me. If you want to know the man, look for Danny's best man and stop hassling her." 

      "I will keep that in mind." 

      "Okay, mom you need to leave, I need to finish up and head to the church. Say hello to dad for me," Nora said pushing her out. Her mother won't let them finish up if she stays there. When she has shut the door, she turned to Faith.  "Don't let her hassle you." 

     "Come on, I love her. You are just like her, you got your craziness from her." 

     "I will take that as a compliment. Let's go to church, Faith." 

      "Yes, Mrs Kings." Faith took up her wedding gown and Nora started leaving."

       Danny and Ethan sat behind the car. Danny was clad in a white, shawl lapel tuxedo suit, cummerbund, bow tie, pin button shirt with matching pants, his crew cut was new and he looked extremely handsome after his shaving. 

      Ethan wore a square patterned burgundy lapel ivory suit, white waistcoat and matching tuxedo pants. His hair was combed back neatly and he kept staring forward. Danny looked at him. 

      "Nora said Faith came to the house." 

  Ethan glanced at him.  "Come on, Danny don't worry about me, it's your day." 

      "I can't if you don't look happy." 

      Ethan chuckled. "You don't know how relieved I am that she is alright. I don't know what to say to her when I see her. I don't even know where to start." 

      "Not to worry, when you see her, you would know what to say to her. Lover's quarrel, it's always like that." 

     Ethan smiled.  "Did I tell you that you look just like your dad?" 

       Danny smiled.  "That's why I'm called Danny, Daniel junior." 

      "That's nice. Let's go take that bride home. Everyone is waiting at the church now." 

     They chuckled. 

     At the church, the choir, played the instrument as Ethan walked in with the pageboy and the little bride, followed by Danny, he walked in majestically and looked so proud, the next person to come in was Faith with that beautiful smile on her face. All the young men in the room turned to behold the beauty that was coming in. Ethan kept staring at her. 

     Their eyes met and locked for some time, before she broke off the gaze before getting to the altar, gently placing her hand on her tummy, rubbing an imaginary bump, Ethan didn't remove his eyes from her, he stared at her until she went and stood by the other side of the altar. 

      The choir changed their rendition to the 'Here comes the bride' song and the door was open and Nora walked in, arms locked with her father. She looked magnificent in the wedding dress, with a lacy corset and ball skirt, which made her look like Cinderella. Her face was covered with the veil. She walked in with her father and all eyes watched just how beautiful she looked. 

       Her father led her to the altar and handed her over to Danny, who took her hand and kissed the back of her palm. It made Ethan think about his own wedding to Faith. He couldn't get his eyes off Faith. She was looking extremely beautiful in that dress and he didn't know if it was him alone that was seeing how beautiful she was that day. His eyes never left her even as Nora and Danny exchanged vows, their voices were indistinct to him as he watched Faith. 

      Faith sometimes looked at him but removes her eyes as quickly as possible. Then she didn't know to look anymore and she was shy because she could see Ethan's eyes all over her. 

       "You may now kiss the bride," the priest declared. 

  Nora and Danny smiled and kissed each other, while the other people applauded for them. Ethan went over to Faith, who started packing up Nora's dress immediately, pretending not to see Ethan come over. She got busy as the bride and bridegroom walked out of the church to the waiting car. 

      As Nora was about to toss her flower, Ethan got the chance to talk to Faith. He walked up to her and stood beside her, looking ahead just like everyone else. 

       "Have you been avoiding me?" he asked. 

       "I have been busy." 

      "Faith, wh..."

      "Ethan, please, let's not do this right now. Let's not ruin Nora and Danny's special day, they have been waiting for this day. We could do this later. They still have a reception to hold," Faith whispered. 

      As Ethan opened his mouth to talk, the bouquet landed on him and he caught it, people screamed and giggled as he held the flower and smiled. Everyone turned to him, even Faith was giggling, he looked at her and smiled.  Then she started going over to Nora. 

       Nora and Danny entered the car as people stood by their car waving at them. They waved back, laughing. Faith entered the other car with Camelia and two other girls while Ethan entered a car with Axel, Charlie and Douglas. 

      Noah sat in his car looking at everything that was taking place. He had come to the wedding in a hired car, making sure no one recognized him, he had sat inside his car throughout the church vow, he was waiting for the wedding party. He had not gone to kidnap Faith like he had wanted yesterday because he thought about it again. He didn't have a backup plan, he could go and abduct her, but he didn't have anywhere to take Faith yet. 

       Moreover, it could be an ambush. Since she was looking for something to implicate him with, she might have a hidden agenda. He had to stick to his own plans, not the emergency idea that just popped into his head. He was going to lay low until their wedding party which was happening in the evening, by the park, a perfect place for his perfect plan. 

        "Faith would soon be mine again," he started to laugh at the thought. He had watched everything taking place. He watched as the bastard, Ethan kept pulling close to Faith.  "Fool, she wants to be left alone, can't you just let someone be for a minute?" he had cussed when he watched Ethan going over to stand beside Faith and had chuckled lightly as the bouquet had fallen on Ethan.   "Pussy," he had muttered. 

       As other cars pulled away, he pulled away too. Going to wait to fulfil his plans at the after-party. 

       What do you think Noah's plans are? Who was he going to hurt? Keep reading to find out.